Runway Visitor park at Manchester Airport

mikedublin

Hi, Hoping to get to Manchester for a day trip soon and planning to go to the Runway Visitor centre. Would anyone know if it it is possible to walk to it from the passenger terminals ? (I'll be on Ryanair so arriving and departing from T3).

Anyone been and have any recommendations on best times of day to go or what to see (I'll probably do it either at the start or end of my day trip and go to Manchester city centre as well for some of my day).

EICVD

I was there in January, probably wasn't the best time to be there. A day in Summer would be much more enjoyable. It is possible to walk to definetly.

Tenger

mikedublin wrote: »

.......

Its walkable but also there is a shuttle bus from the airport, not sure of where exactly but someone will be along shortly to clarify.

Tenger

Tenger wrote: »

Its walkable but also there is a shuttle bus from the airport, not sure of where exactly but someone will be along shortly to clarify.

http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/RouteMaps/200.pdf

LoonyLovegood

You can walk, but it's 45/50 minutes and I'd really advise against it, there's no footpaths for most of it. I was there March last year, it's pretty interesting when everything is open, but there wasn't much available, spent most of my time there at the runway. I got to see Concorde from outside its hangar, and a few bits and pieces. The shop's worth a look. The bus is every hour.

Danbo!

You're talking maybe £6 in a taxi from airport so worth it to save you 45 mins walking or waiting on a bus. The guy at reception happily called me a cab to get back to airport at the end of the day too.

Not trying to derail your plans, if you're going for Concorde etc then understandable, but why not go to Heathrow, more large aircraft some very good viewing areas from 5-15 minute walk from tube station.

JCX BXC

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Not trying to derail your plans, if you're going for Concorde etc then understandable, but why not go to Heathrow, more large aircraft some very good viewing areas from 5-15 minute walk from tube station.

Speaking from a personal perspective, I can fly to Manchester and back for €20 with Ryanair, whereas it's around €150 for Heathrow.

MAN would be my choice based on that.

Carnacalla

Carnacalla wrote: »

Speaking from a personal perspective, I can fly to Manchester and back for €20 with Ryanair, whereas it's around €150 for Heathrow.

MAN would be my choice based on that.

I hear ya, I paid €120 for next month Heathrow to Dublin for everyday was more expensive by 30-40 euro. Personally it's for the heavy metal, but I understand much lower price makes it far easier for some.

Madme

I'm heading there for the first time on Wednesday(Providing the weather holds, is a thunderstorm forecast!) will let you know how I get on.

mikedublin

Madme wrote: »

I'm heading there for the first time on Wednesday(Providing the weather holds, is a thunderstorm forecast!) will let you know how I get on.

I'm going on Thursday.

I did Birmingham a few weeks ago and it was excellent. PIA 777 and Air India Dreamliner were there.

Madme

Had a great day out, apart from the weather being rubbish. Got taxi there which cost £8.50 and bus back, £1.60. The bus only starts around 9 so got taxi instead. Great viewing spots, planes taxi right past you after landing, pity I didn't have a wide angle lens with me. Shame the nimrod and concord are closed mid week.

eatmyshorts

Madme wrote: »

. Got taxi there which cost £8.50 .

Carnacalla wrote: »

, I can fly to Manchester and back for €20

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, shows exactly what is wrong with the airline industry these days!!

Couple of miles in an old taxi.... £8.50 is grand.
2 x 30 minute flights in an $80,000,000 jet... No way I'm paying more 20 euros!!


Not aimed at either of the posters, just using your experience as an example.

JCX BXC

In my defence, I would have waited for the £1.60 bus......

eatmyshorts

eatmyshorts wrote: »

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, shows exactly what is wrong with the airline industry these days!!

Couple of miles in an old taxi.... £8.50 is grand.
2 x 30 minute flights in an $80,000,000 jet... No way I'm paying more 20 euros!!


Not aimed at either of the posters, just using your experience as an example.

So your point is either we should be paying more for our air fares or we are being hugely ripped off by the taxi industry ?!

eatmyshorts

[Deleted User] wrote: »

So your point is either we should be paying more for our air fares or we are being hugely ripped off by the taxi industry ?!

Both

eatmyshorts

eatmyshorts wrote: »

Both

Taxis, god yes rip off central.

Airlines not so easy an answer, Ryanair for example as this €20 fare was I assume based on them, they could easily pay ALL their staff a better wage and still make huge profits without charging more for flights as their margin is so big compared to "legacy" airlines who's staff would need to accept pay cuts to widen their margin.

Anyway you won't find many seats on a flight for €20 these days, most likely like I said earlier the best I could get was 5-6 times more expensive than that fare, so while I get your point "€20" fares are a rarity and shouldn't really be the bases for an argument, yes back the noughties I got to London several times for 1c each way.

afatbollix

Heading on Thursday this week as I have to pick someone up from the airport.

Was it ok to rock up and buy tickets for the Nynrod & Concorde? Or is it closed? If closed Ill go somewhere else while I wait.

Madme

Concord and Nimrod are closed mid week:-(

JCX BXC

Madme wrote: »

Concord and Nimrod are closed mid week:-(

That's rather strange. Id imagine the Concord there would get a great audience, yet its closed all midweek?

Madme

They're normally only open Monday and Friday with the odd Saturday or Sunday. If you go onto the runway visitor park website and click on book a tour you can see what days are available for each tour. I was there on Wednesday last week, concord was closed to the public but there was several school tours getting into it. Was loads of other people there, would easily have enough for a tour, strange one alright.

A Dub in Glasgo

I will be there again next month, our family holiday is back to Manchester from Reus (£500 saving compared to Glasgow). We are staying in the Radisson at the Airport for a night before driving back to Glasgow

The viewing park is by far the best in Britain for viewing aircraft

afatbollix

Well Spent a couple of hours at the runway area.

They had Concorde open and got a tour for a 5er. The tour guy was a retired Concorde pilot with great story's of the plane and all things on the plane.

Had lunch in the cafe which was a bit of a rip off but not bad views from the area.

If you can don't park as its a rip off at £6 for over a hr.