Lancashire CC / Old Trafford + Lego Discovery - Travel / parking advice request

[Crazytrain]

Anyone with Manchester knowledge able to offer a little advice or suggestions please?

I'm off to the Cricket World Cup to see the Windies vs New Zealand at Old Trafford on Saturday - taking two under 8's with me.

We'll be driving up from Nottingham way and need to find somewhere relatively easy / straightforward to park.
No problem with a short (mile or so) walk or a tram (but ideally only a single tram, not a connection)

Any ideas? - I'm struggling with finding a suitable park and ride option using the Metrolink website.

To add a complication, play is due to start at 1:30pm and we have Merlin passes so could spend a little time at the Lego Discovery Centre or Sealife over at the Trafford Centre beforehand if we set off early enough. I'm quite happy to write this part off, but my boy loves his Lego nearly as much as his cricket so it would make his day even better.

We've never been to a cricket match at Old Trafford before (or seen Chris Gayle bat 'in the flesh') so really looking forward to it. My Children are reasonably sensible and I'm pretty comfortable shepherding them through busy crowds etc, but as it'll be quite a late finish I'd like a fairly easy return to the car if at all possible.

Any local knowledge or do's & don'ts gratefully received.

[thegoat]

Anyone with Manchester knowledge able to offer a little advice or suggestions please?

I'm off to the Cricket World Cup to see the Windies vs New Zealand at Old Trafford on Saturday - taking two under 8's with me.

We'll be driving up from Nottingham way and need to find somewhere relatively easy / straightforward to park.
No problem with a short (mile or so) walk or a tram (but ideally only a single tram, not a connection)

Any ideas? - I'm struggling with finding a suitable park and ride option using the Metrolink website.

To add a complication, play is due to start at 1:30pm and we have Merlin passes so could spend a little time at the Lego Discovery Centre or Sealife over at the Trafford Centre beforehand if we set off early enough. I'm quite happy to write this part off, but my boy loves his Lego nearly as much as his cricket so it would make his day even better.

We've never been to a cricket match at Old Trafford before (or seen Chris Gayle bat 'in the flesh') so really looking forward to it. My Children are reasonably sensible and I'm pretty comfortable shepherding them through busy crowds etc, but as it'll be quite a late finish I'd like a fairly easy return to the car if at all possible.

Any local knowledge or do's & don'ts gratefully received.

I’m about a mile or so from the ground . I’d be happy to let you park on the drive and drop you at OT if the wife lets me borrow my car . If she is using it , it really is only a 25 minute walk .
There’s decent parking nearby but obviously they will be charging (£10 ish)
Park and ride stops begin in Altrincham through Timperley and Sale but they fill up fairly quickly.
SeaLife and Lego are opposite the Trafford Centre and, depending if there’s something on at Event City , along with the works for the tramlines, it can be chaotic at times there.
Drop me a PM and I’ll go through it in more detail for you .

[Phil Lee]

You could park and ride from Sale Water Park which has 300 spaces (many more than Altrincham, Timperley and Brooklands). You come off at junction 6 of the M60 to get to the park and ride. The tram goes from Sale Water Park to Trafford Bar. You can get off there and walk or change and take the tram towards Altrincham 1 stop and get off at Old Trafford.

Alternatively there is an excellent Q Park over the road from Sale tram station. You could park there, walk to the tram then get it direct to Old Trafford.

The tram does get very busy on match days so expect to queue to get back to your car.

[Crazytrain]

I’m about a mile or so from the ground . I’d be happy to let you park on the drive and drop you at OT if the wife lets me borrow my car . If she is using it , it really is only a 25 minute walk .
There’s decent parking nearby but obviously they will be charging (£10 ish)
Park and ride stops begin in Altrincham through Timperley and Sale but they fill up fairly quickly.
SeaLife and Lego are opposite the Trafford Centre and, depending if there’s something on at Event City , along with the works for the tramlines, it can be chaotic at times there.
Drop me a PM and I’ll go through it in more detail for you .

Thanks Mr thegoat - that's incredibly generous. I'm quite happy with paying a tenner for parking though - especially if its that bit closer. It's coming out of the ground at 9pm or so with two tired children I'm most keen to make as easy as possible.
The park and rides seem to be out as they're all really small car parks (45 spaces) so doubt I'll be there in time to grab one of those spaces.

I've now found some info from a link on the LCCC website that mentions several 'approved independent' pop-up parking locations for match days - Stretford High School, Trafford College and Alexander House all look very close and if I could park in any of them for a tenner I'd be quite content.

