Getting around Manchester

Getting around Manchester and to the rest of the UK is made easy by the city’s rail and road connections. Indeed, you can travel even further thanks to our international airport.

Around Manchester

For such a major city, Manchester is surprisingly simple to get around. The city centre is accessible on foot from our campus, or you can use the cycle lanes and travel around quickly by bike.

Manchester has an excellent transport network of local bus, rail and tram services, all operating at very reasonable costs and with discounts for students. It’s easy to plan your journey across all forms of transport, thanks to Transport for Greater Manchester.

Local bus and rail timetables are available from the Advice Service within the Students' Union.

There are several options, most at an affordable price:

Find out more about transport options including walking and cycling routes on our sustainability website.

Getting away

With Manchester Airport offering regular flights to more than 200 destinations, and excellent road and rail links with the rest of the UK, Manchester is one of the most accessible cities in the country and the perfect base for exploring.

The national parks of the Peak District and the Lake District, along with the historic castles of North Wales, are all within easy reach, as are picturesque destinations such as Chester, York and Buxton. The north-west coast is less than an hour away by train or car, offering the unspoiled beaches of Formby and the bright lights of Blackpool. 

We are:

  • 45 minutes from Liverpool and Leeds (car)
  • 1.5 hours from the Lake District (car)
  • 2 hours from London (rail)
  • 2.5 hours from Barcelona (air)
  • 8 hours from New York (air)
  • 13.5 hours from Singapore (air)