Heathrow bus pick up frequently asked questions

Yes. You will need to provide us with your flight details when you make your booking.

Yes. You'll need to make sure that you arrange your accommodation in advance. When you make your booking, we'll need to know which hall you are staying in, or your address if you will be staying in private accommodation.

Please make sure that you let your accommodation provider know when you are arriving, and that you have made arrangements with them to collect your keys and access your room.

It can take 2 hours or more to pass through UK Border Control, Baggage Reclaim and Customs. Please be aware that there can sometimes be long queues at Border Control, particularly in September (when lots of international students are arriving in the UK). We will take this into account when we allocate your bus departure time.

We will accept bookings onto our pick-up service from students with scheduled flight arrival times up to 16.00. This is to try to ensure that you have enough time to meet the last DMU bus pickup of the day.

If you are not able to arrange a flight that arrives before 16.00, you will need to travel to Leicester by public transport (such as the National Express bus service). You can find out more about travelling from London Heathrow Airport to Leicester here.

Alternatively, you could book a flight that arrives the day before, and then book onto the first DMU bus the next morning.

After you make your booking, we will send you an initial email with more information about the pickup.

You will need to meet the DMU Welcome team at a Meeting Point at the airport. Some of the terminal buildings at London Heathrow Airport have been closed temporarily because of reduced passenger numbers, as a result of COVID-19. If you have booked an airport pickup we will email you again as soon as we can to confirm where to meet the Welcome team.

We’ll also send you a final email during the week before your flight, to re-confirm your pick-up details and the time of your bus departure.

We will send you detailed information by email about where to meet the Welcome team. During the week before your flight, we will also email you with a mobile phone contact number for the pick-up team; so that you can call them if you need to.

The seating on the bus will be socially-distanced in order to comply with COVID-19 guidance. The DMU Welcome team will wear face coverings and gloves; you will also need to wear a face covering in order to join this pickup service. Face coverings are mandatory for bus passengers in the UK. If you do not wear a face covering then you will not be able to join the DMU pick-up.

Please note that DMU staff will not be able to handle your luggage and that you will need to be able to move and carry your luggage yourself.

Currently, passengers from many international destinations are required to quarantine after arriving in the UK. If you are arriving from a Red List country - Please be aware that if you are travelling from a Red List Country and need to self-isolate in managed hotel quarantine on arrival, you will not be able to join the airport pickup on the date you arrive in the UK. You will need to make sure that you will have completed managed hotel quarantine before you can join an airport pickup. If you are arriving from an Amber List country – You should be able to join the airport pickup on arrival and then enter quarantine at your accommodation in Leicester. Guidance on self isolation (quarantine) is available on our website and will be sent to you before you travel.

You are welcome to bring up to 2 bags or suitcases (maximum size per item 80cm x 35cm x 40cm), plus hand luggage (cabin baggage). If you want to bring more luggage than this, you'll need to make other travel arrangements.

DMU staff will not be able to carry your luggage for you. Please make sure that you can lift and carry your bags and suitcases yourself. When you arrive at DMU it might take 10 minutes or more to walk to your accommodation, and so you will need to be able to move your own luggage.

There will be a limited amount of luggage storage on the bus and we want to make sure that there is room for everyone's bags.

We understand that it may be your first time in the UK, though please remember that you can buy clothes, cooking equipment and other things quite cheaply in Leicester. You can find more information about what to bring with you in the Arriving Soon? section.

Our buses have to leave on schedule and are not able to wait beyond their departure time.

If you miss the pick-up, then you may be able to get a place on a later bus instead, if there are spare seats. If you miss your pick-up, please call us on the mobile number so that we can advise you.

If you miss the final pick-up of the day, then you may need to buy a ticket for the National Express bus service to Leicester. You‘ll be able to call us on the mobile number about this; you can also find more information on our website.

The Welcome Team will check students’ names as they arrive at the meeting point. If you’ve arrived early, please be patient whilst the team wait for other students to make their way to the meeting point.

Around 30 minutes before departure, the Welcome team will contact the driver and arrange for the bus to come and collect the group from the terminal building.

The journey from the airport usually takes around two hours, depending on the amount of traffic on the roads.

When you arrive in Leicester, we will assist you to get to the place where you are staying. You will need to make sure that you have completed your accommodation booking and that you can collect your keys and move into your room when you arrive. Please note that in some halls of residence the office may be closed at weekends and might close at 17.00 on weekdays - so please make sure that your accommodation provider knows when you’re arriving and has arranged for you to collect your keys. Guidance on quarantine (self-isolation) is available on our website.

If you have declared a disability as part of your course application and need a wheelchair ramp in order to travel on the bus, please email us at arrivals@dmu.ac.uk.

Not all the buses we use are equipped with a wheelchair ramp, so you must tell us if you will need a ramp in order to travel. Please notify us at at least 10 working days in advance, so that we can arrange a suitable vehicle for you.

We recommend that you arrange travel insurance, to include loss of (or damage to) luggage and personal items.

You can can find lots more information about arriving, living and studying in the UK in the International Student Guide and on our webpages.

If you need further advice or information about your arrival in the UK, please contact International Student Support at arrivals@dmu.ac.uk, and we will do our best to assist you.