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Manchester to Bedford by train

Prices explained

Prices explained

At Rail Europe we believe in price transparency. We use real data from Rail Europe searches to estimate the cheapest fares you should be able to find for your journey.

The cheapest price is the lowest fare we've ever found for this journey. These prices can usually be found by searching when booking opens but they vary due to availability, which depends on factors like the day of the week or time of year.

More popular journeys include 30 day advance and 7 day advance prices. These are updated every two weeks using prices we've found by searching exactly 7 or 30 days from the most recent Thursday (we picked Thursday because this is when average prices are usually found).

30 day and 7 day prices fluctuate based on demand and availability at the time of search. For example, the 7-day price in summer is likely to be more expensive than the same journey in winter.

Prices are sourced in GBP and converted to other currencies using the daily market exchange rate.

We're always seeking to improve how price-checking works, and we welcome feedback on how we can make it better.

More advice about how to find the cheapest tickets can be found in our infographic.

  1. Cheapest Price $38.48
  2. 30 day advance $38.48
  3. 7 day advance $64.23
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  • First train
    05:05
  • Last train
    23:53
  • Avg changes
    1
  • Fastest journey
    2hr 42m
  • Distance
    190 kilometres
  • Trains per day
    47
  • Avg. journey time
    3hr 51m
  • Train operators

Travelling from Manchester to Bedford by train

Fast trains from Manchester to Bedford take around 2 hours and 42 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 190 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between Manchester and Bedford.

1. Are there direct trains from Manchester to Bedford?

Journeys between Manchester and Bedford usually involve one change of train.

We usually find around 47 departures on the route from Manchester to Bedford every weekday that leave enough time to change trains without waiting around for longer than necessary.

Trains are typically more frequent on weekends, when we found around 57 departures.

2. How long is the train journey from Manchester to Bedford?

The Manchester to Bedford train travel time is normally about 2 hours and 42 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

3. What are the Manchester to Bedford train times and schedule?

On weekdays the earliest train to Bedford is usually scheduled to depart Manchester around 05:05 and the last train is around 23:53. At weekends the first train of the day leaves Manchester around 05:25, and the last at 23:20.

What's the Manchester to Bedford train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from Manchester to Bedford are $38.48.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $38 while booking 7 days in advance the price is around $64. Booking on the day of travel is likely to be more expensive, so it is worth booking in advance if you can to save money.

When to book Manchester to Bedford train tickets?

Trains in the UK usually open for booking around 3 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from Manchester to Bedford by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between Manchester and Bedford?

More than one train company operates on the route from Manchester to Bedford, so you’ll be travelling with one or more of the following rail operators:

  • Arriva Trains Wales
  • Avanti West Coast
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • East Midlands Trains
  • First TransPennine Express
  • Great Western Railway
  • London Midland
  • London Underground
  • Northern
  • Southern
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • Transport For Wales
  • Virgin Trains
  • West Midlands Trains

You can check which train you’ll be travelling on by looking for the train name in search results.

Bedford to Manchester by train

Other journeys to Bedford View all journeys to Bedford

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Child and youth passengers

The definition of "Child" and "Youth" varies by country and operator. This is why we ask for the age of young passengers.

Sometimes children below a certain age can travel without a seat for free. If you want to guarantee a seat for child passengers, enter '6' as the age of the child.

Read more about child and youth passenger ages. See also youth discounts and railcards.