Getting to Newcastle for the football

Newcastle is one of the easiest away trips in the country. St James' Park sits in the city centre with its own Metro station, and Newcastle Central is on the East Coast Main Line, so most fans arrive by direct train rather than flying. If you do fly in, Newcastle International is 25 minutes out on the Metro Yellow Line (Northern Railway). Away fans sit in the top tier of the Leazes Stand (Level 7), allocation up to 3,000 (Football Ground Guide).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

This is a domestic away day, so the real choice is train, coach or car, not flights. Newcastle Central is a main stop on the East Coast Main Line, so the direct train wins on door-to-door time from almost everywhere and drops you a ten-minute walk from the ground. The coach is the budget option if you have the hours to spare. Flying from London is possible on British Airways or easyJet, about 1h20 in the air, but once you add airports and the Metro in it is no quicker than the train and costs more (Omio), so it is left off below.

Costs are estimates and swing heavily on how far ahead you book. Advance train singles and pre-booked coach seats are the cheap end; walk-up fares on the day are the top end.

Getting into Newcastle: airport and main station

If you fly in, take the Metro. Newcastle International Airport sits at the end of the Tyne and Wear Metro Yellow Line, with the platform a short walk from the terminal, and the Metro runs into the city centre at Monument in about 25 minutes (Northern Railway). The fastest way to the ground from the airport is the Metro to Monument, then a walk, or one more stop to St James (Newcastle United). A taxi or rideshare from the airport to the stadium takes roughly 20-30 minutes depending on traffic (NewcastleGateshead).

If you come by train, Newcastle Central Station is the main rail hub on the East Coast Main Line, with direct services from London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol, and it is only a ten-minute walk from St James' Park (Newcastle United).

Getting to St James' Park and around the city

The ground has its own Metro station. St James (Yellow Line) drops you almost at the stadium entrance (What's Up Courtney). Monument station (Yellow and Green lines, which run towards the airport, South Shields and the coast) is about a five-minute walk from the ground (Newcastle United).

On foot from Central Station, head west on Neville Street then turn right onto St James' Boulevard, about a ten-minute walk (Newcastle United). By bus, Haymarket and Eldon Square bus stations, both on Percy Street, are within five minutes of the stadium (Newcastle United).

Metro fares are low. A single journey on a Pop card is capped at £2.50 and a full day's travel is capped at £5 (Nexus). The match ticket does not double as a travel pass, so budget for the Metro or your own two feet.

Do not plan to drive to the ground. There is no unreserved public car parking on match days, and the club recommends public transport, with Park and Ride from Newcastle Great Park and the MetroCentre (Newcastle United).

The away end at St James' Park

Visiting fans are in the top tier of the Leazes Stand (Level 7), entering via turnstiles 91-94, which open 90 minutes before kick-off (Newcastle United). The league away allocation is up to 3,000, with larger allocations for cup games (Football Ground Guide).

Be ready for the climb. The away section involves 14 flights, around 140 stairs, though a lift is available if you cannot manage them. The height means a distant pitch but a wide view of the stadium and city (Football Ground Guide). Level 7 has accessible seating, wheelchair bays and accessible toilets (Newcastle United).

Where to stay

Grainger Town and the Quayside are recommended bases for visiting fans, with nightlife, dining and quick access to St James' Park (Soccer Trippers). The Quayside along the River Tyne, plus Grey Street and the Bigg Market, offer bars and restaurants and sit about a 15-20 minute walk from the ground (What's Up Courtney). Staying central means you can walk to the ground and back and never need a car.

Where to drink

Newcastle is a good-value drinking city, with a pint running around £5.15 to £5.55, roughly the national average or a touch under (Expatistan). A few away-friendly options:

• The Trent House (1-2 Leazes Lane, NE1 4QT), a traditional pub listed as away-friendly and close to the ground (Football Ground Guide).
• The Head of Steam (2 Neville Street, NE1 5EN), a well-known real-ale pub by Central Station, about ten minutes from the stadium (Football Ground Guide).
• The Newcastle Tap, also by Central Station, a craft and cask spot handy for arrivals off the train (Football Ground Guide).
• The Five Swans, a Wetherspoon a few minutes from the ground with relaxed pre-match drinks and cheap prices (Football Ground Guide).
• Shearer's Bar, inside the stadium itself, lively and steeped in club culture and usually happy to admit away fans (Football Ground Guide).

To be careful with: The Strawberry (7-8 Strawberry Place), the iconic memorabilia-packed pub right by the ground, is a home-fan stronghold and often turns away visitors, though it sometimes admits them for early kick-offs (Football Ground Guide). More generally, many matchday pubs run a home-fans-only door policy and may ask you to cover colours or show a valid ticket or membership card.

Where to eat

The local dish to hunt down is the saveloy dip: a saveloy sausage in a quarter-stottie bun, slathered with pease pudding, sage-and-onion stuffing and mustard. Pease pudding (mashed split yellow peas) and the flat stottie bread are the Geordie staples worth trying (Passions and Places).

