Getting to Birmingham
Birmingham is centrally located in the UK, close to a number of major access roads - the M1, M5, M6 and M40. Birmingham Airport (BHX) is the closest international airport, which can easily be reached via public transport from Birmingham City Centre. The London and Manchester airports are further away but still easily reached by public transport within approximately 3 hours.
Teams should make enquiries about flights, however no flights should be booked until after the 15th January 2024 when team registration closes and the team fee payments deadline passes, after which WFDF will confirm each team on the bid list.
Teams are expected to make their own transport arrangements from the airport to the accommodation.
Arriving by car
If arriving by car, Birmingham is reached via the M1, M5, M6 and M40 motorways - these are major roads which connect the largest cities in the UK, including London and Manchester.
There is limited campus parking around the accommodation, and we are still in discussion with the University about how much will be available to our participants. There is plenty of car parking available at the fields.
Flying into the UK - getting from the airports to Birmingham city centre
There are two major railways stations in Birmingham city centre, Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street. Travelling by coach can be a cheaper option, you will arrive at Birmingham Coach Station. The railway and coach stations are all no more that a 20 minute walk from the City Centre Hub, which is a short distance from the accommodation blocks.
Walking routes from the the railway and coach stations can be found below in the section ‘Getting to the City Centre Hub’.
Below you will find useful information about travel from various airports around the UK. Please note that standard adult fares are usually charged for those aged 16+
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Train
Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Birmingham New Street
To get from Birmingham Airport to the City Centre, it's a 10-15 minute journey from Birmingham International Rail Station to Birmingham New Street station.
There are plenty of trains running each hour during the day, with services from Virgin Trains, Arriva, National Rail and Cross Country.
Train times, cheapest fare finders and discounts on UK attractions can be found from the TrainLine website.
You will need to buy train tickets before getting on your train.
A standard adult (16+) ticket will likely cost around £5 each way.
Prices might increase as we get closer to the date, so it is highly recommended to book early.
Bus
Birmingham Airport (BHX) to Birmingham Moor Street
You can also catch a local bus. The X1 will take you from the Birmingham Airport bus station to Birmingham Moor Street and should cost around £2 for a single journey.
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Train
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/luton-to-birmingham
London Luton Airport (LTN) to Birmingham New Street
The Luton Airport Parkway Train Station is a 30 minute walk away from Luton Airport.
Alternatively you can get a 10 minute shuttle bus that can take you directly from the airport to the train station.
This shuttle bus leaves every 10 minutes, all day between 05:00 and midnight.
A single ticket for the shuttle bus costs £2.40 and can be paid for on the bus by contactless payment only. More information can be found under the section “Getting from the station to the airport” on the Airport’s website.
The train journey from Luton Airport Parkway to Birmingham will take around 1h 30 minutes with 2 changes, depending on the day and time of the train.
You will need to buy train tickets before getting on your train. Although tickets can be bought at the train station this could be very expensive, so it is recommended to book and pay for your tickets in advance.
Tickets can be booked via the TrainLine website.
A standard adult (16+) ticket should cost around £30 each way if booked in advance. Prices will increase as we get closer to the date, so it is highly recommended to book early.
Coach
London Luton Airport (LTN) to Birmingham Coach Station
Perhaps the most affordable travel option is getting a coach.
This will need to be booked in advance to ensure a seat and it will be cheaper the earlier you book it.
Coaches with the National Express go directly from Luton Airport to the Birmingham Coach Station. The journey is around 3 hours.
This could cost less than £10 for a one-way ticket if booked in advance.
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Train
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/manchester-airport-to-birmingham
Manchester Airport (MAN) to Birmingham New Street
The Manchester Airport Train Station is located at the airport, from this station you can get a train to Birmingham New Street.
This journey will take around 2 hours 2 hours with 1-2 changes, depending on the day and time of the train.
You will need to buy train tickets before getting on your train. Although tickets can be bought at the train station this could be very expensive, so it is recommended to book and pay for your tickets in advance.
Tickets can be booked via the TrainLine website.
If booked in advance a one-way standard adult (16+) is likely to cost between £20-£50 depending on the route and time of travel. Prices will increase as we get closer to the date, so it is highly recommended to book early.
Coach
Manchester Airport (MAN) to Birmingham Coach Station
Perhaps the most affordable travel option is getting a coach.
This will need to be booked in advance to ensure a seat and it will be cheaper the earlier you book it.
Coaches with the National Express go from Manchester Airport to Birmingham Coach Station. This is a direct bus which takes around 2 hours.
If booked in advance, this could cost less than £10 for a one-way journey.
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Train
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/heathrow-airport-to-birmingham
Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Birmingham New Street / Birmingham Moor Street
Due to the size of Heathrow Airport, there are many different train station terminals.
The train to Birmingham usually departs from Heathrow Terminal 5 Railway Station and also stops at Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3 Train Station.
This journey will take around 5 hours with 2-3 changes, depending on the day and time of the train.
