Planning a Trip

Getting There

By plane -- Three major international carriers fly transatlantic flights directly to Birmingham International Airport (BHX) from four North American gateways. Newark Airport is the only U.S. airport that offers flights directly to Birmingham, with Continental Airlines (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com) making the flight every evening (twice a day May-Sept).

In Canada, Air Transat (tel. 866/847-1112; www.airtransat.ca) departs from Toronto-Pearson every Friday, March to September, for direct flights to Birmingham. Air India (tel. 800/223-7776 or 888/359-2412 in the U.S., or 800/625-6424 in Canada; www.airindia.com) also flies from Toronto-Pearson to Birmingham every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Wednesdays, FlyGlobespan (tel. 800/663-8614; www.flyglobespan.com) leaves Toronto-Hamilton for Birmingham.

Direct air service between Birmingham and London is almost nonexistent. Many air carriers, however, maintain a virtual air-shuttle service between London airports and nearby Manchester, which is a 1 1/2-hour trip to Birmingham via ground transport. For example, British Airways (BA) operates 12 daily flights from London's Heathrow to Manchester and seven daily flights from London's Gatwick. BA runs about the same amount of return flights daily from Manchester to London.

Birmingham's airport lies about 13km (8 miles) southeast of the Birmingham City Centre and is easily accessible by public transportation. AirRail Link offers a free shuttle bus service every 10 minutes from the airport to the Birmingham International Rail Station and National Exhibition Centre (NEC). InterCity train services operate a shuttle from the airport to New Street Station in the City Centre, just a 15-minute trip.

By Train -- InterCity offers half-hourly train service (Mon-Fri) between London's Euston Station and Birmingham, a 90-minute rail trip. Regular train service is also available from London's Euston Station. Trains depart every 2 hours for Birmingham. Birmingham's New Street Station in the City Centre and the airport's International Station link the city to the national rail network.

Trains leave Manchester's Piccadilly Station nearly every hour for Birmingham. The trip takes 90 minutes. Call tel. 0845/748-4950, or go to www.nationalrail.co.uk for train schedules and current fares.

By Bus -- National Express (tel. 0870/580-8080; www.nationalexpress.com) provides regular bus service, as frequent as every half hour, between Birmingham and London (2 3/4-hr. trip), Manchester, and regional towns.

By Car -- From London, the best route is via the M40, which leads onto the M42, the motorway that circles south and east of Birmingham. Once on the M42, any of the roads from junctions 4 to 6 will lead into the center of Birmingham.

The drive takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from London, depending on traffic conditions. Parking is available at locations throughout Birmingham.

Visitor Information

The Birmingham Convention & Visitor Bureau (BCVB), 150 New St., in the City Centre (tel. 0870/2250127), is open Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday 10:30am to 4:30pm. The BCVB assists travelers in arranging accommodations, obtaining theater or concert tickets, and planning travel itineraries.

Getting Around

Birmingham's City Centre hosts a number of attractions within easy walking distance. Centro (tel. 0121/200-2700; www.centro.org.uk) provides information on all local bus and rail services within Birmingham and the West Midlands area. For bus use only, a Day Saver Pass costs £3.30 ($6.25) for one adult and is an economical way to use the Centro bus system. For the metro and buses, a weekly Centro Card costs from £16 to £22 ($30-$42) depending on what zones you travel. Exact change is required on one-way local bus and train trips. Taxis queue at various spots in the City Centre, rail stations, and the National Exhibition Centre. Travelers can also ring up a radio-cab operator such as BB's (tel. 0121/693-3333).