Birmingham vs London: Which City Is Better To Visit In 2025?
Not sure whether to visit Birmingham or London? Read on to find out!
I’ve lived near Birmingham for the majority of my life and have visited London more times than I can remember, so I feel pretty qualified to answer the Birmingham vs London debate.
Although most people would say that London is the obvious answer, in my experience the capital has a lot of negatives that Birmingham has an advantage over.
Whether it’s because London is overcrowded, overpriced or overrated, it can be an exhausting experience visiting the big city. Whereas Birmingham is a lot quieter with plenty of interesting places to explore.
In this blog post I’ll look in detail at all the reasons why you may wish to visit either Birmingham or London and giving a verdict on which is better, as well as the best places to stay in both cities.
⌚ In a rush? My Top Tour Recommendations for London & Birmingham:
✅ Visit London’s Iconic Tower Bridge
✅ Take a Fascinating Birmingham Walking Tour
🏨 My Hotel Recommendations for London & Birmingham:
⭐ Anchor Guest House (London)
⭐ The Shoreditch Inn (London)
⭐ ME London by Melia – Covent Garden
⭐ easyHotel Birmingham
⭐ Hampton by Hilton (Birmingham)
⭐ Hotel at Conference Aston (Birmingham)
Birmingham vs London: Which Is Better?
London is one of the most amazing, impressive international cities in the world with so much to offer in terms of attractions, activities and aesthetically pleasing areas worth visiting.
Whether visiting the major tourist attractions like the London Eye, Thames Bridge, Buckingham Palace, or trendy areas like East London or Chelsea, you are so spoilt for choice in this fascinatingly diverse city.
➡️ Visit London’s iconic Tower Bridge
Book your tickets hassle free by clicking here
Reasons Why London Is Better
As well as top tourist attractions and things to do, there are a lot of reasons why London is considered better than Birmingham. So, let’s take a look at the top reasons why London outranks the second city:
London is more culturally diverse than Birmingham
As one of the most popular international cities in the world, it goes without saying that London is hugely culturally diverse compared to London.
There is so much to do in the London, it caters to every type of person and every type of interest, whether you’re interested in history or you want to experience the modern side of London, you really are spoilt for choice.
Birmingham on the other hand is a lot more limiting when it comes to cultural options. Yes, there are interesting museums and other activities for families and adults, but nowhere near the same amount of choice as London has.
London has more museums than Birmingham
Another strong reason why London is way better than Birmingham to visit is that it has more museums than almost any other city in the world. In fact, only Tokyo has more.
There is every type of museum you could wish for in London. Whether it’s art, history or military you’re interested in, then London has you covered.
There are also a lot of uniquely different museums as well, such as the Jack the Ripper museum and the Clink Prison museum.
Another fantastic fact about London is that it has a huge amount of museums that has free entry, which is great if you’re visiting the big city on a tight budget.
Some of the most popular free museums include the National Gallery, the National History museum and the National Maritime museum in Greenwich.
London has more parks than Birmingham
One of the biggest complaints that visitors have when coming to Birmingham is that there is a severe lack of parks and just greenery in general.
Birmingham comes across as just a concrete jungle and you really have to go outside of the city centre in search of any decent parks, such as Cannon Hill Park, Lickey Hills or the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
London on the other hand, rivals any other major international city in the world for parks. One of the best things about the UK capital is that there are huge parks in and around the centre, making it easy to escape the hustle and bustle.
I absolutely love visiting London’s fantastic parks and always try to go for a stroll around one of my favourites (either St. James’ Park or Hyde Park) when in the capital.
Reasons Why Birmingham Is Better
Although it sounds as if London is by far and away superior to Birmingham in every possible way, this is actually not the case. There are a lot of negatives about the capital that Birmingham has an advantage over.
Birmingham has undergone an impressive transformation in recent years and is now considered a modern, trendy, vibrant city and one of the best that England has to offer.
➡️ Go on an Amazing Birmingham Walking Tour
Book your ticket easily by clicking here
So let’s examine why Birmingham is the better city to visit rather than London:
Birmingham is cheaper than London
One of the biggest complaints most tourists have about London is that everything is ridiculously expensive. Whether you’re just buying a sandwich, a coffee or travelling on the underground, nothing is cheap.
