Old Trafford · the Etihad · Emirates Old Trafford · Salford
Match Day Limo Hire in Manchester – Old Trafford & the Etihad
Sixteen of you, one vehicle, dropped at the edge of the closure and collected at the final whistle
Manchester has two of the biggest football grounds in the country, a Test cricket venue and a rugby stadium, and on a match day the roads around all of them close, fill or both. A limousine takes the parking, the trams and the taxi queue out of the afternoon: the group is collected together, dropped a short walk from the turnstiles, and picked up again at an agreed point when the game ends. This page explains how a match day booking works at Old Trafford and the Etihad, which vehicle suits a group of mates or a box of hospitality guests, and what to tell us so the timings hold.
- United, City, derby days and cup nights
- Hummers for 16, stretches for 8
- Pre-match pub stop built in
- Return collection at full time
How a match day limo booking works in Manchester
The trick to a match day is accepting that no vehicle gets to the turnstiles. On a United home game Sir Matt Busby Way is closed to traffic well before kick-off and the whole Trafford Wharf side is on foot; at the Etihad the roads around the stadium and the Joe Mercer Way walkway are managed by stewards and the traffic is pushed out to the main roads. Our chauffeurs drive these fixtures every season, so a match day booking is planned around the closure rather than fighting it. You are set down at the nearest point a limousine can legally stop, walk in with the crowd for a few minutes, and meet the vehicle at the same point afterwards.
Most groups book one of two shapes. The first is a one-way arrival: collected from a house or a pub in Bolton, Stockport or Wigan, dropped near the ground, and the group makes its own way home or into town. The second is a drop and return: the limousine sets you down before kick-off and collects you from an agreed point after the final whistle, usually to carry on into the city for the evening. Either way the pick-up time is worked back from the kick-off and the closure, not from the distance on a map.
What it costs
Limo hire in Manchester starts from £365 for a one-hour classic stretch, which covers a one-way arrival for eight from inside Greater Manchester on an ordinary weekend. Everything above that is quoted for your fixture, because the price depends on the vehicle (a sixteen-seat Hummer costs more for the hour than a stretch and usually less per head), whether you want the drop only or the return as well, the day and kick-off time, and where we collect you. A Saturday 3pm kick-off and a Wednesday night cup tie are different bookings, and a derby weekend tightens availability across the whole fleet. How a quote is built is on limo hire Manchester prices; for an exact figure, send us the fixture.
Who books match day limos
Two very different crowds. The first is a group of mates making a day of it: a stag do built around a home fixture, a 30th or a 50th with the lads, a works outing, a group of United or City supporters who come up from the south a few times a season and want the day done properly. The second is hospitality. A company with a box or a restaurant package at Old Trafford or the Etihad will often book an executive stretch or a pair of 4×4 limousines to move clients from a city-centre hotel to the ground and back, with the chauffeur handling the drop-off while the host handles the guests. The vehicle and the tone are different; the logistics are the same.
Old Trafford
Sir Matt Busby Way is closed to traffic before and after the match, so the limousine sets down on the Chester Road side or towards Trafford Wharf and Salford Quays, both a few minutes on foot from the ground. Pick-ups from the south and west come in on the A56; from the north via the M60 and Trafford Park. For the return we agree a meeting point away from the immediate closure so the group can find the vehicle without the chauffeur circling.
The Etihad Stadium
The Etihad campus sits east of the centre off Ashton New Road and Alan Turing Way. The approach from the city is quick outside the closure, and the limousine sets down on the main road side rather than inside the stadium footprint, with Joe Mercer Way a short walk. Co-op Live shares the campus, so on a night when both are in use we build in extra time and agree the return point before you get out.
Emirates Old Trafford
Test matches, the Hundred and T20 nights at Lancashire's ground bring a different kind of day: longer, more relaxed, often with hospitality attached. An executive stretch or a 4×4 limousine for eight from a Cheshire pick-up, a drop on the Talbot Road side and a collection at close of play suits most groups, and the ground is easier for a long vehicle than the football stadium next door.
Salford Community Stadium and beyond
Sale Sharks and Salford Red Devils play at the Salford Community Stadium by the M60 at Barton, which is straightforward for a limousine and a popular stag and birthday fixture. Wigan Warriors, Leigh Leopards and Super League nights across the county are booked the same way, as are England games and concerts at the football stadiums.
A Saturday match day in a Hummer, as it usually runs
Here is the shape of the most common booking we do for a 3pm kick-off at Old Trafford: sixteen in a Hummer H2, a drop and return, with the evening in town afterwards. Swap the Etihad for Old Trafford and the timings barely change.
