Excellent transport links connect Salford and Manchester with the UK, other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. Manchester Airport, located only twenty minutes by road from the city centre, serves over 200 worldwide destinations directly and offers flights from 22 British and Irish destinations. Central London is only two hours away via train, and from here the major international airports of Gatwick and Heathrow can be accessed. Manchester is reached via a direct train journey from London Euston station (see Virgin Trains or The Trainline for details).
Arriving via Plane: If you are just coming to the UK for the conference we suggest flying into Manchester Airport (although a connecting flight from Gatwick or Heathrow takes under an hour). There are direct train services that run into the city centre of Manchester and which take about 15 minutes. This will cost between £3.50 and £6.00 for a single journey depending upon the time of travel (returns often work out cheaper). Here you can change to a the metro system to get around the city centre if you have heavy luggage or you can take a cab to your hotel. The metro system also goes direct to MediaCity:UK. It is also possible to get a cab into the city centre, this will take about 25 minutes outside of rush hours which are approximately 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm. During these times it could take about 40 minutes. An off peak journey is in the region of £20.00.
Arriving via Train: Note that booking trains in advance is generally much cheaper – this can be done remotely via a sites such as that for particular carriers (such as Virgin Trains) or via generic sellers (such at the Trainline). Tickets can then be picked up at the station by following the instructions you receive when you book. If travelling from London, and indeed other large cities, it is better to book in advance and reserve a seat (this does not usually cost anything extra and ensures you don’t have to stand up!).
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Getting around: You are likely to spend time between Manchester city centre and MediaCity:UK. Both are easily covered on foot. A regular Metro service runs direct from various stations in central manchester to MediaCity:UK. In Manchester, there is also a free city centre shuttle bus that the public can access as they need. To travel further in the region, you can take trains from Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Deansgate and Salford Central stations, and buses and the Metro from Piccadilly Gardens and buses from Chorlton Street bus station.
