Runcorn to Manchester drive: Distance, time & best attractions
The best road trip stops on the Runcorn to Manchester drive are the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, Warrington and the Deck 747. The distance from Runcorn to Manchester by car is 30 miles, with a 45 minute driving time.
Finding things to do between Runcorn and Manchester
The Runcorn to Manchester drive takes you from the Mersey to a sporting and musical hotbed.
The best ways of exploring Manchester are on a story-packed Rock and Goal walking tour, which pays particular attention to Manchester’s music scene and football heritage, or a river cruise.
Top Manchester experiences include the Manchester City stadium tour, treasure hunts, craft beer tours, Northern Quarter street art walks and cheese crawls.
Runcorn to Manchester distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Runcorn to Manchester is 30 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 45 minutes, traffic permitting.
The quickest route is largely along the A557, M62 and M602.
The best stops along the Runcorn to Manchester drive are the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, Warrington and the Deck 747.
Runcorn to Manchester road trip attractions: Catalyst Science Discovery Centre
In Widnes on the north bank of the Mersey, the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre offers lots of button-pushing fun for children. There’s a heavy emphasis on interactivity, whether creating an animation or putting together a marble run.
There are some more traditional museum components, however, with a section focusing on the birth of the chemicals industry.
Best stops between Runcorn and Manchester: Warrington
Warrington is an industrial town on the River Mersey, usually skipped through on the train. However, there are a couple of attractions worth considering here. Walton Hall and Gardens does the stately home with lavish gardens thing, while Gulliver’s World is great with small children. This medium-sized theme park has rides that are fun, but not too scary for the little ones.
Manchester is the de facto capital of northern England, with a strong cultural scene and proud industrial history.
Best stops between Runcorn and Manchester: The Deck 747
It’s possible to have a go on a flight simulator in many locations. What makes the Deck 747 different is that you do so on board a real plane, which has been converted to house a simulator.
The attraction, based at City Airport in Barton, also allows you to wander around the top deck of the plane, test a business class seat out for size and get selfies sitting in the captain’s chair.
More Manchester road trips
Darlington to Manchester | Manchester to Durham | Huddersfield to Manchester | Manchester to Hull | Middlesbrough to Manchester | Manchester to Newcastle | Wakefield to Manchester | Warrington to Manchester | Manchester to York.