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🇬🇧Nottingham 15

East Midlands Airport

Getting between East Midlands Airport and Nottingham, both directions.

East Midlands Airport is the airport, and two trentbarton buses run between it and Nottingham: Skylink Nottingham and Skylink Express. Skylink Express is the quicker of the two, about 31 minutes against 46, and trentbarton's zigzag all-day ticket covers it at no extra charge. A Robin Hood card works on Skylink Nottingham but not on Skylink Express, so check which of the two you are boarding before you rely on it. Both services take a contactless card, cash or a mango account.

East Midlands Airport ↔ Nottingham

The best ways into Nottingham

Public transport

  1. Skylink Express Fastest by public transportSimplest
    Costs
    Mid-priced
    Takes
    About 31 minutes to the centre
    Pay
    Pay by contactless, Robin card or cash.
  2. Skylink Nottingham
    Costs
    Mid-priced
    Takes
    About 46 minutes to the centre
    Pay
    Pay by contactless, Robin card or cash.

Taxis and ride apps

  1. Arrow Cars arrowcars.co.uk
    Pay
    Pay by pre-paid booking.
    Get one
    Book it in the app or by phone. The pickup point is below.
    Pickup
    Exclusive pick-up and drop-off points right outside the terminal, with a booking/Meet & Greet desk located in the Arrivals Hall/Terminal.
  2. Uber uber.com
    Costs
    Price shown in the app before you book
    Pay
    Pay by in-app payment.
    Get one
    Book it in the app or online. The pickup point is below.
    Pickup
    Not at a fixed point: the app shows where to meet the driver once you book.
  3. Bolt bolt.eu
    Pay
    Pay by in-app payment.
    Get one
    Book it in the app. The pickup point is below.
    Pickup
    Not at a fixed point: the app shows where to meet the driver once you book.

Every way in and out, in full

Bus & coach 2

Skylink Express trentbarton.co.uk ~31 min
How you pay
Pay by contactless, Robin card or cash.
Terminals
Single terminal (no differentiation)
Worth knowing
Covered by trentbarton's standard zigzag day ticket, no upcharge.
i
eastmidlandsairport.comfetched 20 Jul 2026
trentbarton.co.ukfetched 20 Jul 2026
Skylink Nottingham trentbarton.co.uk ~46 min
How you pay
Pay by contactless, Robin card or cash.
Terminals
Single terminal (no differentiation) - route timing points include East Midlands Airport DHL Cargo West and East Midlands Airport Terminal
Worth knowing
Robin Hood Network PAYG is valid on this service - trentbarton's own exclusion list names only Skylink Express (the EMA route via Clifton), Red Arrow and trentbarton night buses.
i
eastmidlandsairport.comfetched 20 Jul 2026
trentbarton.co.ukfetched 20 Jul 2026
trentbarton.co.ukfetched 18 Aug 2026

Taxi & ride apps 3

Arrow Cars arrowcars.co.uk
How you pay
Pay by pre-paid booking.
How you get one
Book it in the app or by phone. The pickup point is below.
Where to get one
Exclusive pick-up and drop-off points right outside the terminal, with a booking/Meet & Greet desk located in the Arrivals Hall/Terminal.
Terminals
Single terminal building
i
eastmidlandsairport.comfetched 20 Jul 2026
arrowcars.co.ukfetched 20 Jul 2026
No public page for this onefetched 20 Jul 2026
Uber uber.com
How you pay
Pay by in-app payment.
How you get one
Book it in the app or online. The pickup point is below.
Where to get one
Not at a fixed point: the app shows where to meet the driver once you book.
Terminals
Single terminal
i
uber.comfetched 20 Jul 2026
No public page for this onefetched 20 Jul 2026
Bolt bolt.eu
How you pay
Pay by in-app payment.
How you get one
Book it in the app. The pickup point is below.
Where to get one
Not at a fixed point: the app shows where to meet the driver once you book.
Terminals
Single terminal building - 'a single terminal building which houses operations for all international and domestic flight arrivals and airport departures'
Worth knowing
Bolt's own East Midlands Airport page confirms an airport-fee structure exists for these trips, without stating a figure — check the final price in the Bolt app before requesting a ride.
i
bolt.eufetched 20 Jul 2026
No public page for this onefetched 20 Jul 2026

Paying on the rest of the network: Nottingham guide · Contactless in Nottingham