Destination guides > Europe > England > Heart of England > West Midlands > Birmingham
Birmingham
England's second-largest city is overlooked by most backpackers – partly because up until recently it had no hostels and also because of its reputation as a dull industrial centre. However the city is surprisingly vibrant with excellent shopping, great nightlife and some good attractions. Unfortunately a network of busy ring roads divides the city centre, which intimidates many first-time visitors.
Practical information
ICC Tourism Centre
The Mall, The ICC, Broad Street, Birmingham
Tel (0121) 616 1038
Website www.visitbirmingham.com
Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm
The Tourism Centre
The Rotunda, 150 New Street, Birmingham
Tel (0121) 202 5099
Website www.visitbirmingham.com
Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm
The Welcome Centre
128 New Street, Birmingham
Tel (0121) 202 5099
Website www.visitbirmingham.com
Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm
Coming & going
AIR
Birmingham International Airport (tel 0870 733 511) is a busy regional airport with around 50 airlines flying to over 100 destinations. The airport is served by frequent train connections into Birmingham and Coventry. Trains between the airport and Birmingham New Street take 20 minutes and costs £3.10.
BUS & COACH
Birmingham is enjoys excellent bus connections. National Express is headquartered here, Megabus run cheap coaches to London and there are plenty of local bus services to neighbouring counties.
Megabus has coaches to Chester, Liverpool, London and Sheffield with prices between £1 and £6 (plus 50p booking fee). Megabus departs from on Snow Hill, Queensway, near Colmore Circus and Snow Hill Station. Their London terminus is the Greenline Coach Station (tube, train Victoria).
National Express (tel 0870 580 8080) has frequent bus services to most parts of the country including an hourly service to London. National Express coaches terminate at Digbeth Coach Station on Digbeth High Street about a 10-minute walk south of the city centre.
TRAIN
Birmingham has three main train stations with most mainline train services using the busy New Street station. New Street handles trains to Liverpool (Lime Street), London (Euston), Manchester (Piccadilly), Nottingham and Oxford while trains to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick and Chiltern Railways' trains to London (Marylebone) use Snow Hill and Moor Street Stations.
The West Midlands Day Ranger is a good deal if you want to make a daytrip out of Birmingham. It is good for one day unlimited travel in the West Midlands (Birmingham and Coventry) and parts of neighbouring counties including Crewe, Hereford, Northampton, Leamington Spa, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon and Worcester. It is good for off-peak travel after 9am Mon-Fri and all day on weekends. This pass costs £16.20.
Local transport
Network West Midlands organises Birmingham's public transport system, which is comprised of buses, a lightrail route and suburban trains.
BUS
Buses are run by Travel West Midlands and several other companies that provide a good bus service in the Birmingham area and throughout West Midlands county.
One-way bus fares range from £1.20 to £1.70 and the n-bus day ticket costs £3.60 and is good for one day of unlimited bus travel within West Midlands county.
METRO (LIGHT RAIL)
The one line Midland Metro light rail system runs between the city centre and Wolverhampton. In central Birmingham it stops at Snow Hill, St Pauls and Jewellery Quarter stations but once it leaves the city centre it runs along the street like a tram. One-way fares cost between £1.50 and £2.70. There are several travel passes (see below) that cover travel on the metro.
TRAIN
Birmingham has a good suburban rail network that is comprised of eight train lines. The train is a good way to get to places like the Formule 1 hotel at Bordesley, the Jewellery Quarter, Cadbury World in Bourneville and the Barber Institute at the University. The train is also the quickest way to Birmingham International Airport and Coventry.
TRAVEL PASSES
n-network One Day Card (bus, train & Metro)
The n-network One Day Card is good for one day unlimited travel on bus, train and Metro trams within the Network West Midland area. It is valid all day and costs £6.50.
n-network Daytripper (bus, train & Metro)
The n-network Daytripper pass is good for one day unlimited travel on bus, train and Metro trams within the Network West Midland area. It is an off-peak ticket good for travel after 9.30 Mon-Fri and all day on weekends. The n-network Daytripper costs £5.20.
n-bus One Day Ticket (bus)
The n-bus One Day Ticket costs £3.60 and is good for one day unlimited bus travel within West Midlands County.
Metro/Bus (bus & Metro)
The Metro/Bus pass costs $4.90 and is good for one day unlimited bus and Metro (tram) travel within West Midlands County.
