U.K. and Ireland - Manchester Airport to Train

I will be arriving at T3 in Manchester and have a relatively short transfer to the train. I will need to collect a pre-purchased ticket there. I have never done this before and need advice as to both getting from T3, and then picking up a long-distance rail ticket which I have purchased in advance (to get the cheap fare!)

Grateful if any Mancunians or others familiar with the airport could help.

Many thanks.

Its either a short bus from outside t3 (roughly every 10 mins if i recall, although it seemed unreliable) or 10 min walk well signposted through an enclosed walkway.

You can easily walk from T3 to the station via T1. More maps than you could ever need for MAN here: http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/Maps

The station has self-service machines to collect tickets, assuming you have ordered them online and have a booking code.

Thanks, folks!

It must be said that it can be somewhat confusing, even to those of us who have done it a few times. It used to be easy before they re-developed the terminal ...

If you look at this map (http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/AirportDetailedViewMaps) from the link that bcmatt provided, you'll see T3 - you want to go outside (where the little car is) and head diagonally off to the left to T1. It is signposted, though not terribly well. At T1, you need to negotiate your way to the correct level, to pick up the skylink walkway that's in this map (http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/StationPickUpDropOffMaps) that takes you through (an enclosed walkway) in the car park to the station. Unless you have a lot of luggage, I wouldn't bother with the bus, unless it happens to come along when you're exiting T3.

tt7,

Thanks for the extra help.

Regards,

Gowhere

The station has self-service machines to collect tickets, assuming you have ordered them online and have a booking code.

Oops! Forgot to ask one question (well, two). Will the self-service machine require a credit card as well as the booking code to collect them or can I prepay on the internet. Also, does the self-service machine accept American credit cards (no chip) if they are, in fact, required.

Thanks.

Oops! Forgot to ask one question (well, two). Will the self-service machine require a credit card as well as the booking code to collect them or can I prepay on the internet. Also, does the self-service machine accept American credit cards (no chip) if they are, in fact, required.

Thanks.

My experience is that the machine will need the credit card you used to book. I cannot answer the second question I am afraid.

Yes, they do need the credit card you booked with.

And no, they don't need a chip, as the card is for identification only, rather than payment.

If all else fails, you can still pick the tickets up from the ticket office.

As tt7 pointed out it isn't at all straightforward since the never-ending construction work started more than a year ago. I don't even know if T1 and T3 are going to be joined again as they used to.

Signposting from T3 to the Station is poor as they expect everyone to take the bus. If you insist on walking the best option would be to walk around to the front of T1 under the skylink walkway, ignoring the ground level check-in entrance, don't go into the terminal building but take the lift to the left of the main entrance of the T1 arrival level. This should take you directly up to the skylink walkway level (signposted "The Station" and T2).

Thanks, stut and NewbieRunner.

Yet another question. About how long should I allow from scheduled touchdown to train departure? I will have checked luggage.

About how long should I allow from scheduled touchdown to train departure? I will have checked luggage.
Where are you flying from?

Where are you flying from?

Duh. [smacking head] Of course, it would be helpful if I let you know that it is a domestic flight (LHR) arriving on a Sunday around Noon.

Always difficult to advise on this sort of thing as it depends how much risk you're prepared to build into the connection.

Given your unfamiliarity with the place I'd say 70 minutes - 30-35 minutes for 'normal', 5-10 minutes for your unfamilarity, 30 minutes contingency.

Where are you travelling onwards to? If it's a transpennine express (their lack of capitals, not mine!) service then your Advance ticket will almost certainly be an Airport Advance ticket which does actually allow a bit of flexibility:

http://www.tpexpress.co.uk/train-tickets-and-rail-offers/tickets-explained.htm

It might be the same for other operators, or if your journey invooves a connection to another operator. Or it might not given the 'integrated' state of the rail network!

As to how those Airport Advance tickets work in practice I'm not sure. Whilst I've done plenty of plane-train connections at MAN I've never done it on those tickets. Note the bit about 'Should your flight be delayed, please ensure that you obtain documentation from your airline that this is the case'.

Thanks, Phillipas.

It is indeed the transpennine express and I had noticed the Airport Advance Ticket benefits (and conditions), so I am primarily concerned about my own failings rather than BA's. If anything, I tend to be extra-conservative about connections, so I appreciate your breaking down your estimate into its component parts. I think that is the best way to advise in this situation, because it puts the ball back in my court as for as my risk tolerance is concerned.

Glad to be of service. Don't go much below what I suggest in terms of contingency though otherwise you're just asking for trouble.

Of course, follow my advice to the letter and you're guaranteed to land 20 minutes early, your bag to be first off, the transfer bus to be waiting at the stop and depart the instant you board it, there to be no queue at the station, and for the train to be cancelled - all leading to a wait at the station of at least 2 hours! :D

Glad to be of service. Don't go much below what I suggest in terms of contingency though otherwise you're just asking for trouble.



No worries there. I said I am ultra-conservative when it comes to transfers, and I meant it. As it turns out, the train I was going to book was exactly to your timetable, so I didn't chance it and booked the next train, an hour later. :D

Does it mean that I will spend way too much time in Manchester Airport - almost certainly. But I would rather have to wait with a good book, than scramble to catch a train and see the tail end of it pulling out of the station.

Thanks, again.

First problem you will have is the useless ground staff at MAN, they dont work for BA and tend to take between a long time and forever to get the bridge to the plane and get you off. Then you go through the stupid maze to get to baggage collection which you go straight past and dont collect two hundred pounds. Head straight outside , which is easy to find as a wave of cigarette smoke will draw you to the many exits littered with a sea of cigarette butts and smokers. Head left towards Olympic house and stay to the left side and there is a gap you will walk through, you cant miss it. There is a sign to T2 and station as well. You then see an entrance into T1 and this will take you into the arrivals area and keep to the right of the masses and left of Burger King and go outside. There is an elevator on your right, use this or go up the stairs to the right of it and when upstairs go left along the big glass tunnel to the end and you will get to the station.

Now as a tip, there are train ticket machines arrivals at T3 but they have been broken for months. If they are workinhg throw in your card you used for the booking and your ref # and you will get your tickets.

If this fails then when you go down the escalator to the station there is 2 machines on the right use them and dont go and line up as you will be giving up the will to live by the time they serve you.

Sometimes thay have station staff who can commuincate with you in plain English and it may be worth chancing your arm and asking them for help, but dont be shocked when their face goes into a Homer Simpson look of tranquility.

Good luck.

Also be aware, platform 1, 2 etc can have two trains on it at the same time both going to totally different destinations, make sure you get on the correct train.

I can normally walk from getting off the plane to the station in about 11-12 minutes. Oh and yes I used to train with Steve Cram

Quick update on this: I did end up walking as suggested by bcmatt, tt7 and others. It was pretty easy and the signage worked out OK, although I am not sure if I was following signs to the station or to the other terminals. It would not be terribly pleasant on a heavy rain day, but I was lucky, with sun on both days.

I had no difficulty picking up tickets from the kiosk as suggested.

Thanks, everyone!