St James' Park away guide

St James' Park is in the middle of Newcastle, so getting there is simple: this is a rail trip, not a flight. Take the train to Newcastle Central Station and walk 10 to 15 minutes, or ride the Metro Yellow line one stop to St James, the station at the ground (getting there). Away fans go in through turnstiles 91 to 94 into the top tier of the Leazes Stand, with a league allocation of up to 3,000 (club, allocation).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

Newcastle is a rail city, not a fly-in, so the "fly to a hub and train across" logic does not apply. Both Central Station and the coach station sit a 10 to 15 minute walk from the ground, so the real choice is train, quick but dearer, against coach, cheap but slow. Flying makes sense only from a long way south, and even then the train usually wins door to door. Costs are returns booked in advance and swing with timing.

Getting there from the airport

Newcastle International Airport has its own Metro station on the Green line, which runs into the city centre in around 23 minutes with no change (Football Ground Guide). For the ground itself, take the Green line to Monument, then change to the Yellow line for one stop to St James, the station at the stadium; total time is roughly 25 to 31 minutes (Rome2Rio). The airport is about 7 miles from the ground, and a taxi takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic (Football Ground Guide).

Getting there from the city centre and Central Station

Newcastle Central Station, the mainline rail station, is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the ground. The route heads west along Neville Street then right onto St James' Boulevard, following the pedestrian signs (NewcastleGateshead). You can take the Metro from Central Station to Monument and change for St James, but on foot it is a similar time given how central the ground is (Football Ground Guide).

Nearest Metro and parking

St James is the nearest Metro station and serves the stadium directly. It is the terminus of the Yellow line, which runs from St James to South Shields, and the station is decorated in Newcastle's black and white colours (Wikipedia). Monument Metro station is about a five-minute walk from the ground and connects to both Yellow and Green line services (NewcastleGateshead). There are no unreserved public car parks at St James' Park on event days, so the Metro is the recommended way in; several city-centre car parks offer first-come first-served spaces (NewcastleGateshead).

Where to stay

The ground is in the city centre, so almost anything central puts you within a short walk or one Metro stop. Around Central Station and Grainger Town keeps you close to the trains and the main pub circuit; the Quayside is a short walk downhill and better for a quieter night and river views. Monument and the Bigg Market are the busiest and loudest, handy if you want to roll out of the ground into the bars.

Inside the stadium and the away section

Visiting supporters use turnstiles 91 to 94 in the Leazes Stand, and turnstiles across the whole stadium open 90 minutes before kick-off (club). The away end is on Level 7, the top of the Leazes Stand, in blocks L7F to L7M, reached by 14 flights of stairs, about 140 steps; a lift is available for anyone who cannot manage them (ticket-compare, Football Ground Guide). This is the only away allocation in the Premier League not level with the pitch, so the view is high but panoramic: you see the whole pitch clearly, plus the Newcastle skyline and the country beyond on a clear day, which is not ideal for anyone uneasy with heights (ticket-compare). There is a dedicated away concourse on Level 7 serving pies, hot dogs, burgers and alcohol with the match on the TVs, and vegetarian and halal catering (NewcastleGateshead, Football Ground Guide). Large bags and suitcases are not allowed and bags are searched on arrival (club).

Where to drink

Newcastle is one of the more welcoming away days for a drink, with the main pub circuit ten minutes from the turnstiles. Expect roughly £4.50 to £5.50 a pint in the city-centre bars, less in the Wetherspoons (estimate).

• The Bigg Market: a cluster of bars used to big travelling groups, lively and central, the default away-fan drinking area (Get into Newcastle).
• The Head of Steam, Bigg Market: proper cask and craft range, relaxed, mixed home and away crowd.
• Collingwood Street ("the Diamond Strip"): the row of bigger bars off Grey Street, busy and used to visitors.
• The Quayside: a string of bars along the river, calmer than the Bigg Market and a nice pre-match walk.
• Shearer's Bar, Gallowgate End: attached to the stadium and open to home and away fans, handy but rammed on a matchday (NUFC).
• Avoid: the pubs hard against the Gallowgate End, notably The Strawberry on Strawberry Place, which are staunchly home-only and not the place for colours.

Where to eat

The local trio to try is the stottie (a flat, round bread), pease pudding (savoury split-pea spread) and the saveloy dip, a sausage in a stottie with pease pudding, stuffing, mustard and gravy (Newcastle foods).

• Bowers, Clayton Street: a 1920s pork butcher famous for its giant saveloy dip sandwich, cheap and very local (Go Eat Do).
• Dicksons: traditional butcher-deli chain that does the saveloy dip properly, a quick pre-match feed (Newcastle foods).
• Greggs: the chain was born in Newcastle, and North East branches carry the stottie the rest of the country does not (Newcastle foods).
• Grainger Market: the covered Victorian market for cheap eats, including the original tiny Marks & Spencer Penny Bazaar stall.
• Blackfriars, Friars Street: a former thirteenth-century friary that claims to be the oldest dining room in the UK, for a proper sit-down meal and regional dishes like pan haggerty (Newcastle foods).
• The Quayside and Grey Street: the widest choice of sit-down restaurants, from curry houses to steak, all within a short walk of the ground.

