Travel to Manchester
Flying to Manchester
Airlines operating direct flights to Manchester from other UK cities include British Airways, easyJet and Flybe. Cheaper flights are available if you book well in advance and avoid peak business travel times (i.e. early mornings and evenings). Airlines offering direct flights from the USA include American Airlines, Delta, United, US Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Flight times
From London - 1 hour; New York - 7 hours; Toronto - 7 hours; Los Angeles - 13 hours (including stopover); Sydney - 24 hours (including stopover).
Travel by road
Traffic drives on the left in the UK and drivers must be at least 17 years old. Speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas.
Overseas driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for up to one year. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed.
Breakdown service, traffic updates and general motoring information are available from the AA (tel: +44 121 275 3746; www.theaa.com) and the RAC (tel: +44 844 891 3111; www.rac.co.uk).
Emergency breakdown services
AA (tel: 0800 887 766, in the UK); RAC (tel: 0800 828 282, in the UK).
Routes
Ringed by the M60, Manchester is easily accessible by road and is signposted from the M6 that runs north to south on the western side of the city, or via the M62 and M66 which run north on the eastern side of the city.
Coaches
National Express (tel: +44 871 781 8181; www.nationalexpress.com) operates regular coach services connecting Manchester with various destinations in the UK, including Victoria Coach Station in London.
The National Express terminal is close to the centre of the city on Chorlton Street, within easy walking distance of Piccadilly Gardens - the main terminus for local bus routes.
Time to city
From London - 4 hours;Newcastle - 2 hours 30 minutes; Leeds - 1 hour; Birmingham - 1 hour 40 minutes; Liverpool - 50 minutes.
Travel by Rail
Services
The Piccadilly Railway Station is Manchester's main station and is located just a few minutes' walk to the east of the city centre. Central Manchester is also served by stations at Victoria, Deansgate and Oxford Road. Manchester is well connected to the rest of the UK by an efficient rail service.
Operators
Virgin Trains (tel: +44 871 977 4222; www.virgintrains.co.uk) operate numerous services to Manchester, including a fast service from London.
TransPennine Express (tel: +44 345 600 1671; www.tpexpress.co.uk) offers services from across the north of England and Scotland.
Northern (tel: +44 333 222 0125; www.northernrail.org) provide good coverage of the north as well as access to the Peak District and Lake District National Parks.
CrossCountry (tel: +44 844 811 0124; www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk) connects Manchester to the southwest.
For all train information contact National Rail Enquiries (tel: +44 3457 484 950; www.nationalrail.co.uk).
Journey times
From Birmingham - 1 hour 30 minutes; London - 2 hours 10 minutes; Edinburgh - 3 hours 20 minutes; Liverpool - 50 minutes; Cardiff - 3 hours 10 minutes.