You will need to buy train tickets before getting on your train. Although tickets can be bought at the train station this could be very expensive, so it is recommended to book and pay for your tickets in advance. Tickets can be booked via the TrainLine website.
The standard adult (16+) ticket is likely to cost from £30 - £100 each way depending on the time of travel and the number of changes. Prices will increase as we get closer to the date, so it is highly recommended to book early.
Coach
Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Birmingham Coach Station
This will need to be booked in advance to ensure a seat, and it will be cheaper the earlier you book it.
Coaches with the National Express go from Heathrow Airport to Birmingham Coach Station. The direct journey is 2.5 hours, other routes can take up to 5 hours with 1 change.
This is likely to cost somewhere between £16 - £30 depending on the time of travel and the coach.
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Train
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/stansted-airport-to-birmingham
London Stansted Airport (STN) to Birmingham New Street
The Stansted Airport Train Station is located at the airport, from this station you can get a train to Birmingham New Street.
This journey will take between 3-4 hours. The length of time and the number of changes varies a lot depending on the time of day - some trains require you to change at one of the major London train stations.
You will need to buy train tickets before getting on your train. Although tickets can be bought at the train station this could be very expensive, so it is recommended to book and pay for your tickets in advance.
Tickets can be booked via the TrainLine website.
If booked in advance, the standard adult (16+) ticket is likely to cost between £30 to £60, depending on the journey. Prices will increase as we get closer to the date, so it is highly recommended to book early.
Coach
London Stansted Airport (STN) to Birmingham Coach Station
Perhaps the most affordable travel option is getting a coach.
This will need to be booked in advance to ensure a seat and it will be cheaper the earlier you book it.
Coaches with the National Express go from Stansted Airport to Birmingham Coach Station. The journey is around 3.5 - 5 hours depending on the route. There are direct busses and some that require 1 change.
If booked in advance the ticket is likely to cost around £20 for a one-way journey.
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Train
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/gatwick-airport-to-birmingham-new-street
Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Birmingham New Street
The Gatwick Airport Train Station is located at the airport.
The train journey from Gatwick to Birmingham New street takes roughly 3.5 hours and will require between 1 and 3 changes depending on the route you take. You can find more information here.
You will need to buy train tickets before getting on your train. Although tickets can be bought at the train station this could be very expensive, so it is recommended to book and pay for your tickets in advance. Tickets can be booked via the TrainLine website.
While there may be some cheaper options, tickets are likely to cost around £30 each way for a standard adult (16+) fare. Prices will increase as we get closer to the date, so it is highly recommended to book early.
Coach
Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Birmingham Coach Station
This will need to be booked in advance to ensure a seat, and it will be cheaper the earlier you book.
National Express coaches go from Gatwick Airport to Birmingham Coach Station. The journey is around 5 hours either direct or with 1 change.
This is likely to cost between £20-£50 depending on the time of travel.
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Train
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/leeds-bradford-airport-to-birmingham
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) to Birmingham New Street
To get from this airport to Birmingham you will need to get a coach or a train from the airport to Leeds Train Station, this journey will take around 35 minutes.
From Leeds Train Station it is then a 3 hour direct train to Birmingham New Street.
Tickets for this journey, including the coach, can be booked and purchased on the TrainLine website.
You will need to buy train tickets before you travel. Although tickets can be bought at the train station this could be very expensive, so it is recommended to book and pay for your tickets in advance. Tickets can be booked via the TrainLine website.
The standard adult (16+) ticket is likely to start from £50 each way depending on the time of travel. Prices will increase as we get closer to the date, so it is highly recommended to book early.
Coach
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) to Birmingham Coach Station
Perhaps the most affordable travel option is getting a coach.
This will need to be booked in advance to ensure a seat and it will be cheaper the earlier you book.
At Leeds Bradford Airport you can get a coach to go to Leeds Coach Station, you can then take another coach from here which will take you to Birmingham Coach Station.
It is recommended to book this journey in advance via the National Express website. The journey is around 4-5 hours.
A one way ticket should cost less than £15 if booked well in advance.
Getting to the City Centre Hub, B4 7BD and accommodation blocks
The City Centre hub, The Curzon Building, BCU, 4 Cardigan St, Birmingham B4 7BD, is walking distance from the railway and coach stations. This is where tournament food will be provided. Accommodation blocks are a short walk from the City Centre Hub.
There are lots of buses that will take you at least part of the way to the City Centre Hub and the accommodation blocks. A great mobile-friendly option for finding the best public transport routes around Birmingham city centre is to download the City Mapper app for Birmingham.
There is more information about public transport in Birmingham here.
Alternatively you may want to take a taxi / uber from the station, this should cost around £10 for 4 people.
Notes
Please note, Birmingham has another University called University of Birmingham, not to be confused with our accommodation which is part of Birmingham City University.
If you are arriving into an airport that is not listed above or want further travel information that we haven’t covered, please get in contact with us directly for some advice.