Arriving at the airport

We know that lots of you will have long journeys to campus, and we're here to help make the journey as easy as possible. We are offering you the opportunity to book free travel with National Express, the UK's experts in safe and comfortable coach travel.

Travelling from Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport is well connected for the city, and will provide the shortest journey times. There is one terminal at Birmingham Airport.

By train

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.

By taxi

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.

Free travel from other airports

This September, we are offering free vouchers for new international students to travel from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, or Manchester Airports between Wednesday 1 and Sunday 19 January, to Birmingham Coach Station in the city centre.

How does it work?

New Birmingham International Academy (BIA) and Study Abroad & Exchanges students beginning programmes in January 2025 will receive a voucher request link from their department.

You will receive a voucher code which you can use on the dedicated University of Birmingham National Express portal to book a one-way coach journey from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, or Manchester airport to Birmingham Coach Station between Wednesday 1 and Sunday 19 January.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you will need to be an international student starting a new programme in January 2025, and will need to be considered to have an unconditional offer (e.g. you have met all entry requirements). We will confirm your eligibility before sending you a voucher code.

Travelling with National Express

National Express coaches run regularly, meaning you can quickly continue your journey to campus. At Heathrow, coaches typically depart between 04:00-23:30. At Gatwick, coaches typically depart between 03:30-23:30. At Manchester, coaches typically depart between 04:30-00:00.

Booking a ticket means that you are guaranteed a seat on that journey. Their coaches are air-conditioned, have generous legroom, and complimentary Wi-Fi and USB charging ports. National Express are committed to ensuring passenger safety. Find out what to expect on board.

For your peace of mind, we have included the Fully Flexible ticket option and the additional Change & Go option in the voucher, so you can make changes to your ticket if your travel plans change. Make sure to check the Terms & Conditions when booking.

Finding the coaches

National Express operate from Terminal 4, Terminal 5, and the Central Bus Station (for Terminal 2 & 3). You can find where each terminal is on the Heathrow map.

At Terminal 4, the coaches use stops 13 and 14. These are directly outside the main door from the terminal building as you exit the arrivals area.

At Terminal 5, the coaches use stops 11-15. These are directly outside the main door from the terminal building as you exit the arrivals area.

The Central Bus Station is a five minute walk from the Terminal 2 & 3 buildings via the lift, escalators and moving walkways. The Central Bus Station is well sign-posted from arrivals in both terminals.

You can book your ticket directly from the most convenient terminal for you.

Arriving to Birmingham Coach Station

You will arrive into Birmingham Coach Station, in the city centre. The station operates 24 hours.

You will need to book your own taxi, or share the ride with new friends. There is a taxi rank at the coach station, or TOA Taxis are a Birmingham-based company who offer online booking enquiries. Taxis can drop you directly to each of our accommodation sites. We recommend having some cash (Pounds Sterling) available, although many taxis will accept card payments.

Arriving to your accommodation

For University and partner accommodation, we recommend that you take the taxi directly to your accommodation's reception. Check out our arrivals essentials webpage to find out where yours is and when it's open. You'll find lots of other useful arrivals information on this page too.

If you are living elsewhere, we recommend checking with your accommodation provider to find out where you should go on arrival.

Frequently asked questions

When can I request my voucher?

The online form is now available. Vouchers will be sent from Monday 2 December onwards.

How do I use the voucher?

The voucher is a code made up of letters and numbers. Once you have received it, you can make your booking on the University's dedicated National Express portal. It cannot be used on other versions of the National Express website, including translated versions.

You will need to select the journey you want and proceed with the booking until you reach the checkout, where you can either create an account or use the guest checkout.

When you are asked to choose a payment option, at the bottom of the list is an option for 'Do you have a voucher code?' - selecting this option will open up a text box where you can copy your code and click 'Apply'.

Applying your voucher code will take the cost of your booking to £0, unless you have selected any chargeable extras, such as specific seat reservations or additional luggage. Remember that the Change & Go and Fully Flexible ticket options are included in the voucher offer, and you will not need to pay additional charges for these.

