Leicester: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Leicester is a city of 368,600 people in United Kingdom (England), 65 m (213 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is East Midlands Airport (EMA), 25 km (16 mi) from the centre. It has 5 railway stations on record, including Leicester Belgrave Road railway station.
Key facts
Daylight in Leicester runs from about 7 h 42 min a day in late December to 16 h 56 min in late June (computed for 52.64° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Leicester is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is East Midlands Airport (EMA), 25 km (16 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,495 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Birmingham Airport (BHX, 46 km), London Luton Airport (LTN, 100 km).
Flights to Leicester: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Leicester Belgrave Road railway station, Leicester Central railway station, Humberstone Road railway station, Leicester West Bridge railway station, Welford Road railway station. Trains to Leicester
Buses to Leicester · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- London, 143 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Birmingham, 55 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Dublin, 351 km (Ireland) — flights
- Rotterdam, 390 km (The Netherlands) — flights
- Manchester, 119 km — tours
- Sheffield, 86 km — tours
- Leeds, 132 km — tours
- Edinburgh, 392 km
- Liverpool, 150 km — tours
- Bristol, 165 km
Twin towns and sister cities: Chongqing, Haskovo, Krefeld, Strasbourg, Rajkot.
Common questions
Which airport serves Leicester?
East Midlands Airport (EMA), 25 km (16 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Leicester?
About 368,600 people live in Leicester, across 73 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Leicester in?
Europe/London, currently UTC+1.
What currency is used in Leicester?
The Pound (GBP). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Leicester?
London (143 km), Birmingham (55 km), Dublin (351 km), Rotterdam (390 km), Manchester (119 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.