What to do

• Newcastle Quayside and the Tyne bridges: the postcard walk along the river past the Tyne Bridge, free and ten minutes from the centre (England's North East).
• Gateshead Millennium Bridge: the world's only tilting bridge, the "Blinking Eye", linking the Quayside to the BALTIC (Get into Newcastle).
• BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art: a converted flour mill on the south bank with free exhibitions and a top-floor viewing box over the river.
• Newcastle Castle: the Norman keep by Central Station that gave the city its name, on the site of a Roman fort.
• Grey's Monument and Grainger Town: the classical column at the top of Grey Street, one of England's finest Victorian streets, at the heart of the shopping district.
• Angel of the North: Antony Gormley's 20-metre steel figure just south of the city off the A1, worth the short trip if you have a car.
• Great North Museum (Hancock): free museum with a Hadrian's Wall gallery, dinosaurs and a planetarium, a good rainy-afternoon option.

Common questions

How do you get to St James' Park from Newcastle Airport?

Take the Metro Green line from the airport's own station towards the city, change at Monument onto the Yellow line, and go one stop to St James, which is at the ground; the whole trip is roughly 25 to 31 minutes (Rome2Rio). A taxi covers the 7 miles in about 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic (Football Ground Guide).

Which airport should I use, and is there a hub to change at?

For most of the UK there is no flying involved: Newcastle is on the East Coast Main Line and the train wins door to door. If you are starting a long way south, Newcastle International (NCL) takes direct flights from London Heathrow, Bristol, Southampton and Exeter, so no hub change is needed (direct flights). From Manchester or the Midlands, take the train rather than fly.

Where do away fans sit at St James' Park?

On Level 7 at the top of the Leazes Stand, blocks L7F to L7M, entering through turnstiles 91 to 94 (ticket-compare, club). It is the only Premier League away section not level with the pitch, so you are high up with a panoramic view. Reaching it means about 14 flights of stairs and 140 steps, with a lift for anyone who needs it (Football Ground Guide).

How many away tickets are available?

Up to 3,000 for league games, with a larger allocation for cup ties (Football Ground Guide). That is one of the bigger away ends in the division, all together in the top of the Leazes Stand rather than split across tiers.

What time should I arrive?

Turnstiles open 90 minutes before kick-off (club). Because the away end is a long climb of around 140 steps and the concourse gets busy, allow a bit more time than usual to get up and served. If you want a drink in the city first, the Bigg Market is ten minutes away, so arriving around two hours before kick-off works well.

Can you drink alcohol inside the ground?

Yes, the dedicated away concourse on Level 7 serves alcohol along with pies, hot dogs and burgers, with the match on the TVs (Football Ground Guide). As at every English ground, you cannot take a drink to your seat or drink within sight of the pitch, so it is concourse only.

How much is a pint in Newcastle?

Roughly £4.50 to £5.50 in the city-centre bars around the Bigg Market and Collingwood Street, and less in the Wetherspoons pubs (estimate). Prices on the ground concourse run higher, as they do everywhere. Newcastle is a cheaper night out than London, and the pubs are close together for a crawl.

Is Newcastle a safe away day?

Yes, it is one of the more relaxed and welcoming away days, with the main pub area a short walk from the ground and used to travelling fans (Get into Newcastle). Use normal common sense in a busy city centre at night. The one thing to know is that the pubs right by the Gallowgate End, such as The Strawberry, are home-only.

Which areas are away-friendly for a drink?

The Bigg Market, Collingwood Street and the Quayside are the usual spots, all central and used to hosting visiting supporters (Get into Newcastle). Shearer's Bar at the Gallowgate End is open to both sets of fans. Steer clear of the small home-only pubs immediately around the Gallowgate End if you are in colours.

Does the match ticket include free local transport?

No. Unlike some European clubs, a Newcastle match ticket does not cover the Metro or buses, so you will need a separate Metro single or a DaySaver, which are inexpensive (Nexus). Given how central the ground is, many away fans simply walk from Central Station and skip the Metro altogether.

How far is the ground from the city centre?

It is in the city centre. From Newcastle Central Station it is a 10 to 15 minute walk, and it is a short hop by Metro from Monument in the middle of town (NewcastleGateshead). The Bigg Market bars, the shops and the Quayside are all within a 5 to 15 minute walk, which is what makes this such an easy away day.

Where should I stay for the match?

Anywhere central works because the ground sits in the middle of town. Around Central Station and Grainger Town keeps you by the trains and the pubs; the Quayside is a short walk away for a quieter, riverside base; Monument and the Bigg Market are the liveliest. All are within a walk or a single Metro stop of St James' Park.

Can you park at the stadium?

No. There are no unreserved public car parks at St James' Park on event days, so the Metro or walking is recommended; several city-centre car parks offer first-come first-served spaces (NewcastleGateshead). If you are driving up, park on the edge of the centre and ride the Metro in for the last stop or two.