National Express or Magic Bus are always the cheapest option.

Occasionally you can fall on a cheap flight deal to Manchester Airport from Heathrow.

Or, hang about till the New Year if you want to go by train. You do get some offers popping up, but they tend to part of a promotion and usually appear between two and months ahead. If I remember rightly January is usually the best time to buy tickets because Christmas has just past, folk don't have as much money and folk tend to start going off and doing things again in Feb/March after a seasonal break.

Try PMing Jonny the Leyther, he works for a train company and always helps out.

Thanks for tips. Will keep an on offers and send the PM. Coach is cheaper but would pay more for quicker train (ideally not 69 quid though...)

You can usually get train fares for around a tenner each way, which usually go on sale about twelve weeks before the day of travel; you'll need to register an account (no charge) on the relevant train co website (Virgin in this case?) and there's usually an option to get an automated email informing you when the tickets go on sale for the date you want to travel.

Or if going from London to Manchester and coming back via Leeds you can probably still get a tenner each way and book via any train co website for the same price. I get all my tickets through East Coast as it's the first one I registered with. You may get a couple of quid cheaper by going through each different website, but usually you can get all your cheap tickets for the lowest price via any one site.

The Magic Bus sounds fun.

I will be joining Darth Chris and the Ultras and walking to Salford as soon as the Giants game is over at the stoop.