London to Manchester by direct coach
Bus to Manchester from London by National Express & Megabus
National Express bus from London to Manchester Coach services from London to Manchester are operated by two UKs’ well-known carriers - National Express and Megabus.
National Express and Megabus provide a direct intercity coach service between London and Manchester. There is no other coach operator, which offers similar shuttle service between these two cities.
National Express offers about 15 direct services per day, while Megabus has about 10 connections a day.
Some National Express and Megabus services terminate in Manchester, but most of them are not intended to serve the route from London to Manchester only, the coaches run on larger distances and Manchester is only an intermediate stop. Some National Express services stop at Manchester Airport.
Megabus coach from London to ManchesterThe National Express direct coach line between London and Manchester is 540 and there are few other carriers’ direct routes passing through Manchester. There are also some indirect routes between these cities, which require connecting at Birmingham Coach Station. M11 & M17 are the Megabus main lines from London to Manchester.
Most of the services from Manchester to London begin their journey at one of the UKs’ northern cities or towns, however, all terminate at Victoria Coach Station in London (see details below).
Useful links to coach timetables & fares
On this page you’ll also find:
- How to buy tickets online
- Carriage of luggage & bikes
- Alternate transportation: trains, car rentals, planes
- Accommodation in London and Manchester
National Express & Megabus’ coaches are high-class vehicles, equipped with toilet, air conditioning, reclining seats and radio. Both carriers put the safety and comfort of passengers first, so the vehicles are equipped with a large number of safeguards. The operators are using modern vehicles with large panoramic windows and increased legroom. Some coaches on this route provide free Wi-Fi and can take passengers in wheelchairs on board the bus.
Travelling between London and Manchester with National Express takes about 6 hours and 4½ hours with Megabus. This is one of the cheapest transport options between Central London and Manchester.
Go to National Express or Megabus website to check current timetable and prices and book a ticket for your journey.
Book your Theme Park Tickets with the UK market leader! - AttractionTix
Timetables and fares...
London to Manchester by National Express bus
| NX service number | ▼ | 540 | 590 | 540 | 540 | 544 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 422 |
| Days of operation | ▼ | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Fr,Su | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Fr,Su | Daily |
| Period(s) of operation | ▼ | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Dep. | 7:00 | 8:00 | 9:00 | 10:30 | 11:30 | 12:30 | 13:00 | 13:30 | 15:30 | 17:30 | 19:00 | 21:00 | 23:30 |
| LONDON, Golders Green |
Dep. | - | - | 9:35 | - | - | - | - | - | 16:05 | - | - | - | 23:55 |
| NORTON CANES, (Pause) | Time | - | 30mins | 20mins | - | - | - | - | 20mins | 20mins | - | 20mins | 20mins | - |
| MANCHESTER AIRPORT |
Arr. | - | - | 13:45 | - | - | - | - | - | 20:10 | - | 23:15 | - | 5:00 |
| MANCHESTER, Coach Stn. | Arr. | 11:35 | 13:00 | 14:10 | 15:15k | 16:10 | 17:10k | 17:50k | 18:50n | 20:45 | 22:15 | 23:35 | 1:15 | 5:40 |
Manchester to London by National Express bus
| NX service number | ▼ | 920 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 544 | 540 | 540 | 590 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 422 |
| Days of operation | ▼ | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Fr,Su | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Fr,Su | Daily |
| Period(s) of operation | ▼ | ^ | - | - | - |
- | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| MANCHESTER, Coach Stn. | Dep. | 4:00 | 5:45g | 8:00 | 9:30 | 10:45 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:30 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 18:15 | 19:30 | 23:59 |
| MANCHESTER AIRPORT |
Dep. | - | 6:05g | - | - | 11:20 | - | - | - | - | - | 17:25 | - | - | 0:35 |
| NORTON CANES, (Pause) | Time | - | 20mins | 20mins | - | 20mins | - | - | 20mins | 20mins | 30mins | 20mins | - | - | - |
| LONDON, Golders Green | Arr. | - | - | - | - | 15:20 | - | - | - | - | - | 21:30 | - | - | 6:00a |
| LONDON, Marble Arch | Arr. | - | 10:40 | 13:10 | 14:05 | 15:55 | - | - | - | 20:15k | - | 21:55 | - | - | - |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Arr. | 8:45a | 10:50 | 13:20 | 14:15 | 16:05 | 16:35k | 17:35k | 19:30k | 20:25k | 21:05k | 22:05 | 22:20 | 23:20 | 6:20a |
M = Monday, T= Tuesday, W = Wednesday, Th = Thursday, Fr = Friday, Sa = Saturday, Su = Sunday
1 = Does not operate Good Friday and the Sunday of Bank Holiday weekends, but operates additionally Maundy Thursday and Bank Holiday Mondays.
2 = Does not operate 24 December but operates additionally 26 December and 1 January.
3 = Departure from London on 24 December terminates in Manchester (arr. 0540) - Note: Operates additionally 26 December and 1 January.
a = Arrives 1 hour earlier on Sunday 26 October due to Greenwich Mean Time commencing.
g = Operates 15 minutes later Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays (also 27 - 31 December).
k = Operates 15 minutes later Fridays (excluding Good Friday but additionally Maundy Thursday).
n = Operates 30 minutes later Fridays (excluding Good Friday but additionally Maundy Thursday).
