Getting there and back
Didsbury is about five miles south of Manchester city centre. Leave the car at home: you won't be driving it back, and parking in the village is limited.
Tram
Metrolink is the easiest way in from the city centre, around 20 to 25 minutes. Take a tram on the East Didsbury line (the pink line on the map).
Three stops are useful. Didsbury Village is at the north end of the village, close to the end of the Village Dozen and the start of the reverse. West Didsbury is on Lapwing Lane, near The Metropolitan and The Railway. East Didsbury is the end of the line, one stop past Didsbury Village and next to the train station.
Trams run every few minutes during the day and less often late at night. On Friday and Saturday nights there are a few trams after midnight. Check the last tram before you set off, not after the ninth pub.
Bus
Wilmslow Road is one of the busiest bus corridors in the country. The 42 runs from Piccadilly Gardens down Oxford Road through Fallowfield and Withington to Didsbury, then on to Stockport. It stops right on the route.
The 23 is handy for the West Didsbury routes. It runs along Barlow Moor Road past the Woodstock Arms and links Didsbury Village with West Didsbury, Chorlton and Stockport. It doesn't go into town.
The 50 runs from East Didsbury, by The Gateway, through Burnage to the city centre and Salford Quays.
Buses in Greater Manchester are part of the Bee Network, with a flat single fare. You can pay by contactless.
Train
East Didsbury station is on the line between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, about 15 minutes from Piccadilly. It's a walk from the village, or you can take the tram one stop from East Didsbury to Didsbury Village.
Useful if you're coming from the airport or from further afield via Piccadilly. The Gateway is right outside the station, and the East Didsbury Start route begins there.
Taxi
Black cabs can be hailed, but there are far fewer out in Didsbury than in town. Private hire cars, including Uber and Street Cars, have to be booked through an app or by phone. You can't flag one down.
Friday and Saturday nights are busy and prices go up late on. If you're a big group, book cars before the last pub, or agree a pickup spot a little way off Wilmslow Road where drivers can stop.
Bike
Wilmslow Road has cycle lanes for much of the way from the city centre. Starling Bank Bikes, the Bee Network hire bikes, run across Manchester, Salford and Trafford. Check the app for docks near Didsbury before you rely on one.
Cycling when you're unfit through drink is an offence. If you ride in, lock the bike somewhere sensible and collect it the next day.
Getting home
- Decide how you're getting home before you start, and make sure everyone in the group knows.
- Pick a route that finishes near your way home. The Village Dozen, the Out and Back and the Half Dozen end near Didsbury Village tram stop, the West Didsbury Finish and Baker's Dozen finish near West Didsbury tram stop, the East Didsbury Start finishes at The Station near Didsbury Village tram stop, and the Withington Finish ends on the Wilmslow Road bus route. The Reverse and West Didsbury Walk finish at the south end of the village, and the Original and Monday Dozens finish on Barlow Moor Road in West Didsbury. See routes.
- Keep enough phone battery for a taxi app, and enough money for the fare.
- Don't let anyone head off on their own at the end of the night.