If you’re planning to take a drive into Manchester, there are certain things that you should know so that the experience will be as smooth and carefree as possible. Like other popular cities, Manchester can be difficult to navigate, but with the following tips, you can enjoy the drive just as if you were going down a scenic rural road with no one else around, so continue reading to learn more.
Get a Guaranteed Parking Spot
If you know that you’ll be driving into Manchester and you need to find parking in a particular area of the city in order to get to where you need to be on time, you definitely should invest in a reserved parking spot that will be waiting for you as soon as you arrive.
By simply claiming your parking space, you can rest assured that you won’t have to deal with driving around aimlessly looking for an open spot on the street or a parking garage with spots available. Instead, you can pull in, grab your spot pre-booked spot, and head off to the action that makes Manchester so popular.
Take Public Transport Whenever Possible
There are over 50,000 vehicles that form the morning rush in Manchester each day, so you can expect that traffic will move pretty much at a snail’s pace. To avoid this, you can instead take advantage of the city’s public transport system, which features an expanded tram network, an extensive bus network, and longer trains and refurbished stations to get you to where you need to go in the most efficient manner possible.
One of the great things about Manchester is the fact that its public transport network is very efficient and organised, so once you learn how to use it to get to where you need to go, it is definitely a better option than driving in some cases.
A Combination of Your Own Car and Public Transport
If you’re still going to be driving your own car at least part of the way to your destination, consider combining your own driving with public transport. The city operates a really efficient and reliable Park and Ride system that allows you to drive to rail and Metrolink stations. Victoria and Piccadilly are the two main rail stations in Manchester, and key stop-off stations are located at Oxford Road and Deansgate.
When getting into Manchester from neighbouring suburbs, such as Ashton, Salford, Oldham, Bolton, and Bury, use the Victoria station, which serves routes from these areas. On the other hand, all of the mainline routes that are found across the region, as well as the rest of the UK, will go through the Piccadilly station, which is the busiest train station in England outside of London.
As you can see, sometimes it is best to drive into Manchester, while other times it is better to use the public transport system. But now that you know a few of the best tips for driving and getting around in Manchester, you can make every trip to the city an enjoyable one.
