Berkswell TTrain station is located on the west coast mainline between Birmingham internation and…read moreCoventry. The station serves the small towns around th station, with berkswell being the closest to the station. London midland run the station, and serve the station with 2 to 3 services an hour to Coventry, and Birmingham Stations. They are served with electric trains, and stop at most ofhe local stations between birmingham new street and coventry. All other services on the west coast mainline from cross country trains and virgin pendilino do not stop here, and pass through at high speed. Berkswell station as with some other local stations have seen there platform increased in size to cope with parger trains if nessesary, as there are plans for london midland to enhance rail services. london midland offer connections to other stations in the west midlands at birmingham new street, and coventry to the london area.

Okay, while this station doesn't have any lockers, it turns out that if you look around a bit you…read moremight find some other place that will store your bags. However, it doesn't help when the station isn't all that close to the centre of town. However, this station was still rather nice, and a little touristy as well. Yeah, it was cool.

Occasionally, I happen across some ne'er-do-well chuntering on about Stratford-upon-Avon being a…read more"one-Horse town." "Well kind sir," I respond, "if Stratford-upon-Avon is indeed a 'one-horse town,' that horse is bloody Secretariat." To be or not to be ... that is NOT the question. To be here a few hours or to stay the night, THAT is the question. I have "long weekended" in Stratford, and 3 days was a bit much, even for this two-degreed English major. I've also "day toured" on a motor coach starting the day in London ... they gave us about 2 hours in Stratford betwixt Warwick Castle and Oxford, and that was not enough. The third proverbial bowl of porridge was driving in: Two days, one night ... just right! Yes, indeed, SuA is the town where William Shakespeare spent most of his life. His memory oozes from every pore of the town ... as, indeed, it should. Not only is it the epicenter of his life, but other Shakespeare meccas like London have too many literary (and historical) distractions ... its dribs and drabs (albeit great dribs and drabs) of Shakespeare are scattered around while Stratford is door-to-door, all Shakespeare, all the time. Well, that's not totally true. Stratford's Church of the Holy Trinity is a beauty inside and out. And if you happen across it when the 170ish-year-old "Great Organ" is being piped by Benedict Wilson, you're in for a treat. Then there's Anne Hathaway's cottage (not the actress), a beautiful 15th-Century house with an amazing cottage garden. But, then again, the church was where Shakespeare was baptized and has the chancel and sanctuary where The Bard is buried. And Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare's wife. As someone who has been to the town as a child (10 years old) and an adult (mind-your-own-business years old), I must say, SuA is WAY MORE family friendly than in the days of yore. The Stratford Butterfly Farm came in 1985 and has developed into a kid's (and lepidopterist's) paradise. Started in 2012, the MAD (Mechanical Art & Design) Museum is replete with mechanical do-dads and whirligigs, buttons that are encouraged to be pressed, flickering lasers, and rolling-ball machines. Both the Farm and MAD are kids' paradises. Most people are so Shakespeare-stuck they miss a golden opportunity to take advantage of the River Avon ... I mean, the town is called Stratford-UPON-AVON for a reason. Whether just taking an amble down its lovely towpath, you end up rolling on the river (I recommend taking a tour from Canal River), or hire a rower for a view hour, River Avon is a beauty. You'll likely find yourself strolling down Henley Street during your time in SuA: Great atmosphere, great bustle, great cafes along the way. Also of note is The Jester Statue: A relatively new addition (1994), this bronze beauty is Touchstone from The Twelfth Night. I've actually Yelp-reviewed this statue, so either enjoy or roll your eyes. And now to the two biggies: Shakespeare's Birthplace and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Staying the night really lets you drink in Shakespeare's Birthplace ... not only see everything inside, but also to enjoying the performers out in the courtyard who actually take requests. And the intellectuals who always seem to be milling about request Timon of Athens or Cymbeline when most people want a little R&J or Hamlet. But I digress: The young thespians are awesome ... and game for whipping out any Shakespeare the audience so desires. Speaking of performance, the biggest reason to stay at least one night is so you can see a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre by the RSC. There's always a Shakespeare play going on, but I HIGHLY recommend planning in advance so you can see what will be on when you're there. As well, there are a lot of contemporary plays, musical, and other performances worth considering at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. I have broken the covenant of two great Shakespeare quotes: "Brevity is the soul of wit" and "Men of few words are the best men." But with a town this great, how can I not write on ... and on ... and on?

