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Public Transportation

Getting Around Manchester: Guide To Public Transportation

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Like London, Manchester has a vast and reliable public transportation system. Known as Transport for Greater Manchester, or TfGM, the system connects the city's central part with its outskirts via tram, bus, and train. The tram, a light rail system, is called Manchester Metrolink and is the primary public transportation method in Manchester, connecting 99 total stops.

Manchester is actually quite sprawling when you consider the suburbs and surrounding areas. Still, the trams and buses connect most places, which means it's unnecessary to rent a car when visiting the city. Here's what you should know about using public transportation in Manchester.

How To Ride the Manchester Metrolink

Many commuters and visitors in Manchester use the Manchester Metrolink, which extends 65 miles and includes 99 stops. It's the longest and most extensive light rail in the U.K. It can often be quicker than driving, thanks to traffic in the city.

• Fares: Metrolink has four zones, each with its own price structure. Single journeys in Zone 1 start at 1.40 pounds for an adult. If you plan to move around the city a lot during your stay, opt for a single-day travel card or a seven-day travel card, which can save you a lot of money. A single adult ticket traveling from Zone 1 to Zone 4 starts at 3.80 pounds. Certain groups are entitled to a discount, including children, 16-18 year olds and families traveling together.
• How to Pay: Use a contactless credit or debit card or the mobile ticket app to tap in and out of your journey without needing to buy a separate ticket. There are also traditional ticket machines at each tram stop. Those staying longer should opt for a System One Travelcard , which allows the use of the bus, train, and tram around Manchester for one, seven, or 28 days.
• Routes and Hours: During the week and on Saturdays, Metrolink runs from 6 a.m. until midnight, while on Sundays, it runs from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. The frequency of the trams varies depending on the time of day. There are different lines on Metrolink, all of which connect in central Manchester. Check the transport map for your best route.
• Service Alerts: Manchester Metrolink occasionally has delays or service outages. Stay in touch with its current status on the TfGM website , which has live updates for all routes. The website also lists any upcoming service interruptions.
• Transfers: Transfers between tram lines are easy to do, especially as most of the routes intersect at various points. Ticket prices are determined by zone, so it doesn't cost anything additional to change lines. Those using a contactless card to pay don't need to tap in and out when transferring trams.
• Accessibility: All Metrolink trams and its tram stops are wheelchair accessible. Those using a mobility scooter will need a valid mobility scooter permit to bring a scooter on one of the Metrolink trams. Each tram has a designated area for wheelchairs and scooters and designated seats for those who have trouble standing. More information on Metrolink's accessibility is available on their website .

Riding the TfGM Buses

TfGM also has a range of bus lines that connect greater Manchester in addition to Metrolink. There are over 100 different routes, so chances are there's a bus in the direction you want to go. Many of the routes, including buses to Manchester Airport, also run a limited overnight schedule. Various companies run some of the buses in Manchester, so check online when planning a journey.

• Fares: Tickets for the buses are available as single journey tickets or bus passes, which are the best option if you plan to make multiple trips. Tickets can be purchased on board the bus from the driver with cash, but it's easiest to use a contactless credit card. System One Travelcards can also be used on most buses.
• Service Alerts: Any upcoming planned service changes can be found on the TfGM website .

Free TfGM Buses

Manchester offers three free bus routes in the city center. The routes include stops at Manchester Victoria Station, Manchester Piccadilly Station, the Northern Quarter, Chinatown, and the Medieval Quarter. The buses vary in times, but most run between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 pm., with limited hours on Sundays and holidays. Check the map and timetable online to plan your trip.

Using the Local Trains

Several train companies operate out of Manchester, connecting the city to England, Wales, and Scotland. Trains are available to all of Manchester's suburbs and Manchester Airport, and many Metrolink tram lines connect with the local trains. To travel to London, hop on a train at Manchester Piccadilly station to London Euston. Use the Trainline website or mobile app to find the best routes and times and to buy tickets.

Taxis and Ride-Sharing Apps

Manchester has numerous taxi services and mini-cab companies, which can be pre-booked online or hailed on the street. Uber also operates in Manchester, which can be used via its mobile app. Uber is often cheaper than a taxi, especially when going to and from the airport.

Manchester is a great city for cycling, and many programs encourage bike use. There are many traffic-free cycle paths, as well as dedicated cycling lanes in busier areas. Look for Cycle Hubs around town to park your bike safely. Those who want to rent a bike while in Manchester can pick from numerous companies, but some of the most popular include Manchester Bike Hire and Brompton Dock .

Renting a Car

While some American travelers coming to the U.K. may not want to rent a car, it's easy to rent one when in Manchester, especially if you plan to leave the city for various day-trips. Car rental shops can be found both in the city center, including Hertz and Sixt, and at Manchester Airport, which has various rental companies to choose from. Be sure to add the GPS to your rental, as some of the roads in England can be confusing, and do a little preparation in terms of what various street signs and road markings mean. It's not recommended to drive around central Manchester, but a car is a good option if your itinerary includes other destinations around Northern England.

Tips for Getting Around Manchester

Manchester has a relatively easy public transportation system, but it can still be confusing, particularly if you're not used to big city public transport.

• Holidays and weekends can mean limited transportation options. Roadworks and improvements to Metrolink often occur on the weekends, so check ahead of time if you need to get somewhere urgent. On Christmas, most public transportation shuts down completely, so opt for a taxi or Uber. Services are also limited on Boxing Day.
• If you are traveling before or after a Manchester United or Manchester City game, the Metrolink and buses may be more crowded than usual. Try to plan your journey around the crowds of fans.
• While Metrolink shuts down at night, many buses continue running, and there are also always taxis and Ubers available. Still, if you don't want to splurge on a taxi and want to stay as safe as possible, check the last tram time online, so you don't miss it.
• When exploring the central part of Manchester, including the Northern Quarter and the museums, consider walking. Manchester isn't particularly rainy, and the temperature is usually moderate, so a good pair of shoes and Google Maps will get you a long way.

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• 1 Districts
• 2.1 Tourist information
• 2.2 History
• 2.3 Student life
• 2.4 Sporting
• 2.5 Diversity
• 2.6 Climate
• 3.1 By plane
• 3.2 By train
• 3.4 By motorbike
• 3.6 By boat
• 4.2 On foot in the city centre
• 4.5.1 Tickets
• 4.6 By taxi
• 4.7 By train
• 5.1 Cosmopolitan Manchester
• 5.2 Historical Manchester
• 5.3 Cultural Manchester
• 5.4 Sporting Manchester
• 5.5 Hidden Manchester
• 6.1 Of particular interest
• 9.1.1 Chinese
• 9.2.1 British
• 9.2.2 Chinese
• 9.2.3 Indian
• 9.2.4 Japanese
• 9.2.5 Seasonal
• 9.3.1 Spanish
• 9.4 Patisseries and tearooms
• 11.1 Hotels
• 11.2 Self-catering
• 13 Stay safe
• 15.1 Seaside
• 15.3 Country
• 15.4 Suburban and beyond

Manchester is a vibrant, post-industrial gem at the heart of North West England . The city that used to be nicknamed 'Cottonopolis' (a reference to its most famous export) has hung up its clogs and, thanks to successive regeneration projects, is now a major centre for culture and commerce; seen by many as the capital of the north of England , and sometimes regarded as England's second city.

The site of the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station and one of the birthplaces of socialism and the industrial revolution, Manchester remains at the vanguard of British culture and technology with a verve and vibe of its own. This vivacious spirit is augmented by the city's two world-famous football clubs and large student population; whilst the mills have been swapped for Michelin stars and the warehouses for world-class shopping and museums, this is still a city that is very proud of its industrial past and of its influences on music and sport.

Smaller than London , Manchester offers the 'buzz' of a large city without the overwhelming scale of the capital. Outside of the city 'proper' lies Greater Manchester , home to 2.8 million inhabitants, unique shopping destinations, urban havens and beautiful countryside. The region also hosts Manchester Airport , one of the UK's best-run international airports and the busiest British airport outside of South East England .

Throughout time, writers have sought to describe the magic of Manchester: George Orwell called it "the belly and guts of the Nation"; Edward Abbott Parry "a synonym for energy and freedom", but Ian Brown, lead singer of The Stone Roses, perhaps summed up the Mancunian spirit best when he said "Manchester's got everything except a beach". The sand is almost certainly on order already.

Districts [ edit ]

Other towns within Greater Manchester but not covered by this page are (clockwise) Stockport , Marple , Altrincham , Sale , Wigan , Bolton , Bury , Oldham , Rochdale , and Ashton-under-Lyne ,

Understand [ edit ]

The city is in the North West of England, between Liverpool and Leeds . It is seen by many as a young, vibrant and cutting edge city, where there is always something happening. The "Manchester brand" is seen to extend well beyond the city's boundaries (covering all of neighbouring Salford and Trafford, as well as districts of other boroughs) and even beyond those of Greater Manchester. This serves to reflect the influence it has on the wider region as a whole.

Manchester is a friendly city as well. Northerners do talk to each other and to strangers. Just compare asking for directions in London and Manchester and the difference is often clear. Locals seem more proud than ever of Manchester and all it offers. Some outsiders may find this fierce pride in their city somewhat "un-British". Positive comments and praise go down a treat with the locals, and with all that has happened, such is often due.

The adjective associated with Manchester is Mancunian or simply Manc . The distinctive linguistic accent of the city's indigenous inhabitants is much more closely related to that of Liverpool with its strong north-Waleian (Welsh) roots than it is to the Lancastrian or Cestrian of the neighbouring cotton towns. However, most locals still consider Manchester to be part of Lancashire , and the rivalry with Yorkshire persists.

Although it has gained the stereotype of being very wet, it is actually less than the UK average.

Tourist information [ edit ]

• 53.478255 -2.244113 1 Manchester Visitor Information Centre , Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, M2 5PD , ☏ 0871 222 8223 (high cost number) , fax : +44 161 236-9900 , [email protected] . M-Sa 9AM-5PM . Has up-to-date lists of places to eat and sleep. The visitor centre has moved close to the town hall. ( updated Oct 2022 )

History [ edit ]

Manchester was the site of the Roman fort Mamucium ( breast-shaped ), founded in AD 79, but a town was not built until the 13th century. The old Roman road that ran to the nearby fort of Coccium ( Wigan ) is mirrored today by the route through Atherton & Tyldesley. A priests' college and church (now Chetham's School and Library and the Cathedral) were established in Manchester in 1421. Early evidence of its tendency towards political radicalism was its support for Parliament during the Civil War and in 1745 for the Jacobite forces of the Young Pretender.

It was not until the start of the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries that this small mediaeval town would build its fortune. The presence of an existing cloth trade, coupled with the mechanisation of spinning in nearby Bolton , created a thriving cotton industry in Manchester. The damp, humid atmosphere was good for cotton spinning since it meant fewer broken threads and reduced the risk of explosions from cotton dust. Water power rapidly gave way here to steam invented by Boulton and Watt and a steam-driven factory was built in Ancoats, immediately north-east of what is now the city centre. By the end of the 19th century, Manchester was one of the ten biggest urban centres on Earth (even before counting the wider population, within 50 miles of the Northern England region, such as Liverpool, Sheffield, Bradford, Leeds, and Central Lancashire).

Whitworth, inventor of the eponymous mass-cut screw thread, also manufactured his equally revolutionary rifled guns in huge quantities at his factory on Sackville Street. After their initial meeting at the Midland Hotel, still one of the city's most luxurious, Rolls and Royce began manufacture of their luxury motor cars in Hulme .

Trafford Park, in Trafford, was to become the first industrial estate in the world, housing the Ford Motor Company and much of the pre-wartime aircraft industry, notably the 'Lancaster' Bombers of the AVRO Co.

Manchester's success during the Victorian era and before is evident everywhere you look. Great Ancoats Street was a source of wonder to Schinkel, the neo-classical architect from Berlin. Equally grandiose neo-Gothic buildings line the old Financial District around King Street, and public institutions such as the University and the many libraries are dotted around everywhere. There is even a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Square ( Brazennose Street, straight across Albert Square from the Town Hall main entrance ) commemorating his personal thanks for Manchester's support during a cotton famine created by Britain's refusal to run the Federal blockade of the slave-owning Confederacy during the American Civil War.

