Manchester Airport is the UK's third-busiest airport, and Imperial Voyage makes the long-distance transfer from Portsmouth and the South Coast comfortable and stress-free. The 230-mile journey follows the M3 to M25, then M1 and M6/M56, arriving in approximately four to four-and-a-half hours. Our spacious Mercedes V-Class MPVs are especially popular for this route, giving families and groups extra room for luggage and legroom on the longer drive. All three terminals are covered, with full flight tracking and meet-and-greet on return trips.
From Portsmouth, the route heads north on the M27 West, joining the M3 at Junction 14 (Bassett, Southampton). We continue north on the M3 through Winchester, Basingstoke, and Fleet to the M25. From the M25 at Junction 12 we take the clockwise direction to Junction 15 (Heathrow), then join the M1 northbound. This section through the M25 is one of the most variable parts of the journey — the M25 between Junctions 10 and 15 carries very heavy traffic and congestion can add 30 minutes during weekday peak hours (7–9am and 4–7pm). From Junction 19 on the M1 we join the M6 northbound through Birmingham and on to the North West. At Junction 19 of the M6 we exit onto the M56 eastbound, following it to Junction 5 for the airport. The final approach on the A538 takes about five minutes to the terminal complex. An alternative route from the M25 via the M40 to the M42 to the M6 can be preferable when the M1 is congested through Luton.
Manchester Airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 handles a broad mix of carriers including Jet2, Emirates, and several charter operators. Terminal 2 — the newest and largest — serves British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, and most long-haul carriers including TUI, Virgin, and Thomas Cook. Terminal 3 is mainly used by budget and regional carriers. The terminals are connected by a free air-rail transit and it is a short walk between T1 and T2. Your chauffeur will drop you at the correct terminal based on your airline; on the return, they track your flight and meet you in the arrivals hall of your terminal with a name board. Allow an extra 10 minutes when collecting from Terminal 3 as the road approach differs slightly from T1/T2.
Local tip: for overnight departures heading north, many customers prefer a late evening departure from Portsmouth (around 10–11pm) to travel through the night and arrive at Manchester refreshed for early morning flights. This avoids both the M25 peak and the M6 motorway traffic through Birmingham entirely.