Birmingham on the other hand is a lot cheaper, 39% cheaper to be exact. Whether buying a meal at a restaurant or a round of beers for you and your friends, you can make a lot of savings in Birmingham.
If you’re on a really tight budget then I would definitely recommend visiting Birmingham rather than London, and it’s a great city to visit as a solo traveller.
Accommodation prices in the capital are also seriously extortionate, whereas in Birmingham you can find cheap hostels and hotels easily.
Birmingham is less crowded
Another reason why Birmingham is a lot better than London, is that is has a much smaller population and is therefore less crowded than London.
There are also significantly less tourists in Birmingham than London, which is always overcrowded with tourists throughout the year.
London is a very busy city. You can expect to queue when visiting the major attractions, and of course the London Underground is notoriously busy, especially during rush hour in the mornings and evenings.
That doesn’t mean to say that Birmingham is a quiet city. On the contrary, it can get really busy, especially on weekends and at certain times of the year, with Christmas being its busiest period.
Brummies are friendlier than Londoners
It has to be said the local people from Birmingham (referred to as: ‘Brummies), are on the whole a cheerful bunch. They’re very friendly with a cracking sense of humour and very approachable too.
The same can’t be said about Londoners unfortunately. Anyone who has travelled on the London Underground knows how closed off, quiet and generally unfriendly the majority of people are.
Of course, this is a bit of an unfair generalisation and not all Londoners are unfriendly, it’s just that is the impression you get when in London.
In my experience I would definitely say that Brummies are a lot friendlier than Londoners.
People in London seem to be very busy and in a rush to get somewhere, whereas Brummies tend to be a lot more relaxed.
Birmingham is less polluted than London
Of course, London is well known to be one of the most polluted cities in Europe, and this is one advantage that Birmingham has over the capital for sure.
Whenever I visit London I can tell instantly that the air quality is pretty bad, and this is one of the negative effects of such a huge, populated metropolis.
Birmingham on the other hand is a lot less polluted city. It has plenty of parks and canal ways which are ideal for a stroll on a nice sunny day or a boat ride instead.
That’s not to say that Birmingham is a super clean city, it suffers from pollution just like any other big UK city, but it is significantly better than London.
Best Places To Stay In London
There are so many options when it comes to accommodation in London that it can be very difficult to know where to stay. So, let’s take a look at three different options at three different prices, just click on each hotel title to book a room:
📍 Budget Recommendation: Anchor Guest House
If you’re on a tight budget when visiting London and looking for somewhere cheap to stay, then Anchor Guest House is a great option.
Located just a minute’s walk away from Golder’s Green bus and underground stations, you’re only just 15 minutes away from central London via the underground.
The rooms are cheap and cheerful and it offers excellent value for money, with several restaurants also located close by.
📍 Mid-Range Recommendation: The Shoreditch Inn
Based in Tower Hamlets in trendy East London, this three star hotel is just a ten minute walk from Shoreditch underground station.
This hotel offers en suite rooms with a free vegetarian breakfast included, and there are plenty of bars, restaurants, shops and more located close by.
📍 Luxury Recommendation: ME London by Melia – Covent Garden
If you fancy a more luxurious stay when visiting London, then you can’t go wrong with choosing ME London by Melia.
This is a five star hotel that is set on the Strand and overlooking Somerset House, it is also just a two minute walk away from the River Thames, Covent Garden and Soho, making it ideally located in the heart of London.
There are balcony rooms available as well as a rooftop bar with stunning views of the city, making this one of the best place to stay when in the UK capital.
Best Places To Stay In Birmingham
Similarly to London, there’s a lot of choice when it comes to finding the right accommodation in Birmingham. So let’s see three great choices at different price options, simply click on each hotel title to book a room:
📍 Budget Recommendation: easyHotel Birmingham
This is a really good choice if you’re on a budget when visiting Birmingham. Situated just a three minute walk from Birmingham New Street Station, it is based very centrally in the city.