Continuing its radical political tradition, Manchester was the home of opposition to the Corn Laws and espoused Free Trade, as well as Chartism and the Great Reform Act. It was instrumental in the establishment of socialism in the UK. Early socialist theorists Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx frequented the city; the former conducted his famous inquiry into the condition of the working class, and the latter sought to draw universal rules from the particular circumstances of the early industrial revolution. Cleaving to a more gently pragmatic English tradition, it was the birthplace of the Trades Union Congress which led to the creation of the Labour Party. It was also home to a number of philanthropists of the industrial age, such as John Owens and John Dalton, who bequeathed large parts of their fortunes to improving the city.

Manchester has also been famous for its influence on the UK music scene. The Madchester movement of the early 1980s, started by Factory Records and Joy Division, led to the creation of the Haçienda nightclub (now demolished after standing empty for many years) and the birth of modern club culture. Manchester has given life to many hugely successful musicians, among them The Stone Roses, The Smiths, The Fall, Joy Division/New Order, The Happy Mondays, Oasis, James, and Badly Drawn Boy.

In the 2020s, Greater Manchester has become one of the preferred destinations for Hongkongers fleeing repressive laws imposed by China, with Salford , Sale and Tameside having a particularly high concentration of them.

Student life [ edit ]

Central Manchester is home to two of the largest universities in the UK. The University of Manchester (formed from a merger of Manchester University and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)) and Manchester Metropolitan University (also known as 'Man Met', formerly the Polytechnic, itself a conglomeration of municipal colleges), as well as the Royal Northern College of Music . There is also a university in Salford , within one mile of the city centre, which is renowned as a European Centre of Excellence in Media. Together they create a body of over 86,000 students living full-time in the city.

Manchester is often named 'best student city'. It is very welcoming to the student lifestyle and many establishments in the centre and South Manchester are geared towards students; eating and drinking in Manchester can be very inexpensive due to the high competition that goes on between these establishments.

However, if you want to be far from students, there are many places that are not frequented by students although you may have to be prepared to pay a little extra. Also, a few places have a strictly 21+ policy so take identification with you. But those places are quite rare. In the student areas of Fallowfield and Withington, some venues operate a student-only policy so production of a student card (or something resembling a student card) is necessary.

Sporting [ edit ]

Manchester is famous all over the world thanks to its football clubs, including Manchester United ( Old Trafford ) and Manchester City ( Etihad Stadium, Sportcity ). Both clubs offer stadium tours every day. Tickets for Premier League games can be hard for tourists to obtain, though cup matches are easier. Tickets to all matches are sold in advance, with no admission available on the day.

Old Trafford is also home to the Lancashire County Cricket Club . despite no longer being a part of the county of Lancashire. Tickets for Lancashire cricket matches are almost always available on a walk-up basis, though there is a discount when purchased in advance.

In 2002, Manchester was the host to the Commonwealth Games and a large area of East Manchester was converted into Sportcity . The centrepiece of this is the stadium. It was used for athletics during the Games, after which it was converted for football and Manchester City moved in. Next door to this is the Regional Athletics Arena, which was used as a warm-up track during the Games.

The Manchester Velodrome started off the whole regeneration of East Manchester and formed part of the bid for the 2002 Commonwealth Games (and for Manchester's failed bid for the 2000 Olympics). Britain's great success in the cycling events in the 2012 Olympics owes much to this venue and many of the medal winners are based in and around the city. A BMX centre was added in 2010. Sportcity also includes the National Squash Centre and several tennis courts.

Diversity [ edit ]

Manchester is a very mixed city. Many races and religions have communities in the city and it has a long history of being more tolerant than most cities to people of any background. The very large number of British Citizenship ceremonies, held in Heron House by the Town Hall each year, is a testament to this.

Manchester is also extremely gay-friendly and very liberal-minded. It is very well known as being one of "The Big 3" in terms of sexual diversity along with Brighton and London. The Village is an area concentrated around Canal Street and is very popular with people of all sexualities. It is also home to an annual 12-day Pride festival with the involvement of people of all types; attracting all kinds of people: not just from Manchester but from the entire country and abroad, further reflecting Manchester's unique approach to tolerance and acceptance. Expect to see amongst others the likes of gay police officers, firefighters and health workers in the good-natured parade.

The atmosphere of the village area is very friendly and welcoming, as is Manchester's very large LGBT community, known to be one of the most accepting in the country. Manchester is certainly the most gay-friendly major city by far and has the largest and most visible LGBT community of any major city outside London. Most Mancunians have grown up with a tolerant attitude towards sexuality and it is extremely rare to come across homophobia, making Manchester a very welcoming city for LGBT people.

Climate [ edit ]

Manchester has a temperate maritime climate and rarely gets too warm or too cold. The city receives below-average rainfall for the UK. It is not significantly far behind London in terms of the average number of hours of sunlight per day (based on the last 100 years' data from Met Office) though it does have a few more days with rain. However, as a result of relatively mild winter conditions, there is never a period that one should avoid visiting due to extreme weather conditions.

As with any city, it puts on a good show when the weather is fine in spring and summer and there is a lot of al fresco drinking and eating. It does have its fair share of dull, grey days, which can strangely add to its charm for the visitor.

Daylight hours run from 4:45AM to 9:30 PM in the summer. Darkness falls just after 3:45PM in the winter, with sunrise not until almost 8:30AM.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ].

Manchester Airport ( MAN  IATA ) south of the city is Britain's largest airport outside London, with flights to over 200 destinations, including North America, the Gulf and Far East. Most flights use Terminal 1, holiday charters are usually from T2, and T3 has smaller aircraft on domestic and near-European hops. Train is the quickest way downtown: they run frequently to Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations, taking 20 mins, for a fare of £6.20. Many trains continue direct to other cities: via Warrington to Liverpool, via Preston and Carlisle to Edinburgh and Glasgow, via Huddersfield, Leeds and York to Middlesbrough, Durham and Newcastle, and via Sheffield, Doncaster and Scunthorpe to Cleethorpes. Trains are sparse after midnight but you can use Bus 43 which runs all night, taking 50 mins to Piccadilly via the university corridor/Oxford Road.The bus is just £2 for a single fare of any distance. There's also a tram, most useful for the southern suburbs.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport ( LPL  IATA ) has mostly budget flights across Europe by Easyjet and Ryanair . There's a coach to the airport from Manchester's central coach station, taking 45 min. There are also several trains hourly between Liverpool South Parkway (the station near John Lennon Airport) and Manchester Oxford Road in city centre.

By train [ edit ]

Manchester city centre is served by two major railway stations, 53.47739 -2.23073 1 Piccadilly in the south and 53.48758 -2.24261 2 Victoria in the north.

Piccadilly is the main destination for trains from around the UK, e.g. London , Birmingham , Leeds etc. Victoria has trains from Bradford and local services from elsewhere in North West England.

Trains from Liverpool, Leeds, York, Sheffield and Nottingham often also stop at 53.474 -2.2423 3 Manchester Oxford Road which is convenient for the University.

Other stations in the city centre are 53.4742 -2.2508 4 Deansgate and 53.482778 -2.255833 5 Salford Central , but generally only local services stop at these stations.

If you are travelling to a major rail station in Greater Manchester from a station outside Greater Manchester you can buy a PlusBus add on ticket which will give you bus (but NOT Metrolink) travel throughout Greater Manchester for a day. If you have a Railcard , the discount applies to PlusBus as well.

By car [ edit ]

The outer ring road of the Manchester conurbation is the M60. It is accessible from Leeds or Liverpool by the M62 and from Scotland and the south by the M6. From the north and Scotland follow the M6 and then the M61. From the south take the M6 and the M56. The most direct route from the M6 to the M56 and South Manchester is to take the A556 leaving the M6 at junction 19, but it has a 50 mph/80 km/h speed limit for most of its length and can be somewhat congested at busy times of the day. It is signed Manchester and Manchester Airport.

Another route would be to carry on northbound up the M6, taking you directly to the M6/M62 interchange. Here, you would follow signs for Leeds and Manchester North. This can, however, seem a longer way round, but it does also give you access, via the M60 orbital road, to places around the conurbation and is a much better option if you wish to access the northern part of Greater Manchester.

If a little lost in the city centre, follow signs for the inner ring road, as there are signs to most destinations from this road.

Parking in the city centre of Manchester can be expensive. Avoid the multi-storey car parks if you can and look for some open-air car parks. There are good ones by Salford Central Station, behind Piccadilly Station and opposite the cathedral.

If you have to use a multi-storey, the one by the Coach Station and the Village is handy. This is fine as a last resort if you have been driving around for an hour, looking for a place to park. There are increasingly more and more double yellow lines, which designate no parking at any time.

Ladywell Park & Ride is situated near Eccles (M602, Junction 2); the car park is free and there is a tram station. Similarly, parking at the Trafford Centre ( M60, junctions 9 and 10 ) is free and there are buses to the city centre and Stretford tram station. Details of other Greater Manchester Park & Ride schemes can be found here.

On Saturday from 12:30PM to Monday morning, just over from the city centre into Salford, you can park on a single yellow line (remember that you can never park on a double yellow line) or in a designated space without paying, unlike in the city centre where restrictions apply even during weekends. Streets like Chapel Street, Bridge Street, and the areas around them are a good bet and much safer now with all the new housing developments. There you are just a short walk from Deansgate.

Problems are rare as long as you take the usual precautions and do not leave valuables on display. Try not to put things in the boot (trunk) after a shopping spree if people are watching. Avoid parking under the bridges at all costs, and try the main roads, just off one or next to one of the many new blocks of flats where it is well lit. Watch out on bank holidays around here. Sometimes these are treated like a Sunday in the centre, but people have been known to get parking tickets on the Salford side. If unsure, treat a holiday, on the Salford side, as a normal day of the week or ask a warden if you can find one!

By motorbike [ edit ]

There are several free parking bays for motorbikes around Manchester city centre. The locations are on the Council's website .

By bus [ edit ]

Chorlton Street Coach Station is the central coach (long distance bus) station in Manchester, close to the centre, between Chinatown and The Village on Chorlton Street. Coaches run from all over the country and are generally the most reasonably-priced way to get into Manchester. London to Manchester on the coach can take about four hours, but it depends on the time of day and number of stops.

• National Express is a comfortable and frequent service which runs 24 hours a day from some cities, including London and Birmingham.
• Megabus run services to/from London, Scotland, South Wales and the West. Fares also start at £1, and must be booked in advance online. Megabus services start from the Shudehill interchange .
• Flixbus run services to/from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Scotland. Fares vary according to demand and can be booked online. Services start from the Shudehill interchange .

By boat [ edit ]

The nearest cruise terminal is Liverpool Cruise Terminal , opened in 2007.

The independent Bridgewater Canal enters Manchester from the west. The Canal & River Trust Rochdale & Ashton Canals enter the city from the north-east to join the Bridgewater canal at Castlefield.

The Manchester Ship Canal can only be used on the Mersey Ferry cruise from Salford to Eastham between April and October.

Get around [ edit ]

Transport in Greater Manchester is overseen and co-ordinated by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) ( Information: 0871 200 22 33 ).

TfGM operates a multimodal journey planner which is a great help in planning getting around the Greater Manchester area.

TfGM (& transport operators) sell a number of tickets which are valid for multiple operators, such as the any bus day ticket aka System One . If you are planning to do a lot of travelling in one day, these might be your cheapest option. If using Metrolink There are tickets for single people and family tickets. The cheapest fares are after after 9:30AM.

Maps [ edit ]

Dotted around the city centre on main streets including Deansgate, Oxford Road, and Market Street, are the pedestrian-level street maps . They are usually placed in normal advertising hoardings, which can make them difficult to spot from a distance. The maps have been updated with different colours for each district area of the city centre. Your position is marked by a dark circle. They cover the whole centre down to the university district and also central Salford up to Salford University. You can obtain a similar map from the tourist information centre or download one from here.

Most smartphone owners use Google or Apple Maps but if you are more "Old School" A-Z maps are still available. These street maps, in book form, are available from newsagents or bookshops and, depending on size, cover everything from the city centre to the whole Greater Manchester conurbation.

On foot in the city centre [ edit ]

Manchester city centre's many attractions are easily reached on foot, and walking provides the perfect opportunity to take in the architecture of the city.

Unless a car is absolutely essential, you should avoid bringing a car into Manchester. City Centre parking is expensive: during the day, you can typically expect to pay up to £6 for two hours inside the inner ring road. However there is often free (or cheap) parking in suburban or out-of-town shopping areas - for example, the Trafford Centre (off Junction 10 on the M60) has 11,500 free parking spaces.

