Cheap Flights to Birmingham
Birmingham Airport (BHX)
Birmingham Airport services Birmingham, Coventry and the greater Cotswolds area. It is a well-facilitated airport, with meeting rooms, bureau de change booths, ATMs, prayer rooms, passenger lounges, fast food and coffee outlets, bars, newsagents and pharmacies, electronics retailers and duty-free shops, as well as complimentary WiFi throughout the terminals.
The airport is about 10km from the city’s centre, and is accessible via bus, coach, train or taxi. A typical taxi fare from the airport into central Birmingham should come to 18-20GBP ($31-35).
Carriers that run international routes to Birmingham are Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Etihad Airways and Emirates.
Why visit Birmingham?
Birmingham, the flagship city of the black country, has always had a bit of a gritty reputation due in no small part to its industrial past as a capital of coal. But the Birmingham of today is a cosmopolitan and multicultural city. It is a centre for the arts, has an innovative and experimental culinary scene, a plethora of excellent museums and galleries, as well as a trendy nightlife scene of bars and clubs that would keep any evening reveller happy. Find your way to Birmingham; the Midlands’ millennial city.
Things to do in Birmingham
For anyone interested in Victorian architecture, Birmingham is a dreamland. Visit the Town Hall, one of the finest examples of the era’s style, you can admire its façade, or see a show in its Symphony Hall, where the city’s orchestra regularly performs. Also worth adding to your itinerary is the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, another Victorian building, and an excellent museum where you’ll discover artefacts from ancient Egypt, Pre-Raphaelite art, and the history of Birmingham and its people.
If you’re a bit of a magpie, why not head down to the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter? Visitors can learn about the surrounding jewellery workshops that have been based around the area for around 200 years, and maybe even buy a trinket or two.
Elsewhere in the city is the wonderful St. Philip’s Cathedral, built in the 18th century, one of Birmingham’s most famous landmarks, and a telling record of its history, especially as this building has withstood a bombing raid in World War 2.
Lastly, chocolate lovers can feel like they’re in a Roald Dahl story by visiting Cadbury World, the UK’s premier chocolate manufacturer. Learn the history of the business, tour the factory and taste the chocolate, you may even spot Willy Wonka if you keep your eyes sharp.
Best time to visit Birmingham
· The UK is notorious for its changeable weather, but summer is the most reliable season for warm, sunny days. Visiting from May-September will see temperatures of around 17-20°C.
· Winters are very cold, and can be quite wet, so packing layers and waterproofs are essential. Expect days to average around 3°C.
Arriving in Birmingham by plane
· Travelling to Birmingham involves a long-haul flight, with at least one or two layovers. These journeys usually connect in hubs like Delhi (DEL), Dubai (DXB), Hong Kong (HKG), or Paris (CDG).
Currency
· British Pound (GBP).
Visa requirements
· Australians can enter and stay in the UK for up to 6 months without a visa. Any longer and you will have to apply for a long-term visa at the UK High Commission. Please check the restrictions before you fly on the smart traveller website, in case entry requirements change.
Please note that information is correct as of June 2016
