How to get from Manchester Airport to Chester

Fern Coll

Travel Writer/World Explorer

April 19, 2023

The historical city of Chester was founded as a Roman fortress back in the first century AD. The city is surrounded by an extensive network of Roman walls and the central shopping area, The Rows, is lined with unusual Tudor-style and half-timber facades. Be sure to stroll around the Old City and enjoy the many quaint pubs, restaurants and shops there.

To begin exploring this wonderful city, you have three transfer options from Manchester Airport to Chester; taxi, bus or train. Taking a Manchester Airport taxi will take around 40 minutes to reach Chester and will cost approximately £75 (€85). Taking the bus is the cheapest option, but it’s also the slowest. The journey time on the bus will be around 3 hours and 30 minutes and the cost will be an average of £10 (€11) one-way. Your final option is to go from Manchester Airport to Chester by train, which costs around £20 (€22) per person and takes 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Welcome Pickups offers meet and greet services and a friendly introduction to Manchester at the same price as a regular taxi. Click here to see the cost.

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Comparison of the options

PRICE FOR 2PASSENGERS

OPTION	PRICE	DURATION	AVAILABILITY
Welcome Pickups	€120	40min	24/7	Book
Book
Taxi	€85	40min	24/7
Bus	€22	210min	00:35–22:35
Train	€44	105min	04:20–23:20

How to get a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester

The quickest and only direct way to get from Manchester Airport to Chester is by taking a taxi. The journey time is a short 40 minutes and the cost of a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester will be around £75 (€85), depending on the provider you travel with.

How much is a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester?

The cost of a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester will depend on a few factors, like the time of day and the private company you choose to travel with. If you take a Black Hackney Cab, you will be charged using a taximeter, whereas, if you take a sedan vehicle, you will be charged a set fare designated by the provider. The average cost for a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester will be £75 (€85).

Cost

£75 (€85)

Trip Duration

40 Min.

*Prices may vary unless booked in advance.

Convenience

Safety

Value for Money

Taxis are readily available 24 hours a day from Manchester Airport.

Where do I find a taxi Manchester Airport?

There are taxi ranks located outside of all 3 terminals at Manchester Airport. You will see two lines of taxis; private vehicles and the Black Hackney Cabs as you exit the terminal building.

Convenience

The only door-to-door service from Manchester Airport to Chester is by taxi. You won’t need to wait for your transport to arrive in the brisk English air, nor will you have to worry about where you will store your personal belongings, as they will be stowed in the trunk throughout your entire journey.

Editor’s Note

If you choose to travel in a Black Hackney Cab, you can bring up to 5 passengers, so splitting the fare will make your journey more affordable.

Useful Tips

Be sure to agree on the price of your transfer when using one of the private companies.

Luggage that fits in the trunk of the car can be transported free of charge.

Tipping your taxi driver in England isn't expected.

How to get from Manchester Airport to Chester by bus

Unfortunately, there’s no direct connection by bus from Manchester Airport to Chester. You will first need to take either the Megabus or National Express bus from the airport to Liverpool One bus station, then walk around 10 minutes to the Whitechapel bus stop to take the local bus line X1 or 1 to Chester. The total journey time will be around 3 hours and 30 minutes and the cost will be approximately £10 (€11).

How much is the bus from Manchester Airport to Chester?

The average cost of the Megabus and National Express buses from Manchester Airport is £5 (€5.50). The exact ticket price will depend on the time of day you want to travel and how far in advance you book your ticket. The cost of a ticket on the number 1 or X1 bus is £5 (€5.50), making the total journey cost to Chester £10 (€11) per person.

Cost

£10 (€11)

Trip Duration

3 Hrs 30 Min.

*There's a waiting time of up to 4 hours for the Megabus and the National Express coach and 40 minutes for the 1 and X1 buses.

Convenience

Safety

Value for Money

The National Express and Megabus buses run from 00:35 to 22:35, the 1 bus runs from 06:40 to 23:40 and the X1 bus from 06:20 to 18:25.

Where do I find the bus at Manchester Airport?

The buses leave from the coach station at Manchester Airport. Once you exit baggage claim, follow the signs for “Ground Transportation” and you will find the bus stops on the Ground Level.

Convenience

Although a budget-friendly option, taking the bus from Manchester Airport to Chester is the least convenient option. There are waiting times of up to 4 hours for the bus, and once you reach Liverpool One, you will have a long walk through the bustling city centre to the next bus stop, which is very difficult with luggage.

Timetables

Megabus

National Express Bus

Line 1 Bus

Line X1 Bus

Editor’s Note

If you're on a time crunch but wish to use public transport, I highly recommend taking the train rather than the bus, as the wait times are much shorter.

Useful Tips

There's luggage storage on the Megabus and the National Express coach but not on the 1 or X1 buses.

You can purchase your Megabus and National Express bus tickets in advance to save money.

You can pay for your 1 and X1 bus tickets by cash or card as you get on the bus.

How to get from Manchester Airport to Chester by train

There are trains that run from Manchester Airport to Chester, but most aren’t direct. You should expect a transfer at either Manchester Picadilly Train Station or Crewe Train Station. These changes make an average transfer time of 1 hour and 45 minutes, and the cost of the Manchester Airport to Chester train will be an average of £20 (€22) one-way.

