From the M6, come off at Junction 4 and head for the A446, joining the A45 shortly after. Heading west on the A45, watch for the signs to Garretts Green, or if you’re coming from the city centre, the Coventry Road stretch of the A45 runs fairly directly there. By rail, Birmingham International connects onward by local bus, with the X1 and X2 both stopping close to Garretts Green. The NEC and Birmingham Airport are the two landmarks most learners use to check they’re heading the right way.
Because the A45 carries such a mix of traffic here, test routes from Garretts Green typically include a stretch of dual carriageway, a busy multi-lane roundabout, and industrial estate roads where lorries and vans share space with learner cars, which is a genuinely different combination to the residential routes run from some of Birmingham’s other centres. LPOD Academy’s intensive courses in the area work all three deliberately, rather than assuming the roundabout skills learned elsewhere in the city will transfer automatically. Learners from Birmingham itself and from Knowle and Dorridge both use the same A45 corridor to reach Garretts Green, so a lesson on that road benefits either starting point. Ride-share and taxi options are widely available if you’d rather not drive yourself in, and cycling is possible on some of the surrounding roads, though the industrial traffic means it isn’t the most relaxed route. If your test doesn’t go to plan first time, LPOD Academy’s guide to getting a cancellation slot explains how to get back in sooner than the standard waiting list.
Independent driving sections from here commonly include the A45 itself, so sat nav practice on that exact road is more useful than practising on quieter residential streets elsewhere in the city. HGV and van traffic around the estate can be heavier at certain times of day, so a lesson timed to match your actual test slot is worth arranging if you can.
Page reviewed and updated 17 July 2026.