I cannot log in to the voucher request form, how can I contact you?

Please make sure that you are logging into the form using your student email address and password. You will have received these when you were invited to complete Online Registration. The IT Service Desk can help with issues with your password.

You can contact us on coachvouchers@contacts.bham.ac.uk if you have non-password related queries, or have not yet received your login details.

What is included in the voucher?

The voucher will be valid for one journey from London Heathrow, London Gatwick or Manchester airports to Birmingham Coach Station between Wednesday 1 and Sunday 19 January (inclusive), including the standard luggage allowance. The voucher can only be used on the University's dedicated National Express portal.

For your peace of mind, the voucher includes the Fully Flexible and Change & Go options, giving you flexibility to rearrange your ticket before you travel and if you experience travel delays. You will need to select these options when making your booking. Please check the Terms and Conditions during booking to understand what these cover.

The voucher will cover:

Fully Flexible ticket
Change & Go (add on)
E-Ticket
Booking Fee

The voucher does not cover the following options, which are available at an additional cost:

Standard Seat Reservation
Extra luggage
Climate Positive Impact donation
Arrival Day bus pass
Donation to charities
SMS and postal tickets

What luggage can I bring?

As standard, National Express allow one hand luggage and one hold luggage item - check the luggage allowances for more information.

When booking, you may be able to pay for additional luggage items, up to a maximum of three additional hold luggage items.

Can I bring a guest?

No, the vouchers are only for new international students. Guests can book through the main National Express website, or you may want to consider a private taxi transfer.

What if I miss my coach or need to change my ticket?

The ticket you book will be a flexible one which can be amended (within restrictions) with National Express. Check the conditions when booking. You can also add the 'Change and go' option for free when booking using the voucher, which gives flexibility if you miss your coach due to travel delays.

If you need to change your booking, please contact National Express by phone or social media, as the system may not recognise that you used a voucher, and may charge you the full cost of the journey when making changes.

I would like to arrive earlier, can I book a journey before Wednesday 1 January?

No, the vouchers can only be used for journeys from Wednesday 1 - Sunday 19 January. If you wish to arrive earlier, you will need to confirm with your accommodation that this is possible, and make your own travel arrangements.

I have accessibility needs, can I use the coaches?

Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham are all listed as accessible stops by National Express, meaning that the lift can be deployed for wheelchair users. All National Express coaches have a wheelchair lift.

Passengers with accessibility needs are encouraged to contact the Assisted Travel Team at National Express using the Assisted Travel email form or by phoning on +443717818181 (lines open 08:00-18:00 BST, 7 days a week). You will be able to discuss your needs and request assistance if needed. For example, this could include:

Reserving a specific seat on the coach
Informing the driver and station teams of your needs
Arranging for your assistance dog/animal to travel with you
Providing a seatbelt extender

You can also contact us for support in speaking with National Express about your travel needs.

I have another question, how can I contact you?

You should contact National Express with queries about the coaches, including changes to your booking.

You can contact us on coachvouchers@contacts.bham.ac.uk for queries relating to getting a voucher code or travelling from Birmingham Coach Station to your accommodation.

Other places and ways to travel

If you are arriving outside these dates, are travelling with lots of luggage or guests, or are arriving to a different airport, there are other ways to travel to campus.

From London Heathrow

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.

From London Gatwick

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.

From Manchester Airport

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.

From London St Pancras (Euro star)

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.

Practical tips for travelling

Preparing to travel abroad for your studies can feel daunting, but we're here to support you on your journey. The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides some really helpful advice on preparing for your arrival in the UK, including what documents you need to bring with you in your hand luggage.

When you arrive, you'll need to go through passport control - make sure you have your passport ready. It's important that you're also ready to answer questions about your visa and that you make sure the details are correct. Read more about immigration and passport control.

Once you've collected your luggage, you'll then need to pass through customs control. At this stage, you'll need to declare certain items. For a hassle-free experience, make sure you understand what restricted and prohibited items you shouldn't bring with you.

After passing through customs you can then make your way out of the airport, where a warm welcome will be waiting for you on campus!