One of the most fun experiences in Manchester is riding the tram. I enjoy the city and suburban…read moreviews, the other passengers are always friendly and the most exciting part is when they have a raid on the tram to ensure all patrons have paid the correct fair. The police and revenue protection officers block all doors and its funny to watch people trying to get off and when they recognise regular travellers without tickets.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Metrolink in Manchester, there are so many things which…read moreare good, yet so many things which are terrible about the service. Metrolink is arguably one of the best ways to get around Manchester, in terms of speed, you skip the traffic of the roads, hopping on the tram which is always handy, especially with multiple stops having Park and Ride facilities, meaning you can park your car and go about your journey. Obviously, there are some exceptions, for example, if you're heading to Manchester Airport from the city centre, you would want to take the train which takes around 20 minutes, compared to getting the tram, from Manchester Piccadilly it would be a 57-minute journey, across two trams, changing at Cornbrook. Metrolink are also doing very well during difficult circumstances, they're maintaining the best route frequency to allow people to travel when needed, and space out too, the trams are often around every 10-12 minutes on most routes, meaning there's never too long to wait before getting a tram. They are also cleaning trams every two hours to make sure they are COVID-safe and secure, I think this is a reasonable time-frame given the circumstances. The trams are mainly comfortable and pretty spacious, the floor does get very slippy in the rainy weather, which we get more than our fair share of in Manchester so watch-out! There are 8 lines and 99 stations, all of the lines seem to call through Cornbrook, with 7/8 lines calling at Deansgate-Castlefield and Pomona, so you can pretty much get to any stop from anywhere if you're willing to change services along the way, but it would depend on how realistic it is, for example, it wouldn't be worth going from Sale to Sale Water Park, despite being only a couple of miles away it would be a long tram journey due to the construction of the lines meaning you'd have to change at Trafford Bar. All stations are step-free too, so that supports access for disabled people/trams without the need for ramps, sometimes the access is awkward and it is a good walk from the platform to the street, especially in stations away from the city centre outside of Zones 1 and 2, so again you might want to plan ahead. I do like the zone system as it simplifies the ticketing process (just touch in with your contactless card and be charged the lowest fair), it also means that if you are just going one-stop, you won't be charged for going into two zones, as when the zone changes, the preceding station is the following zone. Example) Sale - Zone 3 Brooklands - Zones 3/4 Timperley - Zone 4 The huge cons I have with Metrolink have to be, their customer service can often be pretty poor, I've tried to phone them many times, even using the customer service help point at the stations only to be greeted with the message "This person's phone is turned off", I get staff are having to work from home during the pandemic, but it's called "work from home" not "turn your phone off and ignore passengers from home" Other issues are, I hate how the trams don't have card scanners, Metrolink is one of the few trams I've used in Europe to not have either a conductor or anywhere you can scan your pass on board, this means if you're rushing for a tram, you could potentially miss your service through having to stop at the platform to touch-in, which is pretty ridiculous. I do think conductors on the trams would be great, especially to avoid this problem and stop anti-social behaviour, which can be a problem especially in certain areas/routes, it would also help tackle fair dodging and provide money to actually improve services, I openly heard a person bragging about the trams being free... due to a lack of inspections. It's great to see Metrolink working on expanding their routes too, in March 2020, they had a quiet launch of the Trafford Centre line, which finally added Metrolink services to the Trafford Centre, calling at Wharfside for Old Trafford Stadium, Imperial War Museum for Media City, and then Trafford Centre, I do think it's pretty strange how the construction of the new line came early, but the new trams for that line came late, this meant the services have to terminate at Cornbrook right now, which is annoying as it means changing trams. 4* - Still one of the better ways to get around town in most cases, the grey and yellow trams are becoming a symbol of Manchester, like the orange buses used to be, it does have its' flaws including the fact that on a match-day at The Etihad Stadium, they never seem to run enough services which often means waiting for ages and then being packed on the tram like sardines.

I chosen Magic Bus to take me from Piccadily Gardens to the central Manchester hospitals, both ways…read moreand compared to may previous experiances with Stagecoach, I had a rather pleasant experiance. I got the 142 service towards East Disbury on the way there, the driver told me that they went near the hospitals, this journey didn't stand out, like the return journey. My return journey saw a Supervisor who was monitoring the driver and she was very nice and friendly, we shared stories about Manchester City and my pleasant experiance with Magic Bus compared to First buses, where the drivers have sworn at me on numerous occasions and constantly late. Magic Bus services really do stand out colourwise as they are bright dark blue, similar to Bluebird, whose buses were a lighter blue before being bought out by Stagecoach and converted into Stagecoach style white buses, with a small patten, also similar to first buses. I don't know if this is all Magic Bus services but they come really regular, they don't appear to be really late, the staff are okay and some of them really do stand out. I feel Magic Bus deserves 4 stars ; the only way they could improve is adding wifi onto their buses, like their parent company Stagecoach have on there hybrid buses. I would say bases on experiances with most of the major bus companies in Greater Manchester (Stagecoach, and first) (as well as JPT and Bluebird before being bought out), Magic Bus is definitely the best. UPDATE: Due to declining quality of service and the fact the buses lack the modern feel and just feel average, I honestly feel I was being far too generous with my original rating and because of this and declining service from the drivers as well as routes and the buses themselves being average, I feel Magic Bus deserve a two star rating instead.

