How to travel from Fort William to Manchester, United Kingdom

The distance between Fort William and Manchester is around 516km (320 miles) and the quickest way to get there is to take the bus and then fly which takes around 4h 5m.

9 routes found

We've found 9 different ways to get from Fort William to Manchester by train, bus, car and plane. The recommended routes, which include information on duration, ticket price, and level of difficulty, can be found below.

👋 Also check out ManchesterFort William if you're planning a return trip.

🚀 Fastest
1
bus
+
plane
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Bus to Bus Station Stance 2, Fly

Take the bus to Bus Station Stance 2 then fly from Inverness (INV) to Manchester (MAN).

  • Duration4h 5m
  • Flight time1h 10m
  • Typical cost
    £150($180)
Operated by

Multiple operators

3 similiar routes

We’ve grouped similar routes together, click the arrows to see the other options.

2
3 x train
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Train

Take the train to Dalmuir then Preston and then to Manchester Oxford Road.

  • Duration7h 10m
  • Departsevery 20 mins
  • Typical cost
    £115($140)
Operated by

Multiple train operators

1 similiar route

We’ve grouped similar routes together, click the arrows to see the other options.

3
bus
+
bus
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Bus

Take the bus to Buchanan Bus Station and then to Shudehill Interchange.

  • Duration8hrs
  • Departstwice daily
  • Typical cost
    £43($51)
Operated by

Multiple bus operators

1 similiar route

We’ve grouped similar routes together, click the arrows to see the other options.

4
car
+

Drive

Drive to Manchester.

  • Duration5h 40m
  • Distance516km (320 miles)
Get turn-by-turn directions

Frequently asked questionsabout travel between Fort William and Manchester

There are several options for getting from Fort William to Manchester by train, bus, car and plane. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around £32 ($38) and will take around 8h 10m. If you need to get there more quickly, you can take the bus and then fly and arrive in approximately 4h 5m, though it is a bit more costly at approximately £150 ($180).

The distance between Fort William and Manchester is around 516km (320 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 413km (257 miles)

It takes around 7h 10m to get from Fort William and Manchester by train. If you are travelling by car it will take around 5h 40m to drive there.

The quickest way to get from Fort William to Manchester is to take the bus and then fly which takes around 4h 5m and will set you back approx £150 ($180).

The cheapest way to travel between Fort William and Manchester, if you exclude driving, is to take the bus which will typically cost around £32 ($38) for a standard one-way ticket.

Train travel

Yes there is a train service that runs between Fort William and Manchester. It typically takes around 7h 10m and departs every 20 mins.

There are no direct train services that runs from Fort William to Manchester. However, you can instead can take several connecting trains with a changeover in Dalmuir, Glasgow Central Low Level and Preston. These services run every 20 mins and will take a minimum of 7h 10m.

First ScotRail Service, Caledonian Sleeper, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express Service and Northern Rail run train services between Fort William and Manchester. Trains depart every 20 mins and will take around 7h 10m, however, this may vary depending on the particular service and whether it runs express or stops all stations.

Bus travel

Yes there is a bus that runs regularly from Fort William and Manchester. It typically takes around 8hrs and departs twice daily.

There are no direct bus services that runs from Fort William to Manchester. However, you can instead can take several connecting buses with changeovers in Buchanan Bus Station. These services run twice daily and will take a minimum of 8hrs.

Scottish Citylink, Megabus UK, FlixBus and National Express run regular bus services between Fort William and Manchester. Buses run twice daily and take around 8hrs on average but will vary depending on you book with.

Flights and Airlines

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from Fort William to Manchester. We recommend that you take the bus to Glasgow Airport (GLA) then fly from Glasgow (GLA) to Manchester (MAN). instead which will take 4h 60m.

The closest major airport to Manchester is Manchester Airport (MAN) (MAN) which is approximately 13km (8 miles) from Manchester. Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) (LPL) and Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) (LBA) are also nearby and might be a better alternative airport depending on where you are flying from.

Drive yourself

Yes it is possible to drive from Fort William and Manchester. The distance is around 516km (320 miles) by road and it will take around 5h 40m in normal traffic conditons.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from Fort William to Manchester is to take the train which takes, on average, 7h 10m and will usually cost around £115 ($140).

How do I get from Fort William to Manchester

Compare travel optionsbetween Fort William and Manchester

Transport options from Fort William to Manchester
Transport optionDurationCostFrequencyDistance
Bus to Bus Station Stance 2, Fly + 3 similar
4h 5m
£150($180)
5 times a day617km (383 miles)
Bus and Plane4h 60m
£145($175)
4 times a day653km (406 miles)
Bus, Train and Plane5h 60m
£125($150)
5 times a day712km (442 miles)
Bus, Plane and Train5h 60m
£135($155)
4 times a day730km (453 miles)
Train + 1 similar
7h 10m
£115($140)
every 20 mins542km (337 miles)
Train via Edinburgh8h 35m
£69($82)
6 times a week612km (380 miles)
Bus + 1 similar
8hrs
£43($51)
twice daily526km (327 miles)
Bus via Buchanan Bus Station8h 10m
£32($38)
once daily525km (327 miles)
Drive
5h 40m
£90($105)
on demand516km (320 miles)

Top Carriersoperating between Fort William and Manchester

Train operators

Bus companies

Airports near Manchester

The following major airports near Manchester offer regular flights to various popular destinations within United Kingdom and internationally.

MAN
Manchester Airport (MAN)
International Airport
Distance
13km (8 miles) from Manchester
LPL
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL)
International Airport
Distance
43km (27 miles) from Manchester
LBA
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA)
International Airport
Distance
58km (36 miles) from Manchester