Blog | Getting around Brum: a student travel guide | News

September 2025

Blog | Getting around Brum: a student travel guide

By Sean Madden

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Are you living in the city centre and looking for the best way to travel around? Eager to see more of the country and venture further afield? Maybe you're one of the 70% of our home undergraduate students choose to live at home during their studies?

Wherever you're heading, there's a wide variety of options to get you moving. With our central location it really couldn’t be easier to make your way around or into the city, or out to explore the wider region!

1. Walking and cycling

The beauty of our location is that everything you need is right on your doorstep.

Whether you’re going on a night out, meeting friends for coffee or shopping, or looking to take in any of the city’s many cultural offerings, if you’re in the centre, it's all in walking distance.

Alternatively, if you’re keen on active travel, why not check out West Midlands Cycle Hire? With a Birmingham City Council Leisure Card, you can hire bikes on a short-term basis for free. Alternatively, there are folding Brompton bikes available for hire across the city for as little as £3.50 per day. The city centre is bike-friendly, and once you arrive on campus, you can store your bike safely at our Summer Row cycle rack.

2. Bus and tram

If you're commuting into campus, the city centre is well-connected to the rest of Birmingham and to the wider region by a host of bus routes. You can also use the Midland Metro to get from Birmingham to Wolverhampton.

While you're a student, you're entitled to a discount Swift pass for use on both buses and trams. Head to the Guild of Students, as it's the only place on campus where you can buy a pass using Kick-Start funds.

The passes can be used on almost every travel operator in the region, and if you specify a specific start date it'll help you get the best value for money.

3. Riding the rails

Birmingham city centre is home to three major railway stations, all only a few minutes’ walk away from our campus.

From Birmingham New Street, you can jump on the cross-city line and be anywhere in the north or south of Birmingham, in less than half an hour. You can also take the train to anywhere around the UK – and be in London in under 90 minutes!

From Snow Hill and Moor Street you can get to London too, but also to regional towns such as Solihull, or take in a bit of the countryside only a stone’s throw away in places such as Warwick or Malvern.

As a student, you may also be entitled to discounted rail travel. Both the 16-25 and 25-30 railcards offer one third off ticket prices, so it’s worth investing early!

4. By car

Due to our central location, we don’t offer parking except for those with mobility issues, but it is possible to commute into the city by car and use one of the Pay and Display car parks located near campus.

If you park at the Newhall Street car park using the NCP Park Pass app, you can access an exclusive student discount through the Guild.

Do be aware that a Clean Air Zone operates in the city centre, so it’s best to check in advance whether you’ll need to pay to drive in.

Need more info?

Check out the Transport for West Midlands website where you can plan journeys and buy tickets for local bus, tram, and rail connections. You can also find out more about their range of student discounts.

For train trips further afield, the journey planner on the National Rail Enquiries website helps you to plan your travels across the West Midlands and beyond!

You can find out more about student offers through our Guild of Students.