Car Hire in Birmingham

Part of our guide to car hire in the United Kingdom.

Driving and Parking in Birmingham: What You Need to Know

• City centre driving: Birmingham is built around a ring of main roads, and the centre sits inside the A4540 Middleway. The M6 approaches from the north and south-west, the M5 from the south-west, and the M42 from the south and east. The A38(M) Aston Expressway and the Queensway carry traffic into the centre, and the M6 junction at Spaghetti Junction (Gravelly Hill) is the busiest interchange on the network. Drive on the left throughout, and at roundabouts give way to traffic from the right and travel clockwise.
• Clean Air Zone: Birmingham operates a Clean Air Zone covering all roads inside the A4540 Middleway, though not the Middleway itself. Cars that do not meet the emission standard, which means diesel cars below Euro 6 and petrol cars below Euro 4, pay £8 a day, from midnight to midnight, and cameras read number plates automatically. Compliant vehicles pay nothing. Check the registration on your booking confirmation at gov.uk/clean-air-zones and ask the supplier at collection how any charge is handled on your vehicle.
• Parking: City centre car parks include the Town Hall multi-storey, with around 387 spaces, the Jewellery Quarter multi-storey, with around 553 spaces, Millennium Point, with around 959 spaces, and Great Charles Street, with around 82 spaces. The Utilita Arena car park holds more than 1,400 spaces and fills on event days. Birmingham New Street station has a short-stay car park. Tariffs and opening hours differ between operators, so read the signage at the entrance before you leave the car. Never park on double yellow lines.
• Bus lanes and restricted zones: Many main roads carry bus lanes, and some city centre streets are limited to buses, taxis and cyclists at set hours. The hours are shown on the sign at the start of each lane, so check before you enter. Bus lane contraventions are enforced by camera and result in a penalty charge notice.
• Toll roads: The M6 Toll runs north-east of the city as a bypass of the congested M6 between junction 3a and junction 11a. Charges are paid online or at the toll plaza, and the motorway is the fastest option when the M6 is slow. Ask the supplier how toll charges are handled on your vehicle.
• Speed limits: Limits are in miles per hour: 30 mph in built-up areas unless signed otherwise, with 20 mph zones increasingly common in residential streets, 60 mph on rural single carriageways, and up to 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways. Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is illegal.
• Driving on the left: If you normally drive on the right, collect the car at a quiet time, take the first few minutes slowly and set the satnav before you move off. The driver's seat is on the right, and the most common mistakes are at roundabouts and when turning out of a car park onto a main road, so keep to the left and give way to traffic from the right.
• Best time to drive: Weekday commuter periods in the morning and late afternoon are the slowest times on the M6, the M5, the M42 and the Middleway. Mid-morning, early afternoon and weekends are the easier windows for crossing the city.
• Road signs and junctions: At a stop sign, come to a complete stop and then give way to all traffic. Do not enter a box junction unless your exit is clear, and stop at flashing red lights at railway crossings until they stop flashing.
• Seat belts and alcohol: Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt, in the rear seats as well as the front. Children under 3 need a suitable restraint in any vehicle, and the driver is responsible for passengers under 14. The legal blood alcohol limit in England is 0.08 per cent, and the safest approach is not to drink at all if you are driving.
• Train and car together: Birmingham New Street is one of the busiest stations outside London, with direct services to London, Manchester, Bristol and many other cities. Many visitors arrive by train and collect a car in the city for the countryside, which avoids driving through unfamiliar centres at the start of the trip.

Top Places to Visit from Birmingham by Car

• Stratford-upon-Avon — about 28 miles south-east via the M40 and the A46, in roughly 45 to 50 minutes. Shakespeare's birthplace is a market town on the River Avon, and it has several car parks in and around the centre as well as a Park and Ride scheme. Parking is busiest at weekends and through the summer.
• Warwick — about 22 miles south-east via the A46, in roughly 30 minutes. Leave the M40 at junction 15 if you approach by motorway, and follow the A429 into town. Warwick Castle is signed from the junction and stands less than two miles away, with car parks at Stratford Road and at the Stables, which are charged and fill on busy days.
• Ironbridge Gorge — about 30 miles west towards Telford, in roughly 50 minutes. The World Heritage Site contains the first iron bridge, built over the River Severn in 1779, and its museums sit along the gorge. Follow the signs from the M54, and leave time for narrow, steep roads in the gorge itself.
• Lichfield — about 20 miles north via the M6, in roughly 30 minutes. The cathedral city has three spires and a compact centre that suits a half-day. The M6 Toll offers a faster alternative in peak periods.

When is the Best Time to Hire a Car in Birmingham?

Peak season: Demand rises over the school summer holidays, from late July to the end of August, and again around Christmas and Easter. Large events at the National Exhibition Centre and the city's arenas tighten availability on the days around them, and the most popular vehicle classes are the first to go.

Shoulder season: Spring and autumn outside school breaks are steadier. Weekday availability is generally good, and the roads to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and the Shropshire countryside are easier to plan around the weather.

Low season: January, February and the quieter weeks of November are the least busy. Winter hires suit business travel and city trips, but allow extra time on the M6 and the M5 on weekday mornings.

Advance booking: Book several weeks ahead for school holidays, bank holiday weekends and major events, and as soon as your dates are fixed for any hire that has to match a flight or a train arrival. Free cancellation means booking early carries no penalty if plans change, and the balance is paid at the desk on collection, so nothing is charged in full at the time of booking.

Before you drive away: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, including all four sides, the wheels, the windscreen and the interior. Dated photographs give you a clear record of the condition you received, and they are the quickest way to settle any question about marks that were already there.

Fuel: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire. Refuel before you set out on a long day trip so that you are not searching for a fuel station on the way.

Car Hire Suppliers in Birmingham

Car hire in Birmingham is available through the following suppliers.

• Green Motion
• U-Save Car Rental

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in Birmingham

Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.

• Birmingham Airport (BHX)
• Birmingham Rail Station