Birmingham (h)

If travelling by train then these are the options for getting from New Street to the ground:
- train from Snow Hill or Moor Street to Bordesley (trains every 10 mins from around 90 minutes before kick-off, journey time 5 mins and 2 mins respectively)
- bus (13, 17, 58, 58A, 59, 59A or 60 from Digbeth - see pub map below for location of stops)
- walk (around 25-30 minutes)
- taxi (extortionate considering the distance)
The train is best as your ticket to Birmingham can be used through to Bordesley.

If you're driving down then you should be able to park in streets around the ground provided you arrive reasonably early. Alternatively there are schools and firms who provide parking for a charge.
 
Pubs
Most of the pubs around the ground aren't very welcoming to away fans. In particular the St Andrew's Tavern (which used to be the Black Horse) is home fans only. The Cricketers Arms though usually gets a mixture of home and away fans, and is only a 5 minute walk from the ground. The Brighton Arms is about the same distance away, and should also be ok. No doubt both these will get very busy though, and therefore anyone going down by train is much better off sticking to the city centre pubs or trying the pubs in Digbeth, between the centre and the ground. The best pub in the centre is the Wellington. This place is an absolute gem, having no less than 15 hand-pulled beers on at any one time, as well as a good selection of foreign beers. The only slight drawback is that they don't do food; however, they provide plates and cutlery for anyone who wants to consume their own on the premises. To get to the Wellington you want to exit the station by the 'back door' on Stephenson St (walk along the platform towards the front of the train, then follow the signs), then follow the route shown on the pub map below. For Wetherspoons fans there's the Briar Rose, just down the hill from the Wellington. Another good option is to head straight from the train to the pubs in Digbeth, about a 10 minute walk away. It'll then take a further 15-20 minutes to walk to the ground later on. It's a bit complicated to get to Digbeth, but I'd say the easiest (and shortest!) route is this:
- head upstairs from the platform to the main concourse
- after going through the barrier keep to the left of the escalators (not up the escalators!) and exit the front of the station
- continue to the bottom of the station approach and then cross over the dual carriageway
- turn right and walk alongside the new shopping centre
- at the end of the shopping centre, by the bus shelter, turn left into the stairwell and descend
- turn left out of the stairwell and follow the outside of the shopping centre along the pedestrianised Edgbaston Street
Again, this route is shown on the pub map.
The best pub in Digbeth is probably the Anchor Inn. The Anchor has been the local CAMRA branch's pub of the year three times, and is the current holder of the title. They have around eight beers available at any one time and also do pub grub. A bit further down the same road (and therefore that little bit less to walk to the ground!) is the White Swan, which also gets good reviews.

All the pubs mentioned above, along with a few others, are marked on the pub map below.
 
Pub map
Internet Ground Guide
The Football and Real Ale Guide
Local CAMRA branch