No it's not The Who's song, it's a bus service. Either side of a pound by no more than 50p will…read moretake you where you want to go. Generally on Oxford Road if it's pointing in the direction you want to head it'll take you there. Being the busiest bus route in Europe means you will stand at a bus stop for no longer then 2 minutes before one of these double deckers shows up. The routes do the whole of Oxford road, Fallowfield, Didsbury and city centre. Let yee be warned though, after midnight it's going to cost a whole £2 to get around! Also if it's raining and about 6pm on a weekday evening expect to be stood up on whilst on the bus, with somebody's elbow in your eye.

Firstly, this should not be confused with its big sister the Chorlton Street Bus Station. The…read moreChorlton Street Bus Station is in the centre of Manchester, has an indoor waiting area with a coffee shop and hosts National Express and Eurolines buses. Chorlton Bus Station is a mere series of bus stops in Chorlton. The other day my bus stopped at Chorlton Bus Station. A middle-aged man with reams of toilet paper sticking out of his nose and all over his face got onto my bus. In an attempt to avoid eye contact I stared out of the window. There was another middle-aged man with a white bear glove puppet carrying a flowing roll of toilet paper. Apart from as a point for such (for want of a better word) unique Chorltonites to congregate, I've never really understood the point of Chorlton Bus Station. It's just a series of bus stops from which you can catch the 85 and 86 into the city centre, the 23 to Didsbury and the Trafford Centre, and numerous other buses, most of which you can also catch further down the road in the centre of Chorlton. On a positive note, if you have a long time to wait for your bus, the bus station is opposite some excellent little bars such as Escape, or if you have even longer to wait, Japanese restaurant Yakisoba is also just opposite.

New Islington Metrolink is a fairly modern Metrolink location, just outside the city centre, being…read moreonly a few minutes away via the Metrolink (just one stop) from Piccadilly Station, it's also two stops away from the Etihad Stadium, but it is worth noting that it's probably best to avoid this station on a match-day at the Etihad, because the trams are so packed coming into the station to the point I'd even say they shouldn't stop here (People are queuing for long periods at time at the two stations before until the trams get packed). It is located on two lines, which is quite common for most Metrolink stops which aren't directly in the city centre, on both lines whether it's the light blue line between Eccles and Ashton, or the orange line between Media City UK and the Etihad, the next stops are Piccadilly or Holt Town. Both lines follow basically the same route, with the blue line following the same route as orange, just carrying on a little further in both directions. It's also situated looking towards some modern apartments, so on a nice clear sunny day, it gives you a nicer view than most Metrolink stations. Not too much away, but provides easy access to the city centre being just a stop or two away, and it is far from the ugliest station on the Metrolink network. 3*

Great location in the New Islington area of Ancoats. Above all this stop is within the City Zone…read moremeaning that (currently at time of writing) a single ticket costs £1.20 or a return (round trip) costs only £1.50 anywhere withjn the city zones. Bargain! Trams are every 12 minutes!

It's an older, large station that is extremely busy but also easy to navigate to get to your…read moretransportation on time. Though it's older, it's clean with several places to grab food or coffee. Signage is really good and makes things easier trying to get through a big crowd to your platform.

Very convenient and effective train station where you can take bullet trains to London from…read moreManchester. Shoppes and what not fill up the area and tickets are very convenient to purchase on the app Trainline. Highly recommended!

We chose to do first class when we went from Manchester to Portsmouth. That was a really good…read moredecision because we were able to have our luggage in a safe place and we were able to dine on a nice little breakfast and drinks.

Decided to travel to my dentist appointment by train from Scunthorpe to Gravesend in Kent…read more Didn't leave Scunthorpe station. Train delayed and, 30 minutes later cancelled. Taxis started arriving for Doncaster 10 minutes later Connections missed, dentist appointment rearranged for September I'll be driving !

