Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

Manchester Minibus Hire with Your Own Driver

Whether it's a wedding at Salford Quays, a match at Old Trafford or a weekend that finishes in the Peak District, a minibus with a driver keeps your group together from the first pickup to the last hotel drop.

Around the city centre

Manchester sets aside short drop-off bays in the centre, limited to 20 minutes, including a pair on Liverpool Road right by the Science and Industry Museum. For longer visits there are coach stands where a vehicle may stay up to four hours, so your driver can often wait close by while you explore rather than circling the block.

Emissions charges aren't a worry here. In January 2025 the government approved an investment-led plan for Greater Manchester that rules one out, so driving into the city region carries no daily charge.

Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view
Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view

Match days, gigs and big nights

The Etihad Stadium and the Co-op Live arena share the Etihad Campus in east Manchester, and when both are busy the surrounding roads fill quickly. Pick a pickup spot a few minutes' walk from the gates, share it in your group chat before you go in, and the ride home starts far sooner.

For a larger party staying overnight, long-stay coach parking at IWM North on The Quays is available by pre-booking only, which is worth knowing if you move up to a coach.

Flying into Manchester

Places your group will want to see

  • Salford Quays and MediaCityUK — Waterfront with The Lowry
  • Etihad Stadium Tour — Manchester City
  • Old Trafford Stadium Tour and Museum — Manchester United
  • Manchester Art Gallery — Mosley Street
  • John Rylands Research Institute and Library — Victorian Gothic library on Deansgate
  • Manchester Cathedral — City centre
  • IWM North — Imperial War Museum at The Quays, Trafford; long-stay coach parking by pre-booking
  • National Football Museum — Urbis building, Cathedral Gardens
  • Science and Industry Museum — Castlefield, beside the Liverpool Road coach drop-off bays

Where groups usually stay

  • Manchester Airport hotels
  • Salford Quays / MediaCityUK
  • Northern Quarter
  • St Peter's Square / Manchester Central
  • Deansgate / Spinningfields
  • City centre / Piccadilly

Landing at Manchester Airport

The airport is about 9 miles south of the centre, around 20 minutes when traffic is light. It now runs just two terminals, 2 and 3, since Terminal 1 closed. Minibuses of up to 16 seats collect passengers from the over-height parking at either terminal, so that's usually where you'll find your driver.

Nowhere on site is set aside for coaches to wait, and collecting people from the airport roads is banned, so tell us your terminal and flight number and the collection can be timed to your landing.

Hills, lakes and the seaside

Castleton in the Peak District is about an hour away, which leaves a whole afternoon for a walk and a pub lunch. Windermere takes nearer two hours each way, so a Lake District day wants an early start. Chester and Blackpool sit comfortably in between.

Your questions

Is there a charge for driving a minibus into Manchester?

No. The city region chose an investment-led clean air plan rather than a charging zone, so a minibus drives in without any daily fee.

Can we fit Liverpool into a day from Manchester?

Easily. Liverpool is about 35 miles away, roughly an hour's drive, leaving plenty of time for the waterfront and the Beatles sights.

Where do we meet the driver at the airport?

For minibuses up to 16 seats, at the over-height parking facilities at Terminal 2 or 3. Larger coaches use the bus stops set aside for them at each terminal.

More trips we can arrange

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