Travelling to Manchester? The North’s biggest city is packed with history, culture and fantastic things to see and do. To help you make the most of your trip you can book cheap train tickets to Manchester with TransPennine Express.
All TransPennine Express trains to Manchester stop at Manchester Victoria, Manchester Piccadilly or Manchester Oxford Road. You can continue your journey on free city centre buses that operate outside Manchester train stations on a regular basis. In addition, Manchester Plusbus offers unlimited bus travel around the city and can be bought with your train ticket for £3.90 (£2.60 with a Railcard). The Metrolink tram system runs through Manchester city centre and beyond, with an interchange at Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria stations.
There are four major train stations in the centre of Manchester - Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria and Deansgate.
Manchester Piccadilly is the main hub, with trains from Liverpool Lime Street, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Cleethorpes, Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester Airport. Trains from Liverpool and Edinburgh also stop at Manchester Oxford Road.
If you're coming from (or going to) Liverpool Lime Street, Newcastle, Hull or Manchester Airport, these trains run through Manchester Victoria.
The first and last trains for Manchester depend on where you're coming from or going to.
Trains to Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road run from around 5am until midnight, with some services running later from Manchester Piccadilly. For Manchester Victoria, trains arrive from 6am until around 00:30. Check the live train times for your chosen station for more information.
If you're leaving Manchester, trains start at around 5am and stop at around midnight, with some trains leaving later from Manchester Piccadilly.
If you have a late night flight, there are occasional services throughout the night for the airport at Manchester Piccadilly.
Often named the Capital of the North, Manchester is one of the most dynamic and lively cities in Europe. From Chinatown and Canal Street to the Northern Quarter and Spinningfields, this is definitely a city worth visiting. And, with trains to Manchester from Leeds and Preston taking less than an hour and around 2 and half hours from Newcastle, it’s easy to explore for a day, a weekend or longer.
Manchester’s Gay Village centres on Canal Street. A haven of bars and restaurants, this is the place to put on your glad rags and let your hair down. The free Science and Industry Museum is packed with hands-on exhibitions and a huge collection of vintage engines of all types. Are Pre-Raphaelite paintings more your thing? Then don't miss, Manchester Art Gallery with its outstanding mix of classical and contemporary art. Or you can head to The Whitworth for new, contemporary art set within a leafy park.
Manchester boasts three 5-star hotels, the Lowry Hotel is set by the riverside and is known for housing some big-name football stars. Then there's the swish The Edwardian hotel with its fantastic spa and Peter Street Kitchen, an award-winning Japanese/Mexican fusion restaurant. Plus Hotel Gotham takes over a former bank complete with a bar in the vaults and decadent rooms.
Veggies and vegans should head to The Allotment for their locally-sourced all-plant based menu. The stunning interior of Dishoom is not to be missed, with original stained glass from its early days as a Freemason's Hall. It serves up traditional Bombay-irani cafe style food and is applauded for its Bacon Naan breakfasts! For post-shopping food, try The Corn Exchange, opposite Manchester Arndale and home to no less than 12 restaurants.
Manchester Arndale is one of the UK's largest inner-city shopping complexes and it has almost everything you need under one roof. However, if you want a little bit more, opposite Manchester Arndale on Exchange Square you’ll find Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.
Explore the Northern Quarter for some truly unique independent shops. At the Craft & Design Centre you’ll find it full of independent makers selling clothing, textiles, ceramics and accessories.
For more ideas of what to do in Manchester, check out Visit Manchester.
Go behind the screens of famous TV shows and films that were filmed in Manchester
Don’t miss out
Get the latest offers, news & travel inspiration
