You can get from Manchester to Reading by train, bus or flight.
Distance | 149 miles (240 km) | |
Available travel modes | Coach, flight or train | |
Ticket price range | £16 - £122 | |
Cheapest mode | Coach • £16 • 3 h 55 min | |
Fastest mode | Flight • £122 • 1 h | |
Popular travel companies | Megabus, British Airways or Avanti West Coast |
Travel 149 miles (240 km) by coach, flight or train to Reading from Manchester. If speed is a priority, then a flight is the best option with an average duration of 1 h; whereas, if saving money is more important, then a coach is the best option with prices starting as low as £16. The most popular travel providers which serve this route are Megabus, British Airways or Avanti West Coast among others. Travellers can even take a direct coach or train from Manchester to Reading.
Buses and direct trains make the 180 mile trip from Manchester to Reading, with flights to nearby Heathrow Airport an additional option. Manchester is an important post-industrial city and media centre, with some stunning architecture, witnessed in buildings like the ornate John Rylands Library. Reading is a bustling commuter town on the Thames, with some notable attractions such as the Georgian manor and landscaped grounds at Basildon Park.
Train: CrossCountry Trains offer direct connections from Manchester Piccadilly to Reading Station, with the schedule starting early in the morning. There are trains every hour throughout the day, until the final departure in mid-evening. Journey times are around 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Bus: National Express offers seven bus connections between Manchester Coach Station and Reading, including an early morning departure and an overnight option. These services require a change at London Victoria Coach Station or Birmingham Coach Station, and the fastest journey time is 7 hours and 20 minutes.
Flight: British Airways offers up to eight direct flights daily from Manchester Airport to London Heathrow Airport, with departures from early morning to mid-evening. The flight time is just over an hour. The airport is around 25 miles from Reading, connected by regular local shuttle buses.
There are 3 ways to get from Manchester to Reading: coach, flight or train.
A coach service offers the cheapest way to travel from Manchester to Reading, which costs on average £16.
This is compared to other ways of getting to Reading:
A coach is generally £106 less than a flight for the same route. A flight costs on average £122 from Manchester to Reading.
A coach is £66 less than a train for this trip with tickets for a train from Manchester to Reading costing on average £82.
The quickest way to travel between Manchester and Reading is by flight, which takes on average 1 h compared to other travel options that may take you longer to get to your destination:
In comparison, taking a coach requires on average 3 h 55 min of travel time.
In comparison, taking a train requires on average 3 h 12 min of travel time.
The distance between Manchester and Reading is around 149 miles (240 km).
The average frequency per day from Manchester to Reading is:
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route from Manchester to Reading as scheduled services by coach, flight or train can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points when travelling from Manchester to Reading:
Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Manchester to Reading:
Yes, there are direct services available to Reading from Manchester with the following travel operators:
Direct services tend to save you time and add more convenience in getting you to Reading as you won't need to change in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking your tickets between Manchester and Reading.
When planning your trip from Manchester to Reading, it’s good to keep in mind what tickets to book and their prices in the next 7 days:
However, we recommend buying tickets from Manchester to Reading online a few months in advance to get the best deals and save money on your upcoming journey.
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