Sale Metrolink Station is located inside an old building, the original roofing remains which not…read moreonly looks good but provides good shelter. One of the oldest Metrolink stations on the network which isn't used for anything else, so it is a little bit of history in a way, it was a train station back in 1849 before closing in 1991 to be converted into a Metrolink station. The set-up is two platforms, one going towards Piccadilly for the city centre, the other going towards Altrincham, sometimes on a Manchester City match-day if you're lucky, you might see special trams go from the Etihad to here after the game. The main problem with the set-up for me is how difficult it is to get between platforms, I ended up missing a tram finding out, rather than being able to cross the tracks, you have to go in and out of the station, either up and down the long staircase, or going through the car park of the Altrincham bound platform, going alongside the pavement, and then into a dirty, smelly corridor and lift to go back down to the platform. There was good lighting in the station and it did look surprisingly good for a non-city-centre and non-terminus location, it is also in a good location for shopping in Sale town centre, but they really are missing a trick by not adding signage between the two platforms. 3*

Brooklands is a Metrolink station on the Altrincham line of the Metrolink, which is a Grade II…read morelisted building (pretty common for Metrolink stations along this route) It's the stop in-between Sale and Timperley. It's pretty much an average Metrolink in most regards, it does have Park and Ride which is handy if you want to ditch your car outside and then spend the day travelling on the Metrolink. The station is pretty clean, it isn't too comfortable with a lack of seating, again this is typical of Metrolink stations, considering the majority of the time services are every 10 minutes in each direction, it doesn't matter too much. The Altrincham bound platform has a bus stop style shelter, compared to the Manchester bound platform which has a taller shelter which covers more of a platform, it's a shame they couldn't ensure the latter was on both sides. It is in fare zone 3/4, this is useful as it means if you only want to travel one stop you won't be paid for travelling into a different zone and can think of the station being in whatever zone would save you the most money. 3* - Pretty much your typical Metrolink station, nothing too exciting but does the job, the park and ride is handy.

Manchester Shudehill could certainly be a lot better especially for a major city, but it certainly…read moreisn't too bad either, with a good number of connections via bus, while also having Metrolink services and being a short walk away (or one stop on the Diamond Number 8 bus and/or Metrolink towards Bury) to Manchester Victoria Railway Station. The station's layout is easy to follow, although it is split into two bus stations, most of which do go from the main terminal. Buses from here serve most of Manchester including Bury, Bolton, Salford, Rochdale, Middleton and the MRI. National Express also run coaches from here going across the country. I would love to see digital bus timetables showing when the next bus is, which I've seen in other locations across England, which perhaps could list destinations and towns showing the next bus to go there, which means you can always get the next bus and know how long it'll take without the need for third-party mobile phone apps. The staff inside the station seem friendly, and although they do try to help it stay clean, it doesn't always stay that way, mainly down to members of the public openly making a mess including smoking (which is forbidden), or the occasional litter or pigeon problem. There is an ATM outside (Be careful as this is a common spot for homeless people), newsagents and a coffee shop (which never seems to be open) at Shudehill. 3*

Shudehill Interchange is one of Manchester's transport hubs that is far less scummy than Victoria…read morestation and much less stressful than the bustling Piccadilly Station. You can catch the metro from Shudehill either as well as many local buses. It's also the Manchester stop for Megabuses which I love because the bus station is only five minutes away from my flat. Mega useful. Inside the bus station is a newsagents which sells confectionary and crisps and stuff for your journey, and generally the station is clean, light and well maintained. There's a few seats if you've got a long wait too. Ooh, also dead useful is that there is a cash machine just outside the main entrance. Dead handy if you're over in Trof or tv21 and need some more cash quickly.

Didsbury Village Metrolink is a fairly new addition to the Metrolink network, the station opened in…read more2013. It is in a great location for Didsbury Village with the suburb's shops and restaurants a couple of minutes away on foot. It is on the South Manchester Line between East Didsbury and Rochdale Town Centre, with some Rochdale-bound trains terminating at Shaw and Crompton. It is a pretty basic tram stop, it is fairly clean, with ample shelter, it has ramped access onto street-level which is easier for everyone, to avoid dealing with slippy steps or slow lifts. 4* - Nice tram stop. It would be even better if they finally set the Stockport extension into motion.

