Birmingham Transport

Although Birmingham has an excellent transport infrastructure, it is also pedestrianised, and therefore very easy to walk around. Most of Birmingham’s tourist attractions are located close to each other in the city centre and within easy walking distance. An alternative to walking is to take the Birmingham Tour open-top sightseeing bus, which runs throughout the day on a continuous loop taking in all the major sights. Tickets are valid for the day and are flexible. The Centro bus/metro system offer routes throughout the city and tickets valid for the entire day can be purchased. Centro buses cover a much wider area than the metro and tickets can be purchased separately. Black cabs provide direct city transport 24 hours a day.

By metro

The metro system in Birmingham is largely an alternative for commuters travelling to and from nearby Wolverhampton. The Midland Metro line runs from Birmingham's Snow Hill train station to Wolverhampton. Midland Metro trams run daily and provide an alternative for tourists wanting to visit the Jewellery Quarter and Birmingham Markets. Weekly multi-ride tickets are available.

By train

There are three main train stations in Birmingham, although these are mainly used for getting in and out of Birmingham as opposed to travelling around the city. However, if you are staying out of town then taking the train is the easiest and most convenient way to get to the city centre. 

By bus

Centro is the operator of Birmingham’s bus system and travelling by bus is the cheapest way for tourists to get around both in the city and outside. Daily tickets can be purchased that incorporate both the Centro buses and the Metro system. Passes are reasonably priced and allow visitors to explore other towns and cities in the Midlands area.

Taxis

Another popular way to travel around Birmingham is to use taxi cabs. Black Cabs are a permanent feature of Birmingham and can be hailed from the street or from a number of taxi ranks within the city – the main taxi rank is on Hurst Street at the Arcadian Centre in Birmingham city centre and at Birmingham International Interchange train station. Taxis are metered and can also be booked by telephone to arrange a pick-up from anywhere in the city; additional charges may apply to extra passengers, luggage, night trips and on public holidays.

Tourist services

Birmingham Tour, along with several other companies, operate open-top, hop-on, hop-off guided bus tours of the city throughout the day. These buses take in all the major sights, including popular city landmarks, monuments, museums, shopping areas and more. Tickets are valid for the day and buses stop off at regular intervals to allow passengers the flexibility to hop on and off whenever they like.

From the airport

Getting to Birmingham from Birmingham International Airport couldn’t be easier, with fast and reliable rail, bus, and taxi options all available. Free trains (Skyrail) run directly from the airport to Birmingham International Train Station in under two minutes. From here, services run all across the country. Trains run from here direct to Birmingham New Street station every 10 minutes and the journey time is about 15 minutes. Buses go from directly outside the Main Terminal to the city centre terminating at the main coach station in Dugbeth. You can find National Express coaches running to other cities at the airport as well as Flightlink, a coach operator running services directly to all of London’s airports. Black cabs are available at the airport and they can carry up to five people with luggage.