Manchester Shudehill could certainly be a lot better especially for a major city, but it certainly…read moreisn't too bad either, with a good number of connections via bus, while also having Metrolink services and being a short walk away (or one stop on the Diamond Number 8 bus and/or Metrolink towards Bury) to Manchester Victoria Railway Station. The station's layout is easy to follow, although it is split into two bus stations, most of which do go from the main terminal. Buses from here serve most of Manchester including Bury, Bolton, Salford, Rochdale, Middleton and the MRI. National Express also run coaches from here going across the country. I would love to see digital bus timetables showing when the next bus is, which I've seen in other locations across England, which perhaps could list destinations and towns showing the next bus to go there, which means you can always get the next bus and know how long it'll take without the need for third-party mobile phone apps. The staff inside the station seem friendly, and although they do try to help it stay clean, it doesn't always stay that way, mainly down to members of the public openly making a mess including smoking (which is forbidden), or the occasional litter or pigeon problem. There is an ATM outside (Be careful as this is a common spot for homeless people), newsagents and a coffee shop (which never seems to be open) at Shudehill. 3*

Shudehill Interchange is one of Manchester's transport hubs that is far less scummy than Victoria…read morestation and much less stressful than the bustling Piccadilly Station. You can catch the metro from Shudehill either as well as many local buses. It's also the Manchester stop for Megabuses which I love because the bus station is only five minutes away from my flat. Mega useful. Inside the bus station is a newsagents which sells confectionary and crisps and stuff for your journey, and generally the station is clean, light and well maintained. There's a few seats if you've got a long wait too. Ooh, also dead useful is that there is a cash machine just outside the main entrance. Dead handy if you're over in Trof or tv21 and need some more cash quickly.

Fingland buses aren't glamorous, they're not big and blue, they don't have a double deck or…read moreanything of the sort. They're basically just buses. And they do the main town down through Oxford Road route and they're not as choc-a-bloc full of drunk and nosiy students as the other bus companies. If you're new to Manchester, you'll need to get used to the weird bus ticketing system where a ticket on one company's bus won't be valid on another's. If you're in a hurry, I would definitely recommend getting the magic bus as they're everywhere and come along every couple of minutes in both directions. You might have to wait a few minutes longer for a Finglands bus.

For the casual oxford road rider the sight of the orange and white block is of welcome relief…read more Finglands is the cheapest bus company to ride single tickets with, sitting in the 70p category to get up into central or heading south. The interior of the buses are a cracking standard (cushioned seats!); everything however is a bit older then the slick stage coaches, but if it's costing me 40p less I couldn't give a monkeys. For those of us who don't do uni riders or week long passes this is your chariot of choice. Top banana.

Awful, inexperienced staff and lack of staff, wrong information on screens, coaches never time…read more(arrive 2 hours early and be prepared to arrive at destionation 2 hours late) it would be easier and quicker to jump on a plane from manchester airport and fly 30 mins down the road. DO NOT RECOMMEND

Over the past few weekends I have used National Express. I have nothing but praise for them, the…read moredrivers are fantastic and the coaches immaculate and always on time. Booking online is easy and the prices work out a lot cheaper than the train. As an OAP I bought a coachcard which gives a generous discount, it cost £10 for the year but I saved that on the first return journey.

Its been at least a year since I used the 1st class lounge. The coffee selection was ruined by the…read morefact only UHT milk cartons were available or the powdered stuff if pressing the latte button! The lady inside the lounge was very friendly and helpful. An acceptable level (just) of cake, biscuits and crisps, oh yes and fruit (as I recall!!) Its nice environment to sit with wifi whilst you are waiting for your train but it could do with a revamp!

Taking the time to tactically arrive 45 minutes early for my train was definitely well worth it…read morewhilst simultaneously managing to take all the stress out of my journey. However please read the following with caution....this is my first experience of first class so please excuse me if this review appears to be rose tinted! The room is tucked away from the main concourse of the train station on the first floor, it was smaller than I expected but by no means cramped. There is a collection of black leather sofas and chairs which could comfortably seat about 15 people, but easily more than this if you don't mind sharing your sofa. However for the time that I was present there were never more than about 7 or 8 of, so I didn't need to worry about sharing my sofa anyway... The view overlooks the main concourse of the train station, which really isn't that bad at all. I took particular pleasure in watching all the stressed busybodies rushing around with suitcases in tow, whilst I was stretched out sipping coffee. Speaking of food and drink, the variety is rather and generous. There is coffee and a selection of teas, or if cold drinks are you fancy: choose between still and sparkling water, lemonade and Pepsi (both diet and normal of course). However if you're peckish as opposed to thirsty, you might want to benefit from a little plate of olives, which I must say was a rather nice touch, and they were very tasty as well. Failing that, some crisps maybe? The posh kind, Anglesey sea salt flavour if you please. There is a nice little collection of biscuits as well - banana and butterscotch flavour being my particular favourite. The best thing about all that...is that it appears to be unlimited. Nobody seems to bat an eyelid if you feel the need to go and get yourself another packet of biscuits with lemonade every 5 minutes and then subtly slip them into your handbag (I'm a student - don't judge). Ruddy fantastic. The only things I can think that could be improved are these: there is only one option for coffee and I prefer to be able to choose between my cappuccinos, lattes and americanos. Secondly, there was nothing first class about the toilet, but even that didn't bother me really. All in all a very pleasant experience indeed! There is even a little television screen with all the train times on it, very useful for people like me who need constant reminders. I can only hope this isn't a one-time experience and that one day I may be able to afford first class again!