Travel overview of Birmingham, United Kingdom
The Second World War has changed the landscape of the city of Birmingham, making it a relatively new city although it is actually an old one. The war had destroyed a great many structures so that the city had to be rebuilt almost from the ground up. Still, this had many positive effects to the city, giving it a new, cosmopolitan character as well as allowing radical changes to be effected, including making it more pedestrianized and attractive. Because the city center of Birmingham is mostly pedestrianized, it is easy to explore it on foot. As a planned area, many of the attractions are easily accessible from each other. The canal network has given tourists a place to enjoy a quiet stroll away from cars and other motorized vehicles. This makes the area a good option for relaxation and recreation. There are also many shops and restaurants in this canal route. Plenty of interesting landmarks can be found in the city, including the Selfridges Building set in the Bullring Shopping Centre, Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses, National Sea Life Centre, the Birmingham Cathedral, and Aston Hall. The city also has a lively club scene, with many popular clubs being visited by students and professionals alike.
'Imagination, I suppose, is the biggest gift we have. It can make us create, it can make us destroy and it can make forget things. It's a beatific feeling to know you can imagine. I imagine every waking moment, perhaps the rest, too!
J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the most famous of English authors (Lord of the Rings, anyone?), was a staunch supporter of all things creative. Born in Birmingham, a city that had long been the face of industrial revolution in England and half of the world that was under their dominion, he went on to become a true icon of creativity and hard-work that define life in Birmingham.
Even after almost three centuries after the conception of industrial revolution, Birmingham hasn't been able to “ not that it would want to “ shed that image of a city made up of hardworking blue collar people who don't much care about luxuries of life. Many a novels and movies have been set around the life of mill and mine workers in Birmingham. Many bands “ Black Sabbath being the most notable among them “ have carried forward the legacy of life in Birmingham through their music. All these flavors come together really well to create a landscape that's definitely worth visiting if you happen to visit England.
Birmingham Hotels for Tight Budget
Habitual travelers have a great deal of experience in managing their finances so meticulously that fitting in a week or two of hotel stays is not really a big deal for them. For infrequent travelers, however, this can be a tricky position to be in, as they often tend to misjudge the percentage of available funds that need to be allocated to hotel expenses and other tour expenses.
If you manage to find cheap hotels, you can certainly manage your tour budget with much more flexibility and comfort, without pushing things to close to the edge. That being the case, it would comfort tourists who plan on visiting Birmingham anytime soon that there are many budget hotels in Birmingham that will help you stick to your forces and enjoy your vacation without a single frown of worry on your face!
These affordable accommodation options are centralised in the city proper (Birmingham City Centre), comfortably reachable from the Birmingham Train Station.
Finding Solace in Luxury
Birmingham is one of the most populous cities in the UK. It also happens to be a major hub for businesses and industries in the West Midlands, attracting over 500,000 visitors each year. Considering this huge number, it is predictable that Birmingham houses a number of luxury resorts and hotel establishments that cater exclusively to visitors who prefer luxury over budget and comfort over convenience.
The modus operandi for such Birmingham hotels that cater to affluent guests is to leave no stone unturned while hosting them. From stately buildings that can put aristocratic homes of the yesteryear to dismay to ballrooms of the size of a football field, pretty much every luxury imaginable by a hotel stayer is made available. Radisson Blu, Rotunda, Midland Suites, Hilton, Hyatt Regency at Birmingham are some of the noteworthy mentions in this segment.
Looking Around in Birmingham
Sightseeing is primary motive for many tourists to visit Birmingham, as it has little to offer in way of relaxation or adventure.
Art lovers can take their first day out for visiting the famous Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum, located at a walkable distance from the City Centre. The museum is packed to the hilt with artworks of great significance, documented in a very appealing way.
Many audio/video documentaries are also regularly hosted in the Museum in connection with art history and contemporary art. The Symphony Hall of Birmingham is also a shining example of art culture cultivated deliberately by the city. The Hall occasionally hosts leading symphony and orchestra acts from various parts of the world. The frequency of these shows, admittedly, has gone down in recent past.
Birmingham Hippodrome, on the other hand, still manages to attract sizeable crowd every time it features a play or a show. The building of the Hippodrome is a sight in itself, erected in a fused architecture typical to the modernists of English architecture.
In addition to these rather mainstream sights, Birmingham is home to some more quirky museums and places, as well. Take the Pen Museum, for example. Situated in a modest building in an inconspicuous neighbourhood, Pen Museum is definitely easy to miss. However, an evening trip there would certainly enlighten you (quite literally) about pens “ everyday objects that we don't even notice anymore.
Similarly, the Museum of Motorcycles in Birmingham is a delight to the senses of tourists who take great pleasure in riding motorcycles or collecting information about them. Little memorabilia and souvenir items that can be customized on the spot do make for great gifts to take home “ especially for kids.
Finding Hotels Near Birmingham Airport
Birmingham is serviced internationally as well as domestically by the Birmingham Airport. It is the largest and the busiest airport in West Midlands, handling heavy domestic air traffic and modest international traffic. The airport is well connected with major foreign cities, most prominently European.
Tourists who are planning on reaching Birmingham after landing at this airport can hope to find some good Birmingham hotels spread unevenly along the half an hour drive from the airport to the City Centre. Not to unlike motels in the United States, these hotels in Birmingham can best be treated as stop-gap measures if your flight happens to land at tricky hours.
Tranportation in Birmingham
It's fairly easy to get around in Birmingham. The city, despite being heavily populated, is not intimidatingly large. An efficient and effective network of well-run public transport media like buses and local trains.
Birmingham Train Station, housed in a grand Victorian building, is among the busiest train stations in England and is well connected with all corners of the country. Birmingham also features a sizeable system of local canals, mainly built for industrial transport reasons. They are, however, still used for local transport (much like Venice), perhaps as a way of attracting more tourists!
All hotel establishments in Birmingham (perhaps, with the exception of really cheap hotels) do offer local transport assistance and private car rentals on request.
FAQs about hotels in Birmingham