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| MARCH 11 |
![]() | :: England Travel » England Destinations » Birmingham Travel Guide » Getting Around Birmingham |
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Getting Around BirminghamThe public transport in Birmingham has a reliable and regular public transport bus and taxi system operating throughout Birmingham. The best way to visit the city centre is by bus or train, there can be a lot of traffic for cars, and parking is an issue. Buses and trains are clean and safe. By bicycle Is not common get around Birmingham cycling but it is possible do it without too much problem. There are enough of places to lock a bike up in the city centre and the best use a bike is to explore the extensive canal network and country parks, travel to out-of-town attractions and head off to more distant places such as Warwick, Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon. The canal network can be approached in the city centre from the Broad Street / Gas Street area. The Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 5 (Oxford to Derby) passes through Birmingham from the south to the north-west. The local stretch is known as the Rea Valley Route; there is also the Cole Valley Route to the east. By bus Birmingham are well served by public bus routes with a range of operators; however the main is Travel West Midlands. There is no central bus station for local services but there are various locations in the city centre principally on Bull Street, Colmore Row, Corporation Street and Stephenson Street where the buses departure. Birmingham's bus system is roughly radial, with frequent services in and out of the city centre from most locations. There are also two orbital (#8 and #11) and several linking services. This can be inconvenient, as you may find that you have to go into the city centre and back out again to travel between two places that are relatively close as the crow flies. By car Most of the Birmingham's city centre is partially pedestrianised with several unintuitive one-way systems. A car is a viable way of getting around the city and other areas, but a good map is higly recommended. You can get a map of the city centre car parks from the Birmingham City Council or tourist information offices, the cost of parking is £1-£1.50 per hour in Pay & Display areas and more on street meters. Parking attendants patrol popular areas regularly, so expect a fine if you're late back or a clamp if you're parked illegally. By foot Birmingham's city centre area is partially pedestrianised, and most of the major tourist attractions are within short distance easy reachable on foot. By motorcycle Motorcycles and mopeds are becoming popular in Birmingham to avoid rush hours of car traffic. Usually have free parking benefits in city centre car parks; however not all car parks have bike areas. By taxi Birmingham has planty of taxi service on all over the city. Black Taxi Cabs are convenient and easily hailed from the street. There are main taxi stations located at New Street Station, Stephenson Street and Digbeth Coach Station. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest times due to clubbers going home en masse, and there can be waits of over an hour if you're somewhere busy like Broad Street. By train Birmingham has an extensive overland rail network serving most of Birmingham and the West Midlands area, operated exclusively by Central Trains. From New Street station, the cross-city line runs between Lichfield Trent Valley in the north and Redditch in the south, stopping notably at Sutton Coldfield, Aston, University, Bournville and Barnt Green. Local services also run to Hereford , Leamington Spa, Northampton, Nuneaton, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tamworth and Warwick. Additional services to these areas run from Snow Hill and Moor Street stations, and you may not be able to catch a specific train from New Street. By tram Birmingham has a single metro line, running between Snow Hill Station and Wolverhampton, via the Jewellery Quarter, West Bromwich, Wednesbury and Bilston. Plans are afoot to extend the service out to Five Ways, via the City Centre and along Broad Street. .: Go Back » Birmingham Guide |
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