Wondering now if I could get there early, get a space in one of those and then consider a taxi, bus or something to get to the Lego place and back? Or is that a truly dumb idea?

I also read a warning on the same website that there have been fake parking attendants taking money and issuing tickets for on-street / yellow line parking and then just scarpering with the cash whilst leaving the car owner to get ticketed / towed for illegal parking. Entrepreneurial I suppose...

[thegoat]

Thanks Mr thegoat - that's incredibly generous. I'm quite happy with paying a tenner for parking though - especially if its that bit closer. It's coming out of the ground at 9pm or so with two tired children I'm most keen to make as easy as possible.
The park and rides seem to be out as they're all really small car parks (45 spaces) so doubt I'll be there in time to grab one of those spaces.

I've now found some info from a link on the LCCC website that mentions several 'approved independent' pop-up parking locations for match days - Stretford High School, Trafford College and Alexander House all look very close and if I could park in any of them for a tenner I'd be quite content.

Wondering now if I could get there early, get a space in one of those and then consider a taxi, bus or something to get to the Lego place and back? Or is that a truly dumb idea?

I also read a warning on the same website that there have been fake parking attendants taking money and issuing tickets for on-street / yellow line parking and then just scarpering with the cash whilst leaving the car owner to get ticketed / towed for illegal parking. Entrepreneurial I suppose...

No problem at all, the offer still stands.
Can I then suggest Victoria Park Junior School (0161912 5005) on Davyhulme Rd East. They offer match day parking and I’m pretty sure they do it for the cricket too.
A mere five minute amble to the ground and the takings from car parking goes towards the school.
If you did get to SeaLife /Legoland, you would’ve passing the school on the way to the ground anyway.
If it isn’t open , there is plenty of on road parking in this area. Very safe and quiet . Any closer to OT becomes permit only .
And yes, be careful of the hi viz clad locals who will try to get you to park in any available space. They will be on their toes as soon as the last spot is filled. They’re used to United fans though, who obviously aren’t the brightest buttons on the shirt ��

[dandanthewatchman]

if by some chance you have an Audi, then Manchester Audi (5 mins walk) did have an arrangement whereby they would let you park on match days.

or if you know someone who works at Kellogs they are right next door and have a massive car park (another long shot, but my sister used to work there and the parking perk was great)

[Crazytrain]

Thanks for the further info guys - this place never lets you down, no matter how obscure the request!

Sadly I don't have an Audi (VW so same group, but doubt that'd wash!) or know of anyone employed by Kelloggs.

The junior school sounds like a plan - I do like the idea of the funds actually doing some good rather than just lining some private landlords coffers (the parking I've used near Trent Bridge is usually a tenner to park on a bit of wasteland - it's twenty for the world cup games, because they can)

Google maps is telling me 2.2 miles from the school to the Lego place, so if they were open and I could get parked there in the morning a taxi shouldn't break the bank - will just have to see how bad the traffic is on the way up. Whenever I have to visit Manchester for work it seems to take me an hour and a half to get within 8 miles and then the same again for the last bit. Perhaps a Saturday morning will be a little better.

Thanks again

[Crazytrain]

No problem at all, the offer still stands.
Can I then suggest Victoria Park Junior School (0161912 5005) on Davyhulme Rd East. They offer match day parking and I’m pretty sure they do it for the cricket too.
A mere five minute amble to the ground and the takings from car parking goes towards the school.

Tried to park at the junior school, but they were running their summer fair so not doing the parking. Followed the signs for the official parking and ended up in the playground of Stretford High School for a tenner. Didn't appreciate how close to the ground we were until we strolled off following others and ended up behind the big temporary stand in seconds.
Worked out great, especially on the way home!

Thanks again for the advice and kind offer of a parking space.

Great game too, just not quite the result I was hoping for...

[thegoat]

Tried to park at the junior school, but they were running their summer fair so not doing the parking. Followed the signs for the official parking and ended up in the playground of Stretford High School for a tenner. Didn't appreciate how close to the ground we were until we strolled off following others and ended up behind the big temporary stand in seconds.
Worked out great, especially on the way home!

Thanks again for the advice and kind offer of a parking space.

Great game too, just not quite the result I was hoping for...

I drove past it yesterday morning and thought of you . Saw the Summer Fayre posters and knew you’d struggle. Mind you , it probably worked out better for you .
I was at the leisure centre yesterday morning and saw they were doing parking and over the road at the school.