Travelling into East Midlands Airport for Christmas

Before you leave East Midlands Airport, you’ll pass through Customs and Immigration and Passport Control. Just follow the relevant signs for the EU or non-EU lanes when you get off your plane. You won’t need to queue if your passport has the biometric symbol on the front cover because you can just use the eGates.

Our UK Border Force officers are there to keep everyone safe all year round. If you’re carrying gifts in your hand luggage, it’s better to leave them unwrapped - just in case they need to be checked. Once you’re through Passport Control, information screens will let you know which carousel you’ll need at the Baggage Reclaim hall to collect your checked-in luggage.

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving presents - and you can find some wonderful and unique gifts at World Duty Free. With our handy Reserve and Collect service, you can shop online up to 30 days before your flight. Once you’ve chosen your items, they’ll be waiting for you at the World Duty Free collection point when you land. All you need to do is simply pay and pick up your shopping before going through customs.

You can save money on travel exclusives from big name brands and scoop up products you won’t find anywhere else. How’s that for easy Christmas shopping?

East Midlands Airport is surrounded by several towns and cities, including Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham, with easy travel links to and from them all. If you’re planning to get around by train, there are four train stations a few miles from East Midlands Airport - East Midlands Parkway (5 miles), Nottingham (12 miles), Derby (12 miles) and Long Eaton (7 miles). The station you’ll need depends on where you’re travelling to.

If you’re staying local, a network of bus services makes it easy to plan your onward journey. Coach services operate daily from the Coach Park, located just a few steps away from the East Midlands Airport Arrival Hall and you can book your tickets online. Just remember to plan around reduced services on public transport over key dates during the holiday period.

You’ll need to stay connected to be able to make plans while you’re here. An eSIM, or digital SIM card, lets you access multiple networks from one device. Switching between networks and countries is straightforward as your device will automatically connect you wherever you are.

eSIMs are digitally activated by scanning a QR code or entering an activation code, and you can switch between networks easily without having to commit to a contract. Click here for more information and to order an eSIM.