Getting to Bolton
From Bolton Interweb
Bolton has excellent road and rail links to the rest of the UK and is within spitting distance of Manchester International Airport, the UK's 3rd largest airport.
By Car
Bolton is bounded on the west by the M61 motorway which connects at its northern end with the M6, south of Preston. To the south lies the M60/M62 connecting the town with West Yorkshire, Liverpool, and via the M6 south to Birmingham and London.
Please be aware that Bolton is littered with speed cameras, most of which are painted yellow and visible at a distance, but others are placed in locations where they may be obscured by roadside trees and bushes. You will also find liberal use of traffic calming road humps around the town. Local roads are often under repair and at any one time you are bound to run into some delay or another. Another favourite trick is to reduce the width of the most congested roads by adding a cycle lane which is rarely used. Needless to say Bolton's roads are extremely busy in the mornings before 9:30, and from about 3:15 through to 6:00 in the afternoons.
Parking in Bolton isn't cheap, especially using roadside meters. Car parks a little bit away from the actual centre but still within walking distance tend to be a tiny bit cheaper. Credit cards are accepted in the car park underneath the Crompton Place shopping centre (entrance behind the Pack Horse hotel/pub). Wardens are plentiful in number and zealous in their enforcement - don't be tempted to park without paying or overstay your time in a car park.
By Taxi
Black London-style cabs are available from the main public transport stations and from designated stands in the town centre. Outside the town centre it is rare to be able simply to flag down a passing cab and so most people use private hire firms, which should still display a licence plate, and will have the firm's name on the door but not a For Hire light on the roof. You can only get a private hire car by telephoning the company or visiting the booking office - cards are on display in most pubs and phone boxes. Private hire cars are marginally cheaper than black cabs and must display their rates inside the car - try and get an estimate for your journey before it starts.
Click here for taxi, private hire, and limo services
By Bus
Bolton has a long-distance bus station in Moor Lane with routes leading all over the UK. Click here for details of National Express services.
During the day local buses are generally very frequent and reliable, but come early evening more or less evaporate on some routes. Neither are they particularly cheap. In the centre of town make sure you choose the correct stop (which may change at some point in the day). If going out for the evening this is not a very reliable means of getting home!
Click here for local bus services and timetables
Since November 2008, Bolton has a free Metroshuttle bus service that connects the rail station, bus station, and stops at a number of town centre locations.
By Train
Bolton station has an excellent and frequent service to Manchester for onward connections to London, to Manchester Airport, to the Lake District, and to Scotland. Most trains are modern and comfortable but there are still a few that appear to be rejects from Indian Railways on commuter routes. Journeys southbound into Manchester tend to be cheap as they are subsidised but northbound into Lancashire the price can be rather steep.
Click here for the local rail network map and links to timetables and online booking services.
By Tram (Metrolink)
This would be difficult since Bolton isn't connected into the excellent tram system - you need change at Manchester Piccadilly or Manchester Victoria Metrolink stations and continue by train. Otherwise the nearest Metrolink station is at Radcliffe, just outside the borough, which is fine if you are in the south-east of the town. There is no taxi stand at Radcliffe - you need to call ahead and book a private hire car to meet you. Or you can continue on to Bury and take a black cab or a bus (frequent and reliable before 6:30 pm approx, poor thereafter and the bus stop moves) from outside the station - it is about 6 miles from Bury to Bolton.
Click here for more information
Travel Planning
By Air
Manchester International Airport, and therefore the World, is approximately 20-30 minutes away by road or by direct rail link. Arrangements can be made with Bolton private hire companies to meet passengers from specified flights and black cabs are available from all terminals - get a quote before agreeing to the journey from either form of taxi. Some black cabs take credit cards.
