Rugby is about 19 miles from Leicester in a straight line, close enough to use as a base for a few days in Leicester if you want a room with a kitchenette, parking on site and self check-in. Be realistic about the train, though: there is no direct service in either direction, every journey we found changed at Nuneaton, and most took over an hour. With a car, the M1 links the two.
Rugby as a base for Leicester, briefly
- Rugby to Leicester
- About 1 hour 10 minutes, changing at Nuneaton; morning departures at 42 minutes past from 08:42.
- Leicester to Rugby
- No direct service. You change at Nuneaton, and most journeys take 1 hour 8 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes.
- Faster evenings
- Two evening journeys we checked took 42 and 49 minutes, thanks to a quicker connection.
- Last train
- 22:56 from Leicester on a weekday, reaching Rugby at 23:38.
- By road
- South on the M1, then the A426 or the A428 into Rugby, depending on the route you pick.
From Rugby into Leicester in the morning
On Tuesday 15 September 2026, the morning journeys from Rugby to Leicester that changed only at Nuneaton took between 1 hour 8 and 1 hour 13 minutes, and each waited about half an hour there for the Leicester train. Our door is a ten-minute walk, roughly three quarters of a kilometre, from Rugby station.
| Leaves Rugby | Change at | Arrives Leicester | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:34 | Coventry, Nuneaton | 07:53 | 1 h 19 min |
| 07:39 | Nuneaton | 08:52 | 1 h 13 min |
| 08:42 | Nuneaton | 09:52 | 1 h 10 min |
| 09:42 | Nuneaton | 10:51 | 1 h 9 min |
We checked morning departures from 06:30. For several days of travel into Leicester, compare the train with the drive before you decide.
Leicester to Rugby by train: plan around Nuneaton
On the timetable for Tuesday 15 September 2026, the regular pattern from Leicester is a train to Nuneaton, a wait on the platform, then a second train to Rugby. That wait is what stretches a 19-mile trip past an hour. Some departures also change again at Coventry and take 1 hour 25 minutes, so if you have a choice, pick the ones that change only at Nuneaton.
| Leaves Leicester | Change at | Arrives Rugby | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:18 | Nuneaton | 09:26 | 1 h 8 min |
| 08:50 | Nuneaton, Coventry | 10:15 | 1 h 25 min |
| 09:15 | Nuneaton | 10:26 | 1 h 11 min |
| 19:50 | Nuneaton | 20:39 | 49 min |
| 22:56 | Nuneaton | 23:38 | 42 min |
The 08:18 spends almost half an hour at Nuneaton. It arrives there at 08:42, and the Rugby train doesn’t leave until 09:11. On a morning when that matters, look at the later departures too: the pattern repeats roughly every hour, and the total time barely changes.
Connections, platforms and evening times vary from day to day. Check your whole journey, including the change, on National Rail Enquiries before you travel.
Driving from Leicester
In a straight line, Leicester is about 19 miles from our building, but the mileage by road depends on the route. The two route planners we used both head south on the M1 and then split. One leaves the motorway for the A426; the other stays on the M1 to Junction 18 and comes into Rugby on the A428. Traffic decides which is quicker on the day, so check a live map before you set off.
Once you arrive, there are six parking spaces behind the building, taken on a first-come, first-served basis and covered by CCTV. On Railway Terrace itself, parking is free from 18:00 until 08:00.
When a Leicester household ends up staying in Rugby
Because the train needs a change and the drive is short, a room here tends to be booked by people who would rather not make the return trip the same day.
- An evening in Rugby that finishes late, like a wedding in the area, where nobody wants to plan the drive home.
- A move into Rugby with a gap between completion dates. Our guide to staying here during a house move covers longer bookings.
- Visiting a pupil at Rugby School for a match, a concert or the end of term. See our notes for Rugby School parents.
Settling into the room
Whichever room you book, you get a small kitchen of your own, because all 16 rooms have one. That matters more on a visit of several days than on a single night. Washing machines in the first-floor laundry cost guests nothing, and a booking of a week or longer includes a weekly clean. Photos of every room type are on our rooms page.
Rooms are ready from three in the afternoon and need to be free by half past ten on your final morning. Our guest guide and hotel policies spell out the rest, including what happens if you cancel and which rooms accept pets.
Questions we get from Leicester
How long does it take to get from Rugby to Leicester by train?
Usually 1 hour 8 to 1 hour 13 minutes, with a change at Nuneaton. On the timetable we checked, morning departures from Rugby left at 42 minutes past the hour from 08:42.
Is there a direct train from Leicester to Rugby?
No. On the timetable we checked, every journey from Leicester to Rugby changes at Nuneaton, and some also change at Coventry. Most take between 1 hour 8 minutes and 1 hour 25 minutes.
What is the last train from Leicester to Rugby?
On the weekday timetable for 15 September 2026, the last train leaves Leicester at 22:56 and reaches Rugby at 23:38, with a change at Nuneaton.
How far is Leicester from Rugby?
Leicester is about 19 miles from Apart Hotel Rugby in a straight line. The road distance depends on whether you take the A426 or stay on the M1 to Junction 18.
If my connection at Nuneaton runs late, will I still get into my room?
Yes. There is no reception to close at Apart Hotel Rugby. Entry is by keypad, with a code made from the last four digits of your booking reference, so the time you turn up doesn’t matter.
Staying near Leicester for a few days?
Pick your dates on our booking page. The code DIRECT goes in the discount box.
Notes on sources, 10 September 2026: departures in both directions between Leicester and Rugby, with their changes and connection times, come from traintimes.org.uk for Tuesday 15 September 2026, and Trainline’s route page likewise lists no direct trains and a 22:56 last departure. The straight-line distance was calculated from map coordinates. The two road routes are those returned by the OSRM and Valhalla planners from central Leicester to 123 Railway Terrace; they differ by several miles, which is why we don’t give a single road figure.
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