Birmingham/Nottingham uni Open Days-where to park? Friday or Saturday best?!

[fedup21]

DD is looking at visiting both Nottingham and Birmingham University in a couple of weeks-both open days are Friday and Saturday. Birmingham warns that parking will be difficult .

Does anyone know the areas and know where we can park? Would it be better to do Birmingham on the Friday-will the city be busier on Saturday!? Is parking any better at Nottingham!?

Any recommendations for a travel lodge overnight between the two?!

It’s all a bit scary!!

Try the Just Park website (or app) for parking - I’ve alteady booked a space about 10 minutes walk from the uni for the September open day. We’ve used the site for parking in other towns and it’s always worked well. If your plans change you can cancel the space up until the booking time I think.

For Birmingham we usually park in the university owned multi storey carpark on Pritchatts Road. It's usually free at the weekend, but it's always worth double-checking that on the day. It's then a very quick walk across the road to the campus. Sometimes The King Edward School opens it's playing fields for parking. That involves a slightly longer walk to campus but not too far. Hope your DD enjoys her day. DS just finishing his 2nd year and loves it!

Used to have to take Dd to the QE right next to Birmingham Uni & we always used the train.

For Nottingham, park at the very end of the tram line (Toton I think it is) and go into town from there. It's only about £5 a day for unlimited travel

IIRC for Birmingham we reserved a parking pass when we booked the open day - I'm assuming you didn't do that or they are all gone?

Birmingham - take train if possible, or park at or near the NEC / airport and take a train to the centre.

Nottingham - best to take train, but if not possible get there really, really early and try one of the NCPs in the city centre. If tricky go to Beeston and take a train in - but last resort.

Don't know Nottingham but Birmingham (as a City) won't be quieter and the University site will be busier on a Friday than on a Saturday, from all the folk that work there, and at the hospitals, on weekdays only.
Parking is tight from all the folk that work there, tbh, before visitors. They do commandeer some parking on the playing fields owned by the King Edward schools but I doubt if there is enough for everyone visiting.
The University Station is literally on the University campus, and trains on the cross city line are pretty frequent, if you can contemplate coming by train, or if you wanted to park at one of the station car parks on the cross city line (you've got no chance doing that on a weekday, but might be able to on a Saturday)

teddybear you can walk from Beeston to University campus!! The end of the tram line is set up as a park & ride and far far cheaper than a day’s parking in city centre which is actually quite far away from UoN (but handy for NTU)

I live near Birmingham uni and would recommend coming on the Saturday if you can manage it. That way you should be able to park for free in (or near) the Selly Oak Park and ride station and just jump on the train for one stop to the university.

BackforGood, makes a good point about parking at a station and getting a train direct onto campus. Selly Oak station parking doesn't usually look too busy when we visit our son at his student house.

I think we were typing at the same time, ToftheB. 😁

Parking was very well organised at Nottingham last year. Every green open space was utilised to park cars and there were lots of people directing us where to park. Birmingham has its own station on the campus so we drove to a nearby station, parked there and hopped on the train to the university. Very easy.

For Nottingham, park at Toton tram station and get the tram. It goes to the university.

Just letting you know that Longbridge Station has no parking at the moment, whilst they build a multi storey, and I walked through Northfield Station at 7.30 this morning and the car park was full, so if doing that I'd recommend the Sat, over a weekday.

Cross post with everyone else who said tram to Nottingham!

You are all brilliant-thank you!

We will aim to do Nottingham on the Friday and then over to Birmingham on the Saturday.

IIRC for Birmingham we reserved a parking pass when we booked the open day - I'm assuming you didn't do that or they are all gone?

We haven’t booked yet as we hadn’t decided where to go on which day, but will see if they’ll let us book a pass!

And finally-any recommendations for Premier Inn/Travel Lodge type hotels near Birmingham. Maybe not in the city centre itself as they tend not to have parking but near the university?

I always stay at Premier Inn New Street but I’m usually on the train or I park on the red cage Town Hall) multi storey.

Never stayed there myself but the Hagley Road Premier is popular with Elmhurst auditionees.

I third the park and ride tram for Nottingham. The one nearest the M1. It was really easy.

There's a Premier Inn at Rubery (Great Park) which is on the right side of the City and you could get a number 63 bus in to the University without too much difficulty. Never stayed there, but in terms of location it would work.

There's a travel Lodge at Broadway Plaza, which is just one stop on the train (Five Ways) from the University, but I can't see that it has parking which therefore wouldn't be helpful but you could ring and ask - they might have an arrangement with a local car park. That is right on the edge of Broad Street, which is where most of the night clubs are in Birmingham, but walk a mile or so down to the other end and you are in the City Centre, which she might like to look at.

Derby is half way between Nottingham and Brum (ish) - might be easier to get somewhere there (unless THEY are having an open day too!)

Morley Hayes hotel near Nottingham is lovely but not travelodge prices!

Seconding staying in Derby - you can also get the red arrow bus from Derby city centre to Nottingham for about £5 return and it stops right by the Queen's Medical Centre/University. Then you can drive over to Birmingham on day 2 - it's not too far at all.

I did several open days to Nottingham with mine and we just parked on campus. They opened up a huge field for parking, there was ample space and it was well organised.

Nottingham let everyone park on the Meadows on campus. V well organised and right next to halls

For Nottingham definitely park and ride on the tram. It is free parking you just buy a tram ticket before boarding. The best one to use will depend upon where you are coming from. Toton Lane park and ride is by junction 25 of the M1 and Phoenix Park is near junction 26. It will be just under half an hour on the tram from Toton Lane to University of Nottingham a bit over half an hour from Phoenix Park. You can also use the tram to explore the city centre.

But you can park right on campus which is much easier 😁. The Meadows holds a lot of cars ! Nice walk up the hill to the Depts and can have a good old nose round the lake and gardens on way back. And visit every hall of residence like we did. Comfy shoes a must.