TfGM travel shops are found in Shudehill and in Piccadilly Gardens and timetables, maps and information can be found for all services here.

Piccadilly Gardens bus station is generally for services to the south of Greater Manchester along with Wigan and Bolton. Shudehill Bus Station has services to the north of Greater Manchester.

The free bus routes were changed on April 2023. It runs on two main routes starting from Piccadilly station.

Route 1 runs a circular route towards the south and west of the city centre passing Deansgate(-Castlefield) station(s), every 10 minutes M-Sa from 7AM, until 7:30PM, every 10 minutes on Sundays and public holidays, between 10AM and 6:30PM.

Route 2 runs a circular route towards the North of the city centre, linking Piccadilly, Shudehill bus interchange, Victoria railway stations ); this route operates every 10 minutes M-Sa from 7AM to 7:30PM (from 10AM on Sundays and public holidays, until 6:30PM).

Areas on the fringes of the city centre (such as Spinningfields, Petersfield, Oxford Road Corridor, Millennium Quarter) are now easier to access from other parts of the city. Due to the volume of pedestrian priority around areas such as Deansgate, traffic in the city centre is often slow at peak times.

Most of the buses in North Manchester are operated by First (towards Oldham), Go North West (towards Bury & Salford) & Diamond North West (towards Bolton & Wigan) whilst Stagecoach operate in South Manchester and serve most places that you are likely to want to go in the conurbation. The main bus station for the south is Piccadilly Gardens and Shudehill Interchange serves the north. However buses for Wigan, Leigh, Lowton and Bolton can be found at Piccadilly Gardens as well as for Altrincham and Droylsden at Shudehill. You are advised to consult the Transport for Greater Manchester website for operator independent information.

The South Manchester corridor that begins with Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road is the most-served bus route in Europe. Buses connect the centre with the universities and Rusholme, as often as every one minute. The general rule on this street is to get on any bus that is not operated by Stagecoach and your fare is likely to be under £1. Some buses have a student fare, which they will charge you if you look like a student, regardless of whether you ask for it or not. Be warned, though, during peak hours it can take as long as 30 min to make the three-mile journey from Piccadilly Gardens to Rusholme. The 42 (operated by various companies) is usually the most frequent service, operating through the night from Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Wilmslow Road, Rusholme and beyond.

The number 43 bus runs all day and night to the airport and at regular intervals. Train services from Piccadilly also serve the airport all night.

Buses to the Trafford Centre include the Stagecoach-operated Route 250 , from Piccadilly Gardens to the Trafford Centre and the First-operated Routes 100 and 110, from Shudehill, via Blackfriars (the stop is just off Deansgate) and Eccles, to the Trafford Centre. The quickest, most direct option is the Stagecoach X50 bus route. They run every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and take only 25 minutes. There are other bus services from Central Manchester to The Trafford Centre and additional services from other towns and suburbs in the conurbation. Metrolink trams also now serve the Trafford Centre.

Bus tickets are usually purchased directly from the driver.Single Journey fares are now capped at £2 for adults and £1 for children A 1-day Anybus Adult pass costs £5 (Anybus & Tram pass off-peak costs £7.60) (October 2022). These "System One" tickets can be used on any bus and details of prices are available at their website. Remember to ask for an Anybus ticket, other day tickets issued by bus companies are valid on that company's buses only. From 2023 Greater Manchester will be moving towards a franchising model for buses using the name BEE NETWORK with yellow buses and an intergraded fare structure. If arriving in Manchester by train from outside Greater Manchester PlusBus tickets are available, see By train.

By tram [ edit ]

Manchester Metrolink trams all run through central Manchester via St Peters Square, Deansgate / Castlefield and Cornbrook, except for the yellow line . The lines then fan out:

Trams normally run every 5-12 min between 6AM and midnight.

See TfGM Metrolink website for fare deals, service updates and travel planner; you must buy your ticket before boarding or see below for contactless options.

Tickets [ edit ]

The Metrolink system, when used to its optimum, can provide good value for money. If you are going to be using it for more than one journey in a day, the best ticket to buy is a 1-day Travelcard (either peak, if travelling before 9:30AM on weekdays, or off-peak if travelling at other times) as return tickets are no longer issued. 7-day, 28-day, and annual travelcards are also available. However, Metrolink can work out expensive for short peak-time journeys.

Tickets must be purchased in advance from the automated vending machines available at each station, or you can buy travel cards from the Get Me There smartphone app. Every ticket machine has a map of the system on it. Choose the required destination followed by the required ticket type on the touch pad and then insert your money or debit card. Ticket machines can be operated in English, French, German, Spanish or Polish. Tickets do not have to be validated on board but must be produced if requested by Metrolink staff.

Visa, Mastercard & Maestro contactless debit, credit cards & mobile payment can be used (one card or device per passenger). You must “touch in” and “touch out” on the yellow smart readers on each platform at the start and end of your journey. If your card reports transactions to your phone instantly, you’ll notice that 10p is debited when you first “touch in” in a day, the rest of your charge will be debited in the next few days once it’s known how much you’ve travelled in the day; daily fare caps apply. Failure to buy a ticket or “touch in” before travel can lead to a £100 fine. If you fail to "touch out" you will be charged a £4.60 incomplete journey fare. When you first "touch in" you should see a Green Tick OK on the display if your card is working. Full instructions here.

A zonal fare system applies, with the City Centre being “Zone 1” and surrounded by concentric Zones 2 to 4. Passengers must be in possession of a ticket valid in all the zones they are travelling through, for example, Manchester Airport and Bury are both in Zone 4, but travel between them involves travelling through Zones 3, 2, 1, 2, and 3, therefore you need to have either a single ticket for Zones 1+2+3+4 (£4.60 in 2023) or a 1-day Anytime travelcard (valid M-F before 9:30AM) (£7.10 in 2022) or a 1-day Off-peak travelcard (valid M-F after 9:30AM, and all day at weekends and public holidays) (£4.90 in 2022) for zones 1+2+3+4. Two- and three-zone tickets involving travel in Zone 1 are more expensive than ones that do not. Certain tram stops are on the border of two zones, and for ticketing purposes can be considered to be in either zone, so only a ticket for the smaller number of zones needed to reach them is needed. Single-ticket journeys must be completed within 2 hours of buying the ticket. If you buy a ticket using a smartphone you must be able to display it if requested, so make sure your battery won't run out before your ticket does, otherwise, you will be liable for the £100 standard fine.

Peak fares apply M-F before 9:30AM (except public holidays).

Off-peak Family Travelcards are available, covering groups of 1-3 children (under 16) travelling with 1 or 2 adults. Weekend Travelcards are valid from 6PM on Friday until the last tram on Sunday (2022: Adult £6.80, Family Weekend Travelcards: £9.50).

Full details of all Metrolink zonal prices can be found here.

‘Get Me There’ : Transport for Greater Manchester has a ‘touch on – touch off’ smartcard system for Metrolink & Bus. The Smart Readers are installed at each stop, but are only used with concessionary passes and when using debit/credit cards. It will be expanded to all public transport within the boundaries of Greater Manchester.

Use the following Zone 1 stations for:

• Victoria — for the Main Line Railway Station, Urbis, Chethams Library, Manchester Cathedral visitors' centre, The Triangle and the Northern half of Deansgate.
• Exchange Square - for Arndale Shopping Centre, Royal Exchange Theatre, Urbis, Chethams Library, Manchester Cathedral visitors' centre, The Triangle and the northern half of Deansgate
• Shudehill — for Bus Interchange, The Printworks, Manchester Arndale and parts of the Northern Quarter.
• Market Street — for the main shopping area, including parts of Manchester Arndale and Affleck’s Palace.
• Piccadilly Gardens — for bus station, Coach Interchange from Chorlton Street Coach Station, Chinatown, the Gay Village, Manchester Art Gallery, Cube Gallery and parts of the Northern Quarter.
• Piccadilly — for Rail Interchange and Metroshuttle and Oxford Road Link buses. Manchester Apollo is a 10-minute walk from here.
• St. Peter's Square — for Oxford Road Station, Central Library, the Library Theatre, Bridgewater Hall, the Midland and Radisson Hotels, Manchester Art Gallery, the Town Hall and Albert Square. Buses down the Oxford Road corridor to the Palace Theatre, the Green Room, Dance House and Contact Theatres and to the universities and beyond.
• Deansgate-Castlefield — for Rail Interchange from Deansgate Station, Manchester Central (exhibition centre/conference & concert venue), Beetham Tower, Great Northern, MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry), the southern half of Deansgate and the beautiful and vibrant canal side area of Castlefield.

Other interesting destinations:

• MediaCityUK (Zone 2) — Around 15 minutes from the City Centre on the MediaCity/Eccles line. The closest station to the Lowry, Lowry Outlet Mall and Imperial War Museum North, the MediaCityUK home of the BBC, and University Of Salford. Cross over the Manchester Ship Canal/River Irwell by one of the footbridges to visit the Imperial War Museum or ITV's Granada studios
• Etihad Campus (Zone 2) — Next to Manchester City Football Club's Etihad Stadium, this stop is particularly handy for football matches as well as the concerts and exhibitions that the stadium plays host to. (If you are going to the academy stadium, where Manchester City Women and Manchester City Academy play, alight at Velopark as it is much closer and not as busy. It is also closer to some parts of the south stand and the east stand but doesn’t really have the matchday buzz)
• Heaton Park (Zone 3) — Around 10 minutes from the City Centre on the Bury Line. Alight here for Manchester's chief parkland. This is the biggest municipal park in the country and a great day out in summer. It has seen much investment of late. Inside you will find a pet zoo, tramway museum, boating lake, stables and golf centre with pitch and putt. The former stately home Heaton Hall is in the park and is open to visitors in the summer months.
• Old Trafford (Zone 2) — Around 10 minutes from the City Centre on the Altrincham Line. For Manchester United Football Club and the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
• Stretford (Zone 2/3) — Around 10 minutes from the City Centre on the Altrincham Line. Take care at night.
• Ladywell (Zone 2) — Around 15 minutes from the City Centre on the Eccles Line. There is a large, free car park for the Park and Ride service to Salford Quays and the city.
• Chorlton (Zone 2) — Around 15 minutes from the City Centre on the Manchester Airport and East Didsbury Lines. This area of South Manchester has lots to do in summer including the Unity Festival in Chorlton Park, the Big Green Festival, and the Chorlton Arts Festival. Many creative people such as artists, writers and actors have come to live in Chorlton. Until 2009 Chorlton was the location for the Cosgrove Hall animation studios where the children's series Chorlton and the Wheelies and Dangermouse were created. Parts of the area are used by film crews for TV locations, such as The Second Coming .
• Altrincham (Zone 4) - For food-related experiences and a nice market.
• Bury (Zone 4) - East Lancashire Railway. Preserved steam (and diesel) trains most weekends and other days in school holidays. Excellent fine dining trains on Sundays.

For anyone who wishes to combine tram travel with sightseeing, there is a book by local author Barry Worthington called The Metrolink Companion which gives a detailed description of what to see as you journey along all of the lines.

By taxi [ edit ]

Taxis are considerably cheaper than in London. As a general rule, you should be able to get anywhere you need to go within the core of the city for £5-10. Because of the nature of the tight local authority boundaries within the conurbation, taxis easily cross these, and there are few problems as long as your journey stays within Greater Manchester. As a general rule, taxis are required to put the meter on for journeys within the M60 ring road (and sometimes a little farther). If you are to travel farther, it is best to agree on a price in advance. You may flag down only the black cabs (London-style Hackney carriages): other taxis must be booked in advance over the phone and are marked with the yellow Manchester City Council sign on the bonnet and the firm's phone number (again on a yellow strip) on the sides. These are often called minicabs or private hire cars.

Avoid rogue mini cabs at all costs. Even if the car has a Manchester City Council plate or one from one of the other metropolitan boroughs, you are not insured if the cab was not booked in advance.

You may find it difficult to get a black cab after the pubs shut on Friday and Saturday nights in the city centre, so it serves to have a backup plan for getting back to your accommodation. Larger groups are most likely to be able to "flag" down a taxi on the road. If you are struggling for a taxi after midnight and don't mind waiting around drunk people, it can often be easier to join a queue outside larger clubs, such as those in The Printworks, as black cabs often stop here. The black cabs with the amber "TAXI" sign illuminated are the ones that are looking for fares. Otherwise, buy something at a takeaway and then ask for a taxi: the employees do that all the time.

