You can travel on Metrolink trams for free within the City Zone when you buy a train ticket to Manchester city centre from any station within Greater Manchester. Check that your ticket shows MANCHESTER CTLZ.
Train tickets from Metrolink ticket machines
Ticket machines at tram stops outside Manchester city centre can issue tickets for train travel. Train tickets are available by zone for the following train stations in Greater Manchester:
Rail zone 1
Ardwick /Ashburys/Belle Vue/Burnage/Eccles/Gorton/Heaton Chapel/Humphrey Park/Levenshulme/Mauldeth Road/Moston/ Reddish North/Ryder Brow/Salford Central/Salford Crescent/Trafford Park
Rail zone 2
Ashton-under-Lyne/Bolton/Bredbury/Brinnington/Broadbottom/Castleton/Chassen Road/Cheadle Hulme/Clifton/Davenport/East Didsbury/Farnworth/Flixton/Flowery Field/Gatley/Glazebrook/ Godley/Guide Bridge/ Hattersley/Hazel Grove/Heald Green/Hyde Central/Hyde North/Irlam/Kearsley/Marple/Mills Hill/Moorside/Moses Gate /Mossley/Newton for Hyde/Patricroft/Romiley/Rose Hill/Stalybridge/Stockport/Swinton/Urmston/Walkden/Woodley/Woodsmoor
Rail zone 3
Airport/Appley Bridge/Atherton/Blackrod/Bramhall/Bromley Cross/ Bryn/Daisy Hill/Dinting Disley/Gathurst/Glossop/
Greenfield/Hadfield/Hag Fold/Hall i’ th’ Wood/Hindley/Horwich Parkway/Ince/Littleborough/Lostock/Middlewood/Milnrow/New Mills Central/New Mills Newtown/Orrell/Pemberton/Rochdale/Smithy Bridge/Strines/Westhoughton/Wigan stations