London to Manchester
train journey information
- Train fares from£37.00
- Fastest route2h 5m
- Average journey time2h 43m
- Trains per dayAround 32
- ChangesDirect
- Train operatorsAvanti West Coast, CrossCountry, West Midlands Trains, Transport For Wales Rail
London to Manchester
train times
- 22:00London Euston00:39Manchester Piccadilly-22h -21m, Direct
- How long does it take to travel from London to Manchester by train?Average journey time2h 43mIt takes around 2 hours 43 minutes by train from London to Manchester. Bear in mind that the journey time may be a little longer on weekends and holidays.
- How much does the train from London to Manchester cost?Train fares from£37.00Train tickets from London to Manchester cost as little as £37.00 if you book in advance, and the train fares are often higher when purchased on the day. Ticket prices also vary depending on the time of day, route, and class you book.
- What is the fastest journey from London to Manchester by train?Fastest route2h 5mThe fastest train will get you from London to Manchester in 2 hours 5 minutes. The slowest service is the late-evening departure which takes nearly 12 hours 56 minutes travelling at a slower pace throughout the journey.
- What time does the last train from London to Manchester leave?Last train11:20The last train from London to Manchester departs at 11:20. Don’t miss it!
- When can I catch the first train from London to Manchester?First train13:40The first train leaves London at 13:40. Book in advance to save yourself some time in the morning.
- How many trains a day are there from London to Manchester?Trains per day32On an average weekday, around 32 trains travel from London to Manchester. The first train departs London Euston some time after 13:40 with departures continuing at intervals, until 11:20.
London to Manchester
train FAQs
Travel info from London to Manchester
Transportation
London to Manchester train: It’s about 200 miles from London to Manchester, and by far the best way to make that journey is by train, which takes about three hours. The trains in the UK are like buses, with lots of stops to cities and towns across the country. Manchester has four main train stations: Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport, Oxford Road and Manchester Victoria. Check the train tickets now.
Booking train tickets in the UK is very convenient. You can either book train tickets on TrainPal (where there’s no booking fee), or buy train tickets at the rail station, where there are many manned ticket offices and automatic ticket machines, depending on the station. To get from London to Manchester, you can opt for Virgin Express, which takes just more than two hours, and there are also more local, indirect train services, like East Midlands and Cross Country, which take four to five hours. If you buy rail tickets for the express train on the same day you want to travel, an Off-Peak train ticket can cost around £50-60 pounds or more. Book in advance though, it’ll cost you around £20–30. If you’re going to be making more than one train journey, and you’re eligible, you might want to purchase a discount card for booking train tickets. If you’re willing to spend around £30 on one of these, then the train ticket price can be up to 1/3 cheaper.
You can also choose to take the National Express long-distance coach from London to Manchester. Bus fares in the United Kingdom are sometimes cheaper than train tickets. For example, the bus fare from Manchester Victoria Station to Liverpool Lime Street is £8 for a one-way coach ticket and £12 for a one-way train. However, it is recommended that travellers do not take the bus for long-distance travel. The author took a coach from Manchester City to London (5 hours) and could not walk normally after arriving in London.
About Manchester
Manchester is the third-largest city in the UK and a model of urban renewal. Once the centre of the British textiles industry, formerly known as “Cottonopolis”, it’s a thriving, modern city woven with the threads of British industrial history. Manchester is a well-connected city with trains running to Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham in just over 40 minutes. It’s home to more than 700 industries including heavy machinery, weaving, refining, glass, plastics and food processing. It’s not only a political and cultural centre in the northwest of England, but a commercial and employment hub too.Check the trains to Manchester.