Rugby has direct trains to both of Birmingham’s main stations: Birmingham International, the station for the NEC and Birmingham Airport, in 21 to 29 minutes, and New Street in 33 to 43 minutes on the morning we checked. That makes a room here a workable base for an exhibition, an arena night or a few days of work in Birmingham, with a kitchenette, parking on site and self check-in. By car, the M6 does most of the work.
Rugby as a base for Birmingham, in five lines
- Rugby to New Street
- Direct trains take 33 to 43 minutes in the morning.
- New Street to Rugby
- 34 or 39 minutes in the daytime; the last direct train leaves at 23:11 on a weekday.
- For the NEC
- Rugby to Birmingham International takes 21 to 29 minutes by direct train.
- By car
- About 34 miles from central Birmingham, leaving the M6 at Junction 1.
- Station to room
- Around 750 metres on foot from Rugby station, roughly 10 minutes.
A base for the NEC without staying next to it
Birmingham International station is joined to the NEC by covered walkways, and to Birmingham Airport by the free Air-Rail Link. From Rugby, direct trains get there in 21 to 29 minutes, so a room here can serve as your base for a show, a trade fair or a concert.
Rugby to Birmingham International in the morning
| Leaves Rugby | Arrives Birmingham Int. | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| 08:01 | 08:30 | 29 min |
| 08:14 | 08:36 | 22 min |
| 08:34 | 09:03 | 29 min |
| 09:15 | 09:36 | 21 min |
Back to Rugby after an evening event
| Leaves Birmingham Int. | Arrives Rugby | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| 22:28 | 22:50 | 22 min |
| 23:09 | 23:37 | 28 min |
| 23:22 | 23:43 | 21 min |
Know your last train before the encore. The latest direct train on the weekday timetable leaves Birmingham International at 23:22 and reaches Rugby at 23:43. From there it is a ten-minute walk to Railway Terrace, where you type in your door code and go straight up. Nobody has to wait up for you at a desk.
If you would rather drive to the show, the NEC is about 27 miles from our building by road.
Between Rugby and Birmingham New Street
Rugby to New Street in the morning
On the same Tuesday timetable, three direct trains an hour left Rugby for New Street through the morning. The ones leaving at about a quarter past the hour were the quickest, at 33 or 34 minutes.
| Leaves Rugby | Arrives New Street | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| 07:05 | 07:44 | 39 min |
| 07:15 | 07:48 | 33 min |
| 07:34 | 08:14 | 40 min |
| 08:01 | 08:44 | 43 min |
| 08:14 | 08:48 | 34 min |
| 08:34 | 09:14 | 40 min |
New Street back to Rugby
New Street has three direct departures an hour to Rugby through the day, at 6, 21 and 36 minutes past the hour, on the timetable for Tuesday 15 September 2026. Depending on the service, the trip takes 34 or 39 minutes.
| Leaves New Street | Arrives Rugby | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| 08:06 | 08:45 | 39 min |
| 08:21 | 08:55 | 34 min |
| 08:36 | 09:15 | 39 min |
| 18:21 | 18:55 | 34 min |
| 22:50 | 23:37 | 47 min |
| 23:11 | 23:43 | 32 min |
After the 23:11, the next journey on that Tuesday timetable doesn’t reach Rugby until 05:55. Evening and weekend patterns vary, so confirm your train with National Rail Enquiries.
Driving: the M6 to Junction 1
Two separate route planners put our building about 34 miles from central Birmingham by road. The route follows the M6 and leaves it at Junction 1, signed for Rugby and Lutterworth, then takes the A426 into town.
Our car park has six spaces, first come, first served, with CCTV. Street parking on Railway Terrace outside costs nothing between 18:00 and 08:00. Journey times on the M6 change too much with traffic for us to promise one.
Why someone from Birmingham books a room 35 minutes away
With a train that quick, most trips from Birmingham to Rugby don’t need an overnight stay. The ones that do tend to run longer or later than a day out.
- A work placement in Rugby with early starts, where commuting both ways every day for weeks wears thin. Our page for contractors working in Rugby covers what helps on longer jobs.
- A family event here that runs past the last train, such as a wedding reception or a Rugby School occasion.
- Moving house to Rugby, when there are a few nights between leaving one home and getting the keys to the next. More on our house move page.
What the room gives you
Every one of our 16 rooms has a kitchenette, so a longer stay doesn’t mean eating out every night. There is a free guest laundry on the first floor, and stays of seven nights or more get housekeeping once a week. Room types run from an economy double up to a premium apartment with a separate bedroom, all shown on our rooms page.
Check-in opens at 15:00 and check-out is at 10:30. Arrive early and you can leave bags in the free ground-floor lockers, which take a £1 coin you get back. Pets are allowed in the ground-floor Deluxe Studio rooms for £30 per pet per stay, and cancellation and house rules are set out in our guest guide and hotel policies.
Birmingham travellers’ questions
How long is the train from Rugby to Birmingham New Street?
Direct trains took 33 to 43 minutes on the weekday morning we checked, with the quickest leaving Rugby at about a quarter past the hour.
How long does the train from Birmingham to Rugby take?
Direct trains from Birmingham New Street to Rugby take 34 or 39 minutes, and there are three an hour during the day.
Can I stay in Rugby and get to the NEC by train?
Yes. Direct trains from Rugby to Birmingham International, the station for the NEC, take 21 to 29 minutes. On the weekday timetable, the latest direct train back leaves Birmingham International at 23:22.
Which M6 junction do I use for Apart Hotel Rugby?
Leave the M6 at Junction 1, signed for Rugby and Lutterworth. From central Birmingham, the drive to Apart Hotel Rugby is about 34 miles.
What time is the last train from Birmingham New Street to Rugby?
On the weekday timetable for 15 September 2026, the last direct train leaves New Street at 23:11 and arrives in Rugby at 23:43.
Staying near Birmingham or the NEC?
Choose your dates on our booking page and type DIRECT into the code field.
Where these figures come from (checked 10 September 2026): times to and from New Street and Birmingham International are taken from traintimes.org.uk for Tuesday 15 September 2026, and Trainline’s summary of the Birmingham to Rugby route gives the same 23:11 last train. Road distances to 123 Railway Terrace were measured with the OSRM and Valhalla route planners, from central Birmingham and from the NEC’s postcode. The walkways and Air-Rail Link between Birmingham International, the NEC and the airport are described in public sources. We have no connection with the NEC.
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