Birmingham is the new kid on the block and gives us Highland folk great a great connection into an airport with lots of great flights. EasyJet launched the route from Inverness in March 2026, and it’s a brilliant alternative to London. The airport is smaller and calmer, there’s a station right next door, and there are plenty of sunshine and long-haul flights onwards. Flights are regularly under £20 making it a great value connection route.
Flights from Inverness to Birmingham
EasyJet flies twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, leaving Inverness around lunchtime (about 1pm). The flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Important: this is a seasonal route. It runs through the summer and pauses for part of the winter. Check the dates in my Inverness Connection Guide before you plan anything.
With only two flights a week, the Monday and Friday pattern suits a 4-night or 7-night trip perfectly.
Where Can You Get to From Birmingham?
Birmingham has far more than you’d expect for a regional airport:
- EasyJet’s newer Birmingham base: Nice, Rome, Lisbon, Milan, Antalya and more
- Jet2, TUI and Ryanair: the Canaries, the Balearics, Greece, Turkey, Portugal and the Med
- Long-haul on one ticket: Emirates to Dubai, Qatar Airways to Doha and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, each with onward connections all over the world
Birmingham to Dubai or Doha is a great way to get to Asia and Australia without going anywhere near Heathrow.
Note that Inverness to Birmingham with EasyJet is a separate ticket, so the self-connecting rules apply and for a long haul route I would always advise going the day before if self connecting just to be on the safe side.
My Rules for Self-Connecting at Birmingham
- Leave at least three hours between flights.
- Hand luggage only if you can.
- Insurance that covers missed connections.
- For long-haul, a cruise or a tour, fly down the day before. With flights on only Mondays and Fridays, there’s no later flight to fall back on if things go wrong.
Birmingham Airport Train Connections
This is where Birmingham really shines. Birmingham International station is linked to the terminal by the free Air-Rail Link, a little driverless train that takes a couple of minutes. This is easy to find when you are coming from the train station to the airport, but when returning from the airport it is not very well signed. Head to arrivals and go to the upper level to get the train.
From Birmingham International Station you can get to;
- Birmingham New Street in about 10 minutes, for shopping, the canals and the Bullring
- London Euston in about 1 hour 10 minutes
- Direct trains across the Midlands and the North West
Don’t forget the sleeper train now stops at Birmingham International too. The sleeper train leaves Inverness at 8.45pm and arrives at Birmingham International at 6.20am.
It leaves at 22.42 and gets back to Inverness at 8.45am.
That could be a cool way to start and finish your trip!
Check train routes and prices with Trip
The Best Airport Lounges at Birmingham
I’ve reviewed all three lounges at Birmingham, and they’re a step up from what you’d expect at a regional airport.
| Lounge | Hours | Walk-in | With Priority Pass | My verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No1 Lounge | 4.30am to 9pm | £42 | £20.60 | My top pick. Great food and views, plus a cinema room and a workbench |
| Aspire | 4.30am to 8.30pm | £46.99 | £20.60 | A solid all-rounder, right next to duty free, with table service available as an upgrade |
| Clubrooms | 4am to 8.30pm | £52 | £35.60 | The quietest, and the only adults-only lounge, but the £15 surcharge makes it less good value |
Priority Pass is my favourite travel upgrade – it makes airports much easier to deal with!
Read my full comparison of all 3 lounges: Birmingham Airport lounges.
Where To Stay At Birmingham Airport
For a budget overnight, the Ibis Budget is directly across from the terminal. It’s a short walk, and you don’t even need the Air-Rail Link.
I’ve stayed there before and found it great value and super handy. There is a restaurant and bar on the ground floor. There’s no tea or coffee in the rooms but for the value this hotel generally is it doesn’t really matter.
Use this map to find hotels that fit your requirements
Want Me To Do The Hard Work?
If you’d like a holiday from Birmingham with the Inverness flight sorted too, ask me or join Mel’s Travel Club free and get details of great holiday deals from Inverness Airport. I often use Birmingham as a connection airport and each newsletter has a connection calendar with the cheapest flights to and from Birmingham in the next month.