Coventry Mini Guide
Situated in the East Midlands the nearest major airports are Birmingham International Airport, approx 17km and Coventry Airport in Baginton approx 8km. Cheap car hire and taxis are readily available at the airport. Coventry is approximately 150km from
London and approximately 30km from Birmingham.
Find more info here about driving in Coventry and the UK in general
The city has good transport connections and is near the M5, M69 and M40 motorways. The dual carriageways A45 and A46 also serve the city and there is an inner ring road. Coventry has regular rail services between London and Birmingham and there is a good bus service. The city has good shopping facilities, wide pedestrianised streets, stylish restaurants, parks and gardens.
Coventry’s history goes back to the 11th century and includes the legend of Lady Godiva, who was purported to ride on a horse naked, covered only by her long hair, through Coventry. There is an equestrian statue of Lady Godiva in Broadgate and an updated version of her ride through the city is held during June of each year.
St Michael’s Cathedral is one of the newest cathedrals in the world and was built after the bombing of the ancient cathedral in World War II. Another foremost attraction in Coventry city centre is the Coventry Transport Museum which has the largest collection of British-made road vehicles in the world. Entry is free. The city also has several museums, art galleries and theatres. The Ricoh Arena holds major rock concerts and the SkyDome Arena is a sports auditorium used for concerts and is also the home ground for the city ice hockey club.
There are many places of interest around Coventry including Kenilworth Castle, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa, Warwick Castle and Kingsbury Water Park. All are within a radius of 25km and car rental in Coventry is an excellent option to tour the area.
If you intend visiting many of the sights around the city, it's worth getting a tourist card which for a small fee entitles you to big discounts around the city's sights. Check out www.visitcoventryandwarwickshire.co.uk for more details
Coventry is the second biggest city in the Midlands and with car hire in Coventry you can travel easily to both Birmingham and London. However there are plenty of reasons to stay in Coventry itself. This is a large city with a third of a million inhabitants and which is important in the British motoring industry.
One of the main landmarks in Coventry is Coventry Cathedral - one of the newest cathedrals in England because the original was bombed nearly to destruction during World War II. Coventry is also a centre of learning and is home to Coventry University while Warwick University is also nearby.