How much is the journey from Manchester Airport to Chester by train?

The cost of an off-peak ticket on the Manchester Airport to Chester train will be around £20 (€22). However, the cost of the train will depend on the time of day you’re travelling and how far in advance you book your ticket.

Cost

£20 (€22)

Trip Duration

1 Hr 45 Min.

*There's a waiting time of up to 20 minutes for the train.

Convenience

Safety

Value for Money

The trains run from 04:20 to 23:20 daily.

Where do I find the train at Manchester Airport?

The train station at Manchester Airport is located between the 3 terminal buildings. The walk from either of the terminal buildings will be around 10 to 15 minutes.

Convenience

Taking the train is a fairly fast transfer option if you’re a solo traveller with little luggage. However, due to the change of trains and the walk to the train station in the Airport, if you’re travelling with multiple bags or small children, this may be a difficult and stressful transfer option.

Timetables

Manchester Airport Train

Editor’s Note

If you're travelling in a group of 5 people, you can all split the cost of a Black Hackney cab and pay less per person.

Useful Tips

There's very limited luggage storage on the train, just a few small shelves at the end of some of the carriages.

There are a few trains that run directly from Manchester Airport to Chester, be sure to check the schedules for these trains.

There's a 10-minute walk to the train station from the terminals at Manchester Airport.

Welcome Pickups transfer

Book a trained, English-speaking taxi driver to pick you up at the same price as a regular cab from the line

If you feel more relaxed knowing that somebody is waiting for you, you may as well book a Welcome Pickups transfer. As soon as you arrive at the airport you will be greeted by your driver. He will be waiting for you at the terminal of your arrival with a sign that has your name on it. Your driver will help you out with your luggage and together you will make your way to the vehicle. While he is driving you to your accommodation, the driver can give you some tips and recommendations on what to do during your holidays in Manchester. Our drivers are hand-picked and speak fluent English. No need to worry about miscommunication issues that you may face with the local taxi drivers regarding your destination. Relax and enjoy your ride.

Best drivers

Hand-picked english-speaking drivers

Flight monitoring

Drivers are always on time

Quality support

24/7 email & phone support

Cancel up to 24 hours before the pickup and get an 80% refund

Edit or cancel transfers

DAYTIME

€106.0

NIGHTTIME

€122.0

Same price as a regular taxi from the line

PRICES FOR

Sedan Car

4 pax, 4 pieces of luggage

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Welcome Pickups has a Net Safety Score of 99 of 100

We’ve introduced a metric indicating how safe travellers feel when using our services during the COVID-19 pandemic. After every ride, we ask each traveller to leave a review.

20 minute gap between transfers
Regular Car Sanitisation
Contactless ride
Sanitiser in every car

What is the taxi fare from Manchester Airport to Chester?

The cost of a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester will depend on the company you travel with and the time of day you need a transfer. The average cost will be around £75 (€85), but if you’d prefer a fixed fare that you can count on, you can pre-book your airport transfers with Welcome Pickups.

What’s the distance from Chester to Manchester Airport?

The distance from Manchester Airport to Chester is 53 km. Taking a Manchester Airport taxi will take around 40 minutes to reach Chester, the buses will take closer to 3 hours and 30 minutes and the trains will take approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Can I get from Manchester Airport to Chester by bus?

Yes. Although there isn’t a direct bus from Manchester Airport to Chester, you can take either the Megabus or National Express coach from the airport to Liverpool One, then take the 1 or X1 bus from there to Chester. The total journey time will be around 3 hours and 30 minutes, excluding waiting times, and the total journey cost will be an average of £10 (€11) per person.

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How to get a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester

How much is a taxi from Manchester Airport to Chester?

Cost

£75 (€85)

Trip Duration

40 Min.

Convenience

Safety

Value for Money

Taxis are readily available 24 hours a day from Manchester Airport.

Where do I find a taxi Manchester Airport?

Convenience

Editor’s Note

Useful Tips

How to get from Manchester Airport to Chester by bus

How much is the bus from Manchester Airport to Chester?

Cost

£10 (€11)

Trip Duration

3 Hrs 30 Min.

Convenience

Safety

Value for Money

The National Express and Megabus buses run from 00:35 to 22:35, the 1 bus runs from 06:40 to 23:40 and the X1 bus from 06:20 to 18:25.

Where do I find the bus at Manchester Airport?

Convenience

Timetables

Megabus

National Express Bus

Line 1 Bus

Line X1 Bus

Editor’s Note

Useful Tips

How to get from Manchester Airport to Chester by train

How much is the journey from Manchester Airport to Chester by train?

Cost

£20 (€22)

Trip Duration

1 Hr 45 Min.

Convenience

Safety

Value for Money

The trains run from 04:20 to 23:20 daily.

Where do I find the train at Manchester Airport?

Convenience

Timetables

Manchester Airport Train

Editor’s Note

Useful Tips

Welcome Pickups transfer

Best drivers

Flight monitoring

Quality support

Cancel up to 24 hours before the pickup and get an 80% refund

Prices

DAYTIME

NIGHTTIME

Sedan Car

Frequently asked questions

What is the taxi fare from Manchester Airport to Chester?

What’s the distance from Chester to Manchester Airport?

Can I get from Manchester Airport to Chester by bus?

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