TravelWise Leisure
Leisure Centres
Unlike private gyms, that can often be located on the edge of towns, most local authority owned leisure centres are located on bus routes near residential areas and are usually accessible without the need to use a car. Some leisure centres will provide cycle parking, so you can be exercising before you even start to do any sport! To find out where your nearest leisure centre is visit your local authority website.
Once you know where your nearest leisure centre is you can visit the journey planner and start to plan the journey from your home to the leisure centre. If you live in Sandwell the Sandwell Leisure Trust website provides detailed information on how to get to Sandwell leisure centres using public transport.
Shopping
Some people would not consider shopping for food ‘leisure’ but if the thought of the weekly trip to the supermarket fills you with dread you can shop online and free up some of your time to do other things. Online shopping is becoming big business; all the big supermarket chains have websites where you can order your shopping online and get it delivered to your door.
If you’re a shopaholic and you see shopping as a pleasure, you could look at using the bus or train to visit the shops, especially if you are not shopping for heavy items. At busy times, such as Saturdays and holiday periods (especially Christmas) driving into town and city centres can be a nightmare and car parking spaces expensive and difficult to find. Next time you take a shopping trip try planning your journey by public transport using the Journey Planner
Birmingham is a good example of a city where public transport is the easiest way to travel for a shopping trip. Bus stops in the city are located throughout the city centre and the main train stations at New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill are all walking distance from the main shopping area. New Street and Moor Street are both adjacent to the new Bullring Shopping Centre. For details of easy walks between the main shopping areas of the city centre visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/walk2000.
Football Clubs
Match day traffic may not affect the morning and evening rush hours, but on Saturday afternoons during the football season it does cause congestion in the vicinity of football grounds. Driving to a football game and finding a parking place can be difficult and expensive, it may be easier and cheaper to use public transport to and from the ground. Some football clubs in the West Midlands recognise parking is a major problem around their grounds on match days and are working with Centro to inform fans of the best way to get to the ground without a car.
- Aston Villa FC– has regular bus services from Birmingham city centre and two train stations at Aston and Witton, which serve the Villa ground from towns such as; Lichfield, Longbridge, Walsall and Birmingham
- Birmingham City FC – has regular bus services from Birmingham city centre and if you’re feeling energetic the ground is about a 20-minute walk from the city centre
- Coventry City FC – the new Coventry City FC stadium is called Ricoh Arena and is located on the outskirts of the city centre. Special match day bus services operate to the ground from the city centre, and locations in Warwickshire. Centro and the football club have produced an information leaflet for fans Ricoh Arena Match Day Bus Services .
- Walsall FC – Bescot Stadium is well served by public transport. There are regular bus services from Walsall town centre and a train station opposite the ground. Trains call at Bescot Stadium station from Birmingham, Walsall, Bloxwich, Cannock and Hednesford
- West Bromwich Albion FC – The Hawthorns ground is probably the best served by public transport. Buses from Birmingham, Dudley, West Bromwich town centre and Wolverhampton stop outside the ground. Trains arrive from destinations such as; Birmingham, Solihull, Shirley, Smethwick and Stourbridge with connections via Birmingham Snow Hill station to London Marylebone. The West Midlands’ only tram line from Wolverhampton to Birmingham also calls at The Hawthorns station. Centro and the football club have produced an information leaflet for fans Using public transport to and from the Hawthorns.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers FC – Regular bus services from Wolverhampton city centre pass the Molineux stadium. You can walk to the ground from Wolverhampton train station, which as a mainline station is served by trains from the northwest and south of England, London and local journeys such as Birmingham, Walsall, Shrewsbury and Telford.
Use the journey planner to plan your journey from your home to your team’s ground. To find out more information about the football club you are visiting, follow one of the website links below:
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