How to travel from Manchester to London

Fri, Apr 03
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Travel by train, bus, flight with
Avanti West Coast
Megabus
British Airways
National Express
West Midlands Trains
1,000+ more
Avanti West Coast
Megabus
British Airways
National Express
West Midlands Trains
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Manchester to London

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Manchester to London among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €9. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 2h 20m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.2kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €9, and a flight costs an average of €83.

Distance: 262 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight

€69

Average price

€25

Average price

Cheapest

€231

Average price

3h 46m

Average total duration

3h 16m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 30m

Average total duration

4h 0m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

5h 20m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 20m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.2kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.3 - 0.7kg

CO2 emissions

0.8 - 1.6kg

CO2 emissions

Avanti West Coast

Most popular train company

Megabus

Most popular bus company

British Airways

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Manchester to London

How to get from Manchester to London by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from Manchester to London is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

  • National ExpressNX540
    3:45 PM5h00
    Manchester, Coach Station
    8:45 PMLondon, Victoria Coach Station
    261One-way
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • National ExpressNX540
    3:45 PM5h00
    Manchester, Coach Station
    8:45 PMLondon, Victoria Coach Station
    261One-way
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • Transpennine ExpressL36552+East Midlands RailwayY12151
    8:13 AM3h23
    Manchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    11:36 AMLondon St Pancras International (STP)
    981One-way
    1 transfer

Other options

  • Avanti West CoastW02910+West Midlands TrainsLM060700+East Midlands RailwayC51467
    8:14 AM3h38
    Manchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    11:52 AMLondon St Pancras International (STP)
    621One-way
    2 transfers
  • Transpennine ExpressL36558+East Midlands RailwayC51596
    9:13 AM3h26
    Manchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    12:39 PMLondon St Pancras International (STP)
    981One-way
    1 transfer
  • East Midlands RailwayY12357 · Y12153
    8:43 AM3h26
    Manchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    12:09 PMLondon St Pancras International (STP)
    981One-way
    1 transfer
  • National ExpressNX540
    5:45 PM4h40
    Manchester, Coach Station
    10:25 PMLondon, Victoria Coach Station
    261One-way
    0 transfers
  • National ExpressNX540
    7:30 AM4h50
    Manchester, Coach Station
    12:20 PMLondon, Victoria Coach Station
    391One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    11:30 AM4h10
    Manchester, Shudehill Interchange
    3:40 PMLondon, Finchley Road ("Subway" restaurant)
    371One-way
    0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

Compare train, bus, and flight prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.

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General Information About the Journey from Manchester to London

There are a number of ways to get from Manchester to London, including flying, taking the bus or the train. Though flying offers the quickest journey time, after factoring in journey and waiting times, trains and buses are both convenient options, taking just a few hours longer and arriving into Central London. Trains arrive at Euston Station, buses at London Victoria and flights into Heathrow Airport.

Buses from Manchester to London

There are two operators that run bus services from Manchester to London. Flixbus operates 12 direct services per day from Shudehill Interchange to London Victoria with the first bus just after 3:00 a.m. and the last leaving before midnight. National Express also runs 12 services per day from Manchester Coach Station to London Victoria between 4:30 a.m. and just before midnight. The journey takes roughly between four and six hours.

Trains from Manchester to London

There are 3 - 4 trains per hour from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, with the first service leaving Manchester just after 5:00 a.m. The service is operated by Virgin Trains and the journey takes between two and just over three hours, depending on whether it is direct, or with one change.

Flights from Manchester to London

There are approximately thirteen direct flights from Manchester Airport to London Heathrow operated by British Airways and Virgin Little Red. It takes roughly an hour to fly between the two cities.

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FAQs: Travel from Manchester to London

Travel to London easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Manchester to London.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Manchester and London including taking a bus, train, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Manchester to London is a bus with an average price of €9.

This is compared to other travel options from Manchester to London:

A bus is €16 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Manchester to London costing on average €26.

A bus is €73 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Manchester to London costing on average €83.

The fastest way to travel from Manchester to London is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 0m.

Other travel options to London take longer:

Train takes on average 2h 44m.

Bus takes on average 4h 5m.

The Manchester to London distance is approximately 262 km.
The average frequency per day from Manchester to London is:
  • Around 57 buses per day.
  • Around 15 trains per day.
  • Around 11 flights per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Manchester and London as scheduled services by bus, train, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Manchester to London:
  • Flights mostly depart from Manchester Airport and arrive in London Heathrow Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) and arrive in London Euston (EUS).
  • Buses mostly depart from Manchester, Shudehill Interchange and arrive in London, Victoria Coach Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Manchester to London, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus, DoggioBus, Scottish Citylink to go to London by bus.
  • Travel with British Airways, Loganair, KLM to go to London by flight.
  • Travel with Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry to go to London by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Manchester to London with the following travel companies:
  • 55 direct buses per day with Megabus, National Express, FlixBus, DoggioBus, Scottish Citylink.
  • 10 direct trains per day with Avanti West Coast.
Omio customers who travel from Manchester to London often also extend their vacation to go to Paris, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Brussels, Liverpool. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between London and these popular destinations at a great price.
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