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East Midlands airporttoNottingham city center
To Old Market Square · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours
4 transfer options
Not all night: the Skylink Express to Nottingham runs 04:45–22:45.
Recommended
The cheapest way in. The Welcome Pickups transfer to Nottingham is 11 minutes quicker for £52 more, which is not worth it at this party size.
Bus
Skylink Express to Nottingham
Skylink Express · trentbarton
32–44 min rideEvery 30 min04:45–22:45
The coach station next to the terminal→Friar Lane
£3total for 1 adult£3 eachBuy ticketOn trentbarton
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. The coach station next to the terminal
No more than £3 for an adult single under England's bus fare cap, which falls to £2 on 1 January 2027. Pay by contactless tap on and off, or cash to the driver. Children 10 and under pay £1.20; under-fives travel free.
Luggage. An ordinary local bus; keep cases with you or in the luggage space.
Hours. Every 30 minutes, every day. After 22:45, take Skylink Nottingham, which runs all night.
£3total for 1 adult£3 eachBuy ticketOn trentbarton
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. The coach station next to the terminal
No more than £3 for an adult single under England's bus fare cap, which falls to £2 on 1 January 2027. Pay by contactless tap on and off, or cash to the driver. Children 10 and under pay £1.20 by day; under-fives travel free.
Luggage. An ordinary local bus; keep cases with you or in the luggage space.
Boards at. The Arrow Cars booking desk in the arrivals hall
Arrow Cars, the airport's official Private Hire company, quotes this fixed, pre-paid fare on its own booking engine for the ride to Nottingham city centre. Booking both ways costs £95.70 (saloon) or £138.40 (6-8 seats), a little less than double.
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How do I get from East Midlands airport to Nottingham city center?
For one traveler we recommend the Skylink Express to Nottingham at £3, 32–44 min, which is also the cheapest way in; the fastest is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Nottingham at £55, 25 min. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
A few things for the rest of your trip
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An eSIM for United Kingdom, installed before you fly, works in the arrivals hall: tickets, maps, the driver's messages.
A flight three or more hours late, or cancelled at short notice, can be owed up to €600 a passenger under EU and UK rules, depending on the flight. AirHelp charges only if the claim succeeds.
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Arriving late?
Not everything runs around the clock: the Skylink Express to Nottingham runs 04:45–22:45. Outside those hours, the Skylink Nottingham via Long Eaton is what remains. Set the hour you leave arrivals and the board keeps only what is running.
Luggage
An ordinary local bus; keep cases with you or in the luggage space.
Going somewhere specific?
"The center" is not one place, and the answer changes
Every Skylink leaves from the coach station next to the terminal, a few steps from the arrivals hall past WHSmith. Skylink to Derby boards at bay A and to Leicester at bay B; the two Nottingham Skylinks board at the terminal stop there.
Finding the station
There is no railway station at the airport. East Midlands Parkway, five miles away, is reached only by the Nottsbus On Demand minibus, booked ahead. The Skylinks call at Derby, Long Eaton and Nottingham stations.
Tickets
Pay on the bus: tap a contactless card or phone on the reader as you get on and again as you get off, and you are charged one adult single. Or tell the driver where you are going and pay cash; change is given.
The taxi rank
Arrow Cars is the airport's official taxi firm, 24 hours a day, with a booking desk in the arrivals hall and pick-up points right outside the terminal. Its airport fares are fixed and pre-paid, with no parking or waiting charges; book at the desk or on 01332 814000.
Uber and Bolt
Bolt operates at East Midlands Airport. Its pickup points are shown in the app and may be signed at the airport; follow the app to the spot and check the car and driver match before getting in.
At night
After the last Skylink Express at 22:45, Skylink Nottingham keeps running hourly through the night (00:10, 01:10, 02:10, 03:10), about 45 minutes to Friar Lane. Skylink Derby and Leicester also run hourly all night.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
Skylink Express · trentbartonSkylink Express to Nottingham
From
The coach station next to the terminal
To
Friar Lane, stop F1, by Old Market Square, after Nottingham station
Luggage
An ordinary local bus; keep cases with you or in the luggage space.
Runs
04:45–22:45
Journey
32–44 min
No more than £3 for an adult single under England's bus fare cap, which falls to £2 on 1 January 2027. Pay by contactless tap on and off, or cash to the driver. Children 10 and under pay £1.20; under-fives travel free.
Non-stop along the A453 via Clifton Park & Ride and West Bridgford: 32 minutes at quiet times, up to 44 at the weekday peak.
The last bus leaves the airport at 22:45 every day.
Every 30 minutes, every day. After 22:45, take Skylink Nottingham, which runs all night.
Skylink · trentbartonSkylink Nottingham via Long Eaton
From
The coach station next to the terminal
To
Friar Lane, stop F1, by Old Market Square, then Broadmarsh bus station
Luggage
An ordinary local bus; keep cases with you or in the luggage space.
Runs
All night
Journey
45–72 min
No more than £3 for an adult single under England's bus fare cap, which falls to £2 on 1 January 2027. Pay by contactless tap on and off, or cash to the driver. Children 10 and under pay £1.20 by day; under-fives travel free.
Every 20 minutes by day and hourly at night, round the clock, via Castle Donington, Long Eaton station, Beeston and the Queen's Medical Centre.
About 45 minutes at night and 55 by day, up to 72 at the weekday morning peak: slower than the Express, for the same fare.
