All systems By city Metrolink
Tram / light rail
Manchester Metrolink
The largest tram network in the UK, reaching from Altrincham and the airport in the south to Rochdale and Bury in the north. Fares are zonal, and the zone boundaries matter more here than on most networks because the lines run a long way out.
Which ticket should you buy?
Photo: Tom Page · CC BY-SA 2.0
Ticket options
Single, one zone
£1.80
Best for City-centre hops
Zone 1 covers the whole of central Manchester and Salford Quays.
Single, all zones
£5.20
Best for Airport to the city, or Bury to Altrincham
The airport sits in Zone 4, so airport trips are always the top fare band.
Day travelcard, Zone 1
£3.60
Best for A day around the centre and the Quays
Covers MediaCityUK and Old Trafford as well as the core.
Day travelcard, all zones
£8.40
Best for Airport transfers plus sightseeing
Contactless capping reaches this automatically if you touch in and out every time.
Weekly travelcard, all zones
£33.60
Best for A week or more in the city
Bought in the app or at a machine.
Fares checked May 2026. Confirm on the operator’s own fares page before you buy.
Where you tap
Tap in and tap out. Forgetting to tap out means the journey is recorded as incomplete and charged at the maximum fare for where you started.
Is the day ticket worth it?
Comparing the Single, all zones at £5.20 with the Day travelcard, all zones at £8.40, travelling across all zones. The day ticket becomes the cheaper choice from your second journey onwards.
| Journeys in a day | Singles cost | Against the day ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £5.20 | £3.20 cheaper |
| 2 | £10.40 | £2.00 more |
| 3 | £15.60 | £7.20 more |
| 4 | £20.80 | £12.40 more |
How to pay
- Contactless on platform validators — touch in and touch out, with a daily cap
- The Bee Network app for mobile tickets
- Ticket machines on every platform
Concessions
- Under 5s travel free.
- Children 5–16 pay roughly half the adult fare.
- 16–18 year olds in Greater Manchester can use an igo card for child rates.
Worth knowing
- You must touch out as well as in on contactless, including at ungated stops — the validators are on the platform, not the tram.
- The airport line is slow (about 55 minutes to Piccadilly). The train from the airport takes around 20 and may be cheaper on an off-peak single.
- Trams to Eccles and MediaCityUK split at Cornbrook; check the destination board rather than the platform.
Photos
Common questions
- How much is a single on Metrolink?
- The cheapest single listed is £1.80 (Single, one zone).
- Is a day ticket worth it on Metrolink?
- It pays for itself on your second journey. The Day travelcard, all zones costs £8.40 and the Single, all zones £5.20, so 2 singles come to £10.40.
- Do I need to tap out on Metrolink?
- Tap in and tap out. Forgetting to tap out means the journey is recorded as incomplete and charged at the maximum fare for where you started.
- Can I pay with a contactless card on Metrolink?
- Yes. Contactless on platform validators — touch in and touch out, with a daily cap.
- What do children pay on Metrolink?
- Under 5s travel free.