Has anybody else had emails come from ciao saying you have contacted them because you can't log in? ...
Has anybody else had emails come from ciao saying you have contacted them because you can't log in? Just wondering if somebody is trying to hack into the accounts as I know I certainly didn't contact ciao about logging in! Hmmm...
Member since:01.08.2005
Reviews:215
Members who trust:116
I have lived in Manchester all my life - right near Manchester Airport and so obviously the surrounding areas are somewhere that I have frequented quite often! One place that I have been to many times is Altrincham. Literally minutes away down the country lanes from myself and the airport and a 20-25 minute bus ride away down the main roads. I have to be honest and Say that now that I can drive I don't often use the local transport as often and it tends to only be when I need to with no other option available! I did use the Altrincham bus station a lot more when I was younger and actually working in Altrincham but, to be fair
there isn't much difference nowadays from nearly 7 years ago!
Location: The station is located just off the main road which is Stamford New road and it is this main road that the majority of the shops are behind. The station is very easy to find and right in front of it is a taxi rank and also a clock tower.
The station: The bus station is relatively small really in comparison to a lot of other bus stations around the Manchester area. However this really ties in with the fact that Altrincham itself is a smallish town centre. The station has two main 'tunnels' as I call them with the larger of the two having about eight stops and the smaller about five. Located behind the larger tunnel is the entrance to the tram stop where the information desk is and directly behind this is the tram stop itself.
Buses and trams: There are plenty of buses that stop here that have travelled from surrounding areas - probably the two most noticeable for me are the number 11 which serves a route all the way from here, through to Stockport and then back again and also the number 19 which again serves from here to the airport. There are lots of buses that serve a variety of routes which including Manchester city centre, the Trafford centre, Hale, Wilmslow, Timperly, Sharston and Didsbury. The tram stop here is the end of the line and once it departs here it will stop at various points along the way on its route into Manchester City centre. Recently it was proposed that if the congestion charge had come in for Manchester, then the long forgotten about plans for the line to extend to the airport through Wythenshawe, would once again become a possibility. However I think this will eventually anyway but, not until all the redevelopment of Altrincham town centre has been finished and business is thriving again! How modern is the station? To be honest Altrincham bus and tram station is fairly bland and quite boring - the last time I was there was to go through onto the tram and it really hasn't changed much at all! The station could probably do with a refurbishment to make it brighter and a bit more inviting for all those who rely on the public transport. More facilities would be nice with the amount of people that do go through it as last time I was there I still couldn't see any toilets and the cafe that used to be on the back tunnel at the end was closed. There are a couple of machine to get drinks and snacks but, that is all. The station is easily accessed by disabled users as everything is on ground level but, other than that it hasn't really got much to boast about!
Overall opinion: Altrincham station is one of those that doesn't make anyone want to stay there longer than needed as it can be cold in winter when the cold air blows along the tunnel and there is also not many seats for people to use whilst waiting around. However, it has a good range of bus connections and with the tram stop added on it means it will nearly always be needed and so I imagine until it actually needs a desperate refurbishment, the council will happily leave it as it is. I find the main thing about this station that is appealing is that I can get a taxi from home near to the airport, to Altrincham, which is cheaper than a taxi to Manchester, have a few drinks in one of the many bars on the main road and then carry on into Manchester town centre on the tram. This is a much cheaper option than going straight into town and it is easily done as it is close to lots of bars - in fact there is a pub right across the road. So overall it serves well for me n this way!
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Not a service I'm likely to use regularly but if I'm ever in the area...
supercityfan 11.03.2009 13:10
As an infrequent user of the number 11 service I have seen the delights of Altrincham bus station at first hand and as you say it aint pretty !!
RICHADA 28.01.2009 22:18
I really enjoy reading these "in my back yard" type reviews as I call them, especially when they are areas that I know a little such as yours. Richard.
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Jan 23rd, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
