Ease of access

Manchester is one of the most accessible cities in Europe thanks to its world-class airport and strategic position on the UK’s rail and road network. It has, therefore become the natural choice for organisers of national and international conferences.

By Air

Manchester Airport is the global gateway to the North of England, and the largest UK airport outside of London.

  • Your delegates will benefit from non-stop flights from over 200 destinations including nearly every major European city including Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, as well as global hubs including New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore.

  • July 2021 saw Manchester Airport open its £1bn ‘super-terminal’ which has seen a significant transformation and expansion of the existing Terminal 2 to create a truly global hub.

  • The journey from Manchester Airport to Manchester's city centre is 15-20 minutes by train (c.£4.00) or 20-25 minutes by taxi (c.£25.00).

  • Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport is an alternative gateway to Manchester, with flights arriving from a network of European destinations. Travel to Manchester is around one hour by train or coach.

By Rail

With direct rail services from across the country, getting to Manchester by train couldn’t be easier.

  • Manchester Piccadilly is one of three main stations in Manchester and offers direct services to other major UK cities.

  • There are 60 direct trains a day from London (every 20 minutes), with a journey time of just over two hours.

  • Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield are all within one hour by train and Scotland and the Lake District are under two hours.

Train journey times from:

  • London - 2hrs 7mins
  • Edinburgh - 3hrs 15mins
  • Birmingham - 1hr 28mins
  • Manchester Airport - 14mins
  • Liverpool – 34mins
  • Sheffield – 52mins
  • Newcastle – 2hrs 25mins
  • York - 1hr 20mins

By Road

Manchester is well connected to the rest of the UK via excellent motorway links. The M60 ring road connects the city to motorways north, south, east and west.

National Express and Megabus provide coach services from all over the country into Chorlton Street Coach Station in the heart of the city centre.