From Birmingham Airport the fast train to London Euston takes about 70 minutes; from Manchester Airport the journey takes about 2 hours 35 minutes with one change; from Bristol it is a bus and then a 95-minute train. It can be cheaper than flying into London, but only if you book an Advance train ticket with enough margin for a late flight, because an Advance ticket is lost the moment you miss the train it names.
Visitors look at this when a flight to Manchester or Birmingham costs much less than one to Heathrow, or when the trip starts somewhere else in Britain. The arithmetic is simple: the train fare to London plus the extra hours, against the difference in airfare. This page gives real journey times and fares for the main airports and the one ticket rule that decides whether the saving survives. For London's own airports, start with our comparison of London's airports.
Entry to the UK works the same at any British airport, so the border is not a reason to choose one over another. What you need before you fly, including the ETA, is on our page about UK entry requirements.
| Airport | To London | Fastest journey | Advance single, 16 days ahead | Cheapest the day before |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Air-Rail Link, then train from Birmingham International to Euston | 1 hour 8 minutes, no change | £16 to £35.50 (Avanti); £9 to £11 on the slower London Northwestern train | £35.50 to £69 Advance, £50 Off-Peak (Avanti) |
| Manchester | Train from Manchester Airport station to Euston, usually changing at Manchester Piccadilly | 2 hours 34 minutes, one change | £44 to £52.50 (Avanti) | £61 to £66.50 Advance, £79.80 Off-Peak |
| Bristol | A1 Airport Flyer bus to Bristol Temple Meads, then train to Paddington | 1 hour 34 minutes on the train, plus the bus | £44 (GWR) | £44 Advance, £45 to £48 Super Off-Peak |
| Edinburgh | Tram into the city, then train from Waverley to King's Cross | 4 hours 10 minutes, no change | £66.90 (Lumo) to £77.90 | £49.90 (Lumo) to £83.10 (LNER) |
We read every train time and fare above on National Rail's journey planner on 9 November 2026, for one adult on departures around 10:00 on Tuesday 10 November (the day before) and Wednesday 25 November 2026. Each fare is the lowest price shown for that particular train. They are a snapshot, not a price list: Advance fares rise as seats sell, and the same train can cost twice as much a week later.
When landing outside London is worth it
The saving has to beat two costs: the train fares and your time. For a couple flying into Manchester and booking Advance tickets two weeks out, two singles to Euston come to roughly £90 to £105 on the trains we checked; buy at the station on the day and two Off-Peak singles cost £159.60. Add two and a half hours, plus the time to reach the station, and the cheaper flight needs to be cheaper by more than that.
Birmingham is the easy case. The airport is linked to a main-line station, and the fast trains reach Euston in little more than an hour, not much longer than some journeys from Stansted or Gatwick into the West End. Manchester and Bristol make sense mainly when the fare gap is large or the trip includes the north or the west anyway. Edinburgh is a different decision altogether: four hours on a train is a day of the holiday, and worth it only if Scotland is part of the trip.
Children travel at half price on Advance fares. National Rail gives children aged 5 to 15 a 50% discount on every Advance fare, and a railcard such as Two Together or Family & Friends takes a third off adult fares. For a family of four, the railcard can pay for itself on this one journey. Our page on railcards a visitor can buy explains which ones work for you.
Birmingham Airport: the free shuttle and the two kinds of train
Birmingham Airport is connected to Birmingham International station by the Air-Rail Link, a free automated people mover that takes two minutes and runs from 03:30 to 00:30 daily, according to National Rail. The station is step-free to every platform and its ticket office opens from 05:40 on weekdays (November 2026).
Two companies run to London. Avanti West Coast's fast trains reach Euston in 68 to 72 minutes, with some taking 81 minutes. London Northwestern Railway's stopping trains take about two hours but were much cheaper on our sample days, £9 to £16 against £16 to £69 on Avanti. An Advance fare from one company cannot be used on the other's trains, so do not buy the cheap one and board the fast one.
If your flight lands mid-afternoon on a weekday, the cheap slow train is a reasonable way to save money; if you land at night, take the fast one. Trains from Birmingham arrive at Euston, and our Euston station guide shows where the Underground, the taxis and the exits are.
Manchester Airport: one change and two and a half hours
Manchester Airport has its own railway station beside the terminals. Trains to London need a change, usually at Manchester Piccadilly, and the total journey to Euston on the departures we checked was 2 hours 34 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes. From Piccadilly itself, Avanti's direct trains take 2 hours 7 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, which is the figure most guides quote; from the airport you must add the first leg.
Fares from Manchester are the highest of the four. Avanti's Advance singles from the airport were £39 to £54.50 two weeks ahead and £61 to £66.50 the day before, and the walk-up Off-Peak single was £79.80. The planner also offered a £13.90 Lumo fare via another route taking 4 hours 35 minutes with two changes; it is cheap because it is slow.