West Midlands Day Ranger (train)
The West Midlands Day Ranger is a good deal if you want to make a daytrip out of Birmingham. It is good for one day unlimited travel in the West Midlands (Birmingham and Coventry) and parts of neighbouring counties including Crewe, Hereford, Northampton, Leamington Spa, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon and Worcester. It is good for off-peak travel after 9am Mon-Fri and all day on weekends. This pass costs £16.20.
Hostel accommodation
Birmingham Backpackers @ the Merry Maid Pub
263 Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham
Bus 50
Tel (0121) 440 2126
Birmingham Backpackers at O' Gradys
44 Long Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham
Birmingham Central Backpackers
58 Coventry Street, Digbeth, Birmingham
Bus 6, 37, 50, 56, 57, 58, 60, 96, 900
Tel (0121) 643 0033
Hatter's Hostel
92–95 Livery Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham
Metro St Pauls
Eating & drinking
Birmingham is the home of balti – a Kashmiri-Pakistani influenced cuisine that was invented here. There are a large number of balti restaurants in Birmingham with the highest concentration in the Balti Triangle south east of the city centre, which has over 50 balti restaurants.
Sightseeing, museums & tourist attractions
Barber Institute of Fine Arts
This small art gallery at the University of Birmingham features a high standard of painting with works by Degas, Gainsborough, Gauguin, Magritte, Monet, Renoir, Rubens, Turner, Van Dyck and Van Gogh.
The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, Edgbaston
Bus 61, 62, 63 Train University
Tel (0121) 414 7333
Website www.barber.org.uk
Admission free
Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Birmingham's main museum and art gallery hosts a programme of temporary exhibits and also has a permanent collection that is noted for its pre-Raphaelite paintings.
Chamberlain Square, Birmingham
Bus 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 16A, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 29, 31, 33, 34, 34A, 35, 35S, 37, 41, 44, 44S, 44T, 45, 45A, 46, 46A, 47, 50, 50A, 51, 52, 52A, 55, 56, 57, 57A, 58, 58A, 60, 61, 62, 63, 63A, 65, 66, 66A, 67, 74, 78, 79, 80, 82, 84, 85A, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 101, 103, 104, 104A, 105, 106, 107, 109, 113, 114, 120, 126, 128, 129, 140, 140A, 145, 158, 258, 626, 900, 902, 904, 905, 915, 921, 951, 951A, 952, 964, 994A, 995, 996, 997
Tel (0121) 303 2834
Website www.bmag.org.uk
Admission free
Open Mon-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10.30am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12.30pm-5pm
Cadbury World
Birmingham is the home of Cadbury chocolate and at Cadbury World in the southern suburb of Bourneville you can learn all about chocolate and take advantage of the free samples.
Linden Road, Bourneville
Bus 11A, 11C, 35, 35S, 84 Train Bourneville
Tel (0121) 451 4180
Website www.cadburyworld.co.uk
Admission £13.45
Open call Tel (0121) 451 4180 for current opening hours
Ikon Gallery
This art gallery in a neo-Gothic building on Oozells Square hosts a varied programme of temporary exhibits.
1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham
Bus 1, 9, 10, 19, 21, 22, 23, 29, 103, 109, 120, 126, 128, 129, 139, 140, 140A, 258
Tel (0121) 248 0708
Website www.ikon-gallery.co.uk
Admission free
Open Tue-Sun 11am-6pm
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
This museum has preserved jewellery workshops and features demonstrations by skilled jewellers.
75-79 Vyse Street, Hockley
Bus 8A, 8C, 101 Train, Metro Jewellery Quarter
Tel (0121) 554 3598
Admission free
Open Easter-Oct Tue-Sun 11.30am-4pm
Sea Life Centre
Birmingham's Sea Life Centre features a walk-through aquarium plus sections dedicated to jellyfish, rays and seahorses. There is also an otter sanctuary.
The Waters Edge, Brindleyplace, Birmingham
Bus 1, 9, 10, 19, 21, 22, 23, 29, 103, 109, 120, 126, 128, 129, 139, 140, 140A, 258
Tel (0121) 633 4700
Website www.sealifeeurope.com
Admission £9.50-14
Open 10am-5pm daily
Thinktank
Birmingham's science museum has 10 galleries of exhibits on four floors.
Millenium Point, Curzon Street, Digbeth, Birmingham
Bus 55, 95
Tel (0121) 202 2222
Website www.thinktank.ac
Admission £9.25
Open Mon-Thu & Sat-Sun 10am-4pm
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