Very close to the heart of Didsbury village, a useful service to get into Manchester or to the…read morenearby shopping area of Parswood.

I actually like Timperley Metrolink Station. It is on the Altrincham Line on the Manchester…read moreMetrolink and is located in Travel Zone 4. It was originally opened as a Railway Station back in 1849, before opening as a converted Metrolink station in 1992, some parts of the old station remain including the old railway bridge, from around this point, it switches to a multi-direction track into Altrincham, which is pretty cool but can often mean having to wait a couple of minutes for a signal. (Instead of having tracks for each direction, one is a Railway track, and one has been converted for Metrolink trams) I think the station looks good too, the platform is spacious, there is more than one area providing good shelter, it's a pretty typical Metrolink station but it looks pleasant, which is a bonus. It's a short walk into Timperley town centre, there is also a Waitrose supermarket nearby, interestingly Waitrose's "Altrincham" branch is actually a little closer to this Metrolink station than Altrincham town centre. Due to it being a Zone 4 station outside of the city centre, it is often unstaffed and it is only on one line, meaning you might have a little wait for a tram sometimes, but it isn't too bad as services going into Altrincham or Manchester city centre depart every 10-15 minutes. 4*

Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink is one of the most used stations on the Manchester Metrolink Station,…read moreit opened in 1992 before being rebuilt in 2009. It consists of a single island platform with services mostly running every 12 minutes on key routes. It's pretty much your bog standard tram platform, there are some backrests and seating while waiting for your tram, and some shelter, although on days with heavy rain and wind, it won't do much at all. Each side of the platform has ramped access and stairs making it easy to get in and out of, it's also facing Piccadilly Gardens bus station and City Tower, making it easy to continue on your journey. Ticket machines are available on the platform, but it's easier just to tap in and out with contactless nowadays, where the fares are now capped. It's a very busy interchange, so can get very crowded on the platforms, one thing I think isn't well thought out at the Metrolink stops in the city centre is that people just stand in the way, which makes it difficult if you're rushing for a tram, or trying to get off, there isn't really anywhere to go. Due to the central location, Piccadilly Gardens is on multiple lines and serves trams to Altrincham, Ashton Under-Lyne (via Piccadilly Station and Etihad Campus), Bury (via Victoria Station), Eccles (via Media City) and other part-route variations of the above. 3* - Bog standard tram stop, right in the heart of the city centre. It isn't somewhere you'd want to spend too long and can be uncomfortable at peak times, but with trams coming every couple of minutes, you shouldn't need to be there long.

Piccadilly Gardens acts as a busy interchange for buses and trams in and out of the city. You can…read morepretty much get a tram or bus to anywhere from here. So if you're in town and need to get out, Piccadilly Gardens will probably have a bus or tram going to somewhere at least vaguely near you. With the high volume of traffic going through, things can get pretty hectic down there, so make sure you're looking both ways when you're crossing the street and finding which stop is yours. It seems as if buses and trams are coming from all directions! If you're getting a bus up from Fallowfield on an evening, chances are you'll be sharing the bus with loads of pissed-up students on their way to some club. When you finally arrive in Piccadilly Gardens, they'll barge past you to get out of the bus and then they'll literally run as fast as they can to the nearest doorway or corner to empty their bladder. Lovely.

Navigation Road is served by both Metrolink and National Rail services, it has one platform for…read moreMetrolink and another for National Rail with a level-crossing between them. It is generally the stop right before Altrincham, depending on which way you're travelling, as far as I'm aware all services going via here also call via Altrincham. Pretty old school station, with the barriers stopping cars from passing outside when a train is due, due to the nature of the trains tracks and roads around the station. Basic facilities but a pretty average station overall, there was some shelter, at least in the Metrolink part at least, it could have been lit slightly better, but with trams, every ten minutes going, either way, it isn't too bad. I also like how it is one of the few stations outside of the city centre where you don't have to go through any lifts/stairs/corridors, you just get straight onto the Platform to make your service. It's much simpler, especially when you're running late and don't want to wait in the cold for the next service! 3*