- 11.30am – Collection in BoltonThe Hummer arrives at the organiser's house. Two more pick-ups in Farnworth and Walkden, then the M61 and M60 towards Trafford Park.
- 12.15pm – Pre-match pubSet-down at a pub on the Chester Road or in Stretford for an hour. The chauffeur waits nearby; nobody is watching the clock for a taxi.
- 1.45pm – Drop near the groundA short run to the agreed set-down off Chester Road and the group walks up with the crowd. The meeting point for afterwards is confirmed before anyone gets out.
- 5.15pm – Final whistleThe Hummer is back at the meeting point. Allow twenty minutes for the crowd to clear; the chauffeur knows the routes out.
- 6pm – Into townDrop on the edge of the Northern Quarter or Deansgate for the night out. The same vehicle can be booked back to Bolton at midnight if the group wants it.
For hospitality guests the shape is simpler: a hotel pick-up ninety minutes before kick-off, a drop as close to the hospitality entrance as the closure allows, and a collection timed for after the post-match hospitality rather than the final whistle, when the roads have cleared. For a corporate booking we confirm the chauffeur's number with the host so the collection can be moved on the day.
Which vehicle for a match day
For a group of mates the answer is nearly always the biggest vehicle the numbers fill. A black or white Hummer H2 takes sixteen, has the bar and the sound system for the drive in, and is the vehicle most groups picture when they book a match day. When the Hummers are gone – derby weekends and the first home game of the season go early – a Ford Excursion or Lincoln Navigator stretch carries thirteen to sixteen with the same atmosphere, and a party bus adds standing room for a group that wants to start the party on the way. For eight, a classic stretch limousine is the lowest-priced option and fits down more streets for the pub stop. Hospitality groups tend towards the executive stretches and 4×4 limousines: the Audi Q7, Range Rover and Chrysler Baby Bentley look right outside a hotel and are easier to position near a hospitality entrance.
Drinks are allowed on board for passengers aged eighteen and over, and most groups bring their own for the drive in; glassware and ice are provided. Colours and flags inside the vehicle are fine. We do ask that the group respects the vehicle and the chauffeur after the game whatever the score, which, in over 20 years of match days, almost everyone does.
Booking a match day limo
Fixtures move, so book the date you have and tell us if it changes; a Saturday 3pm that becomes a Sunday 4.30pm for television is usually fine to carry over if we know early. When you ask for a quote, have ready the fixture and kick-off time, the number travelling, the pick-up address or pub, whether you want the drop only or the return as well, and where the evening ends. With that we confirm which vehicles are free, agree the set-down and meeting points, and fix the price. Derby days, Boxing Day, cup semi-finals and the last home game of the season are the fixtures that sell out the Hummers first – treat them like a key date and ask early.
Match day questions
Match day limo hire Manchester FAQs
Can the limo drop us outside Old Trafford?
Not at the turnstiles – Sir Matt Busby Way is closed to traffic before and after the match. The limousine sets down on the Chester Road side or towards Trafford Wharf, a few minutes' walk from the ground, and we agree the exact spot and the meeting point for afterwards before you get out.
Where does a limo drop at the Etihad?
On the main-road side of the campus off Ashton New Road or Alan Turing Way, clear of the stewarded area around Joe Mercer Way. It is a short walk to the stadium, and on nights when Co-op Live is also busy we build in extra time.
Will the limousine wait during the match?
On a drop-and-return booking the chauffeur comes back to the agreed meeting point for the final whistle rather than parking outside the ground for two hours. The return time is set when you book and the chauffeur allows for the crowds clearing. A one-way arrival is a single drop with no return.
How many people fit in a match day limo?
A Hummer H2, Ford Excursion or Lincoln Navigator stretch takes thirteen to sixteen; a classic or executive stretch takes eight; party buses go larger. Choose the vehicle by the number travelling and we will quote the best-value option free on the fixture.
Can we drink on the way to the game?
Yes, for passengers aged eighteen and over. Bring your own or add a drinks package; glassware and ice are on board. Nothing comes off the vehicle at the ground, and the chauffeur will keep anything left behind safe for the return.
What if the kick-off time changes after we book?
Tell us as soon as the fixture moves. Shifts for television within the same weekend can usually be carried over; a move to a different week depends on the vehicle's availability, and we will say straight away what is possible.
More from the Manchester guide
Related Manchester limo hire pages
Sort the match day in one message
Send us the fixture, the numbers and the pick-up and we will confirm which Hummers and stretches are free, agree the set-down points and fix the price.