Which is the easier airport in which to collect luggage, get through customs check in, rent a car, and drive out of to Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds -- airport in Birmingham or Heathrow?
I assume Birmingham, but looking for advice. And cost or flight connection do not matter. We have dividend air miles for the tickets, and flight length and arrival time are similar.
Thank you. Ted
Birmingham is a much much smaller airport, and a lot easier and quicker than Heathrow.
I don't know how long passport takes for non-EU citizens (I am an EU citizen, so I go in the fast lane), but it can't be worse than Heathrow. Customs is the same anywhere in Europe, just walk through the "Green Channel" and hope you aren't picked on.
The big advantage is that Birmingham has just one relatively small terminal with everything in it.
Taking a flick through recent reviews it seems BHX can have very slow baggage handling at present, up to 1 hour. Been a while since I have been there personally.
You are looking at a little under 40 miles driving depending on the route you take (recommend avoiding the M42 at peak time) compared with approximately double that from Heathrow. Check that you aren't travelling when there is a big event on at the NEC.
There are actually 2 terminals at BHX, and the cable car to the train station only goes from Terminal 2. They may have moved the car hire desks, but they used to only be on the ground floor of Terminal 1.
A big agreement to stay far far away from the M42 (and all Birmingham motorways) at rush hour. Traffic tends to be distributed all over the city, not just all into town in the morning the reverse at night. The M42 was one of the demonstration areas of the variable speed limit, the traffic is so bad. Off peak it isn't too bad, if you are used to city driving. A45 out of BHX to M42 southbound to M40 southbound to A46 southbound and off towards Stratford upon Avon, follow the road around the one way scheme, over the bridge first right and follow the sat nav for one of several routes.
Heathrow to M4 extension to M4 to A34 towards Oxford (watch the reduced speed on the southwest side of Oxford) to A40 towards Cheltenham to Burford, Stow and Chipping Campden
Or Heathrow to M4 extension to M4 to M25 northbound to M40 northbound, to through Oxford on the A40, see above, or off the A40 to A44 on the west side of Oxford, and through Chipping Norton, Moreton in Marsh to Chipping Campden.
Or if the M25 is plugged up, M4 extension to M4 to A404(M) to A404 to High Wycombe to M40 northbound and as above.
Use your sat nav.
Thanks for all this good information. Ted
