Getting To Birmingham

Birmingham is conveniently located in the centre of the country and is the hub of all forms of travel to this region. It has a quality international airport that receives a huge amount of traffic from around the world and is well connected to the city by road and rail; three main railway lines connect to the city and coaches come in from all points of the United Kingdom. Due to the excellent transport system, it is easy to visit Birmingham from anywhere in the UK. Major motorways enter the city from all directions; fast train services arrive direct from London throughout the day and Birmingham’s coach station is one of the busiest in the UK. Getting from the airport to town is also easy, with trains, buses, taxis, and hire cars all viable options.

By car

Being located right at the heart of the United Kingdom, Birmingham is lucky enough to be served by several major motorways and ‘A’ roads. Motorways M5, M6, M40, and M42 all connect to Birmingham, while the main north-south M1 is directly linked to the city via the M6. The M6 approaches from the north; the M5 approaches from the southwest; the M40 from the southeast and the M42 from the northeast. Dispersing and directing most of the traffic into and away from Birmingham is the M6 Spaghetti Junction (the Gravelly Hill Interchange), which serves many major routes, including the M6 southbound, the M5, and the A38 to Birmingham. Traffic congestion is a constant problem with routes leading in and out of Birmingham, especially during the rush hour times of between 07:30 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 18:00.

By rail

Birmingham is very well served by rail and has three main line train stations. Birmingham New Street Train Station is the main station and is located in the heart of Birmingham, while Birmingham International Interchange Station and Birmingham Snow Hill Train Station can be found fairly close to the city. Trains from London run throughout the day and take just 90 minutes to reach Birmingham and a popular service runs from Birmingham International Airport to Birmingham New Street Station frequently.

By bus

Travelling by coach to Birmingham is also a viable and cheaper option than travelling by train. Birmingham is the hub of the national coach network and is served from hundreds of destinations around the UK. You will find the main coach station at Spencer House, central Dugbeth.

By air

Birmingham International Airport (BHX) has been a major player for many years and is the air hub of the midlands area, with flights coming in from destinations worldwide, including from Europe, North America and many Middle Eastern and Asian destinations. The airport is a very modern and efficient facility and has excellent transport connections with Birmingham and further afield. Birmingham is only a 10-15-minute train ride away, while several bus services and a fleet of taxis are on standby to whisk passengers into the city.

Birmingham: Birmingham International Airport

Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is the main airport in the Midlands region of the United Kingdom. It receives direct flights from major airlines arriving from many European and Middle Eastern destinations. The airport has two terminals, Main (Terminal 1) and Eurohub (Terminal 2), and handles in excess of eight million passengers annually.

The airport is very well laid out and offers extensive passenger facilities, including money changers and cash machines in both terminals, a left luggage service in the Main Terminal, a medical centre, baby changing rooms, postal services and excellent business facilities. Popular shops are located throughout both terminals and include WH Smith, Boots, The Body Shop and Dixons, while cafés and restaurants include Burger King, Delice de France, and Caffe Ritazza.

Birmingham International Airport transportation

Getting to Birmingham from the airport is very straightforward. There is a free Skyrail service running to Birmingham International Interchange Station every two minutes (journey time, under two minutes). Trains continue on to Birmingham New Street Station in the city centre seven times per hour and only take 10 or 15 minutes. If you plan on travelling elsewhere in the UK from Birmingham Airport, Birmingham International Interchange is a major train station and has departures to destinations nationwide.

There is also a frequent and reliable bus service that runs from outside of the Main Terminal (a one-minute walk from the Eurohub Terminal) to Birmingham International Interchange and then onto points in Birmingham and terminating at the main coach station in Dugbeth. This service is run by Travel West Midlands (service 900) every 20-30 minutes; exact fares only.

Passengers will also find a fleet of taxis just outside of the Main Terminal and the Eurohub Terminal. The journey time into central Birmingham is about 20 or 30 minutes depending on the time of day.