I need travel advice!

[nakedwesley]

Coming from the US, my only (affordable) option is to fly into Heathrow, then somehow make it to Birmingham. I'm assuming I will fly into T5.

 

Has anyone here made that trip? Having researched train vs. bus, the bus looks like my more viable option right now. It's cheaper, and there are more return options available. I don't mind the bus, but I'm not sure how to get from the Birmingham coach station to the hotel. Or, should I consider taking the tube into London, and taking a train from a different station that might give me more options?

 

I'm flying in around 11am on Friday and my flight home is Monday at 11am. Is anyone driving up from London that I might be able to catch a ride with, or also taking the bus on Friday? Is there another travel option I'm unaware of, that doesn't require a great deal of walking and/or dragging luggage around? As long as I'm at the con hotel in time to register and attend the drinks reception, and back at Heathrow on Monday by 830am, I'm good.

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me! Last year I drove w/friends, so I didn't have to go through all this.

[maarjaz]

Last time I took a coach to Birmingham Airport. From there I took an Air-Rail Link to the NEC and from there it was a few minute walk to the hotel.

Well my flight went to Stansted not Heathrow... But the coaches go from Heathrow to Birmingham airport too.

It's just one option and it suited me last time so probably gonna go the same way this time too.

Good luck.

[InYourHonour]

I travel between Birmingham and London quite a lot. National Express coaches are definately the cheapest way to travel. They can go from Heathrow to Birmingham airport, as maarjaz said, and from there you can either get a taxi, train or bus to the NEC complex. Once you're there it's a 5 minute walk to the hotel.

The hotel itself is really nice, and the rooms are some of the best I've stayed in.

I'm sure you'll have a good time :)

[malty]

There's always to Manchester Airport then train to Birmingham.

[nakedwesley]

Thanks for all your advise, everyone! Hope to see you there!

[surfy_sah]

National Express is probably the cheapest option!

however, I'm not sure on layover times if you get the NX from Heathrow to Bham-it may stop for a while in Central London?

 

if you do take a tube from Heathrow to Central London to Euston to get a train to Bham, it will take about 1hour and cost you £4.40 for a single journey (as far as I know). Trains Euston to Birmingham International (NEC/Airport) run atleast x2 per hour and you'd want a Virgin train that takes normally approx. 1hour10mins

 

according to www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk, a single (in advance) will be £19 and an open (any off-peak train) is £44 (in advance)

 

and if you want to be at Heathrow by 0830 Monday, you'd have to get the 6am train from Birmingham which gets into Euston at 0715 then add approx. 1hour to get to Heathrow

 

it's about 20mins walk to the Hitlon from Birmingham International train station with lugguage at normal walking pace I'd say and the Hitlon is sign-posted

 

hope this helps

surfy sah xx

ps-if time is not such an issue Friday, you could always consider a bus to Bham and a train from Bham?

[nakedwesley]

National Express is probably the cheapest option!

however, I'm not sure on layover times if you get the NX from Heathrow to Bham-it may stop for a while in Central London?

 

if you do take a tube from Heathrow to Central London to Euston to get a train to Bham, it will take about 1hour and cost you £4.40 for a single journey (as far as I know). Trains Euston to Birmingham International (NEC/Airport) run atleast x2 per hour and you'd want a Virgin train that takes normally approx. 1hour10mins

 

according to www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk, a single (in advance) will be £19 and an open (any off-peak train) is £44 (in advance)

 

and if you want to be at Heathrow by 0830 Monday, you'd have to get the 6am train from Birmingham which gets into Euston at 0715 then add approx. 1hour to get to Heathrow

 

it's about 20mins walk to the Hitlon from Birmingham International train station with lugguage at normal walking pace I'd say and the Hitlon is sign-posted

 

hope this helps

surfy sah xx

ps-if time is not such an issue Friday, you could always consider a bus to Bham and a train from Bham?

 

Thank you!! That helps a lot!

[Gatewhale]

so question , I'll be flying into birmingham airport , and will take that air train thingy thing , but I'm on crutches and don't wanna end up walking 30 mins to the hotel , or is it really closer then I think it is ? cause there are no shuttle busses going to the hilton

[nakedwesley]

so question , I'll be flying into birmingham airport , and will take that air train thingy thing , but I'm on crutches and don't wanna end up walking 30 mins to the hotel , or is it really closer then I think it is ? cause there are no shuttle busses going to the hilton

 

The hotel website says this:

 

Due to major security measures currently in force at Birmingham International Airport, we are no longer permitted to use our courtesy bus service direct from the airport. All clients travelling from Birmingham International Airport should take the mono rail to Birmingham International railway station where we will be able to collect. Guests can use the free telephones in the airport or the station to ask for the bus to collect them. The journey takes around 5 minutes and our courtesy bus runs every 30 minutes.

 

So maybe there is a shuttle bus after all. Just not directly from the airport. I'm curious if anyone can confirm this.

[thefreckles]

so question , I'll be flying into birmingham airport , and will take that air train thingy thing , but I'm on crutches and don't wanna end up walking 30 mins to the hotel , or is it really closer then I think it is ? cause there are no shuttle busses going to the hilton

 

The hotel website says this:

 

Due to major security measures currently in force at Birmingham International Airport, we are no longer permitted to use our courtesy bus service direct from the airport. All clients travelling from Birmingham International Airport should take the mono rail to Birmingham International railway station where we will be able to collect. Guests can use the free telephones in the airport or the station to ask for the bus to collect them. The journey takes around 5 minutes and our courtesy bus runs every 30 minutes.

 

So maybe there is a shuttle bus after all. Just not directly from the airport. I'm curious if anyone can confirm this.

 

When I was at Chevron last Feb there was, indeed, a shuttle bus from train station. Both myself (and Bam Bam - he was looking too *g*) had to hunt to find it but the nice woman at WH Smiths pointed me in the right direction. You'll then need to go to the ground floor to pick it up (there are escalators)- the phone is near where the trains come in on an upper level. That was just over a year ago but I doubt things have changed. Someone who's been to a more recent con there might be able to confirm though?

Edited March 29, 2011 by thefreckles

[Gatewhale]

cool that's a great help , cause I really don't wanna end up causing more damage then needed