Birmingham to Grenoble flights
Flight Information
Birmingham is the second largest city of the United Kingdom with a population of over 1 million. It is situated in the West Midlands Region that contains a population of over 2 ¼ million
The main growth of the region was during the Industrial Revolution in England and, although its industrial base has declined, it is now a major commercial and financial services centre, recently cited as the third best place in the United Kingdom to locate a business.
The city is well served by all forms of transport, including Birmingham International Airport, the UK’s 6th largest with over 9 million passengers handled per year. Based to the south east of the city, it sits on the major motorway network and next to the West Coast mainline rail station which provides links to, amongst others, the cities of London and Manchester.
As the airport has grown, many low cost carriers have established a substantial number of services to many domestic and European destinations. Amongst these are Easyjet and Ryanair’s flights from Birmingham to Grenoble starting in the winter of 2008/9. Cheap flights from Birmingham to Grenoble are available on Saturdays and/or Sundays to coincide with the Alpine skiing season and it is possible to book flights from Birmingham to Grenoble on the airlines websites’.
Grenoble’s International Airport is located 45 km (35 minutes) Northwest of the city in the Rhône-Alpes region. The airport is ideally suited as an entry point for both the French Alps and to France’s equivalent of Silicon Valley. The terminal building houses most of the necessary facilities including cash dispensers, bars and restaurants, a news stand, bookshop and duty free sales.
Within close proximity to the airport building are over 500 car parking spaces. There is also a regular bus service from the airport to the centre of Grenoble where it is possible to connect through a number of routes to local ski resorts and other regional centres. Taxis are available for hire outside the terminal building; car hire facilities are available in the arrivals area.
Meeting rooms are also available for use by business customers at the airport. Whilst there are a few small hotels close to the airport, the majority of the larger establishments are to be found in the city itself.
Grenoble is a small city of around 158,000 people (550,000 in the metropolitan area). The climate is cold in winter with a great deal of snow almost every year. Summers can be hot since the local mountains surrounding the town stop much of the wind that would otherwise freshen the air. The town is a centre for scientific research and contains a university. As a result, the city has a relatively large population of foreign scientists and students. Grenoble is at the confluence of two rivers (the Drac and the Isère) and is enclosed by the Vercors, Chartreuse and Belledonne mountain ranges.
Amongst the best sights to see whilst in Grenoble is the Bastille Hill, an ancient fort from the period of the Spanish Inquisition, that sits high above and overlooks Grenoble. Access is gained via a lift and there are memorable views once at the summit. The Parc Paul Mistral is a large open area in the centre of the town with a skating rink, extensive lawns and quiet tree-lined avenues. The Muséum d’histoire naturelle has some mineralogy, alpine wildlife exhibits and an aquarium.
The Musée de Grenoble is noted for its art and holds several Picassos and works by Miro, Kandinsky and Andy Warhol.
Grenoble has a unique character that is defined by its buildings and Napoleonic era streets. Evening activities tend to revolve around the many intimate restaurants to be found in the narrow streets of the old town or by strolling through the Italian section on the left bank of the river.
Although it is a pretty city with many museums, churches and parks, it is as a gateway to the skiing resorts of the Alps that draws many to the area. Located within two hours transfer time of the airport are most of the western Alpine ski resorts such as Courcheval, Meribel and Chamonix. There are a number of bus operators running services from the airport to, for example, Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes. Here, regular buses run every Saturday and Sunday. There is also an ‘on demand’ service that can be booked no later than four days prior to arrival at Grenoble.