There are taxi ranks in the city centre, staffed by security/logistical staff during busy periods. These ranks are serviced only by black cabs, but there are also private hire taxi/minicab companies that you can walk to and then wait (inside or usually outside) until a car becomes available.

The online taxi App Uber is now becoming more predominant in the city, and you should be able to request an Uber taxi within 10 minutes from anywhere in the city.

Local rail services run regularly and to most places in the surrounding area and beyond. All trains pass through either Piccadilly or Victoria, but you may wish to call or visit the website of National Rail Enquiries ( 03457 48 49 50 , this is no longer a premium rate number) to find out which one before setting off. If you plan to take several off peak journeys within Greater Manchester, you could consider a "Rail Ranger" ticket, which, as of October 2022, costs £7.70 per day for adults and £3.85 for children under 16 (accompanied children under 5 are free). This is a large area and means you could travel as far north as Bolton and Rochdale, as far south as the airport and Stockport, as far west as Wigan and as far east as Glossop. They also include free travel on the Metrolink within the central zone. These can be bought at ticket offices or on the train. Off-peak hours are between 9:30PM and 4:01PM then after 6:29PM.

TfGM has a "London tube-style" map of the Greater Manchester rail network, including Metrolink.

As all Manchester stations now have either automatic ticket barriers or ticket inspectors before platform (track) access so you will need to purchase a ticket first. In most stations there are both ticket machines and ticket windows. All the train operating companies have web sites and smart-phone apps which sell tickets for any of the train operating companies. e.g. Northern

Train services from Piccadilly serve the airport all night.

See and do [ edit ]

Cosmopolitan Manchester [ edit ]

• Manchester's Chinatown around George Street and Faulkner Street has been a feature of Manchester since the late 1970s. It is home to the bulk of Manchester's east-Asian restaurants and many traders in Chinese food and goods. As night falls upon Chinatown, the neon lights come on, adding to the ambient feel of the area. There are many eateries to try too. They range from Chinese to Japanese; reaching out to a wide spectrum of tastes. There are also Chinese shops for the locals to buy items imported directly from China, such as newspapers, magazines, DVDs and medications.
• The Village , also known as the Gay Village , has built up around Canal Street out of the many cotton warehouses in the area. It is home to one of the oldest and most-established gay communities in Europe and is known for its tolerance toward all kinds of people. Many of Manchester's most famous bars and clubs are to be found here, most of which are as popular with straight party-animals as they are with the gay crowd. The Village hosts a major Pride festival every year (August Bank Holiday; the last weekend of the month).
• Manchester's Northern Quarter has developed massively over the last few years and is brimming with restaurants, bars, live music venues and independent shops.
• Check out the Curry Mile , an 800-metre-long stretch of curry restaurants, sari shops, and jewellery stores in Rusholme .
• If you have time and want to mix with trendy, monied residents try an evening out in the very upmarket southern suburb of Didsbury . This is a popular nighttime destination for many from across the conurbation. "The village" (not to be confused with the Gay Village in the city centre) as it is known is too far from East Didsbury station for comfort, but a taxi is possible from the city centre or there is a good bus service.

Historical Manchester [ edit ]

• Castlefield is the site of the original Roman settlement Mamucium and has been known as Castlefield since Medieval times. The walls that still stand over two metres high are from as late as the 16th century. It is the centre of Manchester's canal network and a transport nexus of unique historical importance. The Castlefield Basin joins the Rochdale and Bridgewater canals, the latter being the first cut canal in Britain. The nearby Museum of Science and Industry contains Liverpool Road station, the first passenger railway station in the world. Very important in industrial times, it became run down in post-war times until it was completely regenerated in the 1990s and designated Britain's first Urban Heritage site. These days the area is like a small country oasis in the heart of the city, with regular events and a handful of great pubs around the canals and the neighbouring streets. It is also the only place to see wildlife in Manchester's centre.
• The University of Manchester , on Oxford Road , where amongst other things, the atom was first probed by Rutherford, the first computer was built, and where radio astronomy was pioneered. It was here too that the element Vanadium was first isolated. The architectural style of the new curved visitor's centre contrasts with the old buildings on the opposite side of Oxford Road, within which Manchester Museum is to be found.
• Manchester Cathedral , in the Millennium Quarter . The widest cathedral in England with important carved choir stalls (school of Lincoln) and pulpitum. A visitors' centre provides an intimate experience for newcomers to the cathedral. This is near to Harvey Nichols, Urbis and Victoria Station.

• Manchester Town Hall , on Albert Square . This imposing and beautiful neo-Gothic masterpiece by Alfred Waterhouse is a symbol of the wealth and power of Manchester during the Industrial Revolution. The building is closed to the public until 2026 because of renovation work. The Town Hall is on the wide cobbled area of Albert Square, which is all accessible from St Peter's Square Metrolink station.
• John Rylands Library , on Deansgate . The bequest to the people of Manchester by who was once the world's richest widow, Henriquetta Rylands, in memory of her husband John, but now administered by the University of Manchester. It contains the 'Manchester Fragment' the earliest known fragment of the New Testament, part of St. John's gospel found near Alexandria and dating from the first part of the second century, shortly after the gospel was first written. Tours can be booked around lunchtime. The library was designed by Basil Champneys and is the last building built in the perpendicular gothic style. There is a good cafe on the ground floor.
• St Ann's Church is on one side of St Ann's Square and offers a quiet refuge from the noise of the city. There is always a warm welcome inside. It is very popular for weddings on Saturdays.

Cultural Manchester [ edit ]

There are many theatres and concert venues in Manchester: The Opera House, Palace Theatre, Royal Exchange, HOME (Arts Centre), Dancehouse Theatre, The Contact, and The Lowry at The Quays (which has three theatre spaces). Further afield, The Bolton Octagon, Bury Met, Oldham Coliseum, the lovingly restored 1930s Stockport Plaza with a wonderful 1930s tearoom overlooking Mersey Square are worthy of note. The Plaza shows films and hosts theatre productions and stages what are becoming very popular pantomimes at Christmas. The Garrick in Stockport as well as The Gracie Fields Theatre in Rochdale are all worth a mention too, as are university and RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) venues.

You can catch the likes of Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran at the Manchester Arena, which is the largest of its kind in Europe and seen as one of the best such venues in the world. Other such venues include the Apollo, Bridgewater Hall, and the revamped Manchester Central.

• Central Library , near Albert Square . As mentioned above. A beautiful, round, civic building from the 1930s, Central Library has just reopened following a major renovation and now offers a beguiling mix of old and new and showcasing its extensive collections.
• Manchester also has a couple of big multiplex cinemas located centrally: Odeon off Deansgate (as cheap as £3.20 if you're a student) and the Vue in the Printworks show the usual Hollywood fare. The latter is home to an 'IMAX' screen. See also entry for HOME below.
• Imperial War Museum North at the Quays . Great museum with fantastic architecture, in Trafford Borough, across the water from The Lowry, near Manchester United's Stadium, and designed by Daniel Libeskind. The museum focuses on the people involved in war, whether it's the people who worked in the factories in World War II, or the soldiers who suffered in the battlefield. Tours are offered and displays are updated on a regular basis.
• HOME 2 Tony Wilson Place, Arts Centre with a 5 screen cinema showing foreign & art-house films, two theatres, art gallery, restaurant & bar.
• The Lowry , at Pier 8 on the Quays Home to the City of Salford's collection of the paintings of L.S. Lowry. The centre also contains two theatres and a drama studio which put on everything from "Opera North" productions to pantomime, local works and quality touring productions.
• Manchester Art Gallery , near Chinatown. Designed by Sir Charles Barry architect of the Houses of Parliament. The gallery has a particularly fine collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings.
• Manchester International Festival , a biannual event; generally in July - check website, is a major landmark in Manchester's annual calendar of events, the Manchester International Festival (MIF) offers one-of-a-kind, world-class events and cultural experiences across the city. Highlights of previous years include Sir Kenneth Branagh's performance of Hamlet in a de-consecrated church and concerts in a disused railway depot.
• Manchester Museum , on Oxford Road . Highlights include a fossil skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex and Egyptology, including painted mummy masks of the Roman era.
• Science and Industry Museum in Castlefield is very popular with families and school groups and holds a vast collection of exhibits. The first ever passenger railway station is part of the museum, whilst a reconstruction of 'Baby', the first ever stored-program computer, created by Manchester University, is also on display.
• People's History Museum , on Bridge Street between Deansgate and the now much improved Salford Central Station. On Bridge Street, to the left, fans of modern architecture should look out for the new Manchester Civil Justice Centre. It is slowly becoming known to Mancunians as "the filing cabinet". You will see why! For a better view, take it in from the new square, on the other side, into the Spinningfields district, itself worth a detour. There is a good cafe on the ground floor of the museum with a view of the river. Look out too for the now renovated Doves of Peace Statue outside the museum. This was first erected in 1986 to celebrate Manchester's decision to promote itself as a nuclear free city.
• National Football Museum , in Millennium Quarter . It opened as a "museum of the modern city" in its unmistakable all-glass building. 'Urbis' is now the National Football Museum after all the exhibits were transferred from Preston. Well worth a visit if you're interested in "the beautiful game".
• The Whitworth Art Gallery on Oxford Road . This gallery houses modern and historic art, prints, and a collection of rare wallpapers. During the summer, forget the bus and walk down Oxford Road through the University area, looking out for The Aquatics Centre (a legacy of The Commonwealth Games) and The Royal Northern College of Music. Walk even further and seek out the above mentioned Gallery of English Costume near the famous Curry Mile in Rusholme, which is unique in Britain. At the Whitworth The Gallery Café was declared "Best Family Restaurant" by the "Which?-Good Food Guide 2009". The menu is simple with an emphasis on seasonal, local produce.
• The Bridgewater Hall , near St. Peter's Square and the Manchester Central Exhibition Centre in Petersfield , was completed 1996 and is the home of the Halle Orchestra, the world's first municipal symphony orchestra, and also hosts travelling famous musical acts. The centrepiece of the hall is the 5,500-pipe organ by Rasmussen. An elegant bistro and restaurant are open at normal meal times to the general public. There is a bar next door down the wide steps, overlooking a pleasant water feature. Look out, too, for the polished stone sculpture outside!
• The Manchester Jewish Museum in Manchester North .
• Factory International new performance space and home to the Manchester International Festival opening in 2023.

Sporting Manchester [ edit ]

• Watch cricket at Old Trafford . This is home to Lancashire County Cricket Club, one of the 18 "First Class Counties", the top tier of English cricket. County matches normally last 3-4 days. The stadium also frequently hosts international or "Test Matches", lasting up to five days. The stadium is off Talbot Road leading southwest from the city.
• Manchester City FC , Etihad Stadium , Rowsley Street M11 3FF, play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Long regarded as Manchester's second team, since the early 2010s City have overtaken United. Their stadium, capacity 55,000, is in Sportcity 2 miles east of city centre. Their women's team play in the Women's Super League, with home games at Man City Academy.
• Manchester United Matt Busby Way, Stretford M16 0RA, play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their fans' most heated rivalry is not with neighbouring Man City, but with Liverpool FC. Another important rivalry for them is with Leeds United, which stems from the historic animosity between Lancashire and Yorkshire that has existed since the Wars of the Roses. Their 75,000-capacity stadium is two miles west of city centre at Old Trafford . Their women's team play in the Women's Super League, with home games at Leigh Sports Village.
• Sportcity is the "largest concentration of sporting venues in Europe." It is to the east of the city centre, about 30 minutes walk from Piccadilly Station. It was built to host most of the events for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and is home to the National Cycling Centre, Manchester City FC, and other important sporting venues.
• Ice hockey: Manchester Storm play in the Elite Ice Hockey League, the UK's top tier. Their home rink is Planet Ice in Altrincham .
• Belle Vue Aces race at the National Speedway Stadium and host Premiership speedway .

