Leeds-Bradford Airport is a small airport, geographically closest to York.  It does not have a train station. You can use the Flyer A1 bus service to get to Leeds bus station or Leeds train station. The Flyer A1 bus operates up to every half hour (hourly in the evenings).  From Leeds train station, the train to York runs several times an hour and takes about 30 minutes. Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline.

Alternatively, use National Express or Coastliner buses to travel from Leeds bus station to York. The bus takes around one hour.

Manchester Airport is served by a railway station, but you should be aware that these are regular trains which often get very busy and often do not have lots of space for large luggage.  There should be a direct train during daytime hours around every 30 minutes, although you may need to change at Manchester Picadilly. The journey should take around 1 hour 50 minutes.  Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline.

Note that these trains are not known for their reliability so be prepared for delays, diversions, bus replacements or even cancellations.

Alternatively, coach travel will take around 2.5 hours.

Gatwick Airport If you arrive at Gatwick North Terminal, take the free Inter-Terminal shuttle train to Gatwick South Terminal which runs every few minutes. Gatwick South Terminal is directly linked to Gatwick railway station where you can getr a train to St. Pancra/King's Cross Station. The train to St. Pancras runs approximately every 15 minutes and takes around 47 minutes.  Once at St. Pancras, walk the short distance to the main King's Cross railway station.  At King's Cross train station, take a direct train to York railway station. It takes approximately 2 hours. 

Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline. 

Alternatively, from St Pancras/Kings Cross, you may wish to travel by coach using National Express or Megabus (via London).

Stansted Airport Stansted Airport train station is located underneath the airport terminal building. There are two routes from Stansted Airport to York - one route will take you via Peterborough (this has fewer changes and is cheaper) and the other route will take you via London. Both routes take about three hours. Alternatively, you may wish to travel by coach using National Express (via London and Leeds). The journey time is around 4 hours. 

Route 1 (via Peterborough)

At Stansted Airport train station buy a ticket to York via Peterborough. Take the CrossCountry service from Stansted Airport to Peterborough. At Peterborough station change trains and take a direct train to York. 

Route 2 (via London)

At Stansted Airport train station buy a ticket to York via London King's Cross. Take the Stansted Express train from Stansted to Tottenham Hale station. From Tottenham Hale take the Victoria Line (Southbound, Platform 2) direct to King's Cross St Pancras underground station. From King's Cross train station take a direct train to York. 

Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline.

Heathrow Airport From Heathrow Airport, head to King's Cross/St. Pancras tube station to get a direct train to York railway station. Find out how to get from Heathrow to central London. On reaching King's Cross, follow the directions from the Underground to the Overground mainline train station. At King's Cross train station, take a direct train to York railway station. It takes approximately 2 hours. Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline.

Alternatively, you may wish to travel by coach using National Express or Megabus (via London). The journey time is around 5 hours.

Newcastle Airport: The Metro Station is directly linked to the terminal building by a covered walkway. Single Metro tickets to Newcastle Central railway station cost around £3 and are valid for 90 minutes from the time of purchase. A ticket can be bought at any of the ticket machines located on the Metro station. You should select Zone 3 on the ticket panel of the machines. The Metro train to Newcastle Central railway station leaves the airport every seven minutes. The journey takes about 23 minutes. Whilst tickets to York can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline. 

Alternatively, coach travel takes around 2 hours. 

Luton Airport: There is a shuttle bus going from the airport to Luton Airport Parkway station. The bus runs every 10 minutes from 5am until midnight and will take you to Luton Airport Parkway train station in approximately five minutes. Take a direct train from London Luton Parkway station to London St. Pancras train station, which takes about 35 minutes and runs approximately every 15 minutes. Cross the road to the main King's Cross railway station and take a direct train to York railway station, which takes approximately 2 hours.  Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline.

Alternatively, you may wish to travel by coach using National Express (via Milton Keynes).