All rooms are air-conditioned and everything in the city centre is mere walking distance, plus it is just 12 miles away from Birmingham Airport.
📍 Mid-Range Recommendation: Hampton by Hilton Birmingham Jewellery Quarter
Located in the trendy Jewellery Quarter neighbourhood of Birmingham, Hampton by Hilton Birmingham is a lovely 3 star hotel that is ideal if you don’t want to stay in the hustle and bustle of the city centre
The rooms in this hotel are very stylish and it also features an on site fitness centre, plus there are plenty of high quality restaurants located nearby.
📍 Luxury Recommendation: Hotel at Conference Aston
This four star hotel is situated in Aston, on the outskirts of the city centre and is a fantastic luxury option for when visiting the second city.
There are lots of really good facilities at the hotel, such as the nearby Victorian Sports Centre that guests have complimentary access to, and which features Birmingham’s oldest swimming pool as well as a gym.
London/Birmingham FAQs
Still not sure whether to visit London or Birmingham? Let’s answer some of the most commonly asked questions about both of these popular English cities:
What is the best way to travel from London to Birmingham?
The quickest option to travel from London to Birmingham (or visa versa) is by train, with a typical journey taking around an hour and a half or less, with tickets costing anywhere from £15 to £30 or higher.
However, in recent times there has been an increased number of national train strikes and delays unfortunately, so travelling by train has become something of a gamble in the UK.
The cheapest option to travel between the two cities is via bus, with travel companies such as National Express and Megabus offering really cheap tickets (anywhere from £5 to £15), especially if you book in advance.
But travelling by bus takes significantly longer, usually around 3 hours. Travelling by car is always a good option, though be prepared to sit in traffic for a while when entering or exiting both cities, especially London.
When is the best time to visit London/Birmingham?
The summer months can be a good time to visit both cities, as temperatures rise up to the mid thirty degrees Celsius or perhaps higher, if you’re lucky.
However, summertime in London can get muggy and humid, especially during a heatwave period. I would recommend visiting either London or Birmingham during the spring or autumn months, such as May, June or September.
I would definitely avoid visiting either city during the winter season however, when temperatures can plummet and the weather is cold, grey, wet and windy, and that’s on a good day!
Is Manchester better than London or Birmingham?
A lot of British people are of the opinion that Manchester is really the true second city of England, even though Birmingham officially holds that title.
So how does Manchester compare to London and Birmingham? Well, it’s the smallest of the three cities but is just as equally modern and interesting as the other two.
Manchester has a really lively atmosphere to it which you definitely don’t get in London, and it is much trendier than Birmingham.
There’s not a huge amount to choose between Manchester and Birmingham to be honest, it all comes down to personal preference. I would personally much rather visit London than the other two cities, but that’s just me.
Conclusion: Is Birmingham Or London Better?
So that’s everything you need to know to settle the Birmingham vs London debate. Unsurprisingly, London has the edge over the Birmingham as it is such a big city with so many things to do and places to see.
But Birmingham definitely has a lot going for it these days, and is a more authentic English city with interesting neighbourhoods, a fascinating history and cool things to do that rivals everything London has.
As a local to Birmingham it will always have a soft spot in my heart and I definitely recommend visiting the second city if you feel London is far too overrated and overwhelming.
Now that you know everything there is to know to settle the Birmingham vs London debate, which city will you visit on your next stop to the UK?
You might also like these blog posts about Birmingham:
➡️ Why Birmingham At Christmas Time Is The Best UK City To Visit
➡️ How To Get To Stonehenge From Birmingham: Everything You Need To Know
➡️ Why A Peaky Blinders Tour Is A Must When Visiting Birmingham
➡️ The 25 Best Day Trips From Birmingham That Are A Must In 2025
➡️ 15 Things To Do In Birmingham Alone: The BEST Solo Travel Guide
➡️ The Top 13 Birmingham Walking Tours In 2025 – From A Local
➡️ Is It Better To Visit Wolverhampton or Birmingham? Review By A Local
➡️ Is Birmingham Worth Visiting? Top 27 Things To Do – By A Local
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➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
