🧸 Got your route sorted? Our tips for visitors cover parking, opening times and everything else worth knowing before the doors open.
Kensington Town Hall, London
By plane
From Heathrow, the Elizabeth line runs to Paddington in around half an hour, and the Circle line takes you on to High Street Kensington from there. Alternatively, the Piccadilly line goes directly from Heathrow to Earl’s Court, where you change onto a District line train towards Edgware Road – High Street Kensington is the very next stop.
From Gatwick, take the train to Victoria, which takes around thirty minutes, and then the Circle line directly to High Street Kensington.
By train and public transport
Coming in from the mainline stations, the journey is straightforward:
- Paddington: Circle line direct to High Street Kensington
- Victoria: Circle or District line direct to High Street Kensington
- Euston: walk five minutes to Euston Square, then Circle line direct to High Street Kensington
High Street Kensington is the nearest Underground station, on the Circle and District lines, and it is a two-minute walk from the venue. Turn up Hornton Street from Kensington High Street and the Town Hall is on your left.
Buses stop on Kensington High Street, a few steps from Hornton Street. Routes 9, 27, 28, 49, 52, 328 and 452 all serve the stops outside the station.
By car
The Postcode of Kensington Town Hall is W8 7NX. Please note that the London Congestion Charge applies at weekends from 12 pm to 6 pm and costs £18 for the day. Since 25 December 2025, the former Cleaner Vehicle Discount has been replaced by a tiered system, and discounts are now available only for electric vehicles registered for Auto Pay. Details are on the Transport for London website.
NEC Birmingham
By train and plane
This is where the move to Birmingham really pays off. Birmingham International station sits directly beside the NEC, connected to the halls by a covered walkway of a few minutes. There are direct trains from London Euston, Manchester, Bristol and many other cities, and no changes once you arrive – you simply walk in.
If you are flying, it is barely more complicated. Birmingham Airport is linked to Birmingham International station by the free Air-Rail Link, which takes around two minutes. From the aircraft to the bears is a matter of minutes, not hours.
By car
The NEC sits at the meeting point of the M42, M6 and M40, and seventy per cent of everyone in the United Kingdom can reach it within three hours. Please use the postcode B40 1NT.
One practical note for the journey home in September 2026: National Highways is carrying out bridge works at Junction 6 of the M42. Routes into the NEC are running completely as normal, so your arrival will be unaffected. On the way out, some routes are diverted, and everything is clearly signposted – we would simply suggest allowing a little extra time for the drive home. Rail travel is not affected at all.
🧸 Got your route sorted? Our tips for visitors cover parking, opening times and everything else worth knowing before the doors open.
Other useful sites:
Bing Map – scalable map showing location within the UK
Transport for London – tube, bus and rail info. Journey planner within the London area.
RAC route planner – from anywhere in the UK
AA route planner – an alternative to RAC planner