Getting to Old Trafford

There are a number of stops within easy walking distance of the ground:

• Old Trafford (Bury/Altrincham lines)
• Trafford Bar (Altrincham/Bury/Rochdale/Shaw and Crompton/Airport/East Didsbury lines)
• Wharfside (Trafford Park line)
• Exchange Quay (Eccles/Ashton lines)

There's also Trafford Bar within a 15-minute walk of the ground. For more information, take a look at the tram network map.

After the match, we advise passengers who are Altrincham-bound to board a tram at Old Trafford, whilst those catching the East Didsbury or Airport lines, we advise to use Trafford Bar. We've created a handy map to help with post-match connections.

Metrolink are constantly improving the network for customers. Make sure you check the Metrolink planned improvements webpage before you travel to see if any works will affect your route.

Park and Ride

If you have to drive, did you know that there are 24 Park and Ride sites in Greater Manchester, where you can park your car for free and hop on the tram to your destination? The nearest Park and Ride sites to Old Trafford are:

• Ladywell (Eccles line)
• Parkway (Trafford Park line)
• Sale Water Park(Airport line)

Tickets

Beat the queue at the machines and touch-in and out at the on-stop machines using contactless Save money and travel with the family using our family travelcard. Remember, this is only available on the on-stop ticket machines. The stadium and all tram stops close to it are in Zone 2.

Congestion on the roads close to Old Trafford will start to build from around 2 hours before each match as fans start to make their way to the ground.

According to data from previous matches, consider adding the additional journey time below, dependent on which direction you are approaching the ground from:

• If you are travelling from the west side of Manchester, plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
• If you are travelling from the east side of Manchester, along the Mancunian Way, expect an additional 15 minutes to your journey.
• If you are travelling from the south of Manchester via junction 7 of the M60, expect an additional 30 minutes added to your journey along the A56 Chester Road. The quickest route to the official car parks is via Parkway and Wharfside Way (M60 Junction 9).

At the end of the game, there will be road closures in place for supporter safety. Expect delays of up to 50 minutes if travelling in and around Old Trafford.

Planned roadworks

From Friday 18 August, there will be a southbound lane closure on Talbot Road at the junction with White City Way for approximately 8 weeks. This is to support the upgrade of cycling and walking facilities. Please allow plenty of time to travel in the area.

The next phase of the Chorlton to Manchester cycleway is now underway, with temporary traffic lights installed at the junction of Barlow Moor Road and Sandy Lane/High Lane. With three sets of lights now in place along Barlow Moor Road, journey times are significantly increasing on match days. Fans should look to avoid the area or to beat the queues by using public transport.

For more information on roadworks in Greater Manchester, please visit out dedicated webpage.

Match day car parking

Official parking is available at Old Trafford and can be booked online via the Manchester United website.

Please ensure that you are parking responsibly on match days, so that other road users and local residents can also use the highways in and around the ground.

More information about match day parking is available on the Manchester United website.

If you are intending to catch a bus to or from Old Trafford, the following commercial bus services will bring you closest to the ground – 250, 255, 256, 263 and X50.

You can see the nearest stops to the ground with our dedicated map.

Journey times could also be impacted due to the increased levels of traffic, so be sure to plan ahead and allow extra time for your travel.

For more information, you can search your bus service and select your stop on the TfGM website or check with your bus operator before travelling.

Post-match shuttle bus

A match day shuttle bus service will operate for Premier League games (not for Champions League or League Cup games).

The service will depart from Chester Road (between Throstles Green and Sir Matt Busby Way), with drop-off points at Deansgate-Castlefield and Piccadilly.

There will be 10 buses to take fans back to the city centre.

Tickets can be purchased on the bus with a single costing £3 for adults and £1.50 for children.

Tickets

Get on board a bus with simple and clear low bus fares.

Adults will pay no more than £2 for a single bus journey, while a £5 1 day AnyBus Adult travelcard will cover unlimited bus travel within the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester until 3.59am the following day.

For more information, you can visit our dedicated webpage.

The ground is also only a short Metrolink ride (20 minutes) from Piccadilly Station in the city centre.

• From Manchester Piccadilly: Please board an Altrincham tram and get off Old Trafford. For tram services, just take the stairs down from the main concourse area at Piccadilly Station.
• From Victoria: Please board an Altrincham tram and get off Old Trafford.
• From Oxford Road: Please board an Altrincham tram from Deansgate-Castlefield to Old Trafford.

Please note that on some maps of the area, it depicts an Old Trafford train station. This is no longer in use, but the nearby Old Trafford tram stop provides links to all corners of Greater Manchester. Please see the information above for details.

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

With a network of cycle lanes around the stadium, beat the queues and make cycling your top choice for getting to and from the match.

Cycle parking

No need to wonder whether there will be somewhere safe to park your bike, as Old Trafford provide free cycle racks at the following car parks:

• N2 (Sir Alex Ferguson Stand)
• E2 (East Stand)
• W2 (West Stand)

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 United website.

If you're cycling to the ground via MediaCityUK, this is where TfGM's nearest Cycle Hub is located. Providing safe cycle parking with CCTV in operation, more information on how to use a cycle hub can be found on the Bee Active website.

Cycle hire

Greater Manchester now offers the option to hire bikes. Through the Beryl app, you can locate and unlock your bike, get from A to B, then safely lock your hired bike up again - easy! To find out more about Manchester's cycle hire scheme that operates in the Old Trafford area, visit our dedicated cycle hire information.

Cycle maps

You can find TfGM's own map of cycle routes within the Trafford area on our website or you can visit the TfGM journey planner to find out your bespoke route to the match via Greater Manchester's cycle network.

Whether you decide to walk for a full or partial journey, you can beat the queues, see more of your city and make a positive choice for the environment by walking to Old Trafford.

Visit the Bee Active website and see what's within a 15-minute walk of Old Trafford - including tram stops for those that would like to combine walking with Metrolink travel. Just type the postcode 'M16 0RA' for Old Trafford so that you may consider making a change to your match day travel.

From 24 September 2023, we will be saying 'yellow' to the first Bee Network buses.

For the first time in 40 years, bus services will be under local control in Bolton, Wigan, and parts of Bury, Salford and Manchester, with the rest of Greater Manchester's buses following in stages:

• From 31 March 2024: Bus services in the Bury, Rochdale and Oldham areas as well as north Manchester.
• From 5 January 2025: South Manchester, Stockport, Trafford, Tameside and the rest of Salford.

If you'd like more information about the Bee Network, you can visit our dedicated webpage. Also, if you are planning a journey by bus and would like to find out if your service is part of the Bee Network, simply search your service number on our bus webpage to find out more about your service.

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.