Port of Tyne Cruise Port: Newcastle Terminal & Parking Guide

Port of Tyne cruise terminal is in North Shields, about nine miles east of Newcastle city centre rather than in the city itself. Most people drive in through the Tyne Tunnel and onto the A187, or take a taxi from Newcastle Central Station. Parking is on-site but pay-on-return only, so sort that out before sailing day.

Driving to Port of Tyne: through the Tyne Tunnel on the A19

You reach Port of Tyne cruise terminal by car along the A19, through the Tyne Tunnel and onto the A187 towards North Shields. Brown signs for the Ferry Terminal and Cruise Terminal point the way for the final stretch, and if you’re using a sat nav, the postcode is NE29 6EE.

Coming from the south, join the A19 northbound, go through the tunnel, keep right through either of the two right-hand toll booths, then follow the roundabout round onto the A187. From the north, take the A19 south and come off onto the A187 after the tunnel.

From the west, pick up the A69 or the A1(M) to reach the A19, then follow the same route through the tunnel. Leaving Newcastle city centre, take the A1 towards Morpeth to join the A19 and the tunnel, and watch for the International Ferry symbol marking the A187 turn-off.

The Tyne Tunnel is a toll road. You pay by card or by phone rather than chucking cash in a barrier. The exit onto the A187, just north of the tunnel, is easy to miss, and missing it tacks extra time onto your journey.

Port of Tyne parking: pay on return, not pre-booked

You can’t reserve or prepay a space directly with the port, and there’s no way to book the car park online. You take a ticket on arrival and settle up by card or cash at a pay station inside the terminal, or at the car park entrance, when you get back off your cruise.

This trips up a fair few people who expect an airport-style booking system. The way round it is to sort parking through the cruise line before you travel.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, for example, has you pre-book a space with its own Guest Services team at least three days before departure, giving your vehicle’s registration and make, with a higher rate for campervans and larger vehicles.

Check current Fred. Olsen sailings from Newcastle to see what parking comes with the booking before you rely on the port’s own car park.

The on-site car park opens from 7am to 8pm daily, so plan any pickup or return within those hours.

Cheaper parking than the terminal for longer cruises

Cheaper parking than the Port of Tyne’s own car park usually means a private driveway close to the terminal, booked ahead through a site like JustPark or YourParkingSpace. Over a two-week cruise that can work out at a fraction of the terminal’s daily rate, with spaces advertised less than a mile from the port.

A driveway space just across from the port is a popular option booked instead of paying the terminal’s rate, and it is valued for its good reviews and the easy walk to check-in.

Getting to Port of Tyne cruise terminal without a car

Getting to Port of Tyne cruise terminal without a car usually means a taxi. The terminal isn’t within walking distance of any railway or Metro station, and a taxi from Newcastle Central Station takes about twenty minutes.

• Metro: Percy Main is the nearest station, then it’s a fifteen to twenty minute walk through Royal Quays to the terminal doors.
• Bus: Go North East’s Bus 11 runs between Wallsend, Royal Quays, North Shields and Whitley Bay, and stops around half a mile from the terminal.
• Airport: taxi, Uber and the Metro all get you from Newcastle Airport to the port area, and the Metro’s usually the cheapest of the three.

Where to stay near Port of Tyne cruise port

Where to stay near Port of Tyne cruise port depends on whether you’re driving in. A night before at a hotel with free parking means you skip paying the terminal’s own daily rate for the whole length of the cruise.

Premier Inn North Shields (Ferry Terminal) is the closest option, about a fifteen-minute walk from the terminal, with free on-site parking for guests. Some guests say they’ve left their car there for the whole cruise with the receptionist’s agreement, but that’s not an official multi-day parking offer, so check with the hotel directly before you count on it.

The same hotel works just as well for a night after you disembark, before heading home or on to the airport.

Luggage storage at Port of Tyne cruise terminal

Luggage storage at Port of Tyne cruise terminal isn’t confirmed as an official service inside the building itself, so if you’re arriving early or need somewhere for bags after disembarking, it’s better to sort storage in advance. A hotel stay the night before, such as the nearby Premier Inn, can double up as somewhere to leave bags before check-in opens, or you can book luggage storage near the terminal for the day.

Inside Port of Tyne International Passenger Terminal

Inside Port of Tyne International Passenger Terminal there’s seating for several hundred passengers, multiple cruise check-in desks, free wifi, a cafe, a small shop, a cash machine and tourist information, so there’s plenty to do while you wait to be called forward. The Royal Quays shopping outlet is a few minutes’ walk away if you fancy stretching your legs beforehand.

Cruise lines and season at Port of Tyne

Cruise lines sailing from Port of Tyne mainly operate between spring and early autumn, with itineraries built around the Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic and Scandinavia, and Iceland cruises. Some seasons run longer than that, with departures from late winter through to early autumn and voyages ranging from a single night to two weeks, including Baltic cruises and Northern Lights sailings in Arctic Norway.

If you’d rather not fly to reach a departure port, Newcastle is one of a small number of no-fly cruise holiday options leaving directly from the north-east of England.

Departure day: drop-off, parking and check-in order

Departure day at Port of Tyne starts with luggage drop-off at the terminal entrance before you park the car. After that it’s check-in, where you’re given a coloured ticket that decides the order you’re called forward. There’s no official minimum arrival time published for this terminal, so go by the time your cruise line gives you, and build in extra margin for the drive through the tunnel.

Port of Tyne mistakes: city centre walks and airport-style parking

Port of Tyne mistakes usually come down to two wrong assumptions. The first is picturing the terminal sitting in Newcastle itself, with the city centre a walkable stroll away.

It isn’t. The second is treating the car park like an airport’s, where you book ahead.

Port of Tyne cruise port FAQs

Is there a port in Newcastle?

There is a port in Newcastle: the Port of Tyne’s International Passenger Terminal, which sits in North Shields rather than the city centre itself.

What happens if I lose my parking ticket at Port of Tyne?

If you lose your parking ticket at Port of Tyne, you’ll pay a steep flat daily charge at the pay station, since there’s no barrier-free alternative, so keep the ticket somewhere safe for the whole cruise.

Is a taxi from Newcastle city centre to Port of Tyne expensive compared with parking?

A taxi from Newcastle city centre to Port of Tyne costs a fair bit more than a day’s parking at the terminal, so it suits a one-off transfer better than leaving your car there for the length of a cruise.

Is there a direct shuttle bus from Newcastle city centre to Port of Tyne?

No direct shuttle bus runs from Newcastle city centre to Port of Tyne. The nearest public transport is Go North East’s Bus 11 or the Metro to Percy Main, and both need a connecting walk at the other end.

Should I stay in Newcastle city centre or near the terminal the night before?

Staying near the terminal the night before, rather than in Newcastle city centre, puts you within walking distance of check-in and saves you a taxi or Metro journey on departure morning.