Getting around Manchester

Walking

Manchester is flat and compact so it's fairly easy to walk around. This site has a number of walks that cover the city centre but if you want to explore a little further out, the tourist information site has some excellent suggestions https://www.visitmanchester.com/

Metrolink Tram System

Metrolink trams run frequently and reaches much of the Greater Manchester area however there are a few gaps. These are usually where local trains run. For tram information use the Transport for Greater Manchester Site https://tfgm.com

Yellow Metrolink stop
Exchange Square Manchester

Local Trains

For local train information use https://tfgm.com and scroll down to Greater Manchester Train Map. This has both the Metrolink trams and local rail services. There are two mainline stations in Manchester, Piccadilly and Victoria

Buses

There are three free bus routes around the city centre. https://tfgm.com

The map shows which ones take you through the tourist quarters. You can get a bus to The Northern Quarter, The Gay Village, The Oxford Road University Corridor, First Street, Castlefield Urban Heritage park, Spinningfields, the Medieval Quarter and NOMA. They start and finish on Station Approach leading up to Piccadilly train station but you can join them anywhere.

Main bus routes

Busses cover all of Greater Manchester and usually start in the city centre. For details and timetables   https://tfgm.com

Taxi

Manchester has black cabs which can be hailed, there are plenty of bookable taxi firms and it's also covered by Uber. 

Cycling

The National Cycling Centre http://www.nationalcyclingcentre is based in Manchester and is easy to reach by Metrolink. Taster sessions in the velodrome can be booked on the website.

A city wide cycle hire scheme is starting later in 2021.

To and from the airport

The airport is about 16km from central Manchester. The three terminals have one central hub where trains and the Metrolink arrive and not far away a bus terminus. 

There are several trains an hour to and from Piccadilly and the Airport Express takes just over 20 minutes. Non express trains don't take much longer and the train is usually the quickest option. Trains to the airport don't run from Victoria but it doesn't take long to get across town either on the free bus or walking. If you're not in a rush to get from Victoria to Piccadilly and want to explore, try the walk on this site https://www.manchestercotton.com 

Trams start at Victoria train station but this is not a quick option because of the number of stops on the route.

For all options go to  https://www.traveline.info  and choose more options. You can compare the many ways to get to and from the airport.











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