• Bowers of Newcastle, a traditional pork butcher dating to the 1920s, does the "Oi Oi Giant Bowers Savaloy Dip Sandwich" with pease pudding, stuffing and mustard (Passions and Places).
• Dicksons, a North East butcher and deli chain, is the reliable place for a proper saveloy dip and pease pudding to take away (Passions and Places).
• Pink Lane Bakery, near Central Station, for a fresh stottie and cheap breakfast before the game (Passions and Places).
• STACK, a shipping-container food court near the ground with a range of street-food vendors and bars, quick and good for a group (Football Ground Guide).
• Nudo Noodle House, an all-you-can-eat noodle bar close to the stadium for a cheap sit-down fill (Football Ground Guide).
• El Coto, a long-standing tapas and paella restaurant if you want a proper sit-down meal in the city centre (Football Ground Guide).

What to do

If you are making a day or two of it, Newcastle and Gateshead pack a lot into a small area either side of the Tyne (Visit Newcastle):

• The Quayside, the riverside strip of bars, cafes and restaurants that is the hub of city life, and a good walk in its own right.
• The Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the latter the world's only tilting bridge, both crossing to the south bank.
• BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, a converted flour mill on the Gateshead side and one of Europe's biggest contemporary galleries, free to enter.
• Newcastle Castle, the medieval keep that gave the city its name, a short walk from the Quayside.
• Grey Street and Grainger Town, the sweep of Georgian architecture regularly voted one of England's finest streets.
• The Great North Museum: Hancock and the Laing Art Gallery, both free, for natural history, antiquities and art.
• The Angel of the North, Antony Gormley's landmark steel sculpture, about five miles south in Gateshead and reachable by Metro or a short taxi.

Common questions

How do you get to the ground from the airport?

Take the Metro Yellow Line from Newcastle International into the city, about 25 minutes to Monument (Northern Railway). From Monument, walk five minutes to St James' Park or ride one more stop to St James. A taxi from the airport to the ground takes roughly 20-30 minutes depending on traffic (NewcastleGateshead).

Which airport should I use for Newcastle United, and is there a hub?

Newcastle International (NCL) is the local airport, 25 minutes out on the Metro (Northern Railway). You do not need a hub-and-train workaround here: Newcastle is a direct stop on the East Coast Main Line, so from most UK cities the train is faster and cheaper than flying. Only fly from places with no easy rail link, such as Belfast, Bristol or the south-west (Wikipedia).

Where do away fans sit at St James' Park?

In the top tier of the Leazes Stand, known as Level 7, entering via turnstiles 91-94 (Newcastle United). It is high up, so expect a distant pitch but a big view across the ground and the city (Football Ground Guide).

What is the away allocation?

Up to 3,000 for league games, with larger allocations often made available for cup ties (Football Ground Guide). It is one of the more generous away ends in the Premier League, tucked into the corner at the top of the Leazes Stand.

What time should I arrive?

Turnstiles open 90 minutes before kick-off (Newcastle United). Because the away end is a long climb of around 14 flights and 140 stairs, and there is a body and bag search on entry, give yourself time and get in early rather than queuing at the foot of the stairs near kick-off (Football Ground Guide).

Are there a lot of stairs in the away end?

Yes. The away section involves around 14 flights, roughly 140 steps, so it is a proper climb. A lift is available for anyone who cannot manage the stairs, and Level 7 has accessible seating, wheelchair bays and accessible toilets (Football Ground Guide).

Can away fans get a drink near the ground?

Yes. The Trent House near the ground, and the Head of Steam and Newcastle Tap by Central Station, are away-friendly, and Shearer's Bar inside the stadium usually admits visitors (Football Ground Guide). Watch out for home-only door policies at some pubs, notably The Strawberry, and be ready to cover colours if asked.

How much is a pint?

Around £5.15 to £5.55, roughly the national average and a little cheaper than the big southern cities (Expatistan). The Wetherspoon options such as the Five Swans are the budget end, craft bars the top end.

Is Newcastle safe for away fans?

Newcastle is a friendly, welcoming city and the walk to the ground is done alongside large numbers of fans, so it feels comfortable (What's Up Courtney). Use the usual common sense, keep colours discreet around home pubs, and note there is a body and bag search at the ground with bags larger than A4 not permitted and no storage.

Does the match ticket include free local transport?

No. Unlike some European grounds, the Newcastle match ticket does not double as a Metro or bus pass. A Metro single is capped at £2.50 and a day's travel at £5 on a Pop card, so it is cheap either way (Nexus).

How far is the ground from the city centre?

It is in the city centre. St James' Park is about a ten-minute walk from Newcastle Central Station and has its own Metro stop at the door (Newcastle United). The Quayside, Grey Street and the main nightlife are all a 15-20 minute walk away (What's Up Courtney).

Where should I stay?

Grainger Town and the Quayside are the best bases, central, walkable to the ground and full of bars and restaurants (Soccer Trippers). Staying central means you can walk to St James' Park and back and skip the car and parking entirely, which the club advises against on match days.