Articles
The Airport
East Midlands Airport is located close to Derby, Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham, linking England's East Midlands to Ireland, Mainland Europe, the Caribbean and the USA. Derby, Nottingham and the student town of Loughborough are less than 15 miles from the airport and Leicester is less than 20 miles away. Britain's second city, Birmingham, is less than 45 minutes drive from East Midlands.
Originally a Royal Air Force station, the former RAF Castle Donington was renamed and opened for passengers in 1965. East Midlands has grown to become the 12th busiest UK airport for passengers and the second busiest for freight traffic.
East Midlands Airport has superb road links. Its convenient location places it less than 60 minutes drive from millions of England's inhabitants. It is located just off the M1 and linked to Birmingham by the A42, Stoke by the A50 and Nottingham by the A453. As traffic congestion is frequent along stretches of the M6 and M1, additional time should be allowed to get to the airport on time.
A number of low-cost airlines operate from this small modern airport. In addition to numerous scheduled flights, a number of tour operators run seasonal charter services to and from East Midlands. Additionally there are a number of fly cruises offered to European and Caribbean destinations.
Europcar is East Midlands Airport's partner car rental company, though Enterprise, National and Hertz also operate a car rental service. All airport customers can benefit from reduced 'walk-in' car hire rates, though pre-booking is strongly advised to guarantee availability and to get the best prices. All prices quoted include statuary insurance and taxes unless it has clearly been stated otherwise.
Car Hire Locations
The desks of all four car hire operators are located in the Arrivals Hall in the main Terminal building and are open 07:30 to 23:00 Monday to Friday. Those wishing to rent a car should remember to bring their Driving Licence, a second form of ID and the credit card of the driver to cover for potential damage. In the UK, the minimum age to rent a car is 23. Those under 25 are required to pay a young driver's surcharge.
Other Car Hire Locations
Car Hire is also available from Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Loughborough. Skylink branded buses operate between the airport and each of these towns. Alternatively, to connect by train, take a taxi from the airport to East Midlands Parkway rail station.
Parking
East Midlands airport has plentiful car parking. The Short Stay parking facility is located directly opposite the terminal building. Shuttle Plus and Shuttle Economy 1 offer free transfer to the terminal and there are three Long Stay parking facilities. All car parks are located on the airport site.
Services
East Midlands Airport has a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants. Most of these are located after the security gates. There are currency exchange services before and after security as well as in the arrivals hall, internet access, lounges and even an on-site auto services garage. There is Wi-Fi internet access for up to 30 minutes. The airport also offers a chaplaincy service.
