Hotels near Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre

Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre is on ETPS Road in Farnborough, Hampshire, postcode GU14 6FD, which is the address given in the operator's privacy policy. It sits beside Farnborough Airport, which the venue calls one of Europe's leading business airports, and it is built on the site that the venue describes as the birthplace of British aviation. The venue says it is just off the A325 and is reached from the M3 at junction 4 and from the A31. It is south west of London, and the venue says you can reach it in 35 minutes by train direct from London Waterloo.

The most important thing to know before you set off is which gate you need. The venue has several secured gates and says your event organiser will tell you which one is in use. It lists Gate F on Aerospace Boulevard, which it names as the vehicle access, Gate A on Transport Road, and Gate B on Trenchard Way, which is pedestrian access on foot only. It says there is no access for visitors or contractors through Gate D. The venue also warns that when you see its brown Exhibition Centre signs or yellow AA event signs, you should follow those and ignore your sat nav, because a sat nav will often take you to the wrong gate. Type the venue name and add the gate letter if your event organiser has given you one.

By rail, the venue says it is within easy reach of five stations: Farnborough Main, Farnborough North, North Camp, Frimley and Aldershot. Farnborough Main is the closest of the five by taxi time. The venue says it is on the mainline to London Waterloo with up to six trains an hour and journeys as fast as 34 minutes, and that it is 1.5 miles from the venue, about five minutes by taxi. Farnborough North and North Camp are described as within a ten minute taxi ride, and Aldershot, which has direct services to London Waterloo and Guildford, is also a ten minute taxi ride. The venue's page uses older operator names, so check National Rail for the current operator before you book. The venue gives taxi times for all of them, not walking times, so plan on a taxi from the station.

By air, the venue says London Heathrow is a 30 minute drive and London Gatwick a 50 minute drive. From Gatwick it also suggests a train to North Camp, which takes about 50 minutes, followed by a ten minute taxi ride. From Heathrow it mentions a shuttle bus to Woking station, then a train to Farnborough Main in about ten minutes. Delegates flying into Farnborough Airport itself can transfer to the venue without leaving the airport boundary, according to the venue.

The venue has two main exhibition halls, Hall 1 and Hall 5, and a set of conference and function rooms. Hall 1 is the large one. The venue gives it as 12,332 square metres of pillar free exhibition space, 260 metres long and 45.4 metres wide, with an 8 metre ceiling that varies. It has two entrance foyers, called the East Foyer and the West Foyer, and ten function rooms beside it, and it can hold up to 10,000 people according to the venue. Drive in access is a feature, so vehicles can enter the hall for set up or for displays during events.

Hall 5 is smaller and separate. The venue describes it as 3,150 square metres of clear span, unbranded ground floor space, 90 metres by 35 metres, with a 7.4 metre ceiling and an electronic dividing partition. It has been used for events since 2008 and has a maximum capacity of 3,000. It also has drive in access, and its own mezzanine reached by lift.

The smaller rooms are named. Inspire is the largest dedicated conference space, with runway views. Discover has direct access from the East Foyer and is used for registration, networking and as a catering area for Hall 1 exhibitions. Advance is a first floor room reached from the West Foyer, with access to the Flight Deck roof terrace. Innovate is a divisible first floor conference room. Pioneer can be reached from either foyer, and Navigate 1 and 2 are joined rooms used as support for Hall 1. The Lloyd Boardroom is close to the West Foyer entrance and seats up to 16. There is also an outdoor space for activations.

For access, the venue says Hall 1 has ramped access at both the East and West Foyer entrances and exits, with lifts in both foyers up to the first floor and the Flight Deck. The halls are step free. Hall 5 is step free with lift access to the mezzanine. Outside, many event spaces are grass and uneven underfoot, though non stepped routes exist and may be longer. The venue has two self propelled wheelchairs for visitors to hire, free of charge, on a first come first served basis, and accessible toilets at all toilet facilities. Blue Badge holders arriving by taxi can be dropped at the main entrance for that event.

We do not quote last train times for Farnborough, because they vary by station, by line and by day. The venue itself does not give any. What we can say is that Farnborough Main is the station with the frequent service to London Waterloo, with up to six trains an hour according to the venue, so it is the best choice if you are heading back to London. Check the live timetable for your own journey on National Rail before you leave the hall.

The bigger issue here is the last mile. The venue is 1.5 miles from Farnborough Main and a ten minute taxi ride from North Camp, Farnborough North and Aldershot. Taxis use the gate specified by the event organiser, and the venue says to give that gate to your driver and then follow the yellow event signage to the drop off zone. At closing time, a taxi booked ahead is safer than hoping to find one at the gate.