Hidden Manchester [ edit ]

• Chetham's Library is Manchester's best kept secret - even most residents of the city are largely oblivious to its existence. Europe's oldest English language Public Library is tucked away next to the futuristic Urbis just off Millenium Square. One of Manchester's oldest buildings, it still has the original collection of books, all chained to their shelves. This is where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels would visit while in Manchester and where Engels wrote the world-changing book The Condition of the Working Classes in England , a key influence on the development of Communism. You can still sit in the window seat where they would talk. The 15th-century structure is part of Chetham's Music School - there are no signs: ask at the security hut and they will happily let you in for free.
• St Mary's, The Hidden Gem , near Albert Square . The oldest post-Reformation Catholic church in the country, dating from 1794. It contains one of the greatest pieces of art in Manchester, and the altar is quite magnificent. This is a quiet refuge from the noise of the city.
• The futuristic Trinity Bridge , designed by the Spaniard Santiago Calatrava, who was heavily involved in the designs for the Olympic village in Barcelona, is in the Chapel Wharf Area. This links the twin cities of Manchester and Salford, leading to the five star Lowry Hotel on the Salford bank. It is all a block behind Kendals, near the Freemasons' Hall. A nice pleasant view.
• The Hulme Bridge in Hulme and the Merchant's Bridge in Castlefield, by Catalan Square, are also worth a look.
• Parsonage Gardens is at the back of the House of Fraser (Kendals) Department Store. This is a quaint garden. Nice to relax in when the weather is fine and to read a book. Nearby there is also an observation platform which looks over the River Irwell and is ideal for taking photos of Trinity Bridge and The Lowry Hotel. This does also serve as a carpark, on an overhang, for one of the office blocks, but you may use it. It is a little hidden away but you access this to the right of 20 St Mary's Parsonage, which runs along one side of the gardens.
• Portico Library and Gallery , near Piccadilly Gardens . Home of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical society. Speakers here have included Dalton, the father of atomic theory and describer of his own colour blindness, the Salford physicist Joule for whom the metric unit of energy is named and Roget (who compiled his celebrated Thesaurus here). The Austrian philosopher Wittgenstein here claimed to have attempted to repeat Franklin's celebrated kite and lightning experiment in the Peak District while employed at Manchester University.
• 100 King Street (was the King Street branch of HSBC) is a domineering piece of architecture from 1928, reminiscent of Dublin's General Post Office. Go inside for a look if you can - its banking hall is now a restaurant owned by Jamie Oliver. It is at the upper end of King Street near Armani and Vivienne Westwood, towards Mosley Street.
• The Cloud 23 Bar on the 23rd floor of the Hilton, Deansgate, within the Beetham Tower, offers a sublime view across Greater Manchester. Whilst the bar may be pricey, the view from even half-way up the gleaming skyscraper is magnificent. If you're not feeling thirsty you can also visit the bar and enjoy the vista for free. Just ask in the lobby.

Buy [ edit ]

Manchester's shopping district is one of the most diverse shopping districts in the UK and the majority of city centre shops are within reasonable walking distance of each other (15 minutes at most) and most are served by a metroshuttle service.

Even in the most upmarket stores you are treated in a friendly manner. The Arndale Centre is a large 1970s city-centre shopping precinct with 280 stores. Although renovated, the place retains some of its 1970s concrete charms and still some of the infamous yellow tiles that are a testament to the urban planning of that era. It is connected via link bridge to the Marks and Spencer and Selfridges department stores adjacent in Exchange Square.

There are large shops aimed at bargain hunters, including the largest Primark in the country, which is great for a bargain and much loved by visiting cabin crews, and an Aldi food hall on Market Street (just off Piccadilly Gardens ).

The Millennium Quarter (at the back of the Arndale Centre) is now quite smart and good for shopping. There's The Corn Exchange , an upmarket shopping centre based in the beautiful old Corn Exchange, worth a visit for the building alone and Selfridges , spread across 5 floors with its large Louis Vuitton concession and fantastic food hall in the basement. You will find everything from sushi to fine chocolates, kosher foods, to a juice bar, etc. Harvey Nichols , opposite the Triangle, offers luxury fashions and produce to Manchester's rich and famous. The centre of Manchester's shopping area has traditionally been St. Ann's Square , and there are many shops nearby.

King Street and Spring Gardens to the immediate north of the city centre offer a Vivienne Westwood store (a local girl, from the nearby Peak District), Joseph, DKNY, Emporio Armani and Collezione; these catering for, amongst others, the city's Premiership footballers, soap stars ( Coronation Street has been produced in the city since the early 1960s), and the many media types who can also be found in the area.

Deansgate has a fair number upmarket stores, as do some of the roads off it. The House of Fraser store, considered by many to be the top people's shop, (still known as "Kendals" to most Manchester people and "Kendal Milne's" to an even older generation) is on Deansgate and has been on roughly the same site since the mid-19th century. It is somewhat old school and the eating places are worth a visit. There is a champagne bar, on the third floor. One of central Manchester's few quiet green squares is just behind the store. This is Parsonage Gardens. Deansgate is also home to Ed Hardy, the General Store, Edwards as well as some high-end restaurants.

Just off Deansgate is The Avenue a luxury designer shopping destination in the Spinningfields district of the city centre. It is the home to stores such as Flannels, Mulberry, Emporio Armani and Armani Collezioni, Brooks Brothers, Ermenegildo Zegna, Oliver Sweeney and Joseph. Combined with cafés and restaurants this is a top retail and leisure venue in the city centre.

There is also an outlet mall at The Lowry, in Salford Quays , near the Media City: UK development which houses the BBC's northern presence and Salford University's school of Media and Performance.

The Trafford Centre is a huge out-of-town shopping centre and accessible by car, taxi, bus or tram. It was linked to the Metrolink tram system in March 2020. Dubbed by many a Temple to Consumerism , it is one of the largest, and possibly the grandest of such centres in Europe. It has its own branches of Selfridges, Debenhams and the best of Greater Manchester's two John Lewis stores. The other is in suburban Cheadle. The centre is spectacular, luxurious, and 'posh' inside and out. Look out for the biggest chandelier in Europe, near the Great Hall! The cinema is also one of the best in the area and has even hosted some UK premières in the past. The centre is now also linked to an annexe offering homewares and furniture, built in an Italianate style around a very large outdoor fountain. With supermarkets and DIY outlets nearby, Mancunians can buy everything in this area without venturing into the city or any other town centre.

Of particular interest [ edit ]

• Merchandise from the football clubs Manchester United and Manchester City is available from many locations including dedicated superstores in Old Trafford and Sportcity , respectively.
• Afflecks Palace in the Northern Quarter is "an emporium of eclecticism, a totem of indie commerce," and a shopping arcade in a five-storey Victorian building, featuring a range of more than 50 independent stalls catering to a young alternative crowd. It's a lot of fun: strange costumes, lots of goths, punks, and teenagers. Saved from closing in 2008, it is now known as "Afflecks".
• The Northern Quarter is Manchester's answer to Soho, and there is a mishmash of stores which sell music, art, and clothing. More and more bars and cafes are opening too. At night look out for the illuminated, public art attraction on top of the Church Street car park. It is lit from 9PM to 1AM.
• Every Christmas time, continental style Christmas markets take place in Albert Square , in St. Ann's Square , and along both New Cathedral Street and Brazennose Street. You can buy all the usual Continental and British Christmas curios as well as various foodstuffs. Good fun and very atmospheric at night when it's all lit up.
• Also at Christmas, into the new year, there are open air skating rinks in Spinningfields as well as a snow slide and other attractions at Piccadilly Gardens. There is also a winterbar at the Spinningfields location.
• The small but perfectly-stocked food section of Harvey Nichols has a particularly fine wine department. Wines range from relatively inexpensive to the highest levels, e.g. Château Latour, vertical ranges of Petrus, Vega Sicilia, etc. They are still remarkably good value in context, e.g. 1990 Krug Clos de Mesnil 1990, one of the greatest Champagnes ever made and incomparably finer than the footballers' wildly overrated Crystal is about £150 cheaper than usually quoted elsewhere.
• There is a flower market at the Market Street corner of Piccadilly Gardens Thursday through Saturday from 10AM-6PM. Some food stalls and craft stalls can be found there too.
• Also hunt out the Craft and Design Centre, in the old Smithfield Market Building, in The Northern Quarter. The complex is full of artist studio space and boutiques, as well as a cafe.
• There are regular events in Albert Square, St Ann's Square and on New Cathedral Street, all year around, where you can buy art, listen to music and sample foods from far and wide.
• If catering for yourself, there are several Sainsbury's Local stores around the city centre, at Oxford Road, Mosley Street, Quay Street, Bridge Street, Piccadilly Station. Tesco Metro supermarkets can be found on Market Street (the largest supermarket in the centre), on Piccadilly and on Quay Street, which is near the Sainsbury's and Granada TV. M&S food outlets are within the M&S store next to Selfridges, and there are also M&S Simply Food stores at Piccadilly Gardens and within Piccadilly Station. You will find increasingly popular Co-op food stores near both Victoria, by the movement's headquarters, opposite the Arndale Market, at Piccadilly Gardens and just outside Piccadilly station. For more upmarket food products, Harvey Nichols has a deli and foodhall as does Selfridges . There is a Waitrose store opened near The Avenue development in Spinningfields . At the other end of the spectrum there is the Arndale Market and a large Aldi store in the Arndale Centre, which is, in common with most UK outlets, much more upmarket than the stores in Germany. This is also accessible from Market Street. There is also a Lidl and a Tesco on Oxford Road near Manchester Royal Infirmary.
• For something a little bit different, the Manchester Arndale Market features many food stalls, including a rather large fish store and a butchers. Chinatown has many specialist shops and the landmark Wing Yip superstore on Oldham Road in the Northern Quarter is excellent for everything oriental.
• There are various other mini-markets and late night stores around the city centre and in Piccadilly station. There are three 24-hour Spar's , one in Piccadilly gardens, one on Piccadilly station approach and the third opposite the former site of the BBC Studios on Oxford Road. Just out of the centre is a large Sainsbury's , in Regent Retail Park, Salford, an Asda store in Hulme, and a Tesco Extra hypermarket in Cheetham Hill.
• Free copies of The Manchester Evening News are given out around the city and at the airport on Thursday and Friday, as well as inside and outside some selected newsagents in town. There is a charge of 70p for the other days of the week including Saturday's edition. This is very good for listings, especially on a Friday, with the City Life pull out section. The free Metro newspaper is handed out in the mornings. This too has some listings. Online sites such as Live-Manchester.co.uk also provide Manchester gig listings, information about theatre shows and arts and museum exhibitions.

Learn [ edit ]

There is no doubt that Greater Manchester's four universities continue to be a big draw, and Manchester claims to be the UK's most popular student city. The University of Manchester receives more applications than any other UK university, whilst Manchester Metropolitan University also offers a wide variety of courses. Over the border in Salford is the third university near Manchester city centre, The University of Salford . The fourth university in Greater Manchester is the University of Bolton and is several miles from the city centre.

More and more language schools are also now opening and offer a more reasonable option than the likes of London and other southern venues. The average price for a 1-hour English (A1 to B2 Level) lesson in a class of 8 to 10 students is about £5.

Work [ edit ]

There are numerous temporary agencies in the city and there is work in the hospitality industry to be had. There have been reports, of late, of teacher shortages (though not quite on par with London), and this could be of interest to overseas candidates with the relevant qualifications. Manchester has the highest job ratio of the eight English Core Cities and is therefore a very good place to find work. It could also be seen as a good alternative to London for employment opportunities.

Manchester is an important financial centre and the media are also well represented, as can be seen in the BBC's relocation of many of its departments to the Media City at Salford Quays and ITV-Granada (makers of Coronation Street )'s move to the same site. MediaCity UK is home to many BBC studios.

Retail is a large employer, in and around the city, and there are many gyms in need of trainers for the growing city centre population.

Eat [ edit ]

As you would expect from such a cosmopolitan city, Manchester has a huge selection of restaurants and eateries that serve a vast array of cuisines. Look hard enough and you will be able to find any type of international and British food. It is also worth exploring some of the suburbs for superb, small independent bistros and restaurants. West Didsbury and Chorlton are noted for their large number of great eateries. If you can get there, the quaintly named and somewhat trendy village of Ramsbottom , just north of Bury, directly north of Manchester, is said to be "the new Chorlton", in regards to restaurants, and the place to eat. The usual, well-established UK chains like Café Rouge, Pizza Express, and Nando's are all to be found in Manchester city centre and out of town too.

Budget [ edit ]

There are hundreds of kebab and pizza shops on Oxford Road and in Fallowfield and Rusholme . In Rusholme, in particular, locals speak of the £10 curry, where if you bring your own drinks into the curry house, you should leave with change from a ten-pound note.

Some of the cheapest, long-established curry cafés, though, are still to be found in the back streets of the Northern Quarter and Central Deansgate offering a novel twist on the traditional British café.

