The HIdden Gems of Birmingham

Filed under: Brimingham Airport Car Hire - 30 Nov 2009  | Spread the word !

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Birmingham has such a long storied past that few travelers do more than scratch the surface. Luckily, thanks to the internet, the crafty traveler can visit not only the most obvious tourist locations, but the most obscure as well. Here’s but a small roundup of local attractions featuring Birmingham’s rich history.

Before many other countries were even in existence, Sir Thomas Holte built Aston Hall. Started in 1618 and completed in 1635, Aston Hall was the home to Sir Thomas Holte and the house in factremained with the family until 1817. They are proud to show off their great staircase, which was damaged by cannon fire during the civil war. Aston Hall is now part of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

A true testament to 18th century English architecture, Hagley Hall and Park once belonged to Lloyd Lyttelton and is a spectacular building that is remarkably still family owned and used as a residence. The Hall is on a lot larger than 350 acres and even has it’s own church. The house is not only famous for it’s architecture, but also it’s Van Dyke paintings, exquisite furniture, and incredible plasterwork. The Hall is also available for banquet use and other functions. ]

Quite a bit off the beaten house, and definitely an unknown for the common traveler, is Soho House. SoHo house was once the home of Matthew Boulton, who helped pioneer the industrial revolution. In fact, it was in this very house that the lunar society held their meetings. A unique experience for anyone interested in the industrial revolution. The SoHo house has been restored to it’s former glory, and a visitor center even holds a community art center.

Finally, if these museums are a bit too stufy for you, the Walsall Arboretum is a magnificent park located in the center of the town of Walsall. Incredibly, the Arboretum has been in operation since 1768! It spans over 80 acres and features a boating lake, a bowling green and club house, a golf course, and even a children’s play area. Most significant of all, however, is that the park is home to over 200 types of shrubbery. If you’re lucky enough to be there in the autumn, be sure to check out the Walsall Illuminations, a special 6 week light and laser event located at the Arboretum every fall.

The great part about having a rental car is that you can visit all these great little places after visiting the main tourist attractions. So few travelers know about these hidden gems that you’ll be surprised at how fantastic these off beat attractions are. If you’ve got a few hours to burn and you’re in the area, give these places a look.

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Saving Money on Your Hotel Room

Filed under: Brimingham Airport Car Hire - 23 Nov 2009  | Spread the word !

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Everyone goes on vacation at some point in their life. Even if you don’t have a lot of money, you can still find a way to go on vacation using the money that you do have. You can get a travel package that doesn’t cost a lot and a great vacation spot for you and your family. Here are some suggestions that will aid you in getting the vacation that you always wanted without spending a lot of money.

Let’s say your boss gives you a trip to go somewhere but you have to pay for the hotel room. Can you afford the room? If you don’t think you can then you are wrong. You can get a great room at a discounted price and here’s how. Search hotwire and Priceline to find the best deals for hotel rooms. What happens on these sites is the hotel calls these sites up to let them know how many rooms are available to book up. The hotel tells the sites which floor they are on and all of the other details that the agency needs to know about their rooms.

On these sites you can get a hotel room from 20 to 45% off the original cost. The reason why people get the rooms for so cheap is because the hotel wants to fill up the rooms because it costs them more if thee room stays empty other than having someone in the room.

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Royal Birmingham Society Of Artists: A Gem Tucked Away in Birmingham

Filed under: Brimingham Airport Car Hire - 05 Nov 2009  | Spread the word !

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No trip to Birmingham is complete without exploring its rich and diverse artistic culture. Sure, there are plenty of nightclubs and “scenes” in Birmingham but none are as fantastic and as uplifting as the art community. The Royal Birmingham City of Artists in downtown Birmingham is a society of learned artists as well as a gallery showcasing their finest works as well as the works of other elusive artists such as David Cox. The society prides itself for its influence in Victorian art during the mid 19th century. During the time, many famous artists and scholars were inducted into the society to help advance the culture and artistic movement.

Luckily for the public, the RBSA is no longer an upper-class hangout. The RBSA is open to the public year round and holds numerous exhibitions to showcase all different types of art. The Society’s hours can be found on their website as well as a calendar that lists all of the exhibitions coming in the next few months. For the budding artists that made their way to Birmingham and the RBSA, the Society hosts competitions each year to let non-members showcase their art in an exhibition and potentially win some prize money. Who knows, you may be the next art sensation. Just like the regular exhibitions, all of the information, including dates and entry requirements, regarding the “walk-in” style exhibitions can be found on the RBSA’s website.

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Birmingham Car Hire

Filed under: Brimingham Airport Car Hire - 03 Nov 2009  | Spread the word !

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All British people are aware of the fact that Birmingham is not quite the most enjoyable of cities to drive around. The reputation I have to admit is well deserved. The roads are appallingly complicated to drive around. So it’s not really a shock that many people shy away from the idea of Birmingham car hire. The problem with Birmingham is, you’ll realise within hours of being there that you actually need to rent a car to get about at all. The taxi drivers have been known to be slightly unscrupulous with non locals, although this is a problem with most major British cities.

There are many attractions in Birmingham which are simply made more enjoyable by the freedom given by a car, shopping trips, the British science museum and the local safari park being prime examples. There’s also the distance of the airport to the town centre to consider.

But you should decide well in advance if you want to invest in Birmingham care hire simply due to the fact that car hire in Birmingham is often booked up. Especially if you want your car hire straight from the airport, in that case it’s a good idea to book 2 months or more in advance.

But let’s face it, Birmingham isn’t the best known holiday destination in the UK and most people going on holiday to Birmingham are visiting family or going on a city pub crawl. Neither of which particularly indicate a desperate need for car hire. But there is the business trip to consider. And whilst if you are one of businessmen travelling to Birmingham you may not think you need Birmingham car hire, but why not, just because you’re there for work doesn’t mean you can’t see the sights.

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