Leicester to Birmingham bus with National Express

Leicester to Birmingham coach

A minimum of 9 Leicester to Birmingham coaches make the trip each day (including weekends) along the 33 mile (55 km) route between the cities in the UK Midlands. Regular service begins each day just before dawn and ends in the late evening hours, with limited night service. You should expect the quickest trips to take just over 1 hour, while the slowest ones take nearly 2 hours from origin to destination. One provider is responsible for all journeys by bus from Leicester to Birmingham.

Leicester to Birmingham bus time: Daily Departures

The bus Leicester to Birmingham departs nine times Monday to Sunday for an aggregate of 63 trips per week. The first departure from Leicester occurs at 5:30 a.m. and the last coach (night bus) leaves for Birmingham around 11:30 p.m.. Daily service is intermittent due to several interruptions, most significantly between 5:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.. For a complete listing of the bus schedule from Leicester to Birmingham, simply select your preferred departure date on our Omio website and then press 'See all buses' at the bottom of the section.

How long is the journey by bus from Leicester to Birmingham?

Passengers should anticipate the journey time for Leicester to Birmingham coaches to range from about 1h 05min for the quickest trips to approximately, 1h 50min for the slowest ones. You should also know that all trips on this route run express from one location in Leicester to one location in Birmingham with no connections or transfers required en-route.

Leicester: View of the Town Hall. Source: Shutterstock

Where does the bus depart in Leicester and arrive in Birmingham?

If you’re travelling by bus to Birmingham from Leicester, your departure point is St. Margaret’s Bus Station which is located about 3 minutes by car, roughly, 5 minutes via public transport and around 10 minutes on foot from Leicester City Centre. Departing passengers can locate facilities at this terminal including toilets, newsagents, waiting room, refreshments facilities and Information Kiosk. All coaches from the central bus terminal in Leicester are scheduled to arrive at Birmingham Coach Station.

What are the bus stops when arriving to Birmingham?

Leicester to Birmingham coach trips via National Express are direct journeys from origin to destination. Therefore, you should expect no stops, connections or transfers en-route.

What to see between Leicester and Birmingham

The route for Leicester to Birmingham coach service travels past Van Gogh, The Immersive Experience exhibition, and across River Soar in a south-westerly direction via Western Park and Braunstone Park to Leicester Forest East. From there, the route travels past Leicester Forest Rugby Football Club and Oldbury Town, through Blythe End and across River Blythe, heading towards Birmingham Wheels Park. The route continues heading southwest across canals and River Rea, passing South & City College Birmingham, Digbeth Campus on final approach to Birmingham Coach Station.

Information on Birmingham Coach Station

All services on the Leicester to Birmingham coach route terminates at Birmingham Coach Station which is located approximately, 8 minutes by car, at least 6 minutes,depending on public transport means, and about 20 minutes by foot from the city centre. Arriving passengers on the bus from Leicester to Birmingham Coach Station can find a few essential services and facilities including ticketing office, ticket machines, cash-point machines, toilets, refreshments facilities, waiting room and photo booth. This facility is within walking distance to Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham New Street railway stations where you can get local bus, railway and metro links for onward travel.

Which providers are offering the journey from Leicester to Birmingham?

National Expressis the largest provider of intercity and regional bus/coach service in the UK and has its corporate headquarters at Birmingham Coach Station. It is the sole provider of bus Leicester Birmingham with at least 9 departures each day or 63 trips per week. National Express coaches offer intermittent daily service with one night bus each day. Departures from Leicester can take as little as 1h 5min to Birmingham while others leaving St. Margaret’s Bus Station require almost 2 hours to complete the trip. All National Express bus Leicester to Birmingham travel direct without connections, stops or transfers.

Buses Leicester to Birmingham: Sustainability Travel

Transport by bus and train is already the most sustainable form of mass transport and National Express has ambitious aims to maintain this advantage. Taking a page from the COP26 climate change summit, the company has set targets to have a complete fleet of zero carbon emissions coaches by the year 2035, a full 15 years ahead of the UK national deadline. Along the way, updates to the entire fleet of vehicles continues to increase energy efficiencies, lowering their carbon footprint upon the environment, thus making coach travel safer and more enjoyable for the general public.

Bus Leicester to Birmingham: Services on Board

National Express offers customers 3 fare classes - Fully Flexible, Standard and Restricted – for travel on bus Leicester - Birmingham. Electronic tickets are approved for use and you should carry at least 1 form of picture ID with you onboard the coach in Leicester. Passengers can enjoy reclining seats with arm rests, foot rests and increased legroom in addition to charging points for electronic devices, overhead lighting, temperature control system and free Wi-Fi. Toilets with accessible features are available, but there are no refreshments served on this route. All National Express coaches feature CCTV for your security and safety. Additional onboard policies are:

• There is a luggage allowance of 2 suitcases each weighing 20 kg (45 lbs) and 1 hand luggage are permitted per customer. These can be stored in overhead bins, under the seat or in the cargo hold.
• Most National Express coaches are wheelchair accessible and priority seating is available for persons with reduced mobility. Assistance animals are welcomed aboard. If you require further assistance planning your journey please can contact the National Express Assisted Travel helpline at 03717 81 81 81.
• Unfortunately, family pets are not permitted to travel with you aboard National Express coaches.
• Customers are permitted to travel with folding bicycles in appropriate carry bags, but space is limited therefore you should secure a bike reservation in advance at time of booking.
• Specific seating assignments may be requested at the time of booking your tickets otherwise general admission applies.

