London to Manchester: train 1h 56m, bus 3h 40m

At a glance

Fastest
1h 56m
direct
Train
€31
Cheapest
3h 40m
direct
Bus
€16

Calculated by Routavio, refreshed 20 Oct 2026

Start with the whole journey.

We compared the ways to travel from London to Manchester. The most useful door-to-door route takes 3h 40m by bus with no transfer. The two cities are about 250 km apart in a straight line. The price and operators below come from a real route search.

The lowest we recorded in the last 14 days was €10, on Fri, Oct 16.

250 km

Which way suits you?

Transport	Observed fare	Duration and scope	Detail
Train	€17Omio catalogue, Oct 22	1h 56mdirect	See Train details
Bus	€9Omio catalogue, Oct 22	3h 40mdirect	See Bus details

Train€17Omio catalogue, Oct 22
1h 56m · directSee Train details
Bus€9Omio catalogue, Oct 22
3h 40m · directSee Bus details

These figures were observed on different days. This table is not a live price ranking for your date.

London to Manchester: cheapest or fastest?

All from the same recent search. Pick a tab: the legs, the timing and the difference from the others all change with it.

€163h 40m · direct · bus

1
London Borough of Camden → Manchesterbus
FlixBus·3h 40m

Against the other options

vs the fastest+1h 44m

The best balance of price and time we found on this route.

Which date should you go?

The amounts on each day are fares seen earlier, not live offers. A day with no figure is one we have not priced, not one without a service.

Departures from London to Manchester

FlixBus runs 104 scheduled departures a day, the first at 00:25 and the last at 23:59.

Operator	Departures a day	First	Last
FlixBusbus	104	00:25	23:59
Avanti West Coasttrain	40	06:08	19:13

All departuresFlixBus

00:25
00:40
00:45
01:25
01:59
02:40
02:45
05:20
05:40
06:00
06:20
06:30
06:40
07:00
07:15
07:20
07:30
07:35
08:00
08:15
08:30
08:35
08:40
09:00
09:05
09:15
09:30
10:00
10:05
10:10
10:30
10:35
10:40
11:00
11:10
11:30
11:40
12:05
12:10
12:30
13:00
13:10
13:20
13:30
13:40
14:00
14:10
14:20
14:30
14:40
14:45
14:50
15:00
15:10
15:40
15:45
15:50
16:00
16:10
16:20
16:30
16:40
16:50
17:00
17:10
17:30
17:45
18:00
18:10
18:30
18:40
19:00
19:30
19:40
20:00
20:10
20:30
20:40
21:00
21:25
21:30
21:45
22:00
22:25
22:40
22:45
22:59
23:00
23:25
23:30
23:40
23:45
23:59

All departuresAvanti West Coast

06:08
06:29
06:46
07:13
07:33
07:53
08:13
08:33
08:53
09:13
09:33
09:53
10:13
10:33
10:53
11:13
11:33
11:53
12:13
12:33
12:53
13:13
13:33
13:53
14:13
14:33
14:53
15:13
15:33
15:53
16:13
16:33
16:53
17:13
17:33
17:53
18:13
18:33
18:53
19:13

Departure times come from operator timetables and are local time at the origin. Where a row shows no times, the frequency is the operator's own and the timetable is not published to us. Times can change on holidays and at short notice; confirm with the operator before you travel.

Departure and arrival

Ticket prices on this route

What each way of travelling costs, as the operator publishes it. These describe the route rather than a date you pick, and they refresh once a day. Booking opens at our partner Omio.

Bus· 3h 40m€9Book
Train· 2h 06m€17Book

Omio last refreshed these on Thu, Oct 22

See fares and book

Operators seen on these journeys

FlixBusLondon Borough of Camden-ManchesterBook →Avanti West CoastLondon-ManchesterBook →

On this route you travel with FlixBus, Avanti West Coast; Routavio does not add a booking fee.

How the trip from London to Manchester works

Start with a FlixBus bus from London Borough of Camden to Manchester, about 3h 40m. In total it's roughly €16 over 3h 40m, direct, no transfers.

London to Manchester: common questions

How long does it take to get from London to Manchester?

The most useful route takes about 3h 40m by bus, with no transfer.

When is the first bus from London to Manchester?

The first bus with FlixBus leaves at 00:25 and the last at 23:59, from London Finchley Road, according to the published timetable.

How many bus departures a day are there from London to Manchester?

104 a day with FlixBus, between 00:25 and 23:59.

Which station does the bus from London to Manchester leave from?

London Finchley Road with FlixBus, according to the published timetable.

When is the first train from London to Manchester?

The first train with Avanti West Coast leaves at 06:08 and the last at 19:13, according to the published timetable.

How many train departures a day are there from London to Manchester?

40 a day with Avanti West Coast, between 06:08 and 19:13.

How far is Manchester from London?

About 250 km in a straight line. The real route on the ground or in the air is longer.

How much does London to Manchester cost?

On the upcoming dates we checked, the cheapest fare ranged from €10 to €16. Run a live search for your own date to see today's price.

Which operators run London to Manchester?

On this route you travel with FlixBus, Avanti West Coast.

Can you get from London to Manchester without flying?

Yes. A ground route by train takes about 2h 06m.

What is the cheapest way to get from London to Manchester?

Usually a flexible date, or leaving from a nearby airport. A live search puts every option for your dates side by side.

Can I book directly?

Yes. Routavio sends you straight to the operator or an independent third-party provider. We never add a booking fee. The final fare and availability are confirmed by that provider.

Where to next

London → Gatwick€4

Antwerp → London

London → Cardiff

Other ways people search London to Manchester

how to get from London to Manchester
London to Manchester travel time
London to Manchester distance
cheapest way from London to Manchester
London to Manchester by bus

Sources and method

Routes are calculated by Routavio's multimodal engine from operator timetables and flight data. Durations come from timetables, and prices are the most recent observation, not a guarantee.

Operators: FlixBus

Route calculated: 20 Oct 2026

How to get from London to Manchester