How to travel from Birmingham to Manchester

Sun, Sep 13
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CrossCountry
National Express
Megabus
FlixBus
West Midlands Trains
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CrossCountry
National Express
Megabus
FlixBus
West Midlands Trains
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Birmingham to Manchester

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Birmingham to Manchester among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of €11 For those with little time, consider booking a bus, which has an average total journey time of 2h 35m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.0 - 0.1kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €11, while a train costs an average of €20.

Distance: 113 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Driving

€20

Average price

€11

Average price

Cheapest

€35

Average price

(fuel + tolls)

2h 36m

Average total duration

2h 6m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

2h 35m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 5m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

1h 55m

Average total duration

(door-to-door)

0.0 - 0.1kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.1 - 0.3kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

CrossCountry

Most popular train company

National Express

Most popular bus company

Your own car or car rental

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

The cheapest way to travel from Birmingham to Manchester is a bus with an average price of €11.

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

A bus is €10 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Birmingham to Manchester costing on average €20.

The fastest way to travel from Birmingham to Manchester is by bus with an average journey time of 2h 35m.

Other travel options to Manchester take longer:

Train takes on average 2h 36m.

It's helpful to compare your options as there are 2 ways to travel between Birmingham and Manchester including taking a train and bus.

Travel options
from Birmingham to Manchester

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    8:00 AM2h30
    Birmingham
    10:30 AMManchester, Shudehill Interchange
    81One-way
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    8:00 AM2h30
    Birmingham
    10:30 AMManchester, Shudehill Interchange
    81One-way
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • CrossCountryG00917
    10:01 PM1h27
    Birmingham New Street (BHM)
    11:28 PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    221One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • West Midlands TrainsC17759+Northern RailL89087
    9:34 PM2h23
    Birmingham New Street (BHM)
    11:57 PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    171One-way
    1 transfer
  • CrossCountryG00902
    8:01 PM1h28
    Birmingham New Street (BHM)
    9:29 PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    301One-way
    0 transfers
  • CrossCountryG66777
    7:30 PM1h30
    Birmingham New Street (BHM)
    9:00 PMManchester Piccadilly (MAN)
    301One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    12:30 PM3h20
    Birmingham
    3:50 PMManchester, Shudehill Interchange
    81One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    6:40 PM2h20
    Birmingham
    9:00 PMManchester, Shudehill Interchange
    91One-way
    0 transfers
  • FlixBusFlixBus
    2:10 PM2h30
    Birmingham
    4:40 PMManchester, Shudehill Interchange
    91One-way
    0 transfers

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

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FAQs: Travel from Birmingham to Manchester

Travel to Manchester 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 Birmingham to Manchester.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Birmingham and Manchester including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Birmingham to Manchester is a bus with an average price of €11.

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

A bus is €10 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Birmingham to Manchester costing on average €20.

The fastest way to travel from Birmingham to Manchester is by bus with an average journey time of 2h 35m.

Other travel options to Manchester take longer:

Train takes on average 2h 36m.

The Birmingham to Manchester distance is approximately 113 km.
The average frequency per day from Birmingham to Manchester is:
  • Around 27 buses per day.
  • Around 26 trains per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Birmingham to Manchester:
  • Trains mostly depart from Birmingham New Street (BHM) and arrive in Manchester Piccadilly (MAN).
  • Buses mostly depart from Birmingham, Coach Station and arrive in Manchester, Coach Station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Birmingham to Manchester, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with National Express, Megabus, FlixBus to go to Manchester by bus.
  • Travel with CrossCountry, West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, Northern Rail, Transport for Wales, Cross Country to go to Manchester by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Birmingham to Manchester with the following travel companies:
  • 27 direct buses per day with National Express, Megabus, FlixBus.
  • 16 direct trains per day with CrossCountry, Transport for Wales, Cross Country.
Omio customers who travel from Birmingham to Manchester often also extend their vacation to go to London, Liverpool, Paris, Edinburgh, Glasgow. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Manchester and these popular destinations at a great price.
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