Tips for travelling to BCU for an open day
Travelling to BCU from another city for an Open or other event? We've pulled together some tips for the cheapest ways to get to Birmingham from other cities.
Travelling to Birmingham by coach
One of the cheapest ways to travel to Birmingham from other cities is by coach. If you’re coming for an Open Day, this could be a great way to do it on a budget. You can get a whopping 30% off your ticket price when you travel to a BCU Open Day on a National Express coach.
Megabus offer brilliant deals on travel between UK cities. You can get a Megabus coach ticket from London to Birmingham for around £5. You can also get 10% off tickets with a TOTUM card.
Travelling to Birmingham by train
Lots of discounts are available with a Railcard, including a 16-17 Saver which gets you 50% discount on most tickets. These cost £30 for a year, but if you’re planning on travelling to a lot of Open Days by train, the investment will definitely be worth it.
Train tickets are normally cheaper the earlier you get them, so plan your visit at least a month in advance and book ahead. You can often save money on train tickets by using split ticketing (if you buy through Trainline this is called Split Save). You’ll take the same journey, but it might be cheaper to have multiple tickets, for example a ticket from London to Nuneaton then Nuneaton to Birmingham. You can turn this option on in the Trainline app or use a website like Split Ticketing.
Car sharing
If you know other people who are planning to visit the same open day as you, why not share a car and split the cost of the petrol?
Inter-Campus Travel
Travelling between the City Centre and City South Campuses is a lot easier than you may think. Taking the bus or cycling can actually be quicker than driving, due to congestion, roadworks and finding time to park. See the options on our Inter-Campus Travel page.
Discounts and benefits
Student bus and metro passes
See the options for four week, monthly or one term bus and metro passes on the NX bus website. Alternatively, download the mTicket app to get a four-week student bus pass.
Bus portal
BCU students can access the online student travel portal, where you can easily plan your journey and book tickets at student rates.
Railcards
You can get 1/3 off rail fares to travel across Britain with the 16-25 railcard or 26-30 railcard, both costing just £30 for a year.
West Midlands Railway Termly Student Season Tickets
Students can get up to 50% off travel to school, college or university when buying a termly season ticket. This is great if you're travelling by train most days on a regular route. Check the West Midlands Railway website for the latest details.
Sustainable travel
As a university we are committed to encouraging the use of sustainable transport, which can make a huge difference to the environment, boost your health, and save you money.
Our interactive map provides environmental interest points across our campuses, including cycle parking locations, shower and locker locations, water fountains, bus stops, electric vehicle charging points and more.
Clean Air Zone
Birmingham City Centre is now a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), and high polluting vehicles are charged to enter. This affect those driving to City Centre Campus, the School of Art and School of Jewellery. Further information is available on the dedicated Birmingham City University CAZ page.
