Find buses from Bristol to Manchester

When travelling by bus from Bristol to Manchester, there are multiple departure and arrival stations to choose from, depending on which bus provider you choose to travel with. There are two main bus providers available for this route, one being National Express (which is both an inter-city and inter-regional bus company that services large parts of Great Britain) and the other being Megabus (which is a newer company having opened in 2003, but services both great Britain and offers inter-continental services in other parts of Europe). When using National Express, your departure station will be Bristol Bus & Coach Station and the arrival station will be Manchester Bus Station. When travelling with Megabus, there are two departure stations available: when you depart from Bristol, you will either depart from Bristol Bond Street or Victoria Frenchay Campus, and when arriving in Manchester, there is only one station, which is Manchester Victoria.

Every bus provider has their own route itinerary they follow, and as such, there are both direct and non-direct routes. On most occasions, when there is a stop involved, the bus will stop at Birmingham Station; some providers require you to change buses but others only stop to refuel and allow a break for passengers to use the bathroom, buy snacks or have a cigarette break. In most cases, they will be cheaper than buses that are direct, but this also means your travel time will be slightly longer.

Both National Express and Megabus offer similar luggage requirements on their routes within a country. As common practise within inter-city travel, every passenger will be allowed either one large item of luggage or two medium-sized items, which will be stored in the storage compartments at the bottom of the bus. Both medium-sized items and large items have a maximum weight limit of 20 kg. Regardless, if you use one or two bags when you travel, the overall weight will have to be the same (this varies depending on which company you use). You may also have one soft piece of hand luggage, be it a backpack, handbag or rucksack, as long as it can fit in the overhead compartment, under your seat or on your lap. Passengers who require wheelchairs may store them in the hull of the bus free of charge as long as it is foldable; this also extends to foldable bicycles as well as snowboard and ski equipment that is covered by protective wrap.

When travelling with Bristol to Manchester buses, both National Express and Megabus coaches have a zero pet policy, for passengers who wish to travel with their companions. However, people who have been registered as disabled and require animal assistance will be allowed to bring their service, hearing or assistance dogs, as long as the animal has been trained by a member of Assistance Dogs (UK). The animal in this case will be allowed to travel with the passenger free of charge, but please be aware that your animal will be travelling a long distance and will need to stay by you.

When buying a bus ticket from Bristol to Manchester with National Express, you will have access to comfortable seating with air conditioning, as well as having free on-board wifi and charging ports for all your electronic devices, making the trip as comfortable and entertaining as possible. If you are booking with Megabus for your trip, some amenities they offer include reclining chairs with three-point safety belts as well as on-board restrooms with wheelchair access for people who may require it. Please be aware that amenities might change along your journey when switching buses with Megabus.

See available tickets from Bristol to Manchester for this week that start at £5 one-way.

FlixBus, National Express, and Megabus are viable options. Check times and availability for FlixBus, as it was recently the cheapest bus available travelling from Bristol to Manchester from £10 round-trip.

The straight-line distance from Bristol to Manchester is 140.8 mi. The actual distance by bus will change based on the roads and any traffic, closures, roadwork or tolls that may impact the driver’s route.

Based on just travel duration our users have found a flight from Bristol to Manchester to be the fastest option to their destination at just 2h 55m. If travel time is less of a concern you may want to look into booking some alternative forms of transportation like a train from Bristol to Manchester or a bus from Bristol to Manchester.

Expect a bus to be one of the cheapest options available to you for travel. Currently, a bus has deals available from £8. While they may not be the most cost-effective options currently available a flight from Bristol to Manchester or a train from Bristol to Manchester can also be options worth looking into if other factors outside of cost are a higher priority.