Getting here
This guide will help you explore options for travelling into and around Birmingham. Transport for West Midlands has lots of great offers enabling you to get around for less. Please check out their available offers here.
Train | Bus | Park & Ride | Metro | Bike or Scooter | Car | Access
⏺︎ Travel by Train
Birmingham New Street is the largest rail hub in central England, offering direct services from London, Scotland, Wales, Manchester, and Bristol. It is just a 5-minute walk from our Information Point at Bullring.
Birmingham city centre is also served by Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations, with many Birmingham Light Festival installations within easy walking distance of all three stations.
For travel to the Botanical Gardens and Edgbaston Village, please refer to bus, e-scooter, Beryl Bike and tram information.
⏺︎ Travel by Bus
Birmingham is well served by national and regional coach and bus services. If you are travelling from further afield and arrive at Birmingham Bus & Coach Station (formerly Digbeth Coach Station) you'll find our Information Point at Bullring just a 5-minute walk away.
If you are travelling from the surrounding area, the nearest bus stops to the Bullring Information Point are located on Edgbaston Street, Park Street, and near Birmingham Moor Street Station.
Local bus services also provide easy access to several Birmingham Light Festival installations. Bus routes serving the city centre from outside the Bus & Coach Station include 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 97, and 97A.
Edgbaston Village can be reached from the Bullring/Moor Street stop via services 80, 23, 24, X20, X21, and X22. Tram services are also available—please see the tram information section for details.
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are accessible by bus services 80, 23, 24, 97, and 97A. Tram services are also available—please see the tram information section for details.
Please note that Edgbaston Village and The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are approximately an 11-minute walk, 3-minute drive, or 4-minute cycle apart.
Get Bus Timetables for your service by searching the route number.
If you’re not sure of your route, you can:
- Use The Journey Planner
- Look Up Bus Routes On The Area Maps
With tickets from £2, use the Ticket Finder to find the best option for you.
You can also buy bus tickets:
- On the bus
- With a Swift Pay As You Go Card
- At your nearest Swift Ticket Machine
- With the operator’s mobile app
⏺︎ Travel by Park & Ride
There are over 9,000 car parking spaces across the West Midlands that are at train stations and tram stops.
You can't park directly at the Edgbaston Village tram stop itself for free, but there's a dedicated, secure, paid "Park & Ride" service just across Hagley Road at Duchess Place for easy access, and Transport for West Midlands lists other P&R options, though Edgbaston Village isn't a standard free P&R stop. You'll find paid car parks nearby in Edgbaston, but be sure to check for restrictions and costs, as it's a busy area.
Park & Ride Options near Edgbaston Village:
- Calthorpe Estates Park & Ride: Located on Hagley Road (outside the Clean Air Zone), offering secure parking for a daily or hourly fee, perfect for catching the tram or bus.
Paid Parking in Edgbaston:
- There are commercial car parks in the area, but you'll need to pay for these, with options available through apps like Parkopedia or JustPark.
Park at a tram stop
There are 5 park and ride sites along the West Midlands Metro tram line. These have free parking. You can find parking at these stops:
- The Hawthorns
- Wednesbury Parkway
- Black Lake
- Bradley Lane
- Priestfield
⏺︎ Travel By Metro
The tram service is called the West Midlands Metro. The closest West Midlands Metro tram stop to our Information Point at Bullring is Grand Central Station, just a short 5 minute walk away.
We would recommend using the tram to visit Edgbaston Village. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is only an 11 minute walk from Edgbaston Village.
You can use the ticket finder to find the right tram ticket for you. You can buy tickets:
- from the conductor on the tram
- on the My Metro app
- with a Swift pay as you go card
Tram stops are in four ticket zones. The zones you can travel between are based on your ticket.
There are trams every 12 to 15 minutes every day of the week. More trams are added during peak times.
View the tram timetable to find out where the tram stops. You can also plan your journey if you’re not sure of your route.
All tram stops have step-free access and are monitored by CCTV. Some tram stops have free car parking.
⏺︎ Travel by Bike or Scooter
Explore Birmingham effortlessly during the festival with eco-friendly e-bikes and e-scooters! These electric bikes make travel convenient and sustainable. Simply download the Beryl Cycle Hire app or visit WM Cycle Hire for more information. Using the app you will be able to find your closest hub.
There are ample bike racks across the city centre next to festival sites. We kindly ask that you don't cycle through large crowds but instead dismount and walk through.
⏺︎ Travel by Car
Located at the heart of the UK motorway network, Birmingham is easily accessible via the M5, M6, M40, and M42, with the A34 and A38 providing additional routes. The M1 is also less than 30 minutes away. The city centre offers approximately 25,000 parking spaces within easy reach.
Central Birmingham car parks include Centre Car Park, Moor Street Car Park, and Edgbaston Street Car Park. If you want to park close to our Information Point, take a look at more parking information from Bullring here.
You can find further information on parking and how to locate a car park here.
As of June 2021, Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone is in effect where some cars will be liable to pay a charge for entering Birmingham city centre. You can find out more about the CAZ here.
⏺︎ Access
The Blue Badge scheme is for drivers or passengers with severe mobility problems. It aims to provide greater access to parking spaces. Find a disabled parking here.