Bristol Airport: a bus first, then the train
Bristol Airport has no railway. The A1 Airport Flyer bus runs from the transport interchange beside the terminal to Bristol Temple Meads station and the city centre, up to every eight minutes, at £9.50 single and £16 return (Bristol Airport, November 2026). Allow for the bus ride and a walk at the station before the train.
Great Western Railway's direct trains from Temple Meads reach London Paddington in 1 hour 34 to 1 hour 39 minutes. On our sample days Advance and walk-up fares were close together, £44 Advance against £45 to £48 for a Super Off-Peak single, so on this route the flexible ticket costs little more and removes the risk described below. Our Paddington station guide covers the arrival end, including the Elizabeth line.
Edinburgh: a tram, then four hours to King's Cross
From Edinburgh Airport the tram runs into the city; an adult airport single costs £7.90 (Edinburgh Trams, November 2026), and city day tickets are not valid to the airport. From Edinburgh Waverley, LNER and Lumo run direct to London King's Cross in 4 hours 10 minutes to 4 hours 31 minutes on our sample trains.
Lumo, whose fixed fares are valid only on its own trains, was the cheaper of the two on both days we checked. If you do this journey, treat it as a day of travel with a view, not a transfer. The arrival end is covered in our guide to King's Cross and St Pancras.
The Advance ticket trap
An Advance ticket is the cheap fare, and it carries one condition that matters more than any other for an air traveller. National Rail's terms say that if you miss the first train you are booked on, for any reason, a new ticket must be bought. A late flight, a slow passport queue and a lost bag are all "any reason".
A delayed flight does not protect a booked train. National Rail allows the next train only when the delay happens on the railway itself, once you are travelling. Change an Advance ticket before the booked train leaves, for a fee of up to £10 plus any difference in fare, and it keeps its value; after departure it has none.
There are three ways round it. Book a train with a wide margin, at least two hours after an international landing with a hold bag. Change the ticket from your phone as soon as you know you will be late, before the booked train departs. Or, on routes where the gap is small, such as Bristol, buy an Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket, which is valid on any train in the permitted times. Our guide to buying UK train tickets explains the ticket types in full.
The coach, for those with more time than money
National Express runs coaches to London Victoria Coach Station from Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol, and Bristol Airport lists National Express connections via Bristol's bus station using the A1 Flyer. A coach takes considerably longer than the train and its price varies by date and time in the same way. We could not read the operator's fares in November 2026, so compare them on its own website before you decide.
The coach suits a traveller with a single bag and a flexible evening; it is a poor choice after a long-haul flight. Our page on Victoria Coach Station covers the arrival point, which is a walk from Victoria station.
Arriving in London from the north or the west
Trains from Birmingham and Manchester arrive at Euston, from Bristol at Paddington and from Edinburgh at King's Cross. All three connect to the Underground, and your contactless bank card works from the barriers onward. If you are staying near one of them, staying near King's Cross and Paddington compares the areas.
If your flight lands too late for a sensible train, a night near the airport and the morning train is often cheaper than a late walk-up fare. And if the plan is to fly into Gatwick or Heathrow after all, our pages on arriving at Heathrow and on direct trains from Gatwick that bypass London cover the London end.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Birmingham Airport to London?
The fastest Avanti West Coast trains from Birmingham International, next to the airport, reach London Euston in about 68 to 72 minutes. London Northwestern Railway's slower trains take about two hours and are usually cheaper. The Air-Rail Link from the terminal to the station is free and takes two minutes.
Is there a direct train from Manchester Airport to London?
On the departures we checked in November 2026, every train to London Euston needed a change, usually at Manchester Piccadilly, and the whole journey took about 2 hours 35 to 2 hours 45 minutes. Direct trains to Euston start from Piccadilly.
What happens to my Advance train ticket if my flight is delayed?
If you miss the train it is booked on, the ticket has no value and you must buy a new one. A change made while the booked train is still in the future costs up to £10 plus any fare difference, so make it from your phone the moment you know the flight is late.
Is it cheaper to fly into Manchester and take the train to London?
Only if the airfare saving is larger than the train fares and the extra time. Two Advance tickets from Manchester Airport to Euston cost roughly £90 to £105 two weeks ahead on our sample trains; two walk-up Off-Peak singles cost £159.60. The journey takes about two and a half hours.
Sources
- National Rail Enquiries - times and fares, Birmingham International to London Euston (checked November 2026)
- National Rail Enquiries - times and fares, Manchester Airport to London Euston (checked November 2026)
- National Rail Enquiries - times and fares, Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington (checked November 2026)
- National Rail Enquiries - times and fares, Edinburgh to London King's Cross (checked November 2026)
- National Rail Enquiries - Birmingham International station (Air-Rail Link) (checked November 2026)
- National Rail Enquiries - Advance tickets terms and conditions (checked November 2026)
- Bristol Airport - Bus and coach services (checked November 2026)
- Edinburgh Trams - Tickets (checked November 2026)