Skylink · KinchbusSkylink from East Midlands airport to Derby
From
The coach station next to the terminal, bay A
To
Derby Bus Station, bay 8, after Derby station; Morledge stop C1 beside it at night
Runs
All night
Journey
33–56 min
No more than £3 for an adult single under England's bus fare cap, which falls to £2 on 1 January 2027. Pay by contactless tap on and off, or cash to the driver. Children 10 and under pay £1 by day; under-fives travel free.
Up to every 15 minutes by day and hourly at night, round the clock. About 30 minutes to Derby station forecourt.
The same route runs the other way to Loughborough and Leicester: check the front of the bus says Derby.
Skylink · KinchbusSkylink from East Midlands airport to Leicester
From
The coach station next to the terminal, bay B
To
St Margaret's Bus Station, Leicester, via Loughborough
Runs
All night
Journey
48–71 min
No more than £3 for an adult single under England's bus fare cap, which falls to £2 on 1 January 2027. Pay by contactless tap on and off, or cash to the driver. Children 10 and under pay £1 by day; under-fives travel free.
Up to every 15 minutes by day and hourly at night, round the clock, via Kegworth, Hathern and Loughborough.
The same route runs the other way to Derby: check the front of the bus says Leicester.
Old Market Square and the Council House, in Nottingham city centre
Journey
30 min
Arrow Cars, the airport's official Private Hire company, quotes this fixed, pre-paid fare on its own booking engine for the ride to Nottingham city centre. Booking both ways costs £95.70 (saloon) or £138.40 (6-8 seats), a little less than double.
The fare is fixed and quoted in full before booking, not metered; a 6- to 8-seat vehicle costs more than a saloon or estate.
What is the best way from East Midlands airport to Nottingham city center?
For one traveler, the Skylink Express to Nottingham at £3, 32–44 min. The cheapest way in. The Welcome Pickups transfer to Nottingham is 11 minutes quicker for £52 more, which is not worth it at this party size. The same holds for a group of up to eight. How we weigh price against time is set out on the fares page, in numbers.
What is the cheapest way from East Midlands airport to Nottingham city center?
For one traveler, the Skylink Express to Nottingham at £3. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from East Midlands airport to Nottingham city center by bus?
For one traveler the cheapest bus is the Skylink Express to Nottingham at £3, 32–44 min, and it is also the fastest. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Nottingham by any means. The fastest way overall is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Nottingham, 25 min. See every option by bus
How do I get from East Midlands airport to Nottingham city center by taxi?
For one traveler the cheapest taxi is the Arrow Cars taxi to Nottingham at £48, 30 min; the fastest is the Welcome Pickups transfer to Nottingham at £55, 25 min. It is not the cheapest way in: the Skylink Express to Nottingham at £3 is. See every option by taxi
How long does it take to get from East Midlands airport to Nottingham city center?
Skylink Express to Nottingham: 32–44 min. Skylink Nottingham via Long Eaton: 45–72 min. Arrow Cars taxi to Nottingham: 30 min. Welcome Pickups transfer to Nottingham: 25 min. East Midlands Airport is 19 km from Nottingham station.
How far is East Midlands airport from the city center?
19 km to Nottingham station. The fastest way in takes 25 min; the cheapest, the Skylink Express to Nottingham, 32–44 min.
How much is a taxi from East Midlands airport to Nottingham city center?
£48. Journey time 30 min.
Where is the train station at East Midlands airport?
There is no railway station at the airport. East Midlands Parkway, five miles away, is reached only by the Nottsbus On Demand minibus, booked ahead. The Skylinks call at Derby, Long Eaton and Nottingham stations.
Is there Uber or Bolt at East Midlands airport?
Bolt operates at East Midlands Airport. Its pickup points are shown in the app and may be signed at the airport; follow the app to the spot and check the car and driver match before getting in.
Where do I catch the Skylink Express to Nottingham at East Midlands airport?
The coach station next to the terminal. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Friar Lane, stop F1, by Old Market Square, after Nottingham station.
Is there a train from East Midlands airport to Nottingham at night?
The Skylink Express to Nottingham runs 04:45–22:45. Outside those hours the Skylink Nottingham via Long Eaton is what remains; it is £3 for one traveler. Every 30 minutes, every day. After 22:45, take Skylink Nottingham, which runs all night.
Does the Skylink from East Midlands airport to Derby go to Old Market Square and the Council House, in Nottingham city centre?
Derby is a separate city, north-west of the airport; this bus does not go to Nottingham.
Does the Skylink from East Midlands airport to Leicester go to Old Market Square and the Council House, in Nottingham city centre?
Leicester is a separate city, south of the airport through Loughborough; this bus does not go to Nottingham.
Worth knowing
East Midlands Airport is not in Nottingham: it sits between Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, with a Skylink bus to each.
All three Skylinks are inside England's £3 bus fare cap, so an adult single to Nottingham, Derby or Leicester costs no more than £3. The cap falls to £2 on 1 January 2027.
Two Skylinks go to Nottingham for the same fare. Skylink Express takes about 35 minutes, every 30 minutes from 04:45 to 22:45; Skylink Nottingham goes via Long Eaton in about 55 minutes and runs round the clock.
There is no railway station at the airport. East Midlands Parkway is five miles away and linked only by a Nottsbus On Demand minibus booked ahead; for trains, take a Skylink to Nottingham, Derby or Long Eaton station.
Pay on board: tap a contactless card or phone as you get on and again as you get off, or pay the driver in cash, with change given.
Arrow Cars, the airport's official taxi firm, has a desk in the arrivals hall and quotes fixed, pre-paid fares with no parking or waiting charges, but publishes no price to the cities.
Rapid Drop-Off outside the terminal has no barrier: pay online or by phone by midnight the next day, or a £100 charge follows. Short Stay 1 costs £6 for up to 30 minutes.
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