Isle of Man?

[FPY]

I live in the Manchester area and am looking to take my mother (who lives in Glasgow) for a few days (about 5 or so) in May to the Isle of Man. Anybody have any iidea about the cheapest way to do this - i.e. board (B &B would be fine) + travel.
Any advice would be welcome.
Cheers in advance.

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

There are obviously three main ways to do things:
1. You travel to Glasgow and then you both fly from there ;
2. Your mother travels to Manchester and you both fly from there ;
3. You travel independently and meet up in the Isle of Man.
(I know that there are ferries as well, but I think that you'll find it easier, and possibly cheaper, to fly)

So, I'll just quote fares for one person on each route and you can combine them as appropriate. The cheapest air fares are usually obtained by travelling mid-week so, if possible, I suggest travelling out on a Thursday and back on a Tuesday. You should also avoid travelling close to either of the bank holidays in May. (Also remember that the he TT races start on the 26th).

EuroManx fly from Manchester to the Isle of Man. Flying out at 1610 on Thursday 17/05 and back at 1220 on Tuesday 22/05 will cost you a total of �88 per person (including taxes, charges and fuel supplement). There are actually 4 flights daily, in each direction, so you wouldn't have to stick to those times (although travelling at different times might cost you slightly more).
http://www.euromanx.com/

FlyBe also operate on that route, with 5 flights in each direction daily. At certain times, they're cheaper than EuroManx (but not always). Using the same dates as above, with an outbound flight at 1450 and a return flight at 1340, the fully inclusive air fare is �73.98 per person.
http://www.flybe.com

The only direct flights from Glasgow, to the Isle of Man, are with LoganAir (who operate under the British Airways banner). There's just one flight, each way, daily. Using the same dates as above, with an outbound flight at 1110 and a return flight at 1230, the total inclusive fare is �135.30.
18:17 Thu 29th Mar 2007

[Buenchico]

So, if you're planning to meet up prior to travelling to the Isle of Man, it would probably make more sense to do so in Manchester than in Glasgow. However, it would still be possible for you to each travel to the Isle of Man independently and to meet up there.

If your mother wanted to travel to Manchester, there are a few direct trains from Glasgow. If you book early (and select mid-week, off-peak times) there are some really cheap fares available. For example, if you wanted to use the Euromanx or FlyBe services mentioned above, your mother could possibly travel out on Wed 16/05 and back on Wed 23/05, staying with you overnight. There's a direct outbound train, on the 16th, from Glasgow to Manchester at 1350 (arrives 1719). The fare currently offered is �16. There's a direct return train, on the 23rd, at 0958 (arrives at 1326). The current fare on that service is just �12.
http://nationalrail.co.uk/

Once you get to the Isle of Man, you'll need to travel to your accommodation. Details of public transport and car hire are here:
http://www.gov.im/airport/parking/

You can search for accommodation here:
http://www.gov.im/tourism/travel/accommodation /isle-of-man-hotels.aspx?menuid=13094

Chris

[almcd007]

Where were you planning on staying I can recommend an excellant B&B by the river in Ramsey with a ground floor kind of granny flat. Or if you want to stay in Douglas - there are lots of hotels on the front with a sea view. Try not to go by ferry in any event as it takes an age.

[lafrancaise]

Don't forget your brolly!

[FPY]

Thank you all so much for your answers. Unfortunately (Sod's Law) things have intervened since I posted the question, and we won't be able to do it in May. Maybe Autumn would be possible.
I've saved all your replies (in case they disappear from Answerbank) - once again, thank you so much.