Manchester runs its public transportation as one system rather than a patchwork of private operators. Buses were brought back under public control in 2025 — the first city region in England to do it outside London — and folded into the same Bee Network brand as the Metrolink tram. One fare structure, one app, one tap-in card reader, whether you’re on a bus or a tram.
The basics
Two networks carry most local trips:
- Metrolink — Greater Manchester’s tram network, with lines radiating out from the city centre to Altrincham, Bury, Rochdale, Eccles, East Didsbury, Ashton-under-Lyne, the Trafford Centre, and Manchester Airport.
- Bee Network buses — every local bus route in Greater Manchester, run by contracted operators but set, priced, and branded by the public authority (TfGM) rather than each company doing its own thing.
For longer or faster trips into the city centre — including from the airport — National Rail trains (run by Northern and TransPennine Express) are a separate, non-Bee-Network option worth knowing about.
How to pay
The easiest way to ride is contactless: tap a bank card, your phone, or smartwatch.
- On the bus, tap once when you board.
- On the tram, tap the smart reader at the platform before you board, then tap again at your final stop to close out the journey — trams have no gates, so tapping out is on the honor system, but it’s what sets your fare and your cap.
There’s no need to work out zones or plan ahead: the system tracks your taps and charges the best fare automatically, up to a daily and weekly cap — as long as you keep using the same card or device every time. Alternatively:
- The Bee Network app sells tram tickets, Bee Bus tickets, and travelcards, and shows live bus and tram positions.
- Paper tickets for the bus (a single “hopper” ticket) can be bought from the driver.
- Tram tickets must be bought before boarding — from a stop’s ticket machine or the app — since you can’t buy one on board.
Fares
Bus fares are flat and simple everywhere in Greater Manchester:
| Adult | Child | |
|---|---|---|
| Single “hopper” fare (transfers free for 60 min) | £2 | £1 |
| 1-day | £5 | £2.50 |
| 7-day | £20 | £10 |
| 28-day | £80 | £40 |
An Annual Bee Bus ticket works out to about £2.20 a day.
Tram fares depend on Metrolink’s four concentric fare zones (zone 1 is the city centre, zone 4 is furthest out — Manchester Airport is in zone 4). A single adult ticket ranges from £1.40 for one zone up to £4.60 to cross all four. An all-zone day travelcard is £7.10. Under-16s (16-year-olds need an igo card) and TfGM disabled concessionary pass holders pay half price.
Combine bus and tram on contactless and the system automatically caps your spending at £9.50 a day or £41 a week — you never need to buy a pass in advance to get that rate.
Getting from the airport
Manchester Airport has both a train station and a Metrolink tram stop, a short walk (5–15 minutes) from the terminals.
- By train: Northern and TransPennine Express run direct trains to Manchester Piccadilly, taking about 20 minutes, every 10 minutes, seven days a week. First train around 4:12am, last around 1:34am. This is a separate National Rail ticket, not part of the Bee Network fare system.
- By tram: the Metrolink Airport Line runs direct to Victoria in the city centre roughly every 12 minutes, with the same contactless tap-in/tap-out fare as the rest of Metrolink (£4.60 one-way, all four zones).
Apps to download
- Bee Network — the official app: buy tickets, plan journeys across bus/tram/train, and track live vehicle positions.
- Google Maps — solid for trip planning with live Bee Network data built in.
When it runs
Metrolink runs every 15 minutes across the network (every 7.5 minutes at peak on key corridors):
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday–Thursday | 6am–midnight |
| Friday–Saturday | 6am–1am |
| Sunday & public holidays | 7am–midnight |
The Manchester Airport–Victoria line is one of Metrolink’s all-day services, running start to finish of service every day. Bus frequencies vary by route.
Accessibility
All Metrolink stops have step-free access — a ramp, lift, or escalator — plus marked wheelchair boarding points where the tram’s middle doors open level with the platform. As of October 5, 2026, mobility scooter users no longer need a permit to bring a scooter aboard — scooters just need to meet TfGM’s size and safety rules. For door-to-door trips that mainstream bus or tram can’t cover, Ring and Ride runs accessible minibuses for disabled and older residents with mobility difficulties, for journeys up to 6 miles, from 8am to around 10:30–10:45pm daily.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap in AND tap out on the tram, every time — it’s not optional and it’s what keeps your fare (and your cap) correct. Skip it and an inspector can charge you the full penalty fare.
- Use the same card or device for every tap all day (and all week) if you want the caps to apply — switching between a card and your phone resets the tracking.
- Manchester’s buses only recently came under one brand, so don’t be surprised if locals still call out old operator names out of habit — a “Bee Network” bus is what you want either way.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement: riding without a valid ticket, or without tapping in, risks a penalty of £60 (charged to the card you present) or the full £120 fine.
- Track works are ongoing through 2026 as TfGM upgrades the tram network — check tfgm.com’s travel updates before you ride if your route touches the city centre, since lines and stops shift around planned works.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria are the two main rail hubs — most National Rail services (to Liverpool, Leeds, London, and beyond) leave from one or the other, and both connect directly into Metrolink.