The lesser-known trick to save cash on trains from Manchester to London
Daisy Jackson
We all know that trains between Manchester and London can be prohibitviely expensive.
Even Andy Burnham went pretty viral for pointing out you could fly to Jamaica for less than the price of an on-peak train ticket.
But there’s a little website – totally legit – that can get you down to the big smoke for just £20.
If you’re not keen on the usual trick to save cash, which involves changing at Crewe and sitting for an hour in the world’s most boring train station, let us introduce you to Avanti’s secret site.
Avanti Super Fare is a service where train tickets only cost £20 between Manchester and London (with other fares to a number of other destinations too).
The only catch is that you don’t know when you’re travelling – so you pay the price for your own flexibility.
How it works is that you choose your day and rough time slot of travel, be it morning, afternoon or evening.
Then, 24 hours before departure day, Avanti will send you your actual ticket, confirming when you can actually complete your journey.
The time windows are 7am-midday for morning journeys, midday-5pm for afternoons, and 5pm-9pm for evenings – and you could be allocated any available train within those time frames.
You can also only book these between seven and 56 days in advance.
Avanti says: “We match you to an empty seat, you get a bargain Superfare ticket on a fast and comfy Avanti West Coast train. Book at least 7 days in advance and up to 56 days before travel.
“Choose a morning, afternoon or evening departure window. Get your ticket 24 hours before you depart.”
Feel like an absolute mug for paying £150 one-way now, don’t we…
Find out more about Avanti Superfare HERE.
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Featured image: Avanti
Wolf Alice announce massive Manchester gig as part of new European tour
Danny Jones
Get ready to lose your marbles, Manchester, because Wolf Alice aren’t just back with more music and a brand new but they’re playing a massive show right here in the city centre.
The beloved British alt and indie rock outfit is one of the most talented groups of musicians to come out of the country in some time, earning countless nods for their debut LP and winning the Mercury Prize award for their sophomore outing back in 2018.
Now eyeing up album number four and having dropped a smash-hit first single, which has already been met with even more acclaim (why break the habit of a lifetime?), they’ve got us even more excited with the announcement of a huge headline date here at the AO Arena.
The Clearing for the amount of limbs in that standing section couldn’t be big enough.
Set to return to Yorkshire later this year as part of the touring cycle for their long-awaited studio comeback, The Clearing, the Wolf Alice Manchester gig is one of a select few UK arena dates confirmed, such as an equivalent over at Leeds’ first direct arena.
The four-piece, fronted by Ellie Roswell, will also be playing a handful of intimate domestic shows.
Due for release on August 29, 2025, we already know the next project is going to be another brilliant entry by the multi-BRIT and NME Award winners.
Written in their native district of Seven Sisters in North London and recorded in LA with Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin, the album is being branded a “bold, emotionally rich evolution of their sound.”
“It’s a record that radiates ambition, confidence, and an unfiltered sense of self—arguably their most cohesive and timeless work to date.”
Better still, to help support the grassroots venues that helped them while coming up, £1 of every ticket from this show and other domestic arena shows on the soon-to-be fully confirmed European tour will be donated to fundraising efforts.
General admission tickets for Wolf Alice at AO Arena are available on Friday, 23 May from 10am.
It goes without saying that the demand for these things will be massive, so we’d get in that online queue as quickly as possible. The support act(s) haven’t even been revealed yet either.
You can also sort yourself out with exclusive early access by signing up for the AO pre-sale window on Wednesday, 21 May at 5pm; Three Mobile members will have an earlier opportunity also from 10am earlier the same day.
Get ready to grab your tickets for Friday, 28 November HERE.
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Featured Images — Press Shots (supplied)