East Midlands. Three cities, one airport, and an M1 junction that decides your morning.
Derby, Nottingham and Leicester are each within forty minutes, Donington Park is next door and Silverstone is an hour away. Almost everything here depends on the road, so that is the part we plan first.
The airport
East Midlands at a glance
- CodesEMA / EGNXAt Castle Donington in Leicestershire, beside junction 23a of the M1 and close to the M42 and the A50.
- TerminalOneA single passenger terminal. Arrivals come out of one door, which keeps meeting simple.
- Private aviationThe general aviation terminalPrivate movements are handled away from the passenger building through the general aviation terminal, whose published hours are shorter than the airfield's and can be extended for a fee.
- Around the clockThe airfield operates 24 hoursMuch of the night activity here is freight rather than passengers, which is why the airport is awake when others are not.
Rail does not reach the airport. East Midlands Parkway station is a few miles away, so the last few miles are always by road.
Journey times
From East Midlands by road
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Donington Park | 5 to 10 minutes | Considerably longer on event days |
| Loughborough | 15 to 25 minutes | 25 to 35 minutes |
| Derby | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Nottingham | 25 to 35 minutes | 35 to 55 minutes |
| Leicester | 30 to 40 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Birmingham city centre | 45 to 60 minutes | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Silverstone | 50 to 70 minutes | Considerably longer on race weekend |
| Manchester | 100 to 130 minutes | 130 to 170 minutes |
Realistic ranges, not promises. Junction 23a of the M1 and the A50 towards Derby are the two variables, and freight traffic around the airport perimeter is heaviest late at night and early in the morning.
Being straight about it
Covered from both our bases
Odyssey owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester. The East Midlands sits between the two, roughly two hours from either, and we would rather put that on the page than let you assume there is a depot at Castle Donington.
In practice that gives you a choice, and we will set it out honestly when we quote. If the day is a single airport run with nothing attached, a car arranged through an operator we know in the Midlands is the sensible answer, and we brief them the way we brief our own people and keep the movement on our own desk. If the day is a roadshow across Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, or a race weekend, or anything where continuity matters, we send our own car and chauffeur from London or Manchester and they stay with you for the whole of it.
The other thing worth saying about this airport is that it is genuinely convenient for a chunk of English industry. The corporate traffic here is engineering, motorsport, logistics and distribution, and the journeys tend to be site visits rather than hotel transfers. If you are going to a plant, a test facility or a distribution park, tell us the gate rather than the postcode and we will find out how a car is meant to get in.
Practicalities
Worth knowing
- The rapid drop off in front of the terminal charges about five pounds for up to fifteen minutes at the time of writing, then by the minute, and it is barrier free: the charge is settled online afterwards rather than at a gate. There is a free waiting option a short distance away. Whatever we use is in your quote
- Private arrivals use the general aviation terminal, a separate entrance with its own access road. Its published hours are shorter than the airfield's, so tell us the tail number and the timing and we will confirm the arrangement with the handling agent
- Donington Park is next door and its bigger meetings and festivals close or slow the local roads completely. Check the circuit's calendar against your date, or tell us the date and we will check it for you
- Silverstone is about an hour away, which makes this a serious alternative to Luton or Birmingham for the British Grand Prix and for testing days
- Four or more passengers with luggage: ask for a V-Class. For a team or a delegation, see group travel
Onward
Where East Midlands passengers go next
Nearby airports
Events within reach
Request a quote
Tell us the journey
The date, the flight or tail number, how many passengers and bags, and where you are going afterwards. Say whether you would rather we sent a car from London or Manchester, and we will price it either way. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About East Midlands transfers
Are these your own cars?
Not based here. Our own fleet and employed chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. For the East Midlands we either send a car from one of those bases or arrange it through an operator we know in the Midlands, and we will tell you which we are proposing and why.
Can you meet a private flight?
Yes, at the general aviation terminal. Send the tail number and the handling agent and we will confirm the entrance and the timing with them. Its hours are shorter than the airfield's, so an unusual arrival time is worth mentioning early.
Where will my chauffeur meet me?
In the arrivals hall of the single terminal. We confirm the meeting point and the chauffeur's mobile number before you fly.
Is this a sensible airport for Silverstone?
Often, yes. It is about an hour away and considerably quieter than the southern alternatives, although on race weekend every approach to the circuit is slow and the difference is made by departure time rather than distance.
Can one car cover Derby, Nottingham and Leicester in a day?
Yes, and that is how we would rather quote it. An as directed day with one chauffeur is usually simpler and better value than three transfers: see hourly and as directed.