Are you bored of living in your student accommodation in Birmingham? We know studying abroad is not only about academics but beyond that, isn’t it? While you spend your time juggling between classes, assignments, and part-time jobs, it is also important to live a little. Student life gives you the perfect opportunity to explore and experience things in a budget-friendly way.
Living in Birmingham is beyond textbooks. Being in the most diverse city in the UK, you get an opportunity to experience rich history, cultural mix and lively social scenes. Students, especially international students, can easily enjoy everything on a budget. Fortunately, Birmingham offers a wide array of travel options that are easy on the wallet for students. Our blog revolves around the best budget-friendly travel options for students in Birmingham. Let’s explore and find many cost-effective ways to discover the city without overspending.
Top Budget-Friendly Travel Options from Student Accommodation in Birmingham
While you experience half of your student life juggling between classrooms and student housing, why not do it on budget? Here are some of the best budget-friendly travel options you can opt to be easy on your student wallet.
Public Transportation
Traveling through public transportation is one of the top choices among students. Birmingham offers plenty of options in public transportation, starting from buses to trains. The West Midlands Network is an integrated transport system which includes trams, trains and buses. Spanning across the city, you can travel to any corner with a Swift card in your wallet.
International students can enjoy hassle-free travel at discounted rates through swift cards. You can load the card weekly, monthly or term passes. If you are an occasional rider, you can also opt for the pay-as-you-go option.
Besides this, there is the NXBus service that offers discounts for students. Further, trams are another great option to travel like a local with similar fares as buses. If you are coming to Birmingham for the first time, explore the city through Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours. You can get discounted tickets to dive into the city’s history and social scenes.
Walk Around Birmingham and Burn Some Calories
There is a saying that nothing beats walking. Another budget-friendly travel option in Birmingham is walking. The city is designed in a manner to offer you a compact and walkable path. In short, you can take a walk from your student apartments and explore plenty of attractions, cafes and shops. This also allows you to gain a unique perspective and better ways to explore the city’s hidden gems.
Birmingham also promotes walking tours with local guides who share everything about the city, art and culture. Some of the most popular areas for walking tours are:
- Digbeth Street Art
- Jewelry Quarter and more.
You can also download self-guided tour applications and digital maps to explore every neighborhood, vibrant street, etc at your convenience.
Bike Around the City
If you are a fitness fanatic, Birmingham is the ideal city for you. Offering great paths and amazing weather, you can explore the city on a cycle. One of the most eco-friendly and budget-friendly ways is to cycle around the city. Over the years, the Birmingham Cycle Revolution has added multiple cycling lanes. There are many bike sharing options through which you can also rent a bike for as little as £5. You can even invest in second-hand bikes and some shops offer discounts on new & used bikes.
Carpooling and Ride Sharing
If you are someone who prefers cars over public transportation but traveling every day by car can be expensive. Birmingham has multiple ride-sharing applications like Liftshare, BlaBlaCar, etc through which you can travel on budget. Many universities also offer carpooling programs, connecting students heading in the same direction. As a result, carpooling can save significant costs and offer an opportunity to meet new people.
Tips and Tricks to Travel on Student Budget
Traveling between university and student accommodation every day is a monotonous task. Plus, Birmingham’s transport network may seem like too much but it is not. You can easily explore the city through cycles, buses, tramps or trains. Either hop on a bus near your student apartments or travel intercity by buses, there are many options available.
Some of the tips and tricks to travel on a budget include:
- Download public transport applications: With public transportation applications, you can track bus routes and navigate the whole system effectively.
- Get the Travel Pass: To make things convenient for students, you can get a travel pass for everyday travel. This way you can save money and travel without carrying coins.
- Know Your Surroundings: There is no harm in asking around. Always make sure to stay aware of your surroundings. Be alert about the place and your belongings while traveling on public transportation.
- Follow the Basic etiquette: Always be aware of the rules of traveling through public transportation. It is important to be aware of local rules and etiquette while traveling. For example, there’s always a queue for buses & trains, etc.
- Talk to Locals: With public transportation applications, you can certainly know which bus or train to take. But you should not rely on applications fully. Talk and engage with locals to know more about the city. Additionally, you can get assistance from your student accommodation to know about the system.
- Explore Student Discounts and Deals: Busses, trains and tramps offer great discounts and deals for students. If you are an international student, always make sure to take advantage of these deals to travel on a budget.
Student life in Birmingham offers endless opportunities to explore the city on a budget. Whether you rent a cycle or explore transportation networks, there’s a way to travel around the city. By knowing the best ways to get around the city, make the best use of it. So, leave your student accommodation and get out to explore Birmingham!
