Arriving at the airport

Trains run regularly through the day from Birmingham International station to Birmingham New Street, where you can change for University station (taking trains travelling towards Redditch or Bromsgrove).

The journey time is around 45 minutes and tickets cost approximately £5. Tickets can be purchased via National Rail and Trainline, or from ticket machines at the station.

The station is connected to the airport via the free Air-Rail Link shuttle, which takes two minutes to get to the station and operates from 03:30-00:30 daily. The station and Air-Rail Link are well signposted from the airport.

Taxis can be pre-booked through local companies, or you can take a black cab (taxi) from the taxi rank outside arrivals. The taxi rank is operated by Birmingham Airport Cabs. You can use their online quote calculator to estimate the cost of your journey. A journey from the airport to The Vale could cost around £38 and take 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Their taxis will typically accommodate up to 6 passengers and 6 suitcases.

TOA Taxis are a Birmingham-based company who provide airport transfers. A meet and greet service at arrivals can be arranged for a small fee. Booking enquiries can be made online. A taxi transfer may be preferable if you are travelling with others, or have multiple items of luggage. Taxis can drop you directly to each of our accommodation sites.

A taxi is likely to be the best option for travel if you have large suitcases or are travelling with a companion.

You can book your own National Express coach journey, which will cost around £20-£40, depending on the time of day and the type of ticket you choose. Journey time varies between 3 hours and 25 minutes to 5 hours, depending on which route you are taking.

Mega bus also operate from London Heathrow to Birmingham city centre (Brunel Street), with tickets ranging from £13-£30. Flix bus operate a limited service to Birmingham Summer Row - Great Charles Street, with tickets around £15.

It is possible to travel by train from Heathrow to Birmingham, however this will require transferring through central London using the London Underground. Tickets typically cost from £80-£125 depending on the time of travel and route taken, with a journey time around 3 hours. Tickets can be purchased via National Rail and Trainline. We do not recommend train travel from London Heathrow if you have bulky luggage due to the number of changes you will need to make.

For private taxi transfers, TOA Taxis are a Birmingham-based company who provide airport transfers. A meet and greet service at arrivals can be arranged for a small fee. Booking enquiries can be made online. A taxi transfer may be preferable if you are travelling with others, or have multiple items of luggage. Taxis can drop you directly to each of our accommodation sites.

You can book your own National Express coach journey, which will cost around £25-£60, depending on the time of day and the type of ticket you choose. Journey time typically varies between 4-5 hours, depending on which route you are taking.

Mega bus operate coaches from London Gatwick. To travel to Birmingham, you will need to transfer coaches at London Heathrow Central Bus Station. Tickets typically cost £30-£45 with journey times taking around 5-7 hours. Flix Bus offer limited services to Birmingham Summer Row - Great Charles Street and also require a transfer at Heathrow. Tickets cost around £20 and journey times take around 5 hours and 30 minutes.

Train travel from London Gatwick to Birmingham requires transferring through central London using the London Underground. Tickets typically cost from £60 depending on the time of travel and route taken, with a journey time around 3-5 hours. Tickets can be purchased via National Rail and Trainline. We do not recommend train travel from London Gatwick if you have bulky luggage due to the number of changes you will need to make.

For private taxi transfers, TOA Taxis are a Birmingham-based company who provide airport transfers. A meet and greet service at arrivals can be arranged for a small fee. Booking enquiries can be made online. A taxi transfer may be preferable if you are travelling with others, or have multiple items of luggage. Taxis can drop you directly to each of our accommodation sites.

You can book your own National Express coach journey, which will cost around £8-£20, depending on the time of day and the type of ticket you choose. The journey time is around 2 hours.

Mega bus also operate from London Heathrow to Birmingham city centre (Brunel Street), with tickets ranging from £8-£18. Flix bus operate a limited service to Birmingham Summer Row - Great Charles Street, with tickets around £7.

Travelling by train from Manchester Airport to Birmingham requires changing trains at Manchester Piccadilly station. Tickets typically cost from £20-£60 depending on the time of travel, with a journey time around 2 hours and 30 minutes. Tickets can be purchased via National Rail and Trainline.

For private taxi transfers, TOA Taxis are a Birmingham-based company who provide airport transfers. A meet and greet service at arrivals can be arranged for a small fee. Booking enquiries can be made online. A taxi transfer may be preferable if you are travelling with others, or have multiple items of luggage. Taxis can drop you directly to each of our accommodation sites.

Euro star services to London terminate at London St Pancras Station, which is joined to King's Cross Station. From St Pancras, you will need to transfer via the London Underground to Euston or Marylebone stations for connections to Birmingham. Tickets cost around £45 with journey times to University taking around 3-3.5 hours.

Alternatively, you can transfer via the Underground to London Victoria coach station, with National Express tickets to Birmingham costing around £7-£20 and taking around 3 hours and 30 minutes.