Off-topic: Manchester's public transport on a budget

This is a one-off posting for the benefit of anyone that needs information about Manchester's public transport. There's a wealth of information out there that seems to confuse a lot of people.. hopefully this might help. :)

Cheapest

Buses are cheap, sometimes get stuck in traffic, and some routes run at night. Most places in the Manchester region will have a direct bus heading to the city centre, but if you're travelling from one suburb to another, you might have to change buses. Have a look at the GM Public Transport website for maps and timetables.

If you're doing lots of bus travel in South Manchester (Stockport, Chorlton, Didsbury, Airport, etc.) then you're best off getting a Dayrider on the bus, which is £3.50 for a day's bus travel on Stagecoach buses. They also work at night up to about 4am. If you're staying longer than a few days, then get a weekly Megarider pass for £11.. buy on the bus.

If you'll be heading around North Manchester/Salford/Cheshire too, best spend £4.30 on an any-bus ticket - this will cover pretty much any bus (Arriva, First, and most of the little companies.) You can also buy bus/local train/tram passes for a little more - this scheme is run by System One Travel, and their website lists all the current ticket prices.

Quickest

Train or tram. Both stop running after about 11pm at night, after which you'll be on buses or taxis. Trains you can buy a ticket on-board, but trams incur a hefty fine if you do this, so make sure you get a ticket before you board. Trams are unbearable at commuting times, and trains aren't pleasant then either. You can check tram times/prices on the Manchester Metrolink website.

For trains, if you're travelling locally (up to around a 40 minute journey), then it's not worth booking in advance. For longer journeys it's worth checking in advance to see if you can get a good deal buy buying ahead of travel: check times and prices on www.thetrainline.com.

London and elsewhere

It's always worth checking to see if Megabus have any cheap seats available. If you book early enough in advance, it's not unusual to get a return to London for £3. Fares increase the closer you get to the travel date, so book as early as possible.

Failing that, there's also National Express coaches if they have good offers on, or trains if you're in a hurry.

If you need accommodation

For conventional hotels, then between Laterooms.com, Premier Inn and Travelodge, you should be able to find somewhere reasonably good for less than £40 a room. There's only one hostel, Hatters. Obviously I'd recommend Couchsurfing, as there's a big CS community here.

Anything I've missed? Add a comment and I'll include it.

(Details correct as of March 2010.)