Driving from London to Manchester by car

Driving from London to Manchester is a common business route and is frequently travelled by thousands of commuters each day. Be it for business or a city break, the journey from London to Manchester is relatively short and easy. The distance between these too economic giants is 200 miles and the journey can be made in around 3 and a half hours. If it is the case that you are looking to make this journey with no intent to return, then you may like to have a look at our one way car hire services. We have many branches all over London where you can pick up your hire car and get the journey underway.

Enjoy the drive from London to Manchester

If you have extra time and your journey is not rushed, then you may wish to take a couple of pit stops whilst driving from London to Manchester. Before switching to the M6 you may wish to take a detour to visit the metropolitan city of Birmingham – home to the Bullring, one of the largest shopping centres in Europe, and birthplace of heavy metal. Further along the route you could veer west and visit the lovely city of Liverpool – a major English city settled on the waterfront and home town of the Beatles!

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Commuting from London to Manchester on the M1 and M6

Heading north out of London lands you on the M1 – continue north on this motorway before merging to the M6 just before you reach Birmingham
Once you are on the M6 continue north almost all the way to Manchester – just before you arrive switch to the M56 which will take you the rest of the way
Without encountering any road works or traffic jams, this route will take you from London to Manchester in 3 hours and 34 minutes
The distance from centre to centre is 200 miles and the estimated fuel cost for this journey is £38.27

Additional information

As this is a frequently-travelled business route there is potential for large delays and congestion
Accordingly we strongly suggest travelling during non-peak times
Please take into consideration that this route includes the use of toll roads for maximum efficiency and to avoid potential congestion
Be sure to check the local radio and appropriate travel websites for up to date news on road conditions
We suggest that you read up information about driving in the United Kingdom before you initiate your journey