Sat waiting for my daughter's train to arrive. The ticket office is closed, toilets are closed and…read moreI've just watched 3 people try to use the ticket machine but it wasn't working properly so they gave up and left the station. Given this experience I'll give 2 stars. I've been before and found the office unattended due to staff being elsewhere.

Today I met wonderful Rubi who was so so kind to me!!! What…read morea fabulous member of staff at Coventry train Station. Her kindness and support was above and beyond!!!! Thankyou so much again Rubi.

It's as though they didn't realise any travelling individuals would need pickup or dropping off…read more Total mess of no waiting zones to drive in and get passengers here, despite the fact trains are frequently late. Very very poorly designed with reality clearly not a priority. Oodles of wasted and ineffective space. Clowns that designed this should try actually using it. Don't get me started on the new carparks Road exit... they had one job

Birmingham International Railway Station is a pretty cool station, considering it isn't…read moreBirmingham's main station, infact it is around a 10-15 minute journey into the city centre (New Street), with this station serving the NEC and Airport, it is in the Solihull borough of the city and should not be confused with New Street (Some of the photos on Yelp appear to be from Birmingham New Street). The station is managed by Avanti West Coast, with five platforms, as far as I'm aware all services call via Birmingham New Street however services also go to major cities such as Manchester, Bournemouth, London, Glasgow and Reading with services provided by Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains. The station seemed pretty clean, it is easy to get around the station and access the AirTrain which takes you directly to the Airport, and the walkway which takes you to the NEC and Resorts World. You can continue your journey via the many bus routes which stop right outside, or the Airtrain. There is also a small WHSmith and Subway before the ticket gates which is handy. The staff at the station are friendly and happy to call out, and I look forward to using this station again, it might not be as glamorous as St Pancras / Birmingham New Street but certainly does the job. 4*

A dated train station that could do with an upgrade. Good service to the city centre.read more

The Northern end of the Severn Valley Railway nestles below castle hill with its tilting Castle…read moretower keep which leans further than the Tower of Pisa all as a consequence of Cromwell forces not using sufficient gunpowder trying to blow it up . The station itself is a bustling terminus of the steam railway taking you back to the heyday of steam trains . It hosts a great pub serving lovely real ales a great place to relax on a cold winters day with its open fires . There's the engine maintenance sheds to see too on special events .

Decent train station that serves Leamington town centre well. It is about 10mins walk from the…read morecentre of town. There is a cafe and waiting area on platform 2 which is handy for getting a refreshment or some reading material. There are always plenty of staff around and I have never found the ticket office closed. There is a paid car park directly outside the station however this does get full up. The taxi rank is also conveniently opposite the entrance of the station.

Easy access from the town, but parking isnt great. Hardly any spaces. Although you can park on…read moresurrounding roads. Station seems to be constantly under construction but with little visible impovement. There is a cafe on one platform with a limited selection of cakes.

As Hannah noted before me this is a weird railway station. I would add the word desolate! Weird…read morebecause it is on multiple levels making it very customer unfriendly if (like me today) you are laden with a heavy suitcase from airline travel to London. No staff to guide you so I could have made a connection but no idea if it was the right train. And it was I discovered just too late - oh well next one in 25 minutes.

On the train as I make this, it's fairly quite and seems to be quick, train wait isn't too long.read more

Tile Hill train station is located on the west coast mainline between birmingham and coventry…read more London midland operate local stopping services to london euston, coventry, northampton, birmingham international, and birmingham new street. London midland operate around 3 services per hour in either direction, and also operate the station, and the car park, which allows commuters to park and take the train into the large city centres. this is cheaper and eases congestion. Tile hill serves small villages located in the local area, and provides a direct link to the west midlands large cities with frequent services. Tile hill has had a platform extension which is now in operation to allow larger trains to stop. crosscountry and virgin pendolino do not stop here.

Very friendly. Can be sarcastic if you like that sort of thing. The old guy that worked there was…read morereally nice but he was beaten up when youths broke in and waited for him in the disabled loo. Tile Hill scum! Were not all like that.