Airport meet and greet service for international students

Our friendly team collects our new international students from Newcastle International Airport and Teesside International Airport and transports you to our Middlesbrough Campus Heart.

Our free collections service runs in January, May and September from Newcastle and Teesside airports. Our team will greet you in the airport and arrange your free transport to Middlesbrough at the departure times advertised below.

Please make sure that you can move or carry your luggage yourself, as you might have to walk a short distance to your accommodation on arrival. In all cases, when you arrive to Middlesbrough campus our friendly team will be on hand to support with your onward travel and key collection.

For arrivals in all circumstances students must book collection five working days prior to arrival. Collection is only available during the advertised Meet and Greet period.

Please contact us at meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk with any queries regarding your arrival for Meet and Greet.

Meet and Greet departure times

Newcastle Airport

There are two coach departures from Newcastle airport each day throughout the Meet and Greet period and coaches are scheduled to provide students with time to collect keys and access accommodation on arrival to Middlesbrough.

Our 12.30pm departure from Newcastle Airport arrives to our Middlesbrough campus heart at approximately 2.00pm.
Our 2.30pm departure from Newcastle Airport arrives at our Middlesbrough campus heart at approximately 4.00pm.

Teesside Airport

Students arriving to Teesside are transported by taxi or car to our Middlesbrough campus. The last daily collection from Teesside airport is at 3.30pm to provide enough students with time to travel to Middlesbrough, collect keys and access accommodation.

Staff at Middlesbrough are on hand to support with your onward travel and key collection.

Planning your trip to Newcastle Airport

There are many flight options for arriving to Newcastle and our friendly team will provide advice depending on when you arrive. The flights that arrive closest to our departure times are:

12.30pm departure

Emirates EK035 arriving from Dubai
British Airways BA1326 arriving from London Heathrow

2.30pm departure

KLM KL957 arriving from Amsterdam
British Airways BA1332 arriving from London Heathrow

If you arrive on other flights, you are still welcome on the Meet and Greet service. Please contact our team for further information meetandgreet@tees.ac.uk.

For arrivals in all circumstances students must book collection five working days prior to arrival.

Planning your trip to Teesside Airport

Teesside Airport has regular arrivals from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and many students will transfer through Amsterdam Schiphol when travelling to Teesside. Teesside Airport also provides a speedy arrival experience and is just twenty minutes from campus by car.
Arrivals information Teesside Airport

We collect students from Teesside airport on demand, up until 3.30pm. The best flight to arrive on when travelling to Teesside airport is the KLM flight arriving from Amsterdam at 9.30am.

Book your May 2025 collection

Please select your arrival date and complete the booking form to reserve your place on Meet and Greet. Forms will close when capacity for travel is reached, so please book as soon as possible. Your booking is only confirmed when you receive a confirmation email from the Meet and Greet team.

FAQs

When is Meet and Greet running?

Please see the Meet and Greet Offer section. Arrival dates are only advertised for the next session and an expression of interest form is available prior to these being opened for booking.

Where do you collect students from for Meet and Greet?

Newcastle Airport
Our team will collect you from Newcastle Airport and transfer you to Teesside. Collections operate for 6 hours every day during meet and greet. If you arrive after the 2.30pm departure time please book an airport hotel and transfer to Teesside the following day.

Teesside Airport
Our team arranges collection from Teesside airport on demand up to 3.30pm each day. Students arriving on flights after 3.30pm will need to book a hotel for overnight stays. If this hotel is in Middlesbrough, please contact the Meet and Greet team for further advice.

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

Newcastle 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.

Teesside Airport
It is not possible to stay at Teesside airport overnight. Students arriving late will need to arrange hotel accommodation. If the hotel is in Middlesbrough, please contact the Meet and Greet team for further advice.

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

Our Meet and Greet service operates from Newcastle and Teesside airports, so we are only able to collect students who arrive at Newcastle or Teesside airport. It is possible to book a short haul flight from Heathrow to Newcastle and book onto meet and greet on one of the advertised days. Alternatively, you can book your own transit from Heathrow using public transport. There are excellent rail and bus links from London to Middlesbrough. Please contact the Meet and Greet team if you have any queries.

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

We are only able to collect students during the advertised Meet and Greet period. If you arrive outside of this time, 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;

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.
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 £4.50
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.
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 betwwen £6.00 - £10.00, 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.
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.
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.
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.

Journey from Newcastle Airport to Middlesbrough
The journey from Newcastle Airport to Middlesbrough using public transport will cost between £15 - £20, 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.

Journey to Middlesbrough from Teesside Airport
If you arrive to Teesside airport outside the Meet and Greet period, it is recommended that you book a taxi transfer in the airport, as this is the fastest way to get to our Middlesbrough campus.

A bus service and flex-bus service is available from the airport. Please see Teesside International Airport website for more details

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.