If you don't fancy catching the train, then you have the option of getting on a coach. Birmingham…read moreCoach Station is just a five-minute walk from the City Centre and is easily accessible by car and public transport. I have been here whenever I have travelled to Leicester and London. The coaches are regularly on time and I have not had any issues with this place. If you are waiting for your coach, you can always grab a coffee at Starbucks or you can even go to WHS Smith to buy a newspaper/magazine or even some sweets. The one downer is the fact you have to pay to use the toilets. I just find that ridiculous. But there is a toilet on the coach if that is any consolation. From here you can get on coaches that will take you to cities across England, Scotland and Wales. National Express, Ulsterbus and Eurolines are the three operators that operate at this coach station. And I have also found it is a lot cheaper to travel by coach than train. It is not that expensive to travel by coach. The staff here are very friendly and they will answer any questions/queries you have. An excellent station in my view and one I will continue to visit.

The sign that greets you says 'a hundred thousand welcomes'* and on the other side of the coach…read morestation is probably my favourite bit of public art EVER - a big graffiti style mural that reads 'welcome to Digbeth bab'. This is in marked contrast to the welcome you used to receive at Birmingham Coach Station which generally consisted of stumbling around in a dimly lit car-park, narrowly missing being run over by a bus, hassled for money by men who smelt a bit funny and stepping over the pools of vomit outside the Dubliner. I've known loads of people who when they've heard I'm from Birmingham get a funny look in their eye simply because of their experiences of arriving by coach. Anyway it's all changed - the old building was torn down in 2007 and the new building officially reopened in 2009 by (bizarrely) Fabio Capello. It's a different beast all together - the space is light and airy and the signs actually make sense. You can hear the announcements. The toilets are okay. And there's a Starbucks. * In Irish this is "C'ead Mile Failte" so the sign is obviously a nod to the Irish history of the region. Step into any of the pubs round Digbeth and you're likely to see these words over the bar.

As one of the few people I know who can't drive, I have to spend a lot of time on public transport…read more You'd be hard pushed to spend any longer on public transport than if you ever travel the full-length of the 71 route from Sutton to Solihull. Having done this journey many many times, I can tell you that it's a comprehensive guide to every part of North-East Birmingham in between the two points: Castle Vale, Smiths Wood, Kingshurst, Chelmsley Wood, you name it. Once you've twisted and turned around numerous housing estates, the whole experience has lasted around 75 minutes; so make sure you go to the loo before you get on. Despite passing through some of Brum's less-salubrious areas the bus is, in my experience, safe. If you want to travel more quickly between the two points, then you'd be better off either going through the city centre, or changing at Erdington (using the 966). That said, the late night service is looked after by Pete's Travel and, because of the lack of traffic, this service flies between the two places.

Using public transport is a way of life for me at the moment. I've been using public transport for…read morequite a while now so most bus routes I've been on. The 71 is a pleasant bus service, I'd have to let you know though; if you are travelling from Solihull to Sutton Coldfield, you'll be on the bus for quite a while. You just about see every part of the north east part of Birmingham and trust me it's a fantastic site seeing journey. Especially, if you're like me and you want to get some great idyllic views of the city. The 71 is also usually one of those bus services where you won't get unpleasant people playing loud music ans generally making your journey uncomfortable and well.....boring really. All in all, you'll be on the bus from Solihull to Sutton for about an hour and 15 minutes; so you'll need to be prepared for this. Especially if you are travelling to work from one part of the city to another; you'll need to give yourself about 2 hours just in case there is traffic.

The bus is never ontime I'm sick of it I can get all across the west midlands ontime but when I…read morehave to get the 17 I'm stood waiting and waiting omg how hard is it there suppost to run every 6 minuets in the morning something needs to be done you do a 12 hour night shift get ajohnstones bus from reddich ontime then your stood in birmingham till you eventually give in and jump on the x1 aaarrrgghh!!!

I know the 17 bus route off by heart I've used it that much; and unfortunately, it's not a pleasant…read moreroute to know so well. It's one of the very very few buses that I can actually catch to town, and out of that few, it's the most reliable (and that's saying something, seriously!) If you need to get somewhere quickly, I honestly suggest planning your journey an hour in advance, because it's more than likely that this bus service will unpredictably be delayed severely. I don't think it has ever got me into town on time, and if it says '5mins' on the screen, don't build your hopes up, because it'll probably shoot up to a 10 minute wait, and the a 20, and who knows, maybe even a 30! The service is meant to be roughly every 8 minutes during the day, and then after 6pm, the bus turns up ever half an hour. I don't know who decided this schedule, but if they see the amount of people that use the single decker 17 everyday, they'd have a shock. And of course, as soon as the bus is full, it'll miss stops out, making pedestrians even angrier. But to be honest, you don't want to be squashed on this bus, which always gets gridlocked in Small Heath and Digbeth; Then you have to wait for them to swap bus drivers just before you get into the city! I'd avoid this bus route if you can afford to, it might be better to get a bus to Acocks Green and get the 37; there's tonnes of those, you'll be in the city centre before you know it!

