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ESSENTIALS ~ TRANSPORT ~ DESTINATION GUIDES ~ HOSTEL REVIEWS ~ FORUMS |
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Destinations > England > Heart of England > West Midlands
West MidlandsBirmingham
Practical InformationICC Tourism CentreThe Mall, The ICC, Broad Street, BirminghamTel (0121) 616 1038 Website www.beinbirmingham.com Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm The Tourism CentreThe Rotunda, 150 New Street, BirminghamTel (0121) 202 5099 Website www.beinbirmingham.com Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm The Welcome Centre128 New Street, BirminghamTel (0121) 202 5099 Website www.beinbirmingham.com Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm Coming & GoingAIRBirmingham International Airport (tel 0870 733 511; website www.bhx.co.uk) is a busy regional airport with around 50 airlines flying to over 100 destinations. It is a regional base for British Airways (website www.britishairways.com) and budget airline MyTravel Lite (website www.mytravellite.com) is based here. The airport is served by frequent train connections into Birmingham and Coventry. Trains between the airport and Birmingham New Street take 20 minutes and cost £3.10 although Centrocards and Daytripper travel passes are also valid. BUSBirmingham is enjoys excellent bus connections. National Express is headquartered here, Megabus run cheap buses to London and there are plenty of local bus services to neighbouring counties. Megabus (website www.megabus.com) has several express buses a day to London 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; website www.nationalexpress.co.uk) 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. TRAINBirmingham 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' (website www.chilternrailways.co.uk) trains to London (Marylebone) use Snow Hill and Moor Street Stations. The Dayranger train pass is a good deal if you want to make a daytrip out of Birmingham. It costs £13.20 and gives you unlimited train travel after 9am on weekdays and all day on weekends in West Midlands county and parts of neighbouring counties. It lets you travel as far as Coventry, Crewe, Hereford, Leamington Spa, Northampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. Because of the lack of backpackers' accommodation in Birmingham it can also be used to make a day trip into the city from Stratford-upon-Avon. Local TransportCentro (website www.centro.org.uk) organises Birmingham's public transport system, which is comprised of buses, a metro and suburban trains. BUSBuses are run by Travel West Midlands (website www.travelwm.co.uk) 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 70p to £1 and bus travel is included with several travel passes. METROThe one line metro (website www.midlandmetro.co.uk) 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 60p and £2.20. There are several travel passes (see below) that cover travel on the metro. TRAINBirmingham 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 PASSESBirmingham's transport system is divided into five zones. Most places of interest are within zones one and two, but you'll need a ticket valid to zone five if you want to get to the airport, Coventry or Wolverhampton. Centrocard (metro, train, bus)The Centrocard covers unlimited travel on virtually all buses (except night buses) and suburban trains within the specified zones. Centrocards that cover travel outside zones one and two also allow unlimited travel on the metro. The most useful ticket for most travellers is the all-zone one-day Centrocard, which costs £5.20; however if you're planning on spending longer in Birmingham then the one week and four week cards are better value. Prices for one-week Centrocards are as follows:
There is also an off-peak Centrocard that gives you two weeks unlimited travel Mon-Fri 9.30am-3.30pm and after 6pm and all day on weekends. It covers bus, metro and train travel within West Midlands country and costs £14.50. Railmaster (train)The Railmaster allows unlimited use of the suburban train network for periods of either one, four or 52 weeks. Prices for one-week Railmasters are as follows: Busmaster Bus (bus)The Busmaster gives you unlimited bus travel in West Midlands county for periods of one, four or 52 weeks. There is also a version of the pass that includes the metro. There is also a bus/metro day ticket that gives you one day unlimited bus and metro travel within West Midland county. Daytripper (metro, train, bus)This pass is very similar to the one day Centrocard, but it cannot be used before 9.30am on weekdays. It costs £4.10 and lets you travel on the metro and all buses (except night buses) and suburban trains in West Midlands county. Dayranger (train)The Dayranger is a good pass if you want to make a daytrip out of Birmingham. It costs £13.20 and gives you unlimited train travel after 9am on weekdays and all day on weekends in West Midlands county and parts of neighbouring counties. It lets you travel as far as Coventry, Crewe, Hereford, Leamington Spa, Northampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. Because of the lack of backpackers' accommodation in Birmingham it can also be used to make a day trip into the city from Stratford-upon-Avon. AccommodationBirmingham Backpackers @ the Merry Maid Pub263 Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 0EABus 50 Tel (0121) 440 2126  
