Split ticket B'ham to Manchester

[shuggie61]

Hi looking for a slightly cheaper way to get to Manchester.
Where can I split for the best deal?
No Railcard and travelling off-peak Sat/Sun.
Thank you!

 

[sonic2009]

Albeit less frequency than the train, and a slightly longer journey well 2 hrs to be infact, you could get Megabus to Manchester.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Splitting at Stafford or Stoke often brings up some cheaper journey options on this route, but I think the main savings are when travelling at peak times.

 

[Smethwickian]

I usually split at Stafford at weekends with off-peak day returns.

The twice-hourly XC services all stop, so it keeps it simple, although if you want to ride different routes then via Stafford and Crewe is also an option.

For a day return at peak times, which I had to do last week, the combined anytime day returns are considerably cheaper than the anytime return fare otherwise demanded by XC.