^ = Eurolines service; a = arrives 0845 Saturday-Sunday, 0915 Monday - Friday
Bus and coach boarding points
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station, Departure Hall |
| LONDON, (Marble Arch), Park Lane, |
| LONDON, (Golders Green), Bus Station, Stops GD/GE |
| MANCHESTER AIRPORT, The Station |
| MANCHESTER, Coach Station, Chorlton Street |
Prices for online tickets
| London to Manchester & Manchester Airport |
Adult | Youth/Senior | Child | BOOK NOW | |||
| Single | Return | Single | Return | Single | Return | ||
| London to Manchester (Standard) |
£28 | £43.50 | £22.40 | £34.80 | £14 | £21.75 | London to Manchester |
| Manchester to London (Standard) |
£28 | £43.50 | £22.40 | £34.80 | £14 | £21.75 | Manchester to London |
| London to Manchester (eg. APEX/Funfares) |
from £6.50 one way | from £6.50 one way | from £6.50 one way | London to Manchester | |||
| Manchester to London (eg. APEX/Funfares) | from £6.50 one way | from £6.50 one way | from £6.50 one way | Manchester to London | |||
- Age categories: Children: 3-15 years, Seniors: 60+ years. Children aged under 3 travel free.
>>> National Express BUS TO MANCHESTER on-line booking <<<
Timetables and fares...
Coach to Manchester from London by Megabus
|
Various service numbers |
▼ | MB | MB | MB |
MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB |
| Days of operation | ▼ | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Dep. | 1:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:30 | 13:30 | 15:00 | 16:30 | 17:00 | 18:30 | 21:00 | 23:45 |
| MANCHESTER, Shudehill |
Arr. | 7:05 | 12:25 | 14:15 | 16:15 | 17:05 | 19:15 | 19:25 | 21:20 | 22:05 | 23:00 | 1:25 | 3:45 |
Coach to London from Manchester by Megabus
| Various service numbers | ▼ | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB | MB |
| Days of operation | ▼ | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Fr,Su | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Su | Daily | Daily | Fr,Su | Daily |
| MANCHESTER, Shudehill |
Dep. | 3:15 | 4:40 | 6:40* | 7:00* | 8:40* | 9:40 | 11:00 | 11:20 | 13:00 | 13:30 | 13:40 | 15:30 | 18:10 | 19:10 | 23:45 |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Arr. | 8:00 | 9:30 | 11:30 | 12:30 | 13:30 | 14:30 | 15:30 | 16:30 | 17:30 | 19:00 | 18:30 | 20:00 | 22:40 | 23:25 | 5:40 |
M = Monday, T= Tuesday, W = Wednesday, Th = Thursday, Fr = Friday, Sa = Saturday, Su = Sunday
* = 20 mins later Sa, Su
Bus and coach boarding points
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station, Departure Hall |
| MANCHESTER, Shudehill Interchange |
Prices for online tickets
| London to Manchester |
Adult | Youth/Senior | Child | BOOK NOW | |||
| Single | Return | Single | Return | Single | Return | ||
| London to Manchester | from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | London to Manchester | |||
| Manchester to London |
from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | Manchester to London | |||
- Age categories: Children: 3-15 years, Seniors: 60+ years. Children aged under 3 travel free.
>>> Megabus BUS TO MANCHESTER on-line booking <<<
How to buy tickets online for travel from London to Manchester?
To purchase tickets online for National Express routes you can do it directly at the Europebus home page using a journey planner provided. You can also do it on the National Express website. For Megabus connections visit Megabus website. Simply fill out all fields in the journey planner and follow the instructions to buy a ticket. Discounted tickets are also available for youths, children and seniors. If you book early and your travel dates and times are flexible, you may get ticket with a discount. Early booking is highly recommended, because services between London and Manchester are very popular and the coaches are fully booked on some days.
Carriage of luggage and bikes
Luggage policy for the National Express bus to Manchester: The National Express’ coach driver will load and unload customers’ luggage but customers are responsible for seeing their own luggage onto and off the coach on which they are travelling.
Each customer has a free luggage allowance of two medium sized suitcases, weighing no more than 20 kilograms each and 1 piece of hand luggage, which must be located on the shelf above your head or under the passenger seat. >>> NX's BUS TO MANCHESTER on-line booking <<<
Luggage policy for the Megabus bus to Manchester: Megabus doesn’t check luggage or provide receipts for luggage transported on the bus by the passenger. Passengers are advised that Megabus will accept up to one piece of luggage per passenger. For guidance this should be no more than the size of a standard suitcase and should not weigh more than 20kg. Passengers can also take on board one small piece of luggage that must fit either on your lap or under the seat in front of you. >>> Megabus BUS TO MANCHESTER on-line booking <<<
Of course you can take a bike but... In a bike bag as carry-on luggage, semi-dismantled, free of charge. You can take a bicycle with you as carry-on luggage free of charge on any coach, if you put it in a zip-up 'bike bag', with wheels and pedals removed and handlebars turned. Bike bags are available from most cycle shops, for example www.wiggle.co.uk
Overview of alternative transports between London and Liverpool. Trains & airlines services within the UK
If our information is insufficient for you to convince you to travel by coach, or simply you don’t like this transportation arrangement then we encourage you to take advantage of rail or in some cases flight services. If you want to travel for example from London to Manchester or vice versa by train we suggest you to visit the Train Line website, while good flights between British cities are recommend on the Budget Air’s website
Rail services in the UK are fast, frequent and convenient. Tickets can be bought in advance easily via a train reservation service available at the Train Line website
Regular air links to distant cities in Britain can be checked and booked at www.budgetair.co.uk. Flights connections are available to various destinations in the UK, Europe and worldwide.
Car Rental
If you need a car abroad, please use the information provided on Rent a car page. There you can rent a car online with proven rental agency located throughout Europe. You'll save money because you don't have to pay commission to the agent. Car hire online
Are you looking for a budget hotel or hostel?
On our Accommodation page you can book a hotel room or place in a hostel. This online hotel reservation system is easy to use. With this tool you can choose from thousands of hotels, offered all over the world. You also save time and money because you do not pay intermediaries.