If you are flying in to the UK to watch the British Grand Prix you’ll want to know which is the nearest airport to Silverstone and how to get to the circuit. This article provides all the information you need if you are planning on flying in to see the F1, MotoGP or any other event at Silverstone circuit.
It also covers some of the VIP options for arriving in style, including the Silverstone Heliport and nearby private airports.
Contents
Can you fly in to Silverstone?
You can fly in to Silverstone if you are in a helicopter. But if you are in a plane, despite being situated on a WW2 RAF airfield, you cannot fly in to Silverstone. There is no airport within Silverstone itself for commercial or private planes.
If you are flying in to the UK to come to Silverstone you need to find flights to one of the nearest airports below.
Nearest airport to Silverstone
The nearest airports to Silverstone are Luton Airport and Birmingham Airport. These are both around a 1 hour drive away from the circuit when the traffic is good.
The six nearest airports to Silverstone are:
- Luton (LTN) – 48 miles / 60 mins
- Birmingham (BHX) – 56 miles / 60 mins
- East midlands airport (EMA) – 62 miles / 1 hour 2 mins
- Heathrow (LHR) – 67 miles / 1 hr 12 mins
- Stanstead (STN) – 97 miles / 1hr 40 mins
- Gatwick (LGW) – 104 miles / 2 hours
Both Luton and Birmingham airports have a lot of low-cost European airlines that fly in and out of them, as well as a few short-haul international destinations that arrive there.
East Midlands airport is similar however it is more challenging to get from there to the circuit.
The closest long-haul international airport to Silverstone is London Heathrow. At only 1 hour and 12 minutes away from the circuit it’s a great option for flying in to the UK from further afield to visit Silverstone. The other truly international airport on the list is London Gatwick, but that is much further from the circuit.
Birmingham and London Heathrow are the best of the nearby airports to fly in to for easy onward travel to Silverstone circuit. Luton is a little more difficult as you will see below.
All airports have numerous hire car operators based at them, making it easy to hire a car to drive yourself to Silverstone. Don’t forget to book parking at Silverstone in advance if you are attending the F1 or MotoGP, as this often sells out in advance. Also check out the park and ride options to avoid some of the local traffic.
If you are planning on camping at Silverstone for the weekend most campsite sell out well in advance, so get one of those booked asap.
London Heathrow airport to Silverstone
To get from London Heathrow Airport to Silverstone via train you will need to make a couple of changes. You first have to take the Heathrow Express to London Paddington, and then use the Underground to get to London Euston. You can then get a direct train to Milton Keynes Central where there are numerous onwards travel options for getting to the circuit. Total journey time from London Heathrow to Milton Keynes Central via trains is around 2 hours.
On the Sunday of the Formula One weekend Megabus run a coach service that goes directly from Heathrow Airport to the circuit.
Full details of onwards travel from Milton Keynes and the Megabus Heathrow coach service can be found on our Silverstone public transport guide.
Birmingham airport to Silverstone
There is a train station at Birmingham airport called Birmingham International. This goes directly to Milton Keynes Central station and the journey time is around 40 minutes.
Luton airport to Silverstone
To get from Luton Airport to Silverstone you need to hire a car, get a taxi or take a coach.
Unfortunately there is no train that runs in the correct direction. You would want to get to Milton Keynes station but you have to take a train in to the centre of London before taking another one back out. This involves a couple of changes and using the London Underground, and usually takes upwards of 2.5 hours.
The best option if you are attending race day at the F1 British Grand Prix is to pre-book one of the Megabus coaches that goes from Luton directly to the circuit. Again full details can be found in the Silverstone public transport guide.
National Express also has a coach station at Luton Airport. They offer journeys to their Milton Keynes coach station, just off the M1, for around £20 return per person. The cheapest option once arrived at the Milton Keynes coach station would be to get an Uber to Milton Keynes central train station and use one of the local bus services to get to the circuit.
Silverstone heliport
Silverstone has a heliport that is available for private helicopters. It has a permanent helipad suitable for twin engine helicopters. All flight movements are managed by an external company and more information can be found here.
On race day at the British Grand Prix the Silverstone Heliport can see around 100 helicopter movements per day, which makes it the busiest heliport in the world.
The Sivlerstone heliport is on the inside of the circuit close to Becketts and Chapel corners.
how long is a helicopter flight from London to Silverstone?
A helicopter flight from London to Silverstone takes around 30 minutes. Numerous charter companies offer these flights during the British Grand Prix weekend, departing from London Battersea heliport and landing directly at Silverstone Heliport.
Chartering a helicopter for the return journey can cost anywhere between £3500 and £9000, as quoted on GetHeli.
What is the closest private airport to Silverstone?
Turweston Aerodrome is the closest private airport to Silvestone. It is only 6 miles or a 10 minute drive from the main entrance to Silverstone circuit. It’s suitable for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
During the British Grand Prix Turweston Aerodrome offers transfer services to the circuit for people arriving at the airfield. There is a helicopter shuttle service that goes from the aerodrome directly to the Silverstone heliport, at a cost of £450 per person. There is also a bus service that costs up to £35 per person on the Sunday of the race weekend.
The next closest private airfield is Cranfield Airport. This is 30 miles or a 40 minute drive away from the circuit.
