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England Planning a Trip travel guide

Getting from Manchester to Birmingham

When visiting either Manchester or Birmingham – or why not, both of them – travelers have plenty of choices when it comes to transportation. First of all, they are just 80 miles apart, so you can fly into either of them or into London – especially if you come from other parts than Europe – and then travel by land.

Buses and trains offer excellent connections between Manchester and Birmingham. You can also rent a car if you prefer the freedom at moving at your own pace.

Quick summary

The cheapest way to travel between Manchester and Birmingham is by bus. Fares start at £3.00 one way and the travel time is about 2 hours. Trains are slightly faster, but more expensive.

Trains from Manchester to Birmingham

Birmingham’s main station is New Street, which offer direct connections to Manchester Piccadilly , about every 10 to 15 min daily. The travel time is 1 ½ h to 1h 50 min and single fares start at £32.50.

Details, schedules and prices can be found here .

>>read more about Train Travel in England

Buses from Manchester to Birmingham

All intercity buses arrive at Birmingham Coach Station, a modern new station which is located close to the city center.

National Express offers daily connections, departing hourly or every two hours from Manchester Coach Station. The travel time is between 2h 50 min and 3h 15 min and the single fare starts at £5.50.

Megabus offers nine departures per day, about every 2 hours. The travel time is close to 2 h and the single fare starts at £3.00 and depends on the time of the departure.

>>read more about Bus Travel in England

Driving from Manchester to Birmingham

You can rent a car in Manchester and drive the 83 miles to Birmingham in about 1 ½ h. Of course, the travel time depends on the traffic on M6.

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England Planning a Trip travel guide

Getting from Bristol to Birmingham

Bristol is located in South West England . It is the sixth largest city in England and also one of the warmest and sunniest cities in the country, which makes it a pleasure to explore the city any time of the year.

Bristol and Birmingham are just 88 miles away, so there is no reason to fly between the two cities. So, you are left with traveling overland: by train, bus or car.

Quick summary

The cheapest way to travel between Bristol and Birmingham – or the other way around – is by bus. Even the fastest bus fare (which is more expensive than the slowest) is half as expensive as the train fare (and trains are only ½ h faster).

Trains from Bristol to Birmingham

National Rail operates trains between Bristol Temple Meads station and Birmingham New Street station, daily, every 30 min. The travel time is 1 ½ h and the single fare is £35.50.

>>read more about Train Travel in England

Buses from Bristol to Birmingham

National Express offers daily connection, about every hour, between Bristol and Birmingham. The fastest bus takes 1h 50 min and the single fare starts at £8.50 (on the slower bus – 3h) . Still, even on the fastest bus the fare is cheaper than the train fare (£10.50 or £20.50 depending on the time of departure).

>>read more about Bus Travel in England

Driving from Bristol to Birmingham

You can rent a car in Bristol and drive the 88 miles to Birmingham in about 1 ½ h on M5. Of course, the drive time also depends on the traffic.

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England Planning a Trip travel guide

Getting from Oxford to Birmingham

Oxford is the oldest University city in the UK and is located close to the capital city of London. Aside from being the heart of university schooling in the UK , Oxford also boasts superb medieval churches which rival in beauty only with the colleges.

The closest airport to Oxford is Birmingham Airport (BHX), but it’s not as well served as London’s airports.

>>read more about Getting from London to Oxford

Quick summary

To get from Oxford to Birmingham – or return – the cheapest way is by bus. The train has similar travel times but the fare is about double than the bus fare.

Trains from Oxford to Birmingham

Nation Rail operates direct trains between Oxford and Birmingham. Trains leave every 30 min, daily. The travel time is about 1h 10 min and the single fare starts at £15.00 but depends on the time of departure.

>>read more about Train Travel in England

Buses from Oxford to Birmingham

National Express operates direct buses between Oxford and Birmingham , with quite a lot of departures daily. The fastest travel time is 1 h 45 min and the single fare starts at £8.50.

>>read more about Bus Travel in England

Driving from Oxford to Birmingham

You can rent a car in Oxford and drive the 70 miles to Birmingham – or the other way around. There are two routes and both take about the same (1 ½ h), but you do need to consider the traffic.

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England Planning a Trip travel guide

Getting from London to Birmingham

London is a major European transportation hub and , especially if you fly from other continents than Europe, your first encounter with the UK will be London’s Heathrow airport. And even if you fly from Europe, you might find better deals for flights into one of London’s airport rather than flying directly into Birmingham . So, chances are you’ll need to travel between the two cities.

London and Birmingham are just 118 miles away, so there is no reason to fly between the two cities. So, you are left with traveling overland: by train, bus or car.

Quick summary

Prices are similar whether you choose the bus or the train. However, the trains travel faster than buses. Most trains run between London Euston station and Birmingham New Street Station.

Trains from London to Birmingham

Birmingham’s main station is New Street, which offer direct connections to London Euston station. Service is also available between London Marylebone station and Birmingham Moor Street station.

There are trains departing every 15 to 30 min between the two cities, with most departures from London Euston station. You can purchase the ticket online and pay as little as £6 per person, one way. The travel time is between 1 ½ h and 2 h, depending on the train.

Details , schedules and prices can be found here .

>>read more about Train Travel in England

Buses from London to Birmingham

All intercity buses arrive at Birmingham Coach Station, which is located close to the city center. Serving to London is very frequent and you can choose between two companies:

  • Megabus : offers 7 departures per day and the travel time is about 3 h. Fares range from £5 to £8 per person, one way and depends on the time of departure.

  • National Express : offers departures about every hour and connects Birmingham to London’s Victoria Coach Station. The travel time is 2 ½ h to 3 h. Fares range from £6.50 to £12 per person, one way and depends on the time of departure.

>>read more about Bus Travel in England

Driving from London to Birmingham

You can rent a car in London and drive the 118 miles to Birmingham via M1 and M6. It should take about 2 hours, but it does depend on the traffic.

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Cheap Hotels in Birmingham

Birmingham is located in the West Midlands and according to local authorities it’s the second largest city in England after London. A former industrial and commercial city, Birmingham is getting a new life lately, offering great shopping and excellent cultural experiences.

Accommodation in Birmingham ranges from hostel, guesthouses to fancy hotels. Regardless of what style you prefer, it’s a good idea to stay close to the city center, or at least within walking distance of public transportation.

Price-wise, expect to pay from £47 per night in a double room in a 3-star hotel , close to the Birmingham New Street Rail Station, in early summer. But, if you look carefully, you’ll be able to find better deals , especially if you book ahead of time. Don’t check only the booking websites, take a look at the hotel’s website , too (if they have one).

Search this map to find cheap hotels in Birmingham, or find even more hotel options by searching with the widget above.