If arriving or departing via Edinburgh, you will need to get from the airport to the main station (Edinburgh Waverley).  There are a number of public transport options from the airport:

• Edinburgh Tram: Ride the tram from the airport to Princes Street (near Waverley). Journey is approximately 30 minutes to city centre, with trams every 7–10 minutes during the day

• Bright Bus Express: These airport buses stop at Princes Street. Return tickets cost about £8 (bus)

Train from Edinburgh city centre to York

• Direct trains operated by LNER, CrossCountry, and TransPennine Express run from Edinburgh Waverley to York, typically taking between 2 and 2.5 hours.  There are up to 59 trains daily; the first departs around 05:48, last departs approximately 21:00. Standard advance tickets usually start from £35–£40, with cheaper fares if booked early or using split tickets.

Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline. 

The first part of the journey involves getting from the airport onto the train network.  There are a number of options:

• Rail: Take the hourly Transport for Wales train from Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station into Cardiff Central or Bridgend (approx. 35 minutes). The station is about 2 miles from the terminal.
  
  

• Bus connection (Rail Linc 905): A shuttle runs between the terminal and Rhoose station; tickets cost around £6 total for the combined train + bus service. It takes around 1 hour overal
  
  

• Take Cardiff Bus route 304 from right outside the airport terminal toward Cardiff Central bus interchange. Journey takes ~1 h 24 m and costs about £3.40 one‑way. You’ll then walk ~5 minutes to Cardiff Central railway station
  
  

• Taxi or ride‑share A taxi or Uber from Cardiff Airport to Cardiff Central costs roughly £27–35 for about 12 miles (approx. 20 minutes)

Train journey from Cardiff Central to York

• Direct train services operate from Cardiff Central to York—typically with 2 trains per day and an average journey time of around 4 h 45 m. Advance single fares start from around £38.40, with cheaper options available if booked early.  Splitting via Birmingham or London may offer more options but usually requires a longer journey -  typically more than 5 hours.

Whilst tickets can be purchased from the station, or sometimes on the train, the cheapest and safest option is to book and pay online beforehand. You can check routes and costs on the National Rail website or via trainline. 

You do not need a visa to enter the UK for one of our Short Courses if you are either a Norwegian citizen or a citizen of one of the EU countries.   However, in 2025 the UK government brought in a new system which means that you will need to apply for and get Electronic Travel Authorisation.  

If you are on exchange in Norway from another country you may need to apply for and pay for a visa to be able to attend our Short Course. The visa you'll need will be a standard visitors' visa (not a student visa, where the UK institution has to issue a CAS).  If you think you will need a visa, we suggest:

1. You contact your leader at your home institution as soon as possible.   Your home institution should issue you with a document confirming your student status in Norway/The Nordic region and that you will participate in an excursion to York as part of that programme. On request, we can then provide your home institution with a short informal letter with an explanation of what the NSC is, confirming your institution's booking of a course with us at the time in question. Both documents can then be appended to your visa application. 

2. Remember to allow sufficient time. Whilst filling in the application is not difficult, it does take time for it to be processed and you do need to gather information beforehand.

3. You ensure you have appropriate travel insurance. You may need to make travel arrangements to help with the visa application, which would need to be cancelled in the event that the visa was denied. 

4. We want as many as possible to have the chance of taking part in a course with us. However, you should be aware that there is a fee to be paid for visa applications, and that this will not be refunded were your application to be rejected.

You can find out more about UK Visas on the UK Government's website, in particular the section on standard visitors' visas.

Visitors to the UK need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter the country if they don't already have a UK immigration status or a visa for short stays:

The ETA is a digital permission to travel, not a visa. It costs £20 (as of 14th July 2026) and allows multiple trips to the UK for up to six months at a time over two years.

To apply for an ETA, you'll need:

• The passport you'll travel with

• Access to your emails

• A credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay

How do people apply for an ETA?

• Information on who can get an ETA and how to apply before coming to the UK is available on GOV.UK

• The easiest way to apply for an ETA is through the ‘UK ETA app’, which can be downloaded from the Google Play or Apple App Store. People can apply on GOV.UK if they do not have access to a smartphone.

• Applicants usually get a decision within three working days but may get a quicker decision if they use the UK ETA app.