International Delegates
This is a short guide to travelling to our historic city after landing in the UK. With routes to Leeds and travel times from Leeds Bradford Airport, London and Manchester.
What you need to know before you travel
We know visiting a new place can be a little daunting. However warm the welcome, navigating the nuances of a new city, or a new country, can be a challenge. But it’s our job to help you settle in, and to create a trip that’s memorable for all the right reasons. So here are a few top tips.
ETA:
If you do not need a visa to visit the UK for short stays of up to six months, you need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). You are required to apply for an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) BEFORE travelling to the UK depending on your immigration status. From 25 February 2026 without an ETA you will not be able to board your transport or legally travel to the UK.
What is a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Watch the video
How to apply for a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Watch the video
VISA:
You can find out all you need to know about the UK visa process, your eligibility and how to apply below:
Check here to see if you need a visa
Check here for the UK Visa Processing Tool
In the UK, a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 20% applies to many goods and services. It will usually be included in the price you see on the label.
You can find information about claiming back VAT here.
There are no city taxes to pay in Leeds, and hotels don’t charge a local tax.
Arriving by air
With fantastic links to Europe and the rest of the world, Leeds is an ideal destination for delegates travelling from overseas. You’ll find direct flights to Leeds Bradford Airport from over 70 worldwide locations, and connections to just about everywhere else via London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol, or Dublin, all just an hour away. Wherever you land, you’ll reach Leeds easily by rail, road or air.
- Leeds Bradford Airport
- Manchester Airport
- London Heathrow
Leeds Bradford Airport is located just 8 miles outside of the city centre of Leeds. Transport to and from the city is easy and can be made by bus, taxi or car.
Bus
A regular bus service, the Flyer, runs daily from around 5:10 am to midnight. The journey time is approximately 30 minutes and fare are from £3 per person.
Taxi
Arrow Cars is the official taxi company for Leeds Bradford Airport and have a kiosk just outside of the arrivals hall. Delegates have the option to pre-book or book at the kiosk on arrival. Journeys to Leeds City Centre take approximately 30 minutes.
Car Hire
Leeds Bradford has a dedicated Car Rental Centre with a variety of car rental options available from Avis and Enterprise.
Located in the North West of England, Manchester Airport has great transport links to Leeds City Centre.
Train
Direct trains operate a regular service to Leeds Train Station. The average journey time is from 1 hour 30 minutes.
Taxi
Arrow Cars are the official private hire taxi partner of Manchester Airport. There are staffed desks in arrivals in each terminal and at Manchester Airport Train Station. Journey time to Leeds City Centre is approximately 1 hour 40 minutes.
Car Hire
Manchester Airport has a Car Rental Village which can be reached by a dedicated free of charge shuttle for each terminal every 10 minute. Avis, Budget, Europcar, Enterprise, Hertz and Sixt are all represented at the airport.
London Heathrow has fantastic connectivity to Leeds.
Train
Train connections to Leeds City Centre from London Heathrow are straight forward. There are several options, you can travel to Kings Cross via the Elizabeth Line, Piccadilly Tube or the Heathrow Express.
Book your train from London Kings Cross to Leeds with LNER
Taxi
A private hire taxi can be booked from any terminal at London Heathrow to Leeds City Centre. Journey by taxi will take approximately 3 hours 30 minutes. Advanced booking is advised.
Car Hire
There are car hire desks in the arrivals area of each terminal. All major car hire brands are represented. Journey time to Leeds City Centre is approximately 3 hours 30 minutes.
Arriving by rail
Leeds train station is one of the busiest in the country, and services bring in visitors from inbound arrivals at hubs like London Heathrow, Manchester Airport, Eurostar St Pancras and the ports of Hull, Newcastle and Liverpool.
- Leeds Station
- Eurostar Connections
Leeds station is well served by national rail operators so arriving to Leeds from connection hubs by train is quick and easy.
Top tip: booking your train tickets in advance and direct with the train company can result in saving on the ticket price
From London
LNER operate direct trains into Leeds from London with most journey times taking just over two hours.
Other Major Cities
TransPennine Express run direct train services from Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
Northern Rail runs journeys to Nottingham, Skipton, Hull, Blackpool, Knaresborough and Ilkley to name but a few.
There are also direct services from Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol via CrossCountry.
Travelling to Leeds with Eurostar is simple, smart, and speedy. Go direct to London from Amsterdam, Brussels or Paris then from London to Leeds with LNER. There is no direct Eurostar service from Europe to Leeds. However, you will arrive to St Pancreas Station which is just a 10 minute walk to London Kings Cross.
Amsterdam to London
Travel time 4 hours 19 mins.
Brussells to London
Travel time 1 hour 53 mins.
Paris to London
Travel time 2 hours 16 mins.
London Kings Cross to Leeds
Taking the train from London Kings Cross to Leeds is quick and easy with LNER. Covering a distance of 168 miles, trains to Leeds from London take just over 2 hours.
Arriving by ferry
Travelling to the UK by ferry is possible from mainland Europe and Ireland. Leeds is an inland city, centrally located in the UK so onward travel will be required from the port to Leeds via train or car.
Read on to find out more about arriving to the ports of Hull, Newcastle and Liverpool.
- From Rotterdam to Hull
- From Amsterdam to Newcastle
- To Liverpool
The overnight ferry journey from Hull to Rotterdam takes approximately 11 hours and 30 minutes.
Hull to Leeds
Road 1 hr 10
It takes an average of 1h 8m to travel from Hull to Leeds by train, over a distance of around 49 miles (79 km). You will need to take a taxi from the Port to Hull train station for your onward journey.
Newcastle to Leeds
Road 2hr 8
It takes an average of 1h 46m to travel from Newcastle to Leeds by train, over a distance of around 81 miles (130 km). You will need to take a taxi from the Port to Newcastle train station for your onward journey.
You can get to Liverpool from the ports of Belfast, Dublin and the Isle of Man.
From Belfast
Travel time 8 hours
From Dublin
Travel time 8 hours
From the Isle of Man
Travel time from 2hrs 45mins
Liverpool to Leeds
Road 1hr 35
It takes an average of 1h 42m to travel from Liverpool to Leeds by train, over a distance of around 65 miles (105 km). You will need to take a taxi from the Port to Liverpool train station for your onward journey.
How to be a responsible delegate
As a delegate, there are many ways in which you can support Leeds in becoming the first UK net-zero city.