If your show finishes late or you have a long journey, staying overnight can be easier than racing a late train. The venue says the area has 2,500 rooms within a 15 minute drive. We can book hotels for a team with a company invoice, and a custom quote is available if you have several people travelling. Remember that no one is allowed to stay on site overnight, as the venue says in its FAQs, even if vehicles can be left by arrangement.

Parking is a strength of this venue. The venue states that parking is free, with space for up to 3,500 cars on a secure site, including 18 electric vehicle charging stations. Guests can only enter through one of the secured entry gates. Once inside, follow the on site signs and the parking marshals to the designated parking area. A speed limit of 10 miles an hour applies throughout the site's road network.

Which gate to use depends on your event. For a public show the organiser will usually publish the gate and the parking details. The venue's getting here page lists Gate F on Aerospace Boulevard and Gate A on Transport Road, with their what3words addresses, and says Gate B on Trenchard Way is for pedestrians only. There is no visitor or contractor access via Gate D. Because the sat nav may route you to the wrong gate, read the instructions from your event before you leave.

For electric vehicles, the venue says Car Park 1 has eight Rolec charging stations and Car Park 4 has ten, offering fast charging of up to 22 kW, provided through Monta. You must bring your own charging cable and download the Monta app before your visit. We have not listed the charging tariff, since it can change. Blue Badge parking is available on site for all events. Display your badge and traffic marshals will direct you. If you need accessible parking but do not have a Blue Badge, the venue asks you to tell it about your needs.

Exhibitors and contractors have their own routes. The venue's Logistics and Unloading page says the site has drive in access to both exhibition halls for unloading, deliveries or vehicle displays, and that you will be directed to a dedicated exhibitor parking area after unloading. Hall 1 has four roller shutter doors and Hall 5 has two, and there is a goods lift to the first floor of Hall 1 with a maximum load of 1,600 kilograms. Vehicles can stay on site overnight if your event manager is told in advance, but nobody may stay overnight.

The venue says the area has about 2,500 rooms within a 15 minute drive, and the hotel pages we have checked give distances of roughly one to two miles to the airport or the station. The choice is really about which part of the area suits your journey.

The first is the airport side, on Farnborough Road. Aviator, at 55 Farnborough Road, GU14 6EL, has 169 rooms and suites and, according to the venue's accommodation page, views over either Farnborough Airport or the surrounding area. The venue lists it as featured accommodation and its own site lists Farnborough IECC among its partners. We did not find a stated walking time or distance to the halls.

The second is the business park and the town centre, on the side nearest Farnborough Main station. Village Hotel Farnborough on Pinehurst Road gives 0.8 miles from Farnborough Station and 1.2 miles from Farnborough Airport. The Premier Inn at Kingsmead lists the train station at one mile and the airport at two miles, and the Travelodge on Victoria Road says it is under two miles from the airport. This side suits you if you are on a London train and want shops and restaurants within reach.

The third is the west side, in Southwood. The Premier Inn at 101 Ively Road lists the station at 1.5 miles, and has free parking. Its page describes it as five minutes down the road from the Farnborough Airshow, so a short drive or taxi is the likely way in. Choose this side if you are driving, since the parking is free.

Finally, the venue gives North Camp and Aldershot stations as ten minutes by taxi. We have not named hotels there because we could not check them against an official page.

We have not listed prices, because they change with the events calendar and the airshow years. Here are the budget chains we could check on their own pages. We have stated the distances those pages give, which are mostly to Farnborough Airport or the station rather than to the exhibition halls, so check your route.

The Premier Inn Farnborough Town Centre is at 3 Kingsmead, GU14 7SJ. Its page lists Farnborough Train Station at one mile and Farnborough Airport at two miles, and describes itself as a super location for the airshow. It has no car park of its own; chargeable parking is at the Meads multi storey and the page also names a Sainsbury's car park next to the hotel. The Premier Inn Farnborough West at 101 Ively Road, Southwood, GU14 0JP, has free on site parking according to its page and lists Farnborough Train Station at 1.5 miles. It is the better option if you are driving.

The Travelodge Farnborough Central is on Victoria Road, GU14 7RQ, and its page says it is under two miles from Farnborough Airport. Its page lists parking at the nearby Westmead council car park, with charges from 8am to 8pm. The Village Hotel Farnborough on Pinehurst Road is a step up from budget, but the venue lists it as featured accommodation and its page says parking is available.

If you want a team room block, the venue's accommodation page directs visitors to its booking partner, BCD M and E. Hotels can also be booked through us for a team on a company invoice, with a custom quote available.

We have to be plain about this. We could not find a hotel whose own page gives a walking time to the exhibition halls. The venue's wording is that the area has 2,500 rooms within a 15 minute drive, not a 15 minute walk. The hotel pages we can verify give distances of one to two miles to the airport or station. The venue does have a pedestrian gate, Gate B on Trenchard Way, so anyone who does walk should use that one.

