Skip to main content
International students

Free meet and greet collection service

Teesside University runs an airport meet and greet service for our international students. We collect new international students from Newcastle International Airport and transport them to Campus Heart.

Campus

January Collections will be running from Friday 12 January 2024 - Sunday 21 January 2024 and will offer collections from Newcastle International Airport. For students arriving later in the evening, the University recommends booking accommodation at the airport and transferring to Teesside the following day. Students who book accommodation at the airport are still eligible for a transfer during the noted transfer window.

If you arrive before or after the advertised Meet and Greet window you will need to make your own way to the University. For arrivals in all circumstances students are required to book their collection five working days prior to arrival.

Collections: Newcastle Airport

Collections for the Meet and Greet service are in the international arrivals hall. Anyone arriving on an internal flight (for example from Heathrow or Birmingham) will need to make their way over to international arrivals from domestic arrivals to meet our Arrivals Team. Once in the transfer, the journey time to Teesside is approximately one hour.

Booking

Arrivals period January 2024

The meet and greet period for January 2024 has now closed.

Arrivals period September 2024

For arrivals in September 2024, the university will operate a collections service from Newcastle Airport between 9.00am and 5.00pm hrs daily from Friday 13 September 2024 to Sunday 22 September 2024. Bookings for September 2024 Meet and Greet will open in July 2024.

Register your interest

Once forms are open you will receive an email letting you know you can apply.

Arriving late or out of Meet and Greet hours

If you are arriving outside of normal business hours (9.00am-5.00pm in the UK), the university recommends booking airport accommodation and arranging your collection and transfer to Teesside on the following day. This could either be with a Meet and Greet collection where available, or using the guidance on our Travelling to Teesside page.

If you arrive outside of the advertised Meet and Greet window, you will need to make your own arrangements to travel to the University. Please see our section on making your own way to Middlesbrough.

Please contact your Regional Manager or email us at meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk with any queries.


Meet and Greet FAQs

When is Meet and Greet running?

Please see the Meet and Greet Offer section for details of the Meet and Greet window.

Where do you collect students from for Meet and Greet?

Our team will collect you from Newcastle Airport and transfer you to Teesside. Collections are on an on demand basis every day during the meet and greet window, but please note that if you arrive on a late flight, then it is recommended that you book into an airport hotel and transfer to Teesside the following day.

I'm arriving on a late flight. Can I sleep at the airport?

There are a number of hotels available at Newcastle airport where you would be able to book a room, and it is also possible to take the Metro into Newcastle city and arrange accommodation at a hotel or hostel in the city centre.

You will not be able to stay overnight in the airport itself, so if you arrive late, please be sure to book accommodation for your arrival.

I am arriving into Heathrow. Will you pick me up?

No. The university collects students arriving to Newcastle airport. You are able to book a short haul flight from Heathrow to Newcastle airport and if you arrive during our collection window (see Meet and Greet offer above) then you would be able to book transport with our Meet and Greet team. Alternatively, you can book your own transit from Heathrow using public transport. There are excellent rail and bus links from London to Middlesbrough.

I am arriving outside the Meet and Greet period. Will you still pick me up?

No. The university is only able to collect students during the advertised Meet and Greet period. You will need to make your own arrangements to travel to Middlesbrough.

You can find out more about travelling to Middlesbrough independently on our Travelling to Teesside page.

Making your own way to Middlesbrough

Journey to Teesside University via train from Newcastle Airport:

You will need to take two trains. The first is the Metro, which is a train that runs through all of Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland. The second is a train on the UK national network that will transport you to Middlesbrough.

To make your journey;

  1. On arrival at Newcastle airport, follow the signs to the entrance to the Metro station. This is located near UK Arrivals and Eurocar and has barriers to entry.
  2. Purchase your Metro ticket using the ticketing machines at the station. You will need to purchase an A+B+C Single ticket. This will allow you to travel to Newcastle Central train station, where you switch onto the National Rail Network. A+B+C Single Metro ticket costs approximately £4.30
  3. Take the metro train for South Hylton. Once you board this metro, it will be about a 24-minute journey to Newcastle Central Station. You will need to use your metro ticket to exit the metro station.
  4. At Newcastle Central Station, you will need to purchase a new train ticket for your train journey to Middlesbrough. A train ticket from Newcastle to Middlesbrough costs approximately £6.70, depending on the service and route selected. There are two ways to purchase a ticket;
    a. Purchase your train ticket using an app called Trainline, select Newcastle as your departure point and Middlesbrough as your arrival point. The app will show a list of train times and prices. To purchase the ticket please select the time you wish to get the train and make payment. The app will provide you with a QR code ticket, which the conductor can scan on the train.
    b. Alternatively, you can use a ticketing machine which is adjacent to Platform 12 at the train station to purchase your train ticket to Middlesbrough. These are usually card payment machines. , This will provide you with paper tickets, which the conductor will check on the train.
  5. Once you have your ticket, you may proceed onto the train platforms. You will need to scan your QR code or paper ticket to access the platforms.
    Please ensure you only travel on the train for which you have purchased a ticket. A fine can be issued if you travel on a different train. Ask station staff if you are unsure.
  6. Train times to Middlesbrough vary depending on service. It can take up to 1hr and 20 minutes to make the journey to Middlesbrough train station.
  7. From Middlesbrough train station it is a short 15-minute walk to the University campus, or will cost approximately £5 in a taxi. Alternatively, please check the University shuttle bus timetable. University students are eligible to use this free service, and the bus will drop you off on campus near to the Middlesbrough Tower.

The journey from Newcastle Airport to Middlesbrough using public transport will cost approximately £11, but prices are subject to change, so please budget for this. It will take between two and two and a half hours to complete the transit inclusive of waiting at train stations.


Please be aware of any time differences and that telephone calls or emails outside of UK business hours will only be responded to the next working day (UK time).

If you have any enquiries about our meet and greet service, please contact meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk. It can take up to five working days for a response due to high demand.

 
 
Go to top menu