Cheap ways to travel abroad on holiday from Manchester this summer - without flying

With ongoing issues with queues and delays at Manchester Airport in recent months, people can’t be blamed for wanting to find alternative ways to travel this year.

There have been thousands of delayed flights this year so far, not to mention instances of long security queues and even flight cancellations at airports across the UK.

Bosses at Manchester Airport have blamed staff shortages and a spike in passengers after the relaxation of Covid travel rules, and say they are having a massive recruitment drive to ease problems - but the airport is expected to be very busy in the coming weeks when school summer holidays begin.

So if you want to avoid the potential stress of flying, ManchesterWorld has found some alternative ideas to get abroad without jumping on a plane.

An overnight bus to Paris

It’s the city of romance and high fashion - and now you can get there on a bus.

Flixbus is offering a bus service from Manchester to Paris which will run five days a week.

It will take 14 hours to arrive but there will be no airport hassle in sight.

The service will begin on Wednesday 13 July and passengers will be taken from the Shudehill Interchange to Bercy Seine in Paris.

On Wednesdays, the bus leaves Manchester at 6.15pm and arrives in Paris at 9.05am.

On Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays the bus leaves at 4.55pm and arrives at 8.40am.

On Saturdays the bus leaves slightly earlier at 2.50pm and arrives in Paris at 6.25am.

The journey is priced at £39.99 - for more information or to purchase a ticket click here.

A drive and a ferry to Ireland

Explore the many delights of the Emerald Isle and its bustling capital city this summer with travel via the Irish Sea.

The drive from Manchester to Liverpool dock is about an hour and P&O Ferries are the only provider who offer a ferry service to Dublin.

There are two to three crossings a day between Tuesday and Saturday, two crossings on a Monday and one on a Sunday.

Between Tuesday and Saturday ferries leave Liverpool at 3am, 9.30am and 9pm. The journey is eight hours long.

On Sundays, the ferry leaves at 9pm and on Mondays there is a ferry at 3am and one at 9pm.

The price for one adult in a car one way is £99 on the cheapest route but tickets can cost up to £208.

This trip requires a vehicle as there are no on foot passengers allowed.

For more ticket information click here.

Megabus and the Eurostar to Amsterdam

If you fancy strolling along the canals in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, it is possible to get there without jumping on a plane.

The trip down to London may be shorter than you think as the Megabus from Manchester is 4 hours and 20 minutes long.

There are 12 departure times a day, free Wi-Fi onboard, charging points, and a free 20KG luggage allowance.

Departure times from Shudehill Interchange include: 2.30am, 4.50am, 7.10am, 9am, 9.40am, 9.50am, 1.30pm, 2.40pm, 4pm, 5.20pm and 11.20pm.

Prices range from as low as £5.99 to £14.96 during peak time.

More information on the Megabus can be found here.

The bus will drop passengers at the Victoria Coach Station in London, which is a 19 minute tube ride from St Pancras International.

The Eurostar has many great destinations available by train travel including the South of France, Brussels and Paris.

One option they have available for this summer is Amerstam.

A train will take between three to five hours - the cheapest fare available is around £179.

The timetable varies greatly but there are many services available during the school holidays.

For more information click here.

A drive and a ferry to Rotterdam

Branch out and explore the Netherlands’ second largest city, with its impressive skyline and lots of museums and restaurants to try.

The drive to Hull Port from Manchester is two hours and 14 minutes long via the M62.

There is a P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam that leaves once a day.

It departs Hull Port at 8.30pm and arrives at Rotterdam Port at 8.30am.

The price for one passenger in one vehicle is £365.75 - for more prices visit the website here.

A train and a ferry to Belfast

Belfast is buzzing and with oodles of culture and history, it makes a perfect weekend break.

The train from Manchester to Liverpool is under an hour and there are 150 trains a day.

The cheapest time to travel is in the early afternoon with tickets on sale for £2.90 at 1.46pm - this deal applies to every day of the week if you book at least two days in advance.

Tickets can be found here.

Once in Liverpool, the StenaLine ferry to Belfast runs twice a day - 10.30am and 10.30pm.

The cheapest price is £32 for a one way ticket  - more information here.