• Home
• Flight Arrivals
• Flight Departures
• Terminal Information
• Transportation
• Shopping & Leisure
• News

Birmingham Taxi Services

Much like Sheffield and Manchester, Birmingham was a locus for industrial revolution in the late 18th century, helping foster capitalist values amongst workers, and filling the air with the inexorable clang of hammers.

The city quickly gained a reputation as a steel and silver giant, helping to produce ironclads and steam ships at docklands across the country, and facilitating a massive boom in the UK economy.

Today, the city is much quieter, preferring to hawk champion cars to foreign markets, and concentrating on commercial opportunities, growing shops and outlets like runaway dandelions. The Bullring, a shopping complex in the city centre, is the jewel in Birmingham’s crown, and the “glamorous heart” of the city, offering over 160 shops an easy taxi ride from the airport.

Finding Your Way

Birmingham International Airport is located to the east of Birmingham, in the town of Solihull, some nine miles from the Bullring and the city centre. The facility has two terminals – the wonderfully named, Terminal 1, and the larger Eurohub, opened in 1991.

An official taxi rank sits opposite the main doors, operating a twenty-four hour hackney carriage service, but picking up a black cab can be significantly more expensive than pre-booking. Inner-city minicab firms, rarely more than an empty room with a logo, are also common in Birmingham, but many adhere to pricing schemes of their own design.

It is also worth booking a taxi in advance (and online) to avoid any unfortunate delays, especially if you expect to arrive on a Friday or Saturday night, during last orders at the local pubs. There might not be a spare taxi until the early hours of the morning – a long wait in a cold airport.

Dedicated airport drop-off points are located in the main car park, but drivers are advised that vehicles are not permitted to wait longer than fifteen minutes without first paying for a parking space, an average of £2.99 per day.

Travelling in Style

Taxis from the airport to the centre of Birmingham cost an average of £25-£30 and can seat four, five and even upto six people. A minibus (8-16 passengers) is usually charged at rate of a fare and a half – approximately £40 per vehicle. Larger buses may be harder to source, and travellers are advised to contact the firm directly with detailed requirements.

Executive cars are provided by several airport taxi companies in Birmingham, giving you the chance to relax in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes, chilled glass of wine in hand, dreaming of that Oscar ceremony at the end of your long journey. Complimentary titbits such as mints and mineral water are often provided. Daily newspapers can be requested during booking.

If you are a regular flyer or a corporate customer, consider making use of the account options offered by most taxi companies. Account holders receive priority services, and negotiable rates depending on how frequently a taxi is requested.

Average Costs, Distances & Destinations

Bullring aside, Birmingham has one of the largest commercial centres in the UK. The Pallasades Shopping Centre, located on top of New Street train station, is the first thing that many visitors see when coming to Birmingham. Bosses claim over 400,000 visitors a week. The Pallasades has around eighty stores, and sits three hundred metres to the west of the Bullring, a £15 taxi ride from the airport.

The Mailbox, another popular shopping centre, has a range of unique food outlets, serving French, Thai and Indian cuisine, and an endless supply of champagne, all on the banks of the Gas Street canal. A handful of designer clothes outlets are sure to delight fashion aficionados, and put a crimp on your bank manager’s day. The Mailbox is five hundred metres from the Pallasades.

Of course, Birmingham is also host to one of the fiercest rivalries in English football – Birmingham City and Aston Villa, arguably the most popular biannual event in the city. St. Andrews Stadium, the home ground of Birmingham City, is a two-mile walk from the centre, or an eight-mile taxi ride, costing around £10.

If you are travelling directly from the airport, expect to pay between £15 and £20 for the journey. Villa Park stadium is three miles to the south of St. Andrews.

Birmingham’s botanical gardens and glasshouses provide the perfect contrast to the football stadia, and have a wide range of activities and plants within their midst. Located in Edgbaston, three miles from the city centre, the gardens have been a staple of Brum life for almost 180 years, and remain open all year round.