Stoke-On-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly Trains From £3.10*

Take the Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly train and get to your destination in comfort in just 35 minutes with Avanti West Coast. The journey takes you through the beautiful countryside of Cheshire and urban excitement of Manchester, delivering you into the heart of the North West's biggest city.

Avanti West Coast runs the main franchise along the West Coast Mainline. Their intercity trains offer comfortable, flexible travel, connecting London to Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Holyhead, Liverpool, Blackpool, Manchester, Wigan, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh, among many others.

Departing from Stoke-on-Trent

The fastest train from Stoke to Manchester departs from Stoke-on-Trent railway station. Located on Station Street in the north-east of the town centre, it can be reached by several buses that stop directly opposite.

The station offers connections running west to Crewe and east to Derby and Nottingham, run by East Midlands Railway. Avanti West Coast provides trains to London via the West Coast Main Line, while CrossCountry will take you to places such as Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol, Reading, Southampton and Bournemouth. Nearby Stafford is reachable by the London Northwestern Railway.

Main stops

Express Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly trains will likely only stop at Stockport, Macclesfield or both. Slower Northern trains will stop at some or all of these stations: Longport, Kidsgrove, Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury, Adlington (Cheshire), Poynton, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme.

Arriving at Manchester Piccadilly

The cheapest way to get from Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester on the train is to arrive at Manchester Piccadilly. Located at the heart of the city centre, Manchester Piccadilly is the largest station in Manchester and is named after the nearby road and Garden.

As you would expect, there's integration with the city's Metrolink tram network to reach other parts of the city and region. Metrolink lines aren't officially named, but there are line colours - Orange, Light Blue, Purple and Yellow routes all stop at the station. If you're travelling on from Manchester, you can go to all manner of major destinations either directly or with a simple change. Travel to London, most cities in the north of England, the Midlands, and many stations in the South West is all possible via direct trains from Manchester. This includes major centres such as Bristol, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Liverpool, Carlisle, Newcastle, York, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Oxford and Reading.

If you're planning to stay in Manchester, then be certain to make the most of this vibrant city. It has some of the most exciting museums outside London, including the Science and Industry Museum and the Imperial War Museum North. Manchester is also renowned for its diversity, with culture, food and entertainment from across the world.

Avanti West Coast train classes

• Standard Class: Passengers travelling Standard Class benefit from a reserved seat with pre-booked tickets, free Wi-Fi and an onboard shop selling drinks and food.
• Standard Premium: If you want an upgraded seat with more legroom, as well as a guaranteed table and a plug socket at every window seat, then it would be worth upgrading to Standard Premium.
• First Class: Choose to travel from Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly First Class and you'll get the luxury experience, with the extra-comfy, extra-legroom seats, plus complimentary food and drink, and lounge access pre- and post-departure at major stations.

Avanti West Coast train travel advice

Before you catch the Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly train, check out our handy travel information to find out everything you need to know ahead of your journey.

• Luggage: If you're bringing big suitcases, try to place them in the luggage racks. Overhead shelves will hold normal luggage, and there should be space under the seats for the smaller bags.
• Bicycles: There are limited cycle spaces on board each train. They will be in a specific part of the train, and you must book a space in advance.
• Children: Children under 5 can travel for free, but they won't have a reservation. If you're travelling with older children, it's worth checking out whether you could save with a Family & Friends Railcard. It could save you a third on adult tickets and 60% off children's fares.
• Pets: Pets must be kept in a carrier that they can stand up in. Dogs can also be kept on a lead. They can't be allowed on a seat and they aren't allowed to cause a nuisance to other passengers.
• Passenger Assist: If you need help to complete your journey, you can request this help in advance, either online or via phone. They're available 24 hours a day, so you can request assistance to make your trip even if you need to catch the first train of the day.

Travel from Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly on a CrossCountry service and the journey will take around 39 minutes.

CrossCountry offers major intercity routes that cross the country from the South West, heading north as well as east. They take in some big towns and cities, like Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield and York, before heading north into Scotland.

CrossCountry train classes

• Standard Class: Free Wi-Fi and paid-for refreshments are available in Standard Class on CrossCountry.
• First Class: First Class travellers benefit from complimentary snacks and drinks on some CrossCountry services. There's free Wi-Fi, alongside better seating with more legroom and at-seat USB and power sockets.

CrossCountry train travel advice

• Luggage: Luggage is welcome on CrossCountry, with plenty of places to store it: the luggage racks take care of bigger items, while there are overhead shelves and underseat storage for smaller bags.
• Bicycles: Book a cycle space in advance if you want to take a bike, as places are limited.
• Children: If you're bringing a baby buggy, the best advice is to fold it down and store it in a luggage area during your journey. Changing facilities are available on board.
• Pets: You can bring a maximum of two pets aboard. Keep dogs on a lead and other pets in a carrier to avoid any issues, and don't place them on a seat.
• Passenger Assist: If you need help to complete your journey, then CrossCountry staff will be there for you. To book passenger assist services, you should ideally arrange it two hours in advance.

Choose to go from Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly with Northern and your journey time will be just under 1 hour. As these services are in less demand from long-distance passengers, you might find that they cost less to travel on. That makes them a great option if you're looking to buy cheap train tickets for this route.

Northern operates local services running between population centres across the north of England, such as Newcastle, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Nottingham. As you can tell from their journey time, they tend to stop at a greater number of smaller stations than express operators. The plus side is that they might not be as busy.

Northern train classes

• Standard Class: Passengers on most Northern services have access to free Wi-Fi during their journey.
• First Class: Northern does not offer First Class on any of their trains.

Northern train travel advice

• Luggage: If you have small items, you can either hold them or store them under your seat. There are also overhead shelves and dedicated racks for bigger items.
• Bicycles: Bikes are welcome, but there are a limited number of cycle spaces on the boards.
• Children: All Northern trains have changing facilities for babies, and buggies can be stored in the usual luggage spaces. Kids aged 5–15 travel for 50% off on most fares, and those under 5 can board for free with an adult.
• Pets: If you bring your pet on board, you must make sure they aren't on a seat and don't cause a nuisance to other passengers. Keep dogs on a lead and other animals in a carrier.
• Passenger Assist: Passenger Assist is available on all Northern services by booking in advance using the telephone or online.

*Information is subject to change. Please check the latest train timetable before your trip.