BIRMINGHAM Sunday What to do before heading to Airport

[Eggybreadwithnuts]

SUNDAY Picking DS up at Birmingham airport at 9.30pm.

So DH and I thought we would go to Birmingham in the day...do something, have food - snacky lunch if we go early then early evening meal...head to airport.

But what can we do, where to eat!!!!!!!!!!!
Is there a cinema in the city?

It's a Sunday so most places will close early, but we can then go for early evening food and stretch out before heading to airport.

Please throw suggestions my way!!!

Anyone

You would be closer to Solihull as the airport is in Solihull. There are plenty of shops and a cinema and theatre in Solihull.

I’d park at the Birmingham international (it’s cheaper to park at the train station than the airport and there’s the airlink your DS can get across). Theres eating places and a cinema at resorts world, a walk through from international. There’s shops and bowling as well.

I’d get the train into the city centre if you fancy a wander - it’s less than 10 mins. The Birmingham museum and art gallery is a short walk from new st and the cafe is lovely.

There’s a plane watching lounge at the airport too which is quite calming. Second parking at the train station which is also linked to the NEC so see if there’s a show/event on.

If you know how to drive a bin lorry there might be something for you to do.

I guess it depends on what you want. Birmingham is lf course a big city with loads of things to see and do and easy to get to by train. Solihull is a nice, quite up market town with shops and lots of restaurants/ cafes. As previous poster said there is resorts world which is next to the airport with loads of places to eat.

Ah right so airport is Solihull not near Birmingham.city?

There is an Everyman cinema at the Mailbox (10 mins walk from New St station). Lots of great eating options there too, both at the mailbox and along the canal/towards Brindleyplace. It's a nice walk along the canal and you can then loop back via Centenary square and the Library of birmingham (lovely view from the top) and then back to the station via the Paradise development/Victoria square.

It's 10 minutes on the train from new st. You are much better off spending the day in brum than in Solihull though imo.

Yes its in Solihull, about a 10 min drive away from the town centre.

Where are you from? Just curious why you think one of the country's largest cities might not have a cinema. (Offended expat Brummie!)

Our large city's cinema is not in the tiqn but outskirts on an industrial estatw the city centre one shut down

Brass house on broad street does a banging Sunday lunch and they have music on from about 2pm. We generally go there before heading back home. It’s right by black sabbath bridge so you can get a photo with Ozzie 😊

I like Digbeth, which is a short walk from city centre https://visitbirmingham.com/inspire-me/areas/digbeth/

Sorry OP but asking if there’s a cinema in Birmingham really made me laugh.

Agree with those saying to park at Birmingham
International train station. It’s much easier to pick your son up from there. It’s very easy to get to from the airport.

If you choose to stay in Solihull go to Touchwood which has a cinema and nice shops. Or get the train into New Street (also called Grand Central now for some reason) and there’s tons to do in Birmingham city centre. The Everyman cinema in the Mailbox is the nicest one.

We have the car as we need to pick DS up at 9.30pm.

So wont be training it.

Or are you saying park at New Gate Station potter round as cheaper?

We were planning on then driving to airport

Park at Birmingham International station (which is also the station for the airport). Then take the train into Birmingham New Street.

There’s an odeon on new street not far from the station and near the bullring. You can find the 3 bulls in the city… new street station bullring shopping centre and selfridges

plenty of shopping… most are open 11-5 on Sundays if that’s your thing.

plus there’s always maccies on the ramp followed by admiring the floozie in the jacuzzi if you want to properly immerse yourself in brummie culture 😁

Parking anwhere in Birmingham is horrendously expensive, especially at new street. As others have said its best to drive to international which is near the airport and take the train in to Birmingham from there.

It’ll be cheaper and easier to park up at Birmingham international and get the train to new street/ grand central. No point trying to drive round town and find parking. It’s a nightmare.

Park at Birmingham international train station. It’s connected to the airport by a monorail. It’s around £12.50 to park all day - way cheaper than the airport car parks. So you can park there until you pick your DS up, and he can come across from the airport (the monorail is free)

parking in the city centre is expensive and a pain.

You can then either hop on the train to New St for the city centre or mooch around Resorts World at the NEC.

Seems a shame to have a day in a city you don’t know and then just go to cinema. It’s a great city to wander round eg art gallery, some quirky museums (eg coffin museum!), view from library, canals. Treasure Trail is a good way to see lots in short time. Backs to Backs interesting if you like social history (and if you like reading has big secondhand bookshop).

The train goes from Birmingham International to New Street so you can park there, train into Birmingham if you like, then go back later and get your son to take the monorail from the airport.

Botanical gardens are nice (just outside of Birmingham and you could have brunch at Boston Tea Party or pub lunch at the Highfield. If you like Italian, Fumo in the city centre is nice (Italian tapas) or Pasture or Gaucho if you like steak. You could go to the Back to Backs (National Trust) if they’re open or there’s a concert at the Symphony Hall if you fancied some classical
music (3pm) or a matinee of a midsummer night’s dream at the Rep. Hope helpful!

As per PP:
Park at Birmingham International
Take train from there to New Street (about £5)
Walk up to Pigeon Park and turn left to go down Colmore Row, keep walking in a straight line to the library/big wheel maybe on to Broad Street and the canal basin
OR turn right and head towards the Jewellery Quarter (you can get the tram but if you’re reasonably fit and healthy I’d walk it)
OR walk round the station towards Digbeth and the Custard Factory
OR up the hill from New Street to the Mailbox
OR head down the hill to where the theatres and the Chinese restaurants are (Ken Ho, thank me later)
Basically remember the following;
There is shitloads to do in Birmingham
The airport is a few miles out of the city (technically in Warwickshire)