Birmingham by night

- Digbeth, Coach Station, Central Backpackers Hostel, Bullring, Birmingham Airport

Birmingham looks nice after dark, the futuristic Selfridges store is illuminated in blue for example, and the cathedral, other historical buildings and some skyscrapers are also illuminated. The pedestrian street, and the buildings and bridges along the canal are also nicely illuminated after dark. Birmingham has a vibrant night life with pubs, nightclubs, rock and metal bars.

I only walked out briefly from the hostel in the Digbeth area, just south of the Bullring, to buy food and took some photos. Keep in mind that it can be dangerous to walk on the streets of Birmingham after dark, it is far from one of the safest cities in the UK.

Birmingham Central Backpackers Hostel. I stayed one night in a shared room in this small hostel, less then 10 min walk from the city centre. The area is a bit shady after dark, filled with industrial buildngs and the place is not easy to find, so you have to be careful if you arrive after dark like I did! The interior was amazing, very cozy and colourful with really hip colours. May be not everyone's taste, but looked really nice and alternative. The room was nothing special, and it didn't have any locker but they offer free luggage storage. The hostel has good wifi, free coffee and tea all day long, a large TV screen in the lobby, maps and travel information and everything you will need for a short stay. The staff was nice upon arrival in the evening, but the staff in the morning was a bit absent. They offered a simple free breakfast. The beds where not very comfortable and had to stay at another building, next to the main building that made it a bit complicated. But very good value for money after all.

Birmingham Airport. The bus I arrived with stopped at this international airport after dark. The airport is situated in Bickenhill, Solihull, 10.2km East of Birmingham's city centre. It is the 7th busiest airport in the UK. It opened in 1939 as Elmdon Airport. The airport used to have two terminals, but they were merged into two in 2012.