When to book your tickets from Leicester to Birmingham?

There are a few ways you can save money on bus tickets from Leicester to Birmingham. One of them is by booking your travel plans at least a month or more in advance to take advantage of the lowest possible fares. Off-peak travel, including early morning/late night departures, is generally less expensive that busier times of the day and should be considered as another cost-saving measure. You might also locate cheap bus tickets from Leicester to Birmingham for young children, students, seniors and persons with reduced mobility as well as for families and groups which can also save you some cash. Browse your provider’s website for weekender specials on Leicester to Birmingham bus prices and other promotions, as well as discounted rates for business and frequent travellers for some additional ways to lower your overall travel expenses.

To Birmingham by bus — travel tips

Birmingham boasts a rich and diverse culture with an active populace who drive its energy and dynamism. The city blossomed during the Industrial Revolution to become one of the most important in the country and today Birmingham ranks as the Second City of England. Many important remnants of this glorious past can still be found in the city. For example, the Back to Back Houses offer a sobering view of working class housing in the Victorian era. Country Living Museum is an excellent reconstruction of a mining town which offers an in-depth and informative understanding of the people who became the backbone of the mining and heavy industries that fuelled the city’s economic boom. The museum is located in Dudley, about 9 miles from Central Birmingham and we highly recommend you spend some time there.

Getting around the city and its greater metropolitan area is easy thanks to its comprehensive public transport network. If you pick up a Swift Card at the airport, it gives you access to bus, tram, metro and rail services. Three major railway terminals are located in the centre and all provide local transport links across the city and beyond. Did you know that Birmingham actually boasts more canals than Venice? Well, it does and the regeneration of its extensive canal system and its pleasure boat business has over time become one of the city’s premier tourist attractions.

There are several key attractions in the city centre which should make your to do list. The magnificence of Selfridges Building is known far and wide and many flock just to gaze at this iconic structure. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Symphony Hall are part of the Birmingham Town Hall complex and within walking distance of St. Philip’s Cathedral. Meanwhile, you’ll have to cross town to locate Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum on the Birmingham City University campus grounds. The architectural splendour and sheer size of Library of Birmingham puts it high on the list of key landmarks and Herbert Art Gallery and Museum also gets very high marks.

Sport is huge in Birmingham and it has several professional/semi-professional franchises including Aston Villa F.C and Birmingham City, F.C. Warwickshire County Cricket Club is hallowed ground, but golf, tennis, rugby and athletics are other key sports with high entertainment value. Birmingham’s cultural calendar meanwhile offers the spectacle of Birmingham Pride, the costumes and festive music connected to Birmingham International Carnival and the gallantry on display at Birmingham Tattoo. The music scene is another vibrant part of Birmingham life with major entertainment venues such as O2 Academy and O2 Institute and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

On the train from Leicester you can browse through Window Seat Magazine Birmingham Editionwhich offers loads of tips and information regarding choice places to enjoy the city’s cuisine, nightlife and other activities. Afterwards, you can see if any of these other suggestions make your list:

• Barber Institute of Fine Arts
• Museum of the Jewish Quarter
• Chinese Quarter
• National Sea Life Centre
• Resorts World Birmingham
• St. Chad’s Cathedral
• Victoria Law Courts
• Aston Hall

Birmingham: View of the famous Cube behind brick buildings. Source: Shutterstock

What are some other cities you can go to from Birmingham?

When you plan your trip from Leicester to Birmingham, gives yourself a few extra days to visit some other exciting cities around the UK. The capital Londonis one of the most famous cities in the world and home to a plethora of fabulous attractions including Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and iconic London Bridge. About 150 miles west of London, Cardiff is the largest city in Wales and offers the allure of Medieval Cardiff Castle, National Museum of Cardiff and St. Fagan's National Museum of History for a breath-taking sightseeing tour. If you prefer, take a roadtrip north first to Newcastle-upon-Tynewhere you can roam Discovery Museum and Newcastle Castle before unlocking the secrets of Victoria Tunnels. Approx. 150 miles north of Newcastle, Glasgowis a major cultural centre in Scotland with a few architectural wonders like Glasgow Tower, Clyde Arc Bridge and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Taking the Bus from Leicester

Leicester Coach Station is conveniently situated right in the centre of Leicester on Gravel Street at St Margarets Bus Station. This transport hub is just a short walk away from Leicester’s main shopping area. There are many bus routes that operate around the outskirts of the city that travel to the bus station, providing easy ways to transfer to the coach station. The coach station is also just a five-minute​ walk across the city from Leicester Railway Station, so it is easy to reach the coach station by taking a train.

Getting into Birmingham by Bus

Birmingham is one of England’s largest cities and has been recently developed to become an exciting destination for shopping, entertainment and nightlife. Travellers arriving by bus from Leicester must disembark at Birmingham Coach Station located on Mill Lane in Digbeth. The coach station is a short walk from the Bullring Shopping Centre and New Street Station by walking along Digbeth High Street. There is also a taxi rank situated on Mill Lane, so taxis are readily available to transport visitors into the main shopping area or to New Street Station.