Chinese [ edit ]

There are plenty of all-you-can-eat buffets in Chinatown for less than £10. Prices tend to change with the time of day and likely demand. If you eat earlier in the day, you can have a full all-you-can-eat meal, including soup, starter, and dessert for around £5. Salford is also a good option to look for Chinese food, as a particularly high concentration Hongkongers have settled there.

Mid-range [ edit ]

British [ edit ].

Sam's Chop House on Chapel Walks is popular with visitors looking for a British dining experience (not an easy feat in the UK's big cities), as well as Sinclair's Oyster Bar at Cathedral Gates. Many hotels offer menus that tend towards national dishes.

Amongst the enormous range of Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown , the Great Wall at 52 Faulkner St offers authentic, reasonably priced food, including many one bowl/plate dishes (Roast pork and roast duck in soup noodle is particularly popular). The only downside is that the service charge increases the bill.

Indian [ edit ]

Rusholme's Curry Mile is, as the name suggests, home to a lot of Indian restaurants! Due to the high concentration of curry houses, and all the competition, you should be able to get a really good curry in just about any restaurant.

Also upmarket is a new venture by the side of the Museum of Science and Industry. This is Akbar's on Liverpool Road and they claim, on the side of buses, to be "probably the best Indian restaurant in the North of England". Also popular in town are the two EastZEast ; the original is under the Ibis Hotel, behind the former site of the BBC building (now a car park), and the new, very luxurious one is on Bridge Street, opposite the Manchester Central Travelodge, off Deansgate. Look out for the doorman at the riverside location. There they also offer free valet parking to all guests. These two are classy but not overpriced. Some have claimed the menu could be a little more adventurous, in view of all they seem to have invested. The riverside branch seems popular for Asian weddings, lately, which must say something about the quality of the venue.

Also just off Oxford Road on Chester Street is an Indian restaurant which has won lots of awards Zouk Tea Bar & Grill . They have a good mix of people dining there and it is open for lunch as well as evenings.

Further out, Moon in Withington and Third Eye in Didsbury, both in south Manchester , are excellent. Individual takes on traditional dishes are served alongside local specialities, and cost about £6 a dish.

In Chorlton , you should be able to find Coriander Restaurant, Azid Manzil and Asian Fusion. They are all on Barlow Moor Road.

Japanese [ edit ]

• YO! Sushi A sushi bar with conveyor belt in the Arndale Centre (1st floor), Piccadilly Station (1st floor) and Trafford Centre Selfridge's store. They also serve many hot rice and noodle based dishes as well as deserts.
• Sapporo Teppanyaki Manchester's flagship Japanese restaurant offering Teppanyaki cuisine with a contemporary twist and sushi known for being at its culinary best. The restaurant prides itself in offering a unique and at times highly dramatic dining experience through the established Teppanyaki chefs and their combined culinary skills.

Seasonal [ edit ]

During the period leading up to Christmas from November, there is a Christmas Market stretching from the Town Hall towards St Ann's Square and New Cathedral Street. By the Town Hall section there is a spectacular range of international cuisine. Those not to be missed are the crepes (£3.50-4.50 each, but they are really large) which are some of the best in Europe and the paella (£4.50 a box) which is genuinely Spanish. Other popular stalls include German hotdogs and Dutch pancakes. There is also a stall selling German salamis. If you go there nearer Christmas, you may be able to get a bargain packet of 7-8 salamis for just £10.

Splurge [ edit ]

Search out the upmarket restaurants in the city's top hotels (including the Lowry Hotel, the Midland, SAS Radisson, and the Hilton, Deansgate). Less grand, but very popular, is the restaurant in the Malmaison hotel, by Piccadilly station. The Market Restaurant , in the Northern Quarter, is long established and has an excellent reputation. Heathcote is well represented with a place off Deansgate whilst the Grill on New York Street (which, as its name suggests, is on New York Street) provides good, honest food in modern surroundings. Abode at 107 Piccadilly is also believed to have brought something new to the Manchester dining scene.

Harvey Nichols , the upmarket department store, has a traditional-style restaurant and cocktail bar at 21 New Cathedral Street, with views onto Exchange Square, and is hard to beat if you like rubbing shoulders with Manchester's wealthy set. When the store is closed there is a dedicated entrance and lift at the side of the building. Their afternoon tea is worth a try, but you may prefer the older style version at the Midland Hotel or a new take on the theme at the Lowry Hotel .

At the top of King Street, in what was once Karim's Indian restaurant, the footballer Rio Ferdinand has invested heavily into Rosso an upmarket Italian, which has so far had good, if not excellent, reviews in the local press which praised the décor and very professional waiters more than the food.

The Armenian restaurant , very long established, hidden in a basement on Albert Square (by the Town Hall) is good, and full of atmosphere. It's to the left with the Town Hall facing you.

Spanish [ edit ]

There are the usual chains to be had on Deansgate, but try to search out El Rincón de Rafa , hidden away behind Deansgate, near St. John's Gardens. This is an authentic Spanish restaurant, established for many years, and popular with Filipinos, Spanish and people from the Americas, based in the city. It is a stone's throw from the Instituto Cervantes.

On Deansgate, opposite the Cervantes Centre at number 279, is Evuna another Spanish tapas establishment. This newish venture has had very good reviews.

Patisseries and tearooms [ edit ]

In common with a number of provincial towns and cities, Manchester now has its own branch of "Pâtisserie Valérie"; that of Soho fame! It is on Deansgate, opposite House of Fraser, on the corner of St Ann's Street. Gets very busy, but well worth the wait for a table. Service is attentive and the choice is exceptional.

Leckenby's, on King Street, near the House of Fraser (Kendal's) car park entrance, is a welcome addition to the Manchester cafe scene. This more traditional cafe/tea room is open even quite late into the evening and offers a pleasant, upmarket alternative to meeting up in a pub.

There are other tearooms, in the Northern Quarter, and even one on Richmond Street in the Gay Village.

Drink [ edit ]

Manchester has a diverse nightlife and can offer a wide range of night-time activities. It has a vibrant and varied nightlife scene, including numerous clubs as well as a huge range of drinking establishments from traditional pubs to ultra-chic concept bars. Very high-profile, of late, is the Cloud 23 bar on the 23rd floor of The Hilton, Deansgate . A bit pricey, but with attentive table service, and worth it for the views alone. By the way, the personnel is very friendly and won't kick you out if you just want to have a look - you can go up for free . To avoid the sometimes 2-hour long queues, try it during the week. The bars in The Radisson Blu and The Aurora Hotel are also upmarket. For other upmarket venues (there are some very discreet ones catering for the most privileged in town), your hotel concierge should be of help in pointing you in the right direction.

For a slightly more quirky place to have a drink, The Temple of Convenience is aptly named as it is a converted underground public toilet in the city centre. The bar receives many high reviews although it's quite small and may be crowded.

Famed for its musical past, the University of Manchester Student's Union on Oxford Road hosts almost nightly gigs in its four venues on Oxford Road ranging from local unsigned bands to international superstars. The Manchester Apollo in Ardwick is a slightly bigger venue having boasted appearances from Blondie to Kasabian. Smaller bands can also be seen at a range of excellent venues in the city including the Night and Day, in the Northern Quarter , and Albert Hall just off Deansgate, O2 Ritz & Gorilla near Oxford Road .

The club scene in Manchester is varied with the dance-orientated clubs you'd expect from a city setting alongside indie, rock, and gay clubs. For the commercial dance music fan, the "place to be" would be Deansgate Locks (four bars and a comedy club in a converted railway complex) in Peter's Fields where the clubs and bars can be expensive, but are always full of fashionable types and members of the local student population. More eclectic dance music styles are played at The Phoenix, both on Oxford Road .

The offerings for fans of rock music are fragmented. Satan's Hollow (off Princess St), with its every-night-is-Halloween decor, plays pop-punk and emo on Tu, F and Sa. If you are interested in Rock and Metal paired with cage dancers and a lap-dancing lounge, try the monthly Caged Asylum night at the Ruby Lounge, the self-proclaimed craziest place to be in Manchester at 28-34 High Street. For fans of indie and alternative music, there are a whole host of new exciting clubs opening. Any late evening walk up Oxford Road should enable you to collect a variety of fliers for club nights. The Friday edition of The Manchester Evening News has a good listings section, which is handy for the weekend. Papers are handed out free of charge Thursday and Friday, at various points in the centre and at some newsagents.

The Retro Bar on Sackville Street , hosts live acts upstairs and a club downstairs with playlists that include Blondie, The Ramones, and Le Tigre. Joshua Brooks on Charles Street is also another club where you can expect a mix of indie, electro, punk, and rock in a budget-friendly, student atmosphere. Weekly, Smile at the Star and Garter near Piccadilly Station is something of a local indie institution with a great playlist. It sells out very early and can often be unbearably busy as a result of this. Saturdays also play host to Tiger Lounge near the Town Hall . This plays more in the way of lounge alongside experimental and indie sounds.

If you want to hear music by Manchester bands like The Stone Roses, visit Fifth Avenue on Princess Street , often brimming with students — unsurprising when you see the cheap drinks prices! They also feature themes such as toga and foam parties. The other, rival centre club for indie music is 42nd Street, just off Deansgate . It plays a mixture of classic and modern indie, 1960s pop, and 1970s funk and soul.

To enjoy Gay Manchester, it is probably best to visit Canal Street with its concentration of bars and clubs and visit places that appeal along the way. Just off Canal Street, the most popular gay clubs are Essential, a multi-floor super-club open until the early hours (sometimes as late as 8AM), Cruz 101 (Manchester's longest-running gay club) and Poptastic, a two-room pop and indie club held at Alter Ego every Tuesday and Saturday night. Although entry can be expensive, this is usually reflected in a reduced-price bar inside the club.

For bars, try the cocktail lounge Socio Rehab in the Northern Quarter (ask a taxi driver where it is) and Tribeca on Sackville Street (in the popular Gay Village). Trof, a funky student bar in Fallowfield . It has a second venture, Trof North, on Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter .

Although there are still plenty of cafés and traditional pubs in Manchester, bars and restaurants with much more bohemian and cosmopolitan feels to them are now dominating. The better traditional pubs include:

• Lass O'Gowrie at 36 Charles St .
• Salisbury at 2 Wakefield St off of Oxford Road.
• Peveril of the Peak . Behind The Bridgewater Hall at 27 Great Bridgewater St.
• Britons Protection , 50 Bridgewater St . Behind the stage door entrance of the Bridgewater Hall. It is here where many a poor mug "took The King's Shilling" and found himself press-ganged into the army. Largest selection of whisky in the city.  
• Sinclairs . This is just by the Harvey Nichols store at 2 Cathedral Gates.
• Grey Horse Inn , 80 Portland St .  
• The Old Wellington Inn , the oldest pub in Manchester. It was opened in 1552, and is in the fantastic Tudor-era Shambles Square . Along with Sinclair's the whole place was moved a couple of hundred yards down the road at number 4, as part of the development of New Cathedral Street, after the IRA bomb of 1996.
• The Marble Arch Inn , 76 Rochdale Rd . Real ale brewed by their own brewery Marble and cask ale from micro-breweries nationwide.  

Comedy wise, Manchester has a fair number of offerings: The Frog and Bucket at 96 Oldham Street offers student-friendly prices and The Comedy Store at 1a-3 Deansgate Locks is the largest comedy venue in town.

Sleep [ edit ]

There are thousands of hotel beds in Manchester, ranging from 5-star establishments to bed and breakfast, via youth hostels and serviced apartments. Most accommodation is focussed in the east of the city centre with easy access to the InterCity Piccadilly Station . If in doubt, consult the tourist office, in Piccadilly Gardens. See City Information section for contact details and address.

Hotels [ edit ]

Despite its obvious industrial heritage, Manchester is home to a great number of very fine hotels, including the grand old Midland Hotel , where Rolls met Royce and the Hilton Manchester Deansgate , housed in the 47 story Beetham Tower (both in Castlefield - Petersfield ).

Manchester Airport is also home to several hotels, which offer easy access to both the airport itself and Manchester City Centre.

For those on smaller budgets, there exists a great number of smaller, chain hotels, throughout the city, including the seemingly ubiquitous Premier Inn and others of its ilk, offering clean, pleasant accommodation for lower tariffs.

Self-catering [ edit ]

Self-catering apartments in Manchester are now becoming popular alternatives to 'traditional' hotel stays. There are thousands of self-catering apartments available throughout the city centre and outskirts - providing accommodation for up to 8 people at a time, for stays of anything from one night to 1 year. You can expect noisy neighbours at weekends!

