Car rental in Birmingham

Birmingham by car

Birmingham holds the most inland position of any large British settlement, far from a real river and stitched together instead by a canal network. Its suburbs run into Wolverhampton and Walsall with no obvious seam, so the Midlands reads as one continuous urban plain.

Driving in Birmingham

Birmingham is reached by M6, M5, M42, M6 Toll and A38(M) Aston Expressway. Birmingham has a low-emission zone. It is enforced by number-plate cameras rather than windscreen stickers: check that the car meets its emission standard before driving in. Parking in the centre is paid and marked by zone. Driving through the centre is restricted, so most drivers park on the edge.

Where to park

The city council operates car parks throughout Birmingham, and an online list of them is published on its website.

Arriving by road

Spaghetti Junction, also known as the Gravelly Hill Interchange, is where the M6 meets the Aston Expressway. The Middleway (A4540) ring road circles the city centre, and the M6 crosses the city on the Bromford Viaduct. Arrivals from the north-east can combine the M1, M42 and M6, while those from the north-west stay on the M6.

From the airport without a car

A free people mover, the Air-Rail Link, joins Birmingham Airport terminal to Birmingham International rail station, where trains run on to New Street Station. Bus service 900 also calls at the airport on its route between Birmingham and Coventry.