Getting to Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport, the busiest airport in the north of the UK, is situated in south Manchester, just off the M56 motorway.

Jump to key travel advice:

Travel by tram
Travel by bus or coach
Travel by train
Travel by bike
Travel by car
Address and contact details
Accessibility on the Bee Network

Travel by tram

There is a dedicated tram route running between central Manchester and Manchester Airport.

If you're making your way from various parts of Greater Manchester, you can change at the following stops to board the Airport line:

Victoria, if travelling from Bury, Rochdale, and Shaw and Crompton
St Peter's Square, if travelling from Piccadilly station, Ashton-under-Lyne and the City Centre
Cornbrook, if travelling from Eccles and the Trafford Centre
Trafford Bar, if travelling from Altrincham
St Werburgh's Road, if travelling from East Didsbury

The tram network operates during the following times:

Monday to Thursday - 6am to midnight
Friday and Saturday - 6am to 1am (following day)
Sunday - 7am to midnight

First and last tram times may vary by stop, please make sure to check our tram schedule page before you travel. Here, you can type in your stop and where you want to travel to, and get times specific to your journey.

Beat the queues at the ticket machines and tap in and out at the on-stop smart readers using your contactless card or device. Tap off when you reach your destination.

If you need a child ticket, or you are travelling as a family, use the ticket machines on stop, or, download the Bee Network app to purchase travelcards for longer periods of time and combined tickets for trams and buses. The Airport is located in Zone 4.

The Bee Network is continually improving the network for customers. Make sure you check the
tram planned improvements webpage before you travel to see if any works will affect your route.

Travel by bus or coach

The airport is served by a number of routes, connecting it to Wythenshawe, Altrincham, Eccles and Stockport Interchanges.

The 43 bus runs between the airport and Piccadilly Gardens in the Manchester City Centre.

18 from Eccles Interchange via Sale and Trafford Park
43 from Piccadilly Gardens via Fallowfield
103 from Piccadilly Gardens via West Didsbury
130 from Macclesfield via Wilmslow
199 from Buxton via Disley
368 from Stockport via Cheadle Hulme
X5 from Warrington via Lymm and Hale

18 to Eccles Interchange via Sale and Trafford Park.
43 to Piccadilly Gardens via Fallowfield
103 to Piccadilly Gardens via West Didsbury
130 to Macclesfield via Wilmslow
199 to Buxton via Disley
368 to Stockport via Cheadle Hulme
X5 to Warrington via Lymm and Hale

If you’re travelling by bus, just tap on with your contactless card or device when you board. Adults pay £2 for a single bus journey.

If you need a day ticket, or you are travelling as a family, you can download the Bee Network app, or ask the bus driver for an adult day ticket (£5) or a family day ticket (£9 for a group of one to three children accompanied by one or two adults when travelling together).

A day ticket will cover you for unlimited bus travel within Greater Manchester.

Find more information on bus tickets..

Local Link offers a flexible transport service for local journeys in areas where transport services are limited. Shared minibuses can be booked to travel within the service area in Wythenshawe.

The service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The airport is served by several coach companies, operating from the bus station, 7 days a week. More information about booking a coach and an overview of coach operators can be found on Manchester Airport's website.

Travel by train

The airport is connected with Greater Manchester via the national rail network, with trains running from the Manchester Airport Train Station situated between Terminals 1 and 2.

Trains to Manchester Airport operate from Manchester Piccadilly, with some services also calling at Manchester Oxford Road and Deansgate.

There are services operated by Northern Rail, Transport for Wales and TransPennine Express. Please ensure you have the right ticket for your service, if it's operator-restricted.

These run every 10 minutes, 7 days a week, taking as little as 13 minutes.

Direct services to a range of destinations across the country are also available from the airport.

Remember to plan your journey in advance of your trip by checking with your operator or on the National Rail website.

Travel by bike

You can travel to the airport using cycle paths.

You can find TfGM's own interactive map of cycle routes within the Trafford area on our website.
The airport is also accessible via the Orbital Cycle route, which is accessible on our website or you can visit the TfGM journey planner to find a bespoke route via Greater Manchester's cycle network.

Parking for public cycles in only permitted outside of the Manchester Airport railway station. Staff parking for bikes is available at all terminals.

To secure your bike, make sure you take your own bike lock with you.

Please ensure that you use the bike racks provided, as locking your bike up at an unauthorised location around the ground may result in your bike being removed. For more information, please visit the Manchester Airport website.

Travel by car

Official parking is available at all three terminals at the airport upon arrival. To guarantee a parking space, please pre-book via the airport website.

A dedicated free drop off area is available next to the Jet 1 Car Park, with a frequent bus shuttle operating to all airport terminals. More information can be found on the Airport drop off page.

Charges apply to pick up and drop off points directly outside each terminal. Pick up and leaving your vehicle is only permitted in pick up areas and not in drop off zones, and may incur an additional charge. A drop off point is also available at the Bus Interchange station. Further information can be found on the Airport website.

When picking up passengers, please use the dedicated car park for each terminal:

Terminal 1: T1 Short Stay car park

Terminal 2: T2 Multi-Storey West car park

Terminal 3: T3 Multi-Storey pick-up zone

Station: T1 Short Stay car park

Dedicated taxi ranks are situated outside all three Terminals and the station, with no bookings required.

More information can be found on the Manchester Airport page.

Address and contact details

Manchester Airport is served by the M56 motorway (J5 for Terminals, J6 for World Freight Terminal) and the A555.

For sat navs, you should be able to use the postcode M90 1QX to reach all terminals, following specific signage for your terminal. Individual car parks may offer a specific postcode, please check with the relevant operator before your journey.

Got a question about getting to Manchester Airport? Tweet us @BeeNetwork or visit our contact us page for other ways to connect with TfGM. Or visit Manchester Airport's own page.

Accessibility on the Bee Network

In Greater Manchester, we want everyone to travel safely and easily. We have a variety of accessibility guides suited to your journey on our accessibility hub and some key information for travelling by Metrolink and bus below.

Accessibility on Metrolink

Metrolink is a modern system with a range of accessibility features. All Metrolink trams and tram stops are accessible for wheelchair users.

Every tram stop has:

A ramp, lift, or escalator - for the latest service updates for lifts and escalators at your stop, visit our dedicated webpage.
Step-free access for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs
CCTV and emergency call-points
platforms with tactile edges for visually impaired passengers.

Every tram has:

An area for people who use wheelchairs
Space for pushchairs
Seats marked for people who have trouble standing
Emergency call points.

For further information on the accessibility of Metrolink, please visit the accessibility hub.

Accessibility on the bus

Many buses have ramps and can accommodate wheelchairs. Some new buses also have display screens, route numbers, destination displays and audio-visual ‘next stop’ announcements.

A lot of bus operators have low floor buses to make it easier for people who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and those with small children and pushchairs.

For further information, visit our accessibility hub and select your bus operator for their accessibility policies.