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Manchester Airport (MAN) is the third busiest in the UK and the busiest outside London, about fifteen kilometres south of the city with a mainline railway station attached to it.
Before you book
Three terminals — T1, T2 and T3 — joined by a covered walkway to a single station and bus interchange. Terminal 2 has been greatly expanded and Terminal 1 is being progressively wound down, so confirm which terminal your flight actually uses.
Long-haul. Direct services run to North America, the Gulf, East and South-East Asia, and the Caribbean. Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Singapore, Cathay and the major North American carriers all serve it.
Short-haul and low-cost. Extensive. Manchester is a Jet2, Ryanair and easyJet base and there is very little in Europe you cannot reach directly.
Getting in. Trains to Manchester Piccadilly take 15 to 20 minutes. Do not book an airport transfer — see the airport article for why.
Entry
Visa requirements depend on your nationality. Check the UK government’s own check if you need a UK visa tool, which is authoritative and free.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) now applies to visitors from many countries that previously needed nothing at all — including EU nationals and, at various points in the rollout, US, Canadian and Gulf citizens. It is cheap, it is applied for online, and it is easy to be caught out by because it is new and because a great deal of older travel advice does not mention it. Check the government site rather than a forum.
The UK is not in the Schengen Area. A Schengen visa does not admit you and an onward flight to Europe from Manchester is an international departure.
Arriving
Border control at Manchester uses eGates for eligible nationalities including the UK, EU, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and others. Queues at the manned desks have been long at peak times.
Departures. Manchester’s security waiting times have been badly variable in recent years and the airport publishes live figures. Allow two and a half hours for a European flight and three for long-haul.
When to fly
Cheapest: January to March, and November before the markets start.
Most expensive: July and August, the Christmas market weeks, and any weekend with a large concert or a big home fixture.
Best weather: May, June and September. See when to go.