Birmingham

Travel to Birmingham by Eurostar into London St Pancras, followed by a short walk to Euston for the fast Avanti West Coast service. You arrive in Britain's second city in under five hours total travel time. Main departure and boarding stations for the Eurostar + Avanti West Coast include:

• Brussels-South (Midi) (3h 24m, 1 transfer)
• Antwerp Central (4h 38m, 2 transfers)
• Rotterdam Central (4h 47m, 1 transfer)
• Amsterdam Central (5h 35m, 1 transfer)

Advance fares start from €59.00 when booked 3 to 6 months ahead. Late bookings can reach €195.00, so booking early saves around 70% (€136). Coach options include Flixbus or multi-leg budget connections.

The train stops at Birmingham New Street in the city center. The West Midlands Metro takes you straight to the Jewellery Quarter and canals, with hire bikes from Beryl Bikes Birmingham right outside.

Driving to the West Midlands takes roughly 6h 39m (~585 km). Fuel costs around €74 (assuming 6.5 L/100 km, or ~€44 for EV charging (19 kWh/100 km)), plus around €95 in tolls (Channel Tunnel / ferry to Dover plus optional M6 Toll (£8.90)) and parking (€30 per day in the city center (or ~€10 per day at a peripheral P+R)). For a weekend trip (round-trip fuel, any tolls, and 48 hours of central parking), total driving costs amount to ~€398 (~€338 for an electric car). Be aware of the Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ, £8/day for non-compliant vehicles). Fast EV chargers are listed via this map.