Travelling to and in the UK

Before you travel

Plan your journey

Before you start your journey with us, it’s good to plan ahead. That’s why this page has all the information you need about travelling to the UK, and around campus.

Travelling to the UK

The first thing you’ll need to do, of course, is to get on a plane. Here are some useful tips when travelling to Birmingham.

Check the UK Council for International Student Affairs website. It will help you prepare for when you land in the UK.
Passport control can feel a little daunting at times. They may ask you questions about your visa, so make sure you have all your documents with you. You’ll find what you need on the immigration on arrival page. But don’t worry too much if the person asking you looks very official. It’s just part of their job and they do it with everyone, including people from the UK.
When you pass through customs, you’ll need to collect your baggage. Here’s some useful information on what you’re allowed to bring into the country.

We'll meet you at the airport

Landing in the UK after a long journey can be tiring! We will help make your journey easier.

Our Airport Collections will run from Heathrow over Arrivals Weekend, from Friday 15 - Monday 18 September. Outside of these times, public transport in the UK is easy to access.

At Birmingham, our Welcome Assistants will help you find a taxi or public transport, so you can finish your journey quickly and in comfort.

Learn more about COVID-19

We have our own train station, called University. You’ll find it on our main Edgbaston campus and it will take you to Birmingham New Street and Birmingham city centre. Here you can get on a train direct to London, the airport and many other cities in the UK. Selly Oak and Five Ways stations are also close by, which makes it easy getting to and from your accommodation.

You can find times, routes and ticket prices on the National Rail website. Many students also get a 16-25 Railcard (also available to over 25s studying full-time) or a 26-30 Railcard. Either will save you money on your train travel.

Learn more about buying tickets on campus.
There are lots of buses connecting the University to Birmingham city centre and many other locations too. You can enjoy a special University Hop fare, where you travel for £1 between Selly Oak and Birmingham city centre. Just show your University ID card.

See all student bus passes

Want to travel by coach around the UK and see the sights at the weekend? Visit the National Express website or search for the app: NXBus mTicket

Getting to campus

You may have already planned how you’ll travel to campus from your accommodation. But you can make your journey easier with these helpful tips.

Travel using Swift Go

Want to make every journey easier? Swift Go is a smart and contactless way to travel around Birmingham and the West Midlands. Make as many journeys as you like, across tram, rail and most buses. Swift Go will automatically cap your fare at a day or weekly ticket. Meaning you don’t have to worry about how much you’re spending on your travel.

Find your way around campus

Our campus map will help you find your way around our Edgbaston and Selly Oak campuses. It shows you buildings, study space locations, opening times and real-time travel information.

View a map of our campus

Before you travel

Plan your journey

Travelling to the UK

We'll meet you at the airport

Take the train

Get the bus

Cycle around

Getting to campus

Travel using Swift Go

Find your way around campus

Other useful travel links