Airport, Manchester

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Manchester airport is a relatively modern, substantial, local airport serving over 200 internal and international destinations. The airport is only about 8 miles out of the city centre and has train, bus and taxi connections pretty much 24 hours a day.

There are 3 terminals used by over 80 airlines, including charter, budget and longhhaul flights. The terminals are connected by skywalkways and navigating between them is simple and well signposted.

In the centre of the airport is the Manchester Airport train station which has regular trains into the city centre (Manchester Piccadilly) with a journey time of about 15 minutes.

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I have now travelled twice to and from Manchester airport - firstly using BA and then BMI. The airport seems to be very professional and there were no undue or lengthy delays in landing or taking off.

The facilities are good, and it has seemed quite busy on both visits.

Manchester is blessed with a terrific airport that ranks among Europe's best. It is easily navigated and has wonderful transport links to Manchester and the Northwest.

A 2004 survey by Holiday Which? magazine named Manchester Airport the best in Britain!

Trains run from the airport to Manchester's mainline station at Piccadilly 24 hours a day and usually take 15 minutes. Just follow the signs for The Station at the airport, conveniently located midway between the two main terminals.

If your visit to the UK includes a trip to Ireland, Scotland or north Wales then Manchester should be your point of entry.

HLX flies daily from Manchester (MAN) to Koln/Bonn (CGN), Stuttgart (STR) and Hannover in Germany. Singles start at 13 GBP including taxes.

On arrival at CGN you can take advantage of other flights from what is becoming the German Stansted. You might be able to make a connection on the same day but other flights might require a night over in Koln or Bonn. Check timings carefully when you book on hlx.com. Select the Union Jack button for info in English.

OR you could fly from CGN aboard another no-frills carrier which uses it as a hub, Germanwings! Book on www.germanwings.com. HLX uses CGN Terminal 2, Germanwings operates out of Terminal 1. For info on Koln airport click over to www.airport-cgn.de

Stuttgart is a welcoming city situated amongst some lovely wooded hills and surrounded by interesting old towns and palaces. Munich is about 2 hours away by train. Hannover and surrounding Saxony had plenty to keep us busy there too!

Air Berlin (flying to Berlin, Hamburg and Paderborn with numerous onward connections possible) is another German carrier flying out of Manchester:- www.airberlin.com

And Manchester is a hub for Jet2 which has a great variety of flights around western Europe. We flew with them to Amsterdam for about £40 return and will be flying with them to Malaga.

Don't forget your carbon offsets before your flight though!

Manchester is the HUB for a low-cost airline, bmibaby! Most flights are to Spanish resorts (Alicante, Malaga, Murcia and Palma de Mallorca) but there are also flights to Cork, Belfast, Jersey, Barcelona, Prague and Geneva. Singles start at 12.50 GBP excluding tax.

Belgian no-frills carrier VLM flies direct from Manchester to London City airport. Business executives benefit from a frequent service connecting London's Square Mile with Manchester's Half Square Mile. Flights are aboard a 50-seat Fokker turboprop and there are up to six return journeys every day. You can take advantage of connecting flights from London City to Antwerp, Brussels, Jersey, Luxembourg and Rotterdam.

Fares on VLM are rarely as eye-popping as other airlines (you pay 25 pounds in taxes and fees alone on a Manchester-London return flight). Book for a weekend break when the business people stay home and you might nab a bargain.

Other, smaller airlines now flying out of Manchester include Air Baltic to Riga (www.airbaltic.com) and Maersk Air (www.maersk-air.com) to Copenhagen.

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Manchester Airport is the main entry point for anyone visiting anywhere in the north west of England.

The airport is split in to 3 terminals and there is little to determine which airline fly from which terminal some even fly from two different terminals so check your ticket or the airport web site!

The airport is a short drive from the M56 airport and also has its own railway station with frequent trains to Manchester and beyond.
Near the train station is the bus station from where there are plenty of local buses and National Express coaches which cover most of England

Each terminal has shops and cafes etc although, as with most airports, expect to pay slightly over the odds for a cuppa.

To pretty much get anywhere from Manchester airport, you will need to get to "The Station." Follow the signs there from any terminal. The Station contains the train station, national bus station and taxis.

If, like us, you are heading east from the airport take the Ringway Road from the main roundabout outside the parking structure. Watch for the signs "Cheadle" painted on the roadway. Ringway Road takes you to Styal Road, where you can access the Handforth Bypass at Winslow or the A555 to take you toward Bramhall, Hazel Grove, and points east.