Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => The Knowledge => OT Knowledge => Topic started by: andyoxon on 17 February, 2020, 11:45:17 am

Title: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: andyoxon on 17 February, 2020, 11:45:17 am

mini ao (with giant portfolio case) has a forthcoming course interview at a non-convenient 9.30am in Birmingham city centre.  Train for two = £160 120 from Oxford.  I've also discovered that Birmingham apears to have NO park&ride locations.  Any good options for drop off in the burbs and then bus into centre?  Anything else?

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: telstarbox on 17 February, 2020, 11:48:34 am

What trains have you found?

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: andyoxon on 17 February, 2020, 12:16:14 pm

Expensive outbound commuter train (Nat Rail Enq) to BNS, plus a 15 min walk . 

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: rafletcher on 17 February, 2020, 12:29:23 pm

You could drive to Banbury then get the train to Moor Street.

https://buy.chilternrailways.co.uk/search?origin=GBBAN&destination=GBBMO&outboundTime=2020-02-18T09:00:00&outboundTimeType=ARRIVAL&adults=2&children=0&inbound=true&inboundTimeType=DEPARTURE&inboundTime=2020-02-18T13:00:00&railcards=%5B%5D&nus=&ls=LS_1_4&ls=LS_2_5&p=PRICE_P_2_38

Looks like £32 return.

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: CAMRAMan on 17 February, 2020, 12:30:07 pm

I'm assuming mini ao is over 16. How about Cross Country to Leamington - this Wednesday, for example, 7.39 getting in at 8.14 and returning at 17.00 for £57.40 for 2 adults. Then Chiltern Railways into Birmingham Moor Street for c.£22.

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: Paul H on 17 February, 2020, 01:03:40 pm

There are some rail P&R options
https://www.networkwestmidlands.com/ways-to-travel/driving/park-and-ride/

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: Kim on 17 February, 2020, 01:31:24 pm

Quote from: Paul H on 17 February, 2020, 01:03:40 pm

There are some rail P&R options
https://www.networkwestmidlands.com/ways-to-travel/driving/park-and-ride/

Yes, you can park and drive from most of the local rail stations.

I reckon the Chiltern Line is a better plan, though.  You don't want to be driving around the Wet Midlands Conurbation at morning o'clock.

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: andyoxon on 17 February, 2020, 02:06:13 pm

Thanks all, very helpful.

Probably going to go for:
Car to Banbury
Chiltern railways to BirmMS return 
Banbury to Oxf train. ~£5 ea

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: Kim on 17 February, 2020, 06:03:03 pm

The Chiltern Line trains may also go to Snow Hill, if that's a more useful destination.  (Probably not for BCU, might be for some bits of Aston.)

Title: Re: To Birmingham travel options?
Post by: CAMRAMan on 18 February, 2020, 04:42:52 pm

Good point! I wanted to get to Digbeth last week and my short cut across the car park at Moor Street to Freeman St was thwarted; a) because there are building site boards up everywhere and b) because Freeman Street doesn't exist any more! The factory I worked at in the late-70s is obliterated and several other roads have been wiped off the map for HS2. Snow Hill is definitely better for Aston Uni now.