travel
Manchester is well connected whether you're getting here by plane, train or by road.
After touching down at the airport you can be on a train to Manchester city centre, or maybe the hills or even off on the start of a UK tour in no time at all.
getting here
Air: Around 100 airlines fly into Manchester Airport from over 200 destinations around the world - visit Manchester Airport's website to find out more about flights to Manchester or click on one of our airline partners below (links open in a new window) to search for budget rates into Manchester:
From the airport trains to the city centre run every 15 minutes into Piccadilly train station; the average journey time is 20 minutes. Alternatively you can jump into a taxi to the city centre.
For a walking route map between any two points in the city, use the route planner Manchester Walking Routes.
Train: Most major cities in the UK have direct train services into Manchester. Virgin Trains now run a fleet of high speed trains which sees journey times between Manchester and London of just over two hours. For information on tickets and timetables visit National Rail Enquires.
First TransPennine Express operates direct train services into Manchester from across the north of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow and direct services into Manchester city centre from Manchester Airport www.tpexpress.co.uk.
CrossCountry trains run services to Manchester from Birmingham, the South West, Bournemouth, Reading and Cardiff. Book your tickets to Manchester up to three hours in advance at www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk with no booking fee.
Virgin Trains travel to destinations all around the UK. Virgin train journeys are getting even faster, more convenient and more comfortable, a new service means shorter journey times and more trains more often. And that's not all... Go to www.virgintrains.co.uk.
Northern Rail is a great way to travel between Manchester’s nearby cities and its surrounding countryside in the North of England. Rail services provide easy and direct access to National parks including The Peak District as well as scenic routes to The Lake District. Use Manchester as your base to connect to the North onwww.northernrail.org.
Road: Manchester's ring road connects Manchester to motorways north, south, east and west. Visit Multimap to find out how to get here from where you are. For information on car parks in Manchester visit NCP
getting around
Train: visit National Rail Enquiries to find out ticket and timetable information for trains in the Manchester region or visit Greater Manchester's transport site where you can find information on all forms of transport.
Tram: Manchester's tram system, Metrolink runs through the city centre connecting major railway stations and tourist attractions. Visit Metrolink for more information.
Bus: GMPTE shows information on bus services in Greater Manchester.
Free city centre bus: Manchester has a free bus service operating three routes - green, orange and purple - around the city centre. Metroshuttle operates from 7am-7pm Monday to Saturday and 10am-6pm on Sundays approximately every 10 minutes taking visitors from car parks, stations and tram stops around the city centre's main attractions. For further information visit www.gmpte.com or click here for a map.
Taxi: Black cabs operate in the city centre and can be booked by calling Mantax on +44 (0)161 230 3333