Photo: Wyld, William (Public domain)
How to get from London to Manchester
3 ways, 262 km apart. Times come from today's timetables (Tuesday, planned from 08:00). Prices are marked live, operator fare or estimated. We add nothing to the fare.
3 ways to travel
| Way | Door to door | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Trainbest | 2h 24m | £42–170 estimated |
| Drivecheapest | 5h 8m | £29–39 estimated |
| Taxi | 5h 8m | £450–640 estimated |
Departures today
- 08:02 → 10:312h 29m · 1 changeLondon Underground (TfL) Victoria£48–163
- 08:02 → 10:262h 24m · 2 changesLondon Underground (TfL) Victoria£53–170
- 08:07 → 11:173h 10m · directAvanti West Coast Avanti£42–155
- 08:18 → 10:562h 38m · 1 changeLondon Underground (TfL) Northern£44–161
- 08:18 → 10:532h 35m · 2 changesLondon Underground (TfL) Northern£44–161
- 08:28 → 11:313h 3m · directAvanti West Coast Avanti£42–155
Timetable data via Transitous and the operators' own GTFS feeds. Live delays arrive when an operator publishes a real-time feed.
Questions people ask
- How long does it take to get from London to Manchester?
- The fastest way is by train: about 2h 24m door to door. The straight-line distance is 262 km.
- What is the cheapest way from London to Manchester?
- Drive is the cheapest, from £29. That figure is an estimate from the operator's fare bands, not a live quote.
- Is there a direct train from London to Manchester?
- Yes. Today's timetable shows 2 direct trains, the fastest taking 2h 24m. Fares run £42–170 across classes.
- How far is Manchester from London by road?
- About 322 km, roughly 5h 8m of driving in normal traffic. Fuel alone costs around £29–39; tolls and parking are extra.