Travelling to Leeds

Leeds is perfectly located for those visiting from the UK and abroad. Leeds is one of the most easily accessible cities in the UK and is ideally positioned in the heart of the country with direct rail links from across the country. Leeds Bradford Airport welcomes visitors from 70 destinations and the port of Hull is just over an hour away by car. Once in the city, local transport information can be found on the WYMetro website. First Leeds operate the buses within the city while the Arriva bus service offer buses out of the city to nearby towns and villages throughout West Yorkshire. Northern Rail and TransPennine Express provide local train travel for the Leeds city region. Or, why not make use of Leeds City Bikes; a fully electric public bike hire service in Leeds. Download the app to use the service.

 

City Transformations

Leeds is currently undergoing a period of development of its public realm to create a more sustainable and pedestrian friendly city centre. Plans to transform City Square and the area surrounding the railway station – already well underway – will give visitors a modern gateway into our city with wider pavements and cycleways, outside dining spots and improved transport connections. These works will impact on key routes through the city as well as on Leeds Train Station. To minimise any disruption to your journey either by car or train, please ensure you plan ahead.

Leeds Station and Athena Rising Mural - Carl Milner Photography for Visit Leeds

By train.

Our station is one of the busiest in the country, and services bring in eager visitors from inbound arrivals at hubs like London Heathrow or Manchester airport. To find out more, visit our Travelling to Leeds by Train page here.

 

By air.

Walking through the arrivals gate at Leeds Bradford Airport will find you just 8 miles from the city centre. Hop onto a regular A1 shuttle bus, jump in a taxi, or hire a car from one of several international firms. 30 minutes later, you’ll be stepping into your hotel, or out into our busy, welcoming city. Serving 70 direct destinations; a well connected welcome to Leeds.

Leeds is also within easy travelling distance of three more international airports: Manchester, Humberside and Robin Hood Doncaster/Sheffield.

LCC Cityscapes - Victoria Gate Hyperlapse - Carl Milner Photography for Visit Leeds

By car.

Our accessible position on the UK motorway network makes reaching Leeds by road so simple. Leeds is situated in the heart of the UK, equidistance between London and Edinburgh, with cities such as York, Sheffield, Hull and Manchester close by. The M621 runs close to the city, providing direct access to the M1 and M62 and the A1 accessible to the North of the city centre. Leeds is within comfortable driving times of most regions in the UK. To make your trip to Leeds even more convenient, three Park & Ride sites currently operate in Leeds complete with electric vehicle charging points. They allow you to travel to Leeds by car, park for free in the Park & Ride car parks and complete your journey into the city centre by bus at £4 per Day ticket . For details of car parking in Leeds, you can find the car parking and disabled parking map here. Up to date road closure and works information can be found here.

If you come to Leeds by car the approximate journey times and distances are:
London: 3h30m (194 miles) | Edinburgh: 4h10m (219 miles) | Manchester: 1h (44 miles) | Sheffield: 47m (35 miles) | Cardiff: 4h (240 miles) | Glasgow: 4h (220 miles) | Newcastle: 1h48m (100 miles) | Nottingham: 1h21m (72 miles) | Bristol: 3h40m (210 miles) | Liverpool: 1h34m (74 miles) | Derby: 1h19m (75 miles) | Carlisle: 2h23m (126 miles) | Birmingham: 1h57m (120 miles)

Car Hire.

With so much to see and do in Leeds, hiring a car can make it much easier to explore the city. Car hire companies such as Avis, Enterprise and Europcar are conveniently located near the city centre and also have branches at Leeds Bradford Airport making it quick and easy to begin your visit in Leeds.

By bus & coach.

Leeds City Bus and Coach Station is conveniently located in the city centre with National Express and Megabus operating regular coaches from destinations across the country direct into Leeds. Travelling by coach can often be a lower cost means of transport.
For coach parking information, the coach parking map can be found here.

By Ferry.

Hull is the nearest port for European ferry services and it is just over one hours’ drive to Leeds. Alternatively, catch a bus from the P&O Ferries terminal into Hull train station and catch a train to Leeds from there. P&O Ferries have daily overnight services from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge to Hull.

Leeds City Bikes press image

By Bicycle.

You can bring your bike to Leeds by train. Local Northern Rail services accept bikes on a first come, first served basis, subject to space. Long distance operators require advance bike reservation.  You can also cycle here on the National Cycle Network with route 665 and the Trans Pennine Trail both running through Leeds.  Find out more information about cycling in Leeds here.

Or, for travel when you’re here, why not hire a Leeds City Bike? Leeds City Bikes is a fully electric public bike hire service in Leeds. Public bike hire services enable more people to cycle short journeys. Leeds City Bikes is delivered by the shared sustainable travel operator Beryl and to use the service you need to download their app  . Pay as-you-go prices start from £1 unlock fee and then £0.16p per minute. Sign up on the Beryl app and plan your journey in the city. *users must be 16 years old to hire an e-bike.

Luggage Storage.

There is a Left Luggage facility at Leeds Train Station. You can leave baggage at Excess Baggage Co, at the Wellington Street entrance. Monday to Sunday 07:00 – 23:00. You can prebook storage for your heavy, awkward or high-value luggage via their website.