In this Birmingham travel guide, we have mapped out a three-day self-drive itinerary that lets you explore the city at your own pace and make the most of your visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Day 1: Birmingham at Your Own Pace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Where to go in Birmingham on your first day? The things to do in Birmingham are endless; you can start with the iconic heart of the city, Centenary Square. It is home to the stunning Library of Birmingham and Symphony Hall. Park nearby and explore on foot. For a touch of heritage, visit the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, just a short drive away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By midday, stroll through the Jewellery Quarter, full of independent boutiques and old-world charm. It is one of the best places to visit in Birmingham if you enjoy culture paired with craft. End your day at Brindleyplace with a canal-side dinner. Car hire in Birmingham allows you to mix sightseeing with spontaneous detours, and this flexibility is ideal for navigating such a vibrant city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Day 2: Nature and Nearby Escapes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Nothing beats self-drive trips when it comes to exploring green spaces. Start your day at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston, just a 15-minute drive from the city centre. Bring a picnic, stroll through the beautifully landscaped grounds, and admire the Victorian glasshouses, exotic plants, and tranquil ponds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the afternoon, venture further out to the Lickey Hills Country Park. The panoramic views from Beacon Hill are worth the drive, offering a refreshing escape into nature. It\u2019s a brilliant way to enjoy the quieter side of Birmingham, especially with fewer crowds. With your car rental in Birmingham, you can take your time and explore without the pressure of public transport schedules. Wrap up the day by catching a live show at the Hippodrome, one of the UK\u2019s most iconic theatres. Or head to Stirchley, an up-and-coming neighbourhood filled with top-notch eateries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Day 3: Culture, Coffee, and a Drive Through History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n On your final day, it\u2019s all about diving deeper into local experiences. Start in Digbeth, Birmingham\u2019s creative quarter. It\u2019s also where you\u2019ll find some of the city\u2019s best street art, quirky independent caf\u00e9s, vintage shops, and bold murals splashed across brick walls. Don\u2019t miss the Custard Factory, now home to studios, galleries, concept stores, and pop-ups showcasing local talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of your weekend getaway in Birmingham, take a short drive to Sarehole Mill. It\u2019s a must for Tolkien fans and offers a glimpse into the countryside that inspired The Lord of the Rings. Stop by the quaint tearoom or walk the leafy trail nearby. Finish your trip with a scenic canal drive or a relaxed stop at Cannon Hill Park. The beauty of self-drive trips lies in the freedom to go wherever your mood takes you, with no rigid timetables, just a car and curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n A well-planned weekend getaway in Birmingham offers more than just a checklist of sights; it\u2019s a chance to discover the city on your terms. There\u2019s no shortage of things to do in Birmingham. With your vehicle and our Birmingham travel guide, you can access the city\u2019s highlights and hidden corners at your own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By choosing Dollar Car Rental, you unlock the freedom of the open road. When planning where to go in Birmingham and considering how to get there comfortably, choosing the right car rental partner is crucial. At Dollar Car Rental, we\u2019re committed to offering you an affordable, reliable, and seamless experience, from booking online to driving off the parking lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Dollar, a car hire at Birmingham Airport<\/a> makes it easy to begin your trip right after landing. With transparent terms and no hidden extras, you know exactly what to expect when you rent with us. Dollar Car Rental offers the comfort and convenience to match your travel needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re looking for a memorable self-drive trip, a car hire in Birmingham gives you the freedom to explore beyond the usual city stops. With Dollar Car Rental, you can pick up your car hire at Birmingham Airport and dive straight<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[119,11,65,120],"city":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destination-guide","tag-birmingham","tag-dollar-car-rental","tag-dollar-car-rental-uk","tag-international-airport-birmingham-uk"],"yoast_head":"\n
How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car - Dollar Car Rental | Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A car hire in Birmingham unlocks the city's charm. Plan a weekend getaway with our quick guide to Birmingham and enjoy the freedom of a self-driven city adventure.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car - Dollar Car Rental | Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A car hire in Birmingham unlocks the city's charm. Plan a weekend getaway with our quick guide to Birmingham and enjoy the freedom of a self-driven city adventure.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dollar Car Rental | Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-31T09:12:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-30T06:20:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/Birmingham-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1028\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"dollar\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"dollar\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"dollar\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/994f0239e80cbbaa73173604ec3db794\"},\"headline\":\"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-31T09:12:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-30T06:20:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/\"},\"wordCount\":725,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"birmingham\",\"Dollar Car Rental\",\"Dollar Car Rental UK\",\"international-airport-birmingham-uk\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Destination Guide\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/\",\"name\":\"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car - Dollar Car Rental | Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-31T09:12:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-30T06:20:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"A car hire in Birmingham unlocks the city's charm. Plan a weekend getaway with our quick guide to Birmingham and enjoy the freedom of a self-driven city adventure.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Destination Guide\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Dollar Car Rental | Blog\",\"description\":\"Dollar Car Rental\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dollar Car Rental | Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/dollar_car_rental_logo_white.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/dollar_car_rental_logo_white.svg\",\"width\":119,\"height\":40,\"caption\":\"Dollar Car Rental | Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/994f0239e80cbbaa73173604ec3db794\",\"name\":\"dollar\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5682641f634b88b6f0d6295a492dfae4d8a23992dbc7d511c7e27a041c0973de?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5682641f634b88b6f0d6295a492dfae4d8a23992dbc7d511c7e27a041c0973de?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"dollar\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/author\/dollar\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car - Dollar Car Rental | Blog","description":"A car hire in Birmingham unlocks the city's charm. Plan a weekend getaway with our quick guide to Birmingham and enjoy the freedom of a self-driven city adventure.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car - Dollar Car Rental | Blog","og_description":"A car hire in Birmingham unlocks the city's charm. Plan a weekend getaway with our quick guide to Birmingham and enjoy the freedom of a self-driven city adventure.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/","og_site_name":"Dollar Car Rental | Blog","article_published_time":"2025-07-31T09:12:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-30T06:20:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1028,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/Birmingham-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"dollar","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"dollar","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/"},"author":{"name":"dollar","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/994f0239e80cbbaa73173604ec3db794"},"headline":"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car","datePublished":"2025-07-31T09:12:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-30T06:20:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/"},"wordCount":725,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["birmingham","Dollar Car Rental","Dollar Car Rental UK","international-airport-birmingham-uk"],"articleSection":["Destination Guide"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/","name":"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car - Dollar Car Rental | Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-07-31T09:12:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-30T06:20:13+00:00","description":"A car hire in Birmingham unlocks the city's charm. Plan a weekend getaway with our quick guide to Birmingham and enjoy the freedom of a self-driven city adventure.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide\/how-to-spend-3-days-in-birmingham-with-a-rental-car\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Destination Guide","item":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/destination-guide"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Spend 3 Days in Birmingham with a Rental Car"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/","name":"Dollar Car Rental | Blog","description":"Dollar Car Rental","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#organization","name":"Dollar Car Rental | Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/dollar_car_rental_logo_white.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/dollar_car_rental_logo_white.svg","width":119,"height":40,"caption":"Dollar Car Rental | Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/994f0239e80cbbaa73173604ec3db794","name":"dollar","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5682641f634b88b6f0d6295a492dfae4d8a23992dbc7d511c7e27a041c0973de?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5682641f634b88b6f0d6295a492dfae4d8a23992dbc7d511c7e27a041c0973de?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"dollar"},"url":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/author\/dollar\/"}]}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=679"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":683,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions\/683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=679"},{"taxonomy":"city","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/city?post=679"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Dollar](\"https:\/\/www.dollar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/Birmingham-1024x383.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n