It may seem a little strange to review a bus route, but this is my most used bus route in…read moreBirmingham. This route runs from the Bullring to Moseley and Kings Heath (and beyond, but I don't travel "beyond") and is incredibly regular. Travel West Midlands fares have increased somewhat since I first moved to Birmingham, but a single is now £2.20 or a daysaver (unlimited bus services) £4.20. The service runs as often as every 6 minutes (and is hardly ever empty in my experience) and actually runs for 24 hours. After 11pm or midnight, it reduces to every 1 hour. You can check the timetable online, via their app or at the stop itself (it has a electronic display which lets you know when the bus is due). To get from the Bullring to Moseley, it takes around 10 - 12 minutes (Kings Heath, around 15). The buses have always been pretty clean when I've used them. As this is a popular route, they tend to update the fleet fairly regularly and keep them all in top order. I've never had a problem with the bus breaking down mid-route (a sight which is fairly familiar on the Birmingham network). Again, I don't use the buses very often - but I will always catch the number 50 when I'm planning on having an evening out in Moseley or Kings Heath. With it's late service, it's reliable and an easy (and cheaper) way to get around.

The 50 is a legend in Birmingham…read more I don't mean the type of legend you describe your mate as when he manages to drink 12 pints and a double curry without being hospitalised. It is the "Most Regular" bus service in Europe which when you are standing waiting for one in horrible traffic seems unlikely. But during the day there is pretty much one at the Birmingham City Centre terminus by Selfridges almost non-stop. It's a legend because of the people and they are amazing. There might be someone preaching one minute someone singing another, You get spoken to by the public no matter how much you want them to leave you alone. 2014 saw it become a 24 hour service with hourly busses in the night. It hadn't had a proper night service in years, if ever. Tip: Don't sit by anyone :-)

I was passing last weekend and notice people were leaving and entering this building…read more Well, because I am a nosey sort I went in. What I found was a wonder exhibition showcasing the history of Curzon Street Station. There is years of history behind those walls, each room had a display of photographs complete with information about part of Birmingham's past, the people involved in making Curzon St station tick at the time and plans for the future. If you can make it, go and have a look Try and leave a donation too .

Completed in 1839 Curzon Street Station is the oldest surviving railway terminus in the world that…read moreis still in its original location and is a grade 1 listed building. It rather dominates the landscape around Millennium Point and whilst it was a functioning station up until the 1960s, it has remained pretty much vacant in recent years. Thankfully unlike other buildings in the area - including a couple of old pubs - it looks in pretty good repair and is still currently owned by the Council. It's possible that with the advent of High Speed 2 that the station may be restored or incorporated in much the same, sympathetic way as Moor Street (which is just down the road). Either way this is a nice building to admire - perhaps as you navigate the (infinitely less attractive looking) road system nearby.

Not strictly a business, the number 11 bus service is however, the stuff of legend (or nightmares…read moredepending on your most recent journey). Covering a 26 mile anti-clockwise/clockwise circumference and reputedly the longest bus route in the world, mention the words 'number 11' to anyone from Birmingham and they will know what you mean. They may shudder as you say it but they will definitely know what you mean. Moaning aside, it is actually a really useful bus to take - encompassing most of the major suburbs and tourist destinations in the city. Harborne, Kings Heath and Bearwood are served by it. It has inspired calendars, t-shirts and even a 3 hour long DVD. Bands have been formed on the number 11 (Dexy's Midnight Runners allegedly) and according to family folklore my great Uncle proposed to my great Aunty on the top deck of an 11C heading to Handsworth (via Selly Oak). My relationship with the number 11, like I suspect many people is very much a love/hate thing. I've had some truly bizarre experiences travelling to work in it which I couldn't possibly list here but it also something of an institution and if you're stuck for something to do, fancy sitting on a packed bus for 3 hours and seeing parts of Birmingham you never knew existed and don't think 'hell is other people' then I guess there are worse things to spend your £1.90* on. *£1.90 = actual price of a single bus ticket at time going to press.

I used to be a massive fan of the bus service offered in Birmingham, until I became too old for a…read morebus pass and had to pay each and every time I used it. I joined a gym on Broad Street, for £17.99 a month, a reasonable price, turning down others near by which cost £30-£35 a month. Oh, what a mistake. Costing me practically £4 on the bus, with the price rising to £1.90 each way, the monthly cost began to cost me a lot more than I originally anticipated. Needless to say I left that gym after a few months, with not only the ridiculous price disappointing, but also the dreadful time keeping that these bus drivers seem to have. I understand that it may not, well it probably isn't the their fault, but regardless, I am not a fan.

The 66 bus is the worst bus I have ever come across. It is always late, and forget about the…read moretimetable; you have to just wait at the bus stop and just pray that one even shows up. On a consistent basis, I have had to wait for over an hour for a 66 bus, and they sometimes just skip entire bus time tables. And if a StarCity 66 bus turns up when you need to get to Erdington, you just have to let it pass and wait even longer for the Sutton Coldfield 66. And now, for some reason, the 66 to Sutton between 8:40 and 10:00 has stopped showing up completely, and I now have to walk from Nechells to Aston to catch the 65. Why am I having to walk if I am paying in advance for a service that is not being delivered? I hate the 66 bus.

This bus can be boarded on from the bus shelter thats in Queensway Priory Square besides Bannatynes…read moreswimming pool or opposite Argos there. You can catch this bus to take you to Star City which will stop right outside the place. Unfortunately these buses do not operate on sundays. Other downside is that some of the drivers of this bus can be really grumpy as i have experienced who are not so helpful in repeating twice in what they have said if you wanted to get a confirmation of what you just heard about getting directions to a place.