We’ve explored Birmingham and its immediate surroundings far and wide, and in this chapter we provide practical information on transport in the city.

On foot

Most of the sights and attractions are located within a relatively small area of the historic and modern city centre around Victoria Square.

The best way to get around the city is therefore on foot.

Birmingham is a very pedestrian-friendly city, and you can see all the local sights on foot in a single day.

In fact, strolling along the canals in the Brindleyplace district is one of the main things to do in B’ham.

Public transport

Birmingham has an extensive network of buses and commuter trains, and the main trunk line running through the city centre – which extends all the way to Wolverhampton – is also served by a tram.

Book a hotel in central Birmingham

Fares and tickets

Fare structures are quite complicated, as fares differ for buses, trams and trains.

To pay for certain types of ticket, you’ll need to purchase a Swift PAYG (Pay-as-you-go) card. The card itself is free, but when you get it, you must top it up with at least 5 gbp.

You can buy a Swift card in the following ways:

• from ticket machines at some bus and tram stops
• at newsagents, supermarkets and other shops (see map)
• via the Swift mobile app (Google Play / App Store) – using NFC technology

The maximum daily fare (known as the ‘ "Daily caps" ’) is always automatically deducted from your Swift PAYG card based on whichever option is most favourable for you.

You can then simply purchase single-journey tickets using your own contactless card.

All-day

If you only want to visit Birmingham, you probably won’t need an all-day or multi-day ticket, as you can walk to most of the sights.

These tickets are useful if you also want to explore nearby towns such as Dudley, Wolverhampton and others.

All-day tickets are valid only on the calendar day in question and not for 24 hours from the first validation.

	Price	Ticket type
Bus only*	4,80 gbp	Own contactless card** Cash Swift PAYG
Tram only	3,20 gbp - 6,70 gbp depending on the number of zones	Own contactless card Cash Swift PAYG
Bus + Tram*	8,20 gbp	Swift PAYG
Bus + Tram + Train	11,20 gbp	Swift PAYG

* Except for ‘Diamond’ buses.

** You will not receive a physical ticket, but no more than£4.80 will ever be deducted from your card in a single calendar day (known as ‘ "Daily caps" ’)

Single journey

	Price	Ticket type
Bus	2,20 gbp	Own contactless card Cash Swift PAYG
Tram	2,20 gbp - 4,70 gbp depending on the number of zones	Own contactless card Cash Swift PAYG
Train	from 3,55 gbp	Your own contactless card Swift PAYG

Route search

The system in Birmingham and the West Midlands is quite complex, as there are many different operators running bus and rail services.

The entire system is overseen by Transport for West Midlands, and its website is the easiest way to search for journeys between stations.

Search for connections attfwm.org.uk.

Buses

There are many different operators in Birmingham, but with the exception of Diamond Bus, the same terms and conditions and the same tickets apply to all of them.

There are no comprehensive maps of the bus network in Birmingham; you can only search for connections if you know the names of your starting point and destination on thetfwm.org.uk website.

You must board buses via the front door only.

If you are paying the fare with your own contactless card or a Swift card, you should tap it on the reader only when boarding.

Tram

The only tram line is called the “West Midlands Metro” and runs through the city centre from the Edgbaston district via Brindleyplace,Victoria Square and Birmingham New Street station, continuing north through West Bromwich and Wednesbury to Wolverhampton.

The whole of Birmingham lies within Zone 1, whilst Wolverhampton, the furthest point, lies within Zone 4.

Trams run approximately every 5 minutes, or every 8 minutes at weekends.

You can pay your fare at a ticket machine at the stop or on board by tapping your own contactless card or Switf PAYG card on the payment terminal.

You can also pay in cash.

Trains

A very dense network of railway lines allows for quick journeys to all neighbouring towns, and even around Birmingham itself.

You can use the trains, for example, when travelling to the airport Birmingham BHX or if you’re walking along one of the longer canals.

To enter stations, you pass through turnstiles where you pay your fare by tapping your own contactless card or Swift PAYG onto the reader, just as you do when exiting the station.

You can also buy a ticket online via the website thetrainline.com.

Prices vary depending on the distance, ranging from 3,50 gbp to 7 gbp.

Bike-sharing apps

A bike is a very good alternative to walking and public transport for getting around the city.

Birmingham has a good cycling infrastructure and a unified bike-hire system, which is described on the official websitewmcyclehire.co.uk.

To hire a bike, you need to register on the Berylmobile app (Google Play / App Store).

The prices are as follows:

• 1 gbp – unlocking a bike
• 0,08 gbp – 1 minute’s ride

Taxis, Uber, Bolt

The streets of Birmingham are criss-crossed by hundreds of typical English black cabs, though from a transport perspective, these should really be your last resort.

Traditional taxis always run on a meter and accept card payments.

Alternative taxi services such as Uber and Bolt also work well in Birmingham and usually offer significantly lower fares than traditional taxis. Download their apps and book a ride anytime, anywhere:

• Uber (App Store/Google Play)
• Bolt (App Store/Google Play)