Birmingham is a city located in West Midlands, England, at the basin of the Severn and Trent rivers. It is the one of the biggest cities in the country and the second most populated city in the country, after London. Those who want to travel to Birmingham fly into Birmingham Airport. The city contains five main areas that are intertwined. The first zone covers the area known as New Street, which is the innermost part of the city and considered the city center.

When it comes to urban transportation most of the city is accessible by bicycle or on foot. The executive body responsible for the public transportation network in the city is Network West Midlands. This institution encourages citizens and visitors to use bicycles to get around in the city. Buses provide transportation to most parts of Birmingham as well. Many of these bus lines are run by National Express West Midlands. There are also Diamond Buses that operate throughout the city. If you are planning on riding multiple buses throughout the day we would recommend buying a day ticket, also referred to as a daysaver, because it is more economical than buying a single trip ticket.

Single fare or daysaver tickets for National Express West Midlands buses can be purchased on board from the driver but you must have the exact fare, the driver cannot give you change. Therefore we recommend that you have the exact fare ready before boarding the bus. You can also purchase different ticket options with longer validity from the Pavilion Shopping Centre, which is located in close proximity to the Moor Street Station.

There are many public transportation alternatives in the city that provide transportation to the airport. Most of these options provide transportation to the airport from the city center or from the main train station. Birmingham Airport is located about 10 km from the city center.

Air-Rail Link

The Air-Rail Link is a people mover located above ground that provides transportation between the airport and Birmingham International Station. The Air-Rail Link operates from 5:15 am to 2 am and runs every 2 minutes. The total travel time between the airport and Birmingham International Station is 2 minutes.

Train

Once you get to Birmingham International Station via the Air-Rail Link you can take a train to New Street Station. The total trip to New Street Station from Birmingham International Station can vary between 10 and 20 minutes. Trains run every 5 to 15 minutes and operate from 6:15 am to 11:15 pm. Trains are usually more expensive when compared to buses. The rail service is provided by London Midland and has an extensive network throughout Birmingham. You can find maps detailing the train routes in tourist information offices located in various parts of the city. The fare for the train can vary depending on the region you will be traveling to. There are 3 main train stations in Birmingham. New Street Station is considered the main station and is located in the city center.

There are four different train lines that run throughout the city. The yellow line runs between Wolverhampton and Northampton, the green line runs between Hereford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa, the red line runs between Redditch and Lichfield Trent Valley, and the blue line runs between Rugeley Trent Valley and Walsall.

There are also longer lines that provide transportation to neighboring cities. The majority of the train lines intersect at certain points so passengers can easily transfer between lines.

Bus

Bus number 900 provides transportation to the city center from the airport. This bus runs every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night and on Sundays.

Bus number 97 also provides transportation to the city center from the airport but it followers a longer route. However, one advantage that bus number 97 has is that it operates 24 hours a day. This bus runs every hour on the hour. Bus number 966 provides transportation from the airport to Solihull and Erdington.

This bus runs every 30 minutes during the day and every hour, on the hour, at nights and on Sundays. There is no central bus station in the city, instead buses depart from various parts of the city.

The majority of the buses pass through the Bull Street, Colmore Row, Moor Street, and Priory Queensway areas. Buses generally operate from 5 am to midnight.

There are two routes that buses follow, the Inner Circle, which runs through the city center and the Outer Circle, which avoids entering the city center and runs along the outskirts of the city center.   

There are also bus services that provide transportation between the suburbs, hospitals, and shopping centers. However these services run less frequently at night and on Sundays.

Coach

There are also coach services that provide transportation from the airport to Birmingham’s Digbeth Coach Station. The fare for these coach services are approximately the same as city buses. These coach services also operate at night.

Tram

The tram line in the city is referred to as the Midland Metro, so make sure not to mistake it for an underground metro line. Unfortunately, there is no tram line that provides transportation to the city center from the airport. There is only one tram line that operates throughout the city.

This line operates between Snow Hill Station, Wolverhampton, Jewellery Quarter, West Bornwich, Wednesbury and Bilston. The tram operates from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm on weekdays and on Saturdays. On Sundays the tram operates from 8 am to 11 pm.

Taxi

Getting to the city center from the airport by taxi takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Taking a taxi is very convenient however keep in mind that taxi fares in Birmingham are quite high.

Ferry

Ferry boats can be used as a public transportation alternative in the Gas Street Basin. However the city is not accessible from the airport by ferry.

Rental Car

There are 7 different international rental car companies at Birmingham Airport. You can rent a car from the rental car offices located at the airport or book your vehicle in advance by making a reservation online.