Take care of the place you are staying in as, according to the local press, there have been some horror stories of people being charged for breakages, etc., for which they were not responsible.

There are various serviced apartment options for business travellers around the city:

• La Reserve Aparthotel , Ducie St

Connect [ edit ]

Manchester city centre has 5G from all UK carriers.

_FreebeeMcr Free Wi-Fi is available free for 30 minutes on the streets and _BusybeeMcr is available in public buildings.

Make best use of the free Wi-Fi available at:

• Home , 2 Tony Wilson Place - art gallery, theatres, cinema, bar.
• Oklahoma Café , 74 - 76 High St - organic, vegetarian and fair trade coffee shop.
• The Castle Pub , 66 Oldham St - traditional pub.
• Revolution , 90-94 Oxford Rd, M1 5WH - trendy vodka bar. The Wi-Fi is also reachable from the Starbucks on the other side of Oxford Rd.
• any Wetherspoon pub, e.g. The Waterhouse 61-67 Princess St or The Moon Under Water, 67-78 Deansgate.

Free Wi-Fi is available on most trains & stations, although you will need to register.

Stay safe [ edit ]

If you're uncomfortable around thousands of intoxicated young people, then you should probably avoid Friday and Saturday night taxi queues in the city centre. You should also avoid any conflict with door staff at bars, clubs and pubs.

All pubs, bars and clubs are best avoided on days where the Manchester derby football match is taking place. Relations between the two sets of supporters have never been amicable, to say the least, but things seem to have deteriorated. What starts out as "banter" quite commonly gets out of hand. Wearing Liverpool or Leeds Utd shirts while you are in Manchester may also draw some unwanted attention to yourself. If you do attend a football match at Old Trafford , or watch a game with fans in a pub, be careful not to raise the issue of the 1958 Munich Air Disaster , especially if you are openly identifying as a supporter of a rival team. While the disaster was more than 60 years ago, "Munich chants" and related slurs still cause deep anger and hostility, and could provoke a violent response. Similarly, talking about "oil money" around Man City fans - or accusing them of "buying success" - will cause hostility. As a general rule, on match days, if you are wanting to openly show support for Man Utd, do so in the areas around Old Trafford in Salford and the Quays, and if you want to do the same as a Man City supporter go to the Etihad . If you want to openly support a rival club from another city (especially Liverpool or Leeds), go to those cities!

Persistent begging is an irritation in Piccadilly . There is also a problem with people walking up to you with a story like "I've lost my wallet and need 50p for the bus home". These people often say the same story for years. This is usually a ruse to get money from you or, in some cases, in the hope that you will get a wallet/purse out of your pocket so it can be stolen.

Piccadilly Gardens has become a place where drug addicts and dealers gather, with the open sale of drugs leading to a nasty atmosphere and gang activity. While the area is always very busy - being in between the main Piccadilly train station and Arndale shopping centre - and you are unlikely to be a victim of crime yourself here, quite violent crime can happen at any time. Most of this is between drug gangs or the ever growing groups of homeless people (drawn to the area by the easy access to drugs) but scary things do happen here. In January 2020 several people were hospitalised after a series of armed robberies and muggings during the same evening, while in February 2020 two people were stabbed outside the Travelodge hotel at lunchtime in what the police said was a ‘targeted attack’.

It is often impossible or impractical to avoid this area: it is a major transport interchange for the city, and several attractive areas (like Chinatown and the Northern Quarter) border here. The police tend to have high visibility in this area but they cannot be everywhere at all times. The best advice is to be very cautious in this area, especially with mobile phones and money. The city council regularly puts on events in the area (like street markets) to try to encourage a more salubrious atmosphere, and given the sheer number of people who have to pass through this area every day you will likely find no trouble here, but be careful. Attempting to buy or take drugs here will bring you into contact with dangerous criminals or the police, so do not be tempted to do that under any circumstances.

Sellers of The Big Issue magazine are not beggars. The magazine is published by the Big Issue in the North, a social enterprise, and sold to the homeless for resale on the streets. All of the vendors are genuinely homeless and are forbidden from begging whilst selling the magazine. Vendors can be found around the city and visitors may want to buy a £3 copy. Please buy only from badged, official vendors.

Manchester is generally quite a safe place, especially in commercialised and tourist-oriented areas. If you wander into a less desirable area you should be very wary of street gangs hanging around.

Should you encounter a group that looks suspicious, either avoid them all together and walk the other way, or try to walk past them quickly (at a distance if possible) and behave in a way that they do not perceive as disrespectful or confrontational. This can include eye contact or accidentally brushing past them with your shoulder.

Most of the areas in Manchester where tourists venture are safe. The following areas are very much "off the beaten path", with little to tempt the average visitor. Nonetheless, should you choose to go, then caution would be advised:

• Longsight . This is a somewhat rundown residential area in the shadow of the city centre, which has as yet avoided the gentrification of nearby Hulme.
• Moss Side . This area constitutes the heart of Manchester's African and Caribbean community and is worth a visit if you are looking for something different. It is an area that has been associated with gang related violence but is no worse than other inner-city areas in Manchester, with such crime having been greatly reduced by police and community efforts. It is adjacent to some pleasant parks, including the small Whitworth Park and larger Platt Fields Park. Catch the Caribbean Festival of Manchester in Alexandra Park every July/August.
• Parts of Hulme but this young, trendy, regenerated area would be of interest to many with its new town houses, quirky architecture and blocks of flats and is next to the centre.
• Cheetham Hill . Avoid at night; but, during the day, this suburb, to the north of Victoria Station, is a lively, colourful mixture of cultures: Jewish, Asian, and newer arrivals to the city from various parts of the world! The shopping area around "The Village" is very much like an inner London high street.
• Wythenshawe . Much of this is a vast public housing district. The area out towards the airport should be avoided.
• Ordsall . This area is on the up and following the example of Hulme with lots of new developments.
• Parts of East Manchester , particularly Beswick and the residential streets of Openshaw.
• Salford . Unless you have good reason, do not wander too far, on foot at least, over the river Irwell into Salford from the city centre. With the great number of new residential developments in the area, it has improved. The straight route from Manchester centre, via Salford Cathedral along Chapel Street to Salford University, is very safe up to Pendleton.

Cope [ edit ]

Many countries have consulates and commissions in Manchester, the most in the UK outside London. For others, you may have to travel to London .

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Home » Travel Guides » United Kingdom » England » 15 Best Places to Visit in Greater Manchester

15 Best Places to Visit in Greater Manchester

At the heart of this large conurbation in northwest England is a city adored for its industrial  innovation, culture and cool.

Stay in Manchester for the live music, restaurants and museum and then visit the towns and cities that sprang up overnight in the 1700s.

The canals that once transported coal, cotton and textiles are now restful destinations for a waterside stroll or barge trip, and you’ll never have to look hard for imposing old mills, warehouses or wharfs, many of which are protected by law.

Go east and you come to the moorland of the South Pennines and the Peak District, while south of Manchester are cute villages where high-earning professionals return in the evenings and on weekends.

Lets explore the best places to visit in Greater Manchester :

1. City of Manchester

As cosmopolitan as they come, Manchester is second only to London for culture.

For dining you could come to Chinatown of the Curry Mile, and if you’d like some edification there’s the world-class Museum of Science and Industry, as a nod to the city’s industrial legacy, and the very large Manchester Art Gallery.

The city is a pilgrimage site for lovers of English popular culture, seduced by stories about Factory Records , the  Hacienda and the “Madchester” scene.

And if you want to see who else is coming through there’s a plethora of small live music venues, enough to win Manchester the title of best live music city in Britain in 2016.

2. Stockport

Seven miles southeast of central Manchester, Stockport is a town that grew around its cotton mills and the trades that spun off that industry in the 1700s.

Hat-making was the biggest of these, and the Hat Works will take you back to the 1800s when Stockport was producing six million units a year.

The Plaza in Stockport bucks the decline of Britain’s art deco cinemas with a gorgeous  variety hall and cinema from 1932, with stylish tea rooms to boot.

See also the Stockport Viaduct, created to carry the West Coast Main Line Railway across the Mersey River valley.

More than 150 years after it was completed Britain’s largest brick structure still has the power to amaze.

3. Trafford

If you happen to know anything about cricket, Old Trafford, where Lancashire and England play, is the site of the Ball of the Century; Shane Warne’s legendary leg-break that bowled out Mike Gatting in 1993. That may sound like nonsense to you, but you must have heard of Manchester United, who play their home matches next-door at their 75,635-capacity stadium.

Come look around the stands and trophy room of one of England’s biggest sides.

Trafford Park is a former waterfront industrial estate (the first in the world) comprising the Manchester Ship canal and a large system of quays.

The container ships are a thing of the past, to be replaced by attractions like the sleek Imperial War Museum North, which puts an emphasis on the Second World War.

This town, directly west of central Manchester has been the scene of massive regeneration in the last couple of decades.

Nowhere more so than Salford Quays, across the water from Trafford Park.

This is now the home of the futuristic Lowry cultural centre, and several departments of the BBC at MediaCityUK, which moved here in 2011. For a dose of local history see Ordsall Hall, a regal Tudor mansion with elements as old as the 1400s, and a newly-refurbished local history museum owned by Salford.

And to illustrate how quickly you can go from an urban landscape to idyllic countryside, come for walk in the village of Worsley, where the sight of the corbelled Worsley Packet House facing the Bridgewater Canal is unforgettably pretty.

Textiles had been a cottage industry in Bolton from medieval times, after Flemish tapestry-weavers  brought their knowhow in the 1300s.

But in the 18th century it became big business thanks to inventions by men like Samuel Crompton and Richard Arkwright, who worked in and around Bolton at this time.

So, industrial heritage is an ingredient in Bolton’s charm, and though the cotton-spinning days are a distant memory several Victorian factories remain and have been turned into attractions like the excellent Bolton Steam Museum.

You don’t need to look hard for traces of Bolton’s pre-Industrial heritage, at the gothic Grade I-listed Smithills Hall, one of the oldest manors in the region, constructed in the 1300s and 1400s.

Also pop in for a pint at Ye Olde Man & Scythe, one of Britain’s ten oldest pubs.

6. Rochdale

The Victorian town hall in Rochdale in no ordinary municipal building; it’s a dignified gothic revival edifice, with Grade-I listing and is held as one of England’s most prized town halls.

You won’t regret dropping in for a tour to see the stained glass windows, gardens and Great Hall with its organ.

There’s a decent cafe inside too, while the town hall hosts events like Rochdale’s beer and gin festivals.

The wooded countryside is criss-crossed by picturesque vestiges of local industry; you can cycle on the 19th-century Healey Dell Viaduct, which once carried trains, or amble by the Rochdale Canal, where old barges still chug past and anglers settle by the towpath in good weather.

It’s not often that you can find a thriving local food market in England, but the one in Bury is fantastic, open Monday to Saturday and employing as many as 2,000 traders working 400 stalls.

Bury is also touted as the “home of black pudding”, which has been part of the local diet for centuries.

Every September in Ramsbottom there’s a quirky little pudding throwing contest in which black pudding (a Lancashire delicacy) is thrown to dislodge Yorkshire puddings, recalling the War of the Roses in the 15th century.

Another nice surprise is the Met, a performing arts centre in a neoclassical hall, with film screenings, bands and stand-up comedy.

One of the most iconic examples of English industrial heritage is the Wigan Pier, on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

On these wharfs coal and cotton would be loaded onto barges and transported to the docks at Liverpool.

It’s an atmospheric location, with a cobblestone towpath and a couple of brick industrial buildings.

The Trencherfield Mill is now an apartment complex, but still contains a colossal functioning steam engine from 1907. You can come and have a look on Sundays.

The Wigan Pier was immortalised by George Orwell in The Road to Wigan Pier, and the author did his research at the Wigan Library, now the Museum of Wigan Life.

You could say that Oldham was the ultimate Industrial Revolution success story; there wasn’t much here before the 1700s because the soils wouldn’t sustain crops, but in a matter of decades at the turn of the 19th century Oldham became one of the world leaders in textiles, with mills that operated 24 hours a day.

If you’d like to know more the Saddleworth Museum is in a former textile mill dating to 1862 and has a bit of everything, from historic power looms to the parlour of a wealthy local family in Victorian times.

The old mill is on the Huddersfield  Canal, which courses through the scenic Penine landscapes east of Oldham.

10. Greenfield

Towards the eastern border of the county, the countryside begins to undulate as you head into the moorland of the South Pennines.