Aviator, on Farnborough Road, is the closest in feeling, since its rooms overlook the airport that the venue sits beside. The venue says it has 169 rooms and suites in Aviator Rooms, Studios and Sky Suites. Village Hotel Farnborough is described by its own page as just minutes from Farnborough Airport, at 1.2 miles. The Holiday Inn Farnborough is listed by the venue with 142 air conditioned rooms and on site parking. We could not check its distance from an official page.

HQ Aparthotel Farnborough is described by the venue as a short walk from Farnborough Train Station, with 72 studio and one bedroom serviced apartments, EV parking on site and a 24 hour reception. House of Fisher Service Apartments offer serviced apartments across several Thames Valley locations including Farnborough. These suit longer stays and project teams, but the distance from the halls is a drive or a taxi.

If you are arriving by train, a hotel near Farnborough Main makes the journey simpler, and if you are driving, one with free parking does. We can quote a team booking on a company invoice.

Aviator is the standout. The venue's accommodation page describes 169 stylish rooms and suites, including Studios and Sky Suites, with king or super king beds, climate control, high speed WiFi and a fitness studio for hotel guests. The rooms look over Farnborough Airport or the surrounding area. Its own site lists Farnborough IECC among its partners and has a brasserie on the ground floor, the Brasserie at the Aviator, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a walk in cocktail bar.

Village Hotel Farnborough offers double, twin, king, accessible and club rooms with drench showers, on site dining, leisure facilities and parking according to the venue. It is on Business Park, Pinehurst Road, GU14 7BF, and its page says it is 0.8 miles from Farnborough Station and 1.2 miles from Farnborough Airport. It also has a Pub and Grill with room service from 5pm to 9.30pm, according to the venue's restaurants page.

The Holiday Inn Farnborough, an IHG hotel, offers 142 air conditioned bedrooms in Standard, Premium and Suite options, with complimentary WiFi and on site parking according to the venue. We could not check the IHG page, so we do not state a distance.

For a team that wants to stay together, we can look across these hotels, book on a company invoice and send a custom quote.

Inside the venue, the catering is run by Fuel Kitchen Co. It offers coffee and tea, pastries, wraps and sandwiches in café areas, healthy grab and go choices, and street food and themed vendors. The venue is clear that there is no permanent café or restaurant, so what is on offer depends on the event, and you should check with the organiser in advance. There is no cash machine on site, though catering units take card payments, so bring a card or cash before you arrive.

Outside, the venue's restaurants, bars and cafes page names a few places. The Brasserie at the Aviator is on the ground floor overlooking the rear lawn. The Swan is a gastropub with modern British food, Sunday roasts and regular quiz nights. The Village Pub and Grill serves burgers and steaks and shows live sport. In North Camp, Elevenses is a sandwich shop open weekdays from 7am to 3pm, and The Teashop Around the Corner is a cafe with homemade cakes. Aviators Cafe is at The Hub on Farnborough Business Park, open from 8am to 3pm. Most of these are not at the venue, so check how you will get there and back.

For something to do with spare time, the venue's local guide lists the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust museum, which it says is open at weekends, St Michael's Abbey, and Quays Watersports, about eight minutes from the venue. It also lists Thorpe Park at around 35 minutes away. The listed Wind Tunnel buildings are not open to the public, and tours are run by volunteers from the Trust.

Get your gate right. The venue repeats it in several places: check with the event organiser which gate is in operation, use the venue name plus the gate letter in your sat nav, and follow the brown Exhibition Centre signs or yellow AA event signs when you see them. Do not use Gate D. Pedestrians use Gate B on Trenchard Way. Vehicle access for set up goes through the gate your organiser names, and the speed limit on site is 10 miles an hour.

Plan for the facilities. There is no dedicated cloakroom, though the venue can work with an organiser to run a temporary one at extra cost. There is no permanent café or restaurant, and no cash machine. Free café style WiFi is available in Hall 1 and Hall 5, but the venue says it is not suitable for show critical exhibitor equipment, so ask your event manager about a proper connection. The venue operates a no smoking policy, including vaping, and each event has allocated smoking areas.

Assistance animals are welcome and an animal pass can be collected at the entrance if the animal does not have a visible harness. No other dogs or pets are permitted. For lost property, contact your event manager within three months of the event. Local residents can check upcoming events on the venue's site and sign up for a newsletter.

The calendar leans towards consumer and trade shows. At the time of checking, the venue listed the Titanic Exhibition, Warfare, B2BX Farnborough, the Homebuilding and Renovating Show, Southern Manufacturing and Electronics, the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, The Big One Fishing Show, Security and Policing, DPRTE, Kidz to Adultz South and The British Motor Show. The Farnborough International Airshow is held every two years, and its own website refers to FIA2026 and FIA2028. If you need accommodation for a specific date, book as soon as you know it.