Birmingham International Airport
(Tel. 08707 335 511, www.bhx.co.uk) is located a relatively short distance from the city alongside the National Exhibition Centre. Getting into the city is straightforward:

Train Take the free Skyrail from the passenger terminal to the train station. Local and Intercity train services operate to Birmingham New Street Mon–Sat 6am–1am, and Sunday 9am–11pm. At peak times, trains are every 10 minutes, the journey takes 15 minutes (£3–£5 for a single ticket).

Bus The 900 Airport Link double-decker bus operates to Birmingham City Centre every 20–30 minutes (no late night service). The National Express bus departs for Birmingham Coach Station and costs between £1.50 and £4.

Taxi A taxi to Birmingham city centre can cost from £15 to £20. The taxi rank is situated outside the Arrivals terminal.

Rail links Birmingham’s New Street station lies at the heart of the national rail network. Both Virgin and Silverlink operate direct daily services to London Euston, while Birmingham acts as a hub for Virgin CrossCountry services and is linked to mainline stations to the north, south, east and west. Chiltern Railways also operates a regular daily service from Birmingham’s Snow Hill and Moor Street stations direct to London Marylebone. For details of all services and prices go to www.nationalrail.co.uk

Car As well as being at the centre of the rail network, Birmingham is at the heart of the country’s motorway system. From London the M40 offers a direct route to the outskirts of Birmingham. The M42 offers a link to the M1, while the M5 serves the west and the south and the M6 the north-west.