Birmingham Backpackers at O' Gradys44 Long Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham B11 1SB
Birmingham Central Backpackers58 Coventry Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5NHBus 6, 37, 50, 56, 57, 58, 60, 96, 900 Tel (0121) 643 0033
Eating & DrinkingBirmingham 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. SightsBarber Institute of Fine ArtsThis 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, EdgbastonBus 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 GalleryBirmingham'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, BirminghamBus 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 WorldBirmingham 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, BournevilleBus 11A, 11C, 35, 35S, 84 Train Bourneville Tel (0121) 451 4180 Website www.cadburyworld.co.uk Admission £9 (£7.20 students) Open call Tel (0121) 451 4180 for current opening hours Ikon GalleryThis art gallery in a neo-Gothic building on Oozells Square hosts a varied programme of temporary exhibits. 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, BirminghamBus 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 QuarterThis museum has preserved jewellery workshops and features demonstrations by skilled jewellers. 75-79 Vyse Street, HockleyBus 8A, 8C, 101 Train, Metro Jewellery Quarter Tel (0121) 554 3598 Admission free Open Easter-Oct Tue-Sun 11.30am-4pm Sea Life CentreBirmingham'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, BirminghamBus 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 £8 (£6 students) Open 10am-5pm daily ThinktankBirmingham's science museum has 10 galleries of exhibits on four floors. Millenium Point, Curzon Street, Digbeth, BirminghamBus 55, 95 Tel (0121) 202 2222 Website www.thinktank.ac Admission £6.95 Open Mon-Thu & Sat-Sun 10am-4pm CoventryCoventry has a rich history dating from the late Saxon period but the city really started to boom during the Industrial Revolution when it became a major manufacturing centre, which in its heyday counted over 500 car, cycle and motorcycle manufacturers. Practical InformationTourist Information CentreBayley Lane, CoventryTel (024) 7622 7264 Website www.visitcoventry.co.uk Open summer Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4.30pm; winter Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4.30pm Coming & GoingAIRCoventry has easy access to both Birmingham and Coventry Airports. Birmingham International Airport (tel 0870 733 511; website www.bhx.co.uk) is only 20 minutes by train from the centre of Coventry. It is a regional base for British Airways (website www.britishairways.com) and budget airline MyTravel Lite (website www.mytravellite.com) is also based here. Coventry Airport (website www.coventryairport.co.uk) is 5km south east of the city centre. It handles budget flights operated by Hapag Lloyd Express (website www.hlx.com), Ryanair (website www.ryanair.com) and Thomsonfly (website www.thomsonfly.com). Unfortunately there's no airport bus service so you'll have to catch a taxi from Coventry station. BUSNational Express (tel 0870 580 8080; website www.nationalexpress.co.uk) has buses from Coventry to Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, London and Manchester. Buses depart from Pool Meadow bus station. TRAINThere are frequent trains linking Coventry and Birmingham and there are also direct trains to Rugby, Milton Keynes and London (Euston). Local TransportTravel West Midlands (website www.travelwm.co.uk) run most buses in the Coventry area with one-way bus fares ranging from 70p to 90p. Coventry is part of the Centro transport network that also covers Birmingham and Centro travel passes can be used here. AccommodationCoventry doesn't have a hostel, although there is a cheap Formule 1 hotel. SightsCoventry Transport MuseumIn its heyday Coventry hade over 500 car, cycle and motorcycle manufacturers so it stands to reason that Coventry's Transport Museum is among the world's best. Hales Street, CoventryBus 17, 27, 49 Train Coventry Tel (024) 7683 2425 Website www.mbrt.co.uk Admission free Open 10am-5pm daily Herbert Art Gallery & MuseumThis museum has exhibits on Coventry's history with displays of archaeology, natural history and its industrial heritage. Jordan Well, CoventryTel (024) 7683 2381 Admission free Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun noon-5pm Lunt Roman FortThis ancient Roman fort in Baginton, near Coventry was established in 64 AD and was excavated between 1960 and 1973. Coventry Road, BagintonTel (024) 7683 2565 St Mary's GuildhallBuilt in the 1340s and altered in the 15th century, St Mary's Guildhall is one of England's best surviving medieval guildhalls. It was used as Coventry's city hall from 1421 until the 1860s. Bayley Lane, CoventryTel (024) 7683 2565 Open Easter-Sep Mon-Thu & Sun 10am-4pm |
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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.