What are my London to Manchester train options?

There are two main options for a London to Manchester train trip. You can take Avanti West Coast directly or choose West Midlands Trains up to Crewe and then change to Northern or Transport for Wales. Let’s take a look at each option.

Avanti West Coast

If you choose Avanti West Coast, you'll find that there's an extremely large premium for travelling in peak times. On the flip side, you can reserve a seat on this service (if you book in good time), the train is direct and there's catering available if you'd like a bite to eat.

While the fares are typically higher than other routes, there is some good news. When you book through us, you can save up to a third on your fare with split tickets. You won't need to change trains and can even save during peak times in some cases. We'll always show you the split ticket options you won't find on most train operator websites. 

You can expect up to three London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly train services every hour. Here are the calling patterns:

• • Nuneaton, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly (2h05m-2h10m)
  • Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly (2h10m-2h15m)
  • Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly (2h10m-2h15m).

If you're travelling outside 'peak' times, the outward portion of the Off-Peak Return is valid between 09:27 and 14:59 and after 18:45 on Mondays to Thursdays. When you return, you can arrive in London after 11:30 on Mondays to Thursdays. There aren’t any restrictions on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays.

West Midlands Trains (changing at Crewe)

This is a more cost-effective way to make a London to Manchester train journey, especially at peak times. While the route is significantly slower, it usually offers the best value if you book a specific train in advance. The entire journey to Manchester is likely to take you around 3h. 

You’ll need to take this train up to Crewe where you can change for Northern or Transport for Wales services. Here’s the calling pattern of the train, which runs every hour:

• • Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford and Crewe.

If you choose to travel outside peak times, the outward portion of the Off-Peak Return is valid after 08:45 on weekdays. When you return, you can arrive back in London after 10am. There aren’t any restrictions on weekends or Bank Holidays.

If you're more flexible on timings, the Super Off-Peak Return offers better value but is quite restrictive. It’s only valid to leave London between 13:00 and 15:59 and after 19:00 on Mondays to Saturdays. When you return, it’s valid to arrive in London after 13:00 on Mondays to Saturdays. You also can’t start your journey between 16:00 and 19:00. There aren’t any restrictions on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

What are the trains like?

Let’s look at the kind of trains you can expect on a London to Manchester train journey and their features.

Avanti West Coast

Taking an Avanti West Coast train? You’ll have a Pendolino train. They’re currently being refurbished and have either nine or 11 carriages. The refurbished ones have a power socket at every seat:

Meanwhile, Standard Premium and First Class have seats in a 2+1 layout. Wondering what the difference is? We’ve taken a trip to compare them.

Feeling peckish? There’s a shop in Coach C. If you’re in First Class, then you’ll get complimentary food and drink served at your seat.

As for seat comfort, we’d recommend the refurbished trains. They have more legroom, winged headrests and generally more space to stretch out. As of April 2024, all 11-coach trains and most nine-coach trains have now been refurbished. 

If you don't have a reservation, then Coach C is the unreserved coach on the nine-coach trains. If you have an 11-coach train, then the unreserved coaches are C, U and G.

West Midlands Trains

Taking the cheaper route? Then you’ll have a Desiro train. They have quite a few different layouts. Some of them have seats in a 2+2 layout, and others have them in a 3+2 layout:

The trains with a 2+2 layout have sockets at every window seat, while the ones with 3+2 seating only have them in the former First Class area.

There isn’t any First Class on these trains anymore and you won’t find any catering. 

All seating is unreserved. It isn't possible to reserve a seat ahead of time on these trains.

Is there anything else I should know?

The final thing we’d recommend is using the Railsmartr website to book your London to Manchester train tickets. We’re completely independent, so we’re happy to ‘tell you like it is’ when it comes to rail fares.

Don’t forget that we don’t charge any fees, either. That includes if you change your mind and want to travel on a different day. If your ticket is refundable, we’ll refund it fee-free, too.

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