The village of Greenfield is a handy gateway to these powerful landscapes at the entrance to the Peak District National Park.

There’s a couple of excursions you could plan from here: Just uphill from the village is the Dovestone Reservoir, the banks of which have wooded green slopes as a backdrop and welcome joggers and dog-walkers.

If you’d like to work up an appetite then above Greenfield is the 370-metre Pots and Pans hill, at the crest of which is a Grade II-listed  memorial for the Great War.

11. Ashton-under-Lyne

Another location that didn’t have much going for it until the explosion of industrial activity in the 18th century.

And then in no time at all the skyline became a forest of chimney stacks for weaving and spinning mills, and Ashton-under-Lyne was joined up to the region’s sophisticated canal and rail infrastructure.

The Portland Basin Museum is in the restored Victorian Ashton Canal Warehouse.

The museum gives you a sense of what life was like in Ashton when the industry was in full flight, recreating a 1920s street and inviting you to experience life in one of the local coal mines.

The pretty village of Marple is in an idyllic corner of the county, just a few miles from Derbyshire.

The landscape is hilly moors and forested valleys where you’ll come to exciting pieces of industrial infrastructure.

The Peak Forest Canal is now used by holidaymakers on barges and is cherished for the old lock flight, made up of 16 locks on a slope, and the Marple Aqueduct, where the canal traverses the River Goyt.

Being a leafy, upmarket sort of place, there are three local golf clubs, as well as the Roman Lakes, a natural leisure park for angling, bike-riding and easy rambles.

13. Altrincham

A rather upmarket town for professionals commuting to Manchester, Altrincham has no fewer than ten conservation areas.

One of these is the Old Market Place, where there’s a sequence of beautiful wattle and daub buildings, while the town stocks and whipping post at the Buttermarket have been restored (don’t worry, they’re no longer in use!). For a stately afternoon, Dunham Massey Hall is a Georgian estate from 1730 in marvellous grounds.

The gardens have 700 plant species, and there’s a 300-acre deer park that was a hunting ground in medieval times.

Tatton Hall is another National Trust property, with fabulous Italian gardens and a farm where little ones can meet pigs, cows and sheep.

In the far west of Greater Manchester, and formerly part of Lancashire, Leigh has many of the telltale signs of a cotton-weaving industrial town.

Around the centre is a tight rectangular grid system of Victorian and Edwardian workers’ cottages with evocative names like Silk Street, Union Street and Gas Street.

The Bridgewater Canal also passes through Leigh to the south and on the banks are imposing red brick cotton mills built in the 1800s.

These are all listed buildings so can’t be demolished.

A pleasant residential kind of place, Sale has been a commuter town ever since the railways arrived in the mid-19th century.

But if you have time to spare you could come for a pub lunch or a wander.

One thing to investigate is Walkden Gardens, which is roughly where Sale’s original medieval manor used to be.

Sale Old Hall was demolished in the 1920s, but among the lawns, flowerbeds and archways draped with wisteria is the 400-year-old dovecote that used to be part of the manor.

Also perfect strolling territory is the Bridgewater Canal, which will lead you south to Altrincham or up to Stretford a couple of miles north.

15 Best Places to Visit in Greater Manchester:

• City of Manchester
• Ashton-under-Lyne

How to get around Manchester: from free buses to a swaggering stroll, some might say it's got it all

Apr 23, 2022 • 8 min read

Manchester’s electric tram system is extensive, covering almost 100 different stops across the city © Alberto Manuel Urosa Toledano / Getty Images

As the birthplace of the UK’s first bus service and the world’s inaugural passenger railway, you can expect Manchester to be fairly easy to get around. 

While driving is generally a big no-no thanks to the city center’s busy or totally pedestrianized streets, walking is always a good option – if the weather stays fair, that is. And if the heavens do open or you want to venture further afield ? Manchester has good public transport to get you from A to B.

Walking around Manchester City Center

One of the best ways to explore Manchester City Center is on foot. Most of the major attractions – from the National Football Museum to the John Rylands Library – are situated here, and the area is actually quite compact. You can easily walk from one end to the other within 30 minutes. 

On sunnier days, consider strolling down Oxford Road to attractions like the Whitworth Art Gallery , Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and Victoria Baths . Some of the top Manchester neighborhoods like Ancoats and the Northern Quarter can also be explored without public transport.

To save money and see the sites, take the bus

There are various types of public transport available in Manchester, most of which fall under the Transport for Greater Manchester umbrella. Buses are probably the cheapest option – and in some cases, they're even free. You’ll find services leading to every nook and cranny of the city and its surrounding suburbs.

Nearly 20 different bus companies operate across the city, which can make buying tickets a little confusing (and not to mention expensive) if you’re using multiple different routes. Plans are in place to bring the bus system back under public control and make it more like London’s, but not until 2023.

Contactless payments keep things simple: just tap the machine with your bank card or smartphone as you board. There’s also the option of buying a System One travelcard. These can be used for unlimited bus travel on any service, starting at £6.40 (US$8.35) for one day or you can extend them to include tram and train travel for £10.40 ($13.60) a day. 

Top tip: Got tickets to a gig that finishes late? Take advantage of the Manchester night buses. These are run by Stagecoach and operate until the early hours, with services journeying as far as Sale, Stockport and Manchester Airport.

Take advantage of the free bus

Despite its unimaginative name, the free bus (formerly known as the Metroshuttle) is a lifesaver for those wanting to get around Manchester without spending heaps on public transport. 

The hop-on, hop-off service has three different routes around the city center, each one beginning and ending at Manchester Piccadilly station. Two of them run during the day (usually starting at around 7am), while route three is an evening service operating between 7pm and 11:30pm. 

Hours are slightly different on weekends, so always double-check the free bus website for up-to-date information. 

To reach all corners of the city, take the tram

Manchester’s electric tram system is extensive, covering almost 100 different stops across the city. It’s run by Metrolink and split into four zones. You’ll likely spend most of your time in zone 1, the city center. Nevertheless, it’s possible you’ll want to head south to Didsbury, west to Salford Quays or north to Heaton Park , all of which sit in zones 2 to 4. 

Note that the trams aren’t free in Manchester, nor can you use an Oyster card for them like on the London underground. However, Metrolink has a similar travelcard option that’s great if you’re planning on multiple journeys in a short span of time. 

Trams across all seven lines leave very regularly, meaning you don't really need to plan ahead. Just turn up at the station, purchase your ticket or tap in with your travelcard using the machines on the platform. 

Top tip: If you’re going to use the tram more than once a day, opt for a travel card, starting at £1.90 ($2.50) for an off-peak zone 1 day pass. You can also get an all-zones seven-day travelcard for £31 ($40). 

Catch the train to the suburbs

Several rail companies operate in and around the city. This makes catching the train a viable – and often cheap – way to get around Manchester or reach other nearby cities. There are three major stations in the city center: Victoria, Piccadilly and Oxford Road. 

Catching the train is one of the fastest ways to access suburbs like Altrincham and East Didsbury. Additionally, you can get to some of Manchester’s best day trip destinations – from Edale in the Peak District to the Viking city of York – by rail. 

Top tip: Some train companies offer advance tickets. This includes TransPennine Express, which operates intercity trains between Manchester, Leeds and York, and Avanti West Coast, whose services run to London, the Lake District and Scotland. Buy tickets up to six weeks in advance for cheaper deals, and consider getting a railcard. 

Cycling can be a safe way to get around

Manchester is very flat and has numerous dedicated cycle paths. It’s typically safe to cycle in Manchester City Center, although you’ll need to be wary of traffic during peak commuting times (typically early morning and late afternoon) and take note of any bus lanes. 

A brand new cycle hire scheme run by Transport For Greater Manchester launched at the start of 2022, although the number of bikes available is currently fairly limited. You will find a few independent bike-hire companies such as Manchester Bikes or Brompton Bike Hire . 

Having a car isn't really worth the hassle

If you’re wondering what the traffic is like in Manchester, the answer is chaotic. The city center is crisscrossed by narrow one-way streets and busy roads with multiple traffic lights that always seem to turn red as soon as you reach them. 

It’s really only worth hiring a car if you’re planning on spending lots of time in the suburbs or other cities and towns. Your accommodation might also sway you, as most hotels in the center won’t offer free parking. Pay and display street parking is limited, while big multi-story car parks are expensive and not always the safest place to leave a car overnight. 

Getting to and from Manchester Airport

With international and domestic flights arriving at all hours of the day, flying to Manchester is a popular option. Manchester Airport sits just 14.5km (9 miles) south of the city center, and there are multiple ways to reach it.

Train services leave Manchester Airport station every 10 minutes or so and can get you to Manchester Piccadilly within 20 minutes. Metrolink trams also run to and from the airport – a good option if you’re staying further out in places like Altrincham or MediaCityUK . 

Then there are taxis and private-hire vehicles, such as Uber or StreetCars. They can usually get you anywhere in the city center for under £20 ($26). For late-night arrivals and departures, Manchester’s night buses are a budget-friendly option. Just don’t be surprised if you’re sitting next to a bunch of rowdy students making their way home after a night out…

Accessible transportation in Manchester

Almost all of Manchester’s public transport is accessible for those with disabilities. The city’s buses, trams and trains can accommodate wheelchair users, thanks to ramps and low floors, plus there are audible announcements and visual videos to alert passengers of upcoming stations and stops. 

Extra assistance is available from some companies too. For example, Arriva bus users can apply for a Journey Assistance Card , which lets you subtly inform bus drivers that you have a hidden disability and may need help. Manchester residents with accessibility issues can also get  TFGM passes  for cheap or free travel. 

When it comes to taxi services, most black cabs take wheelchair users. You can also use TFGM’s Ring and Ride service  to book affordable and accessible mini-buses for journeys within the city. 

Why I love walking around Manchester

Walking is always my prepared mode of transport, particularly in a city as small as Manchester. It’s no more than 7 sq km (4.5 sq miles), and it’s brimming with beautiful unassuming buildings you might miss entirely if you travel by tram or bus.  

Manchester is mostly set out in a grid system, making it tricky to get lost. Don’t be afraid to veer off the major thoroughfares like Deansgate or Portland Street. There are usually plenty of alternative routes, some of which take you through pretty squares like St Anns, or past cool local landmarks, like the Arch of Chinatown on Faulkner Street.  

And if it starts to rain, as it so often does in Manchester, simply hop on the free bus or take shelter in a coffee shop. You could also use the weather as an excuse to duck into one of the city’s lovely libraries such as the Central Library or Cheetham’s Library . 

You might also like:  The best time to visit Manchester for food, festivals and football What are the best free things to do in Manchester? Manchester’s new art trail turns the city into an open air gallery

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• Manchester Travel Guide

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: July 24, 2023

Our  Manchester Travel Guide  includes recommended places to visit and things to do, accommodation options, tips and more for this popular northern city. Everything you need to plan your visit and essential reading for any visitor to Manchester!

Situated in the North West of England , Manchester is well known, not just for its famous sporting achievements but also for its culture and its rich history. Considered also as one of the birthplaces of the industrial revolution and the centre of the UK textile industry.

Manchester boasts a vibrant and diverse image that attracts visitors worldwide to experience and embrace the city’s extensive history in sciences, politics, music and the arts.

Manchester also features in the 2023 Lonely Planet’s Best of Travel list and National Geographic’s Best of World list of must-see places to visit.

For visitors of all ages, there is an extensive range of restaurants, art galleries, bars, venues and of course the university which attracts students from around the globe.

Manchester is ideally located to explore so much of the North West of England and North Wales as well as the city itself which really does have something for everyone.

When is the best time of year to visit Manchester?

How many days do you need in or around manchester, what is the best way to explore manchester, how to travel from manchester airport to manchester, how to travel to manchester from london, our top 3 picks: best tours in manchester, 🎟 more tours and tickets in manchester, best trips & tours from manchester, attractions and things to do in manchester, accommodation in manchester, enjoy your visit to manchester, plan your visit to manchester – faqs.

From May to September when the weather is generally milder and sunnier, there are many outdoor events and festivals taking place around the city and surrounding areas.

Summertime also brings lighter evenings with daylight until after 9 pm.

Manchester is also a year-round destination, and there is always something to see and do, regardless of the season. Even in winter when the Christmas markets are a popular must-see attraction.

Also, the city has many events and festivals which take place throughout the year.  Some of the most popular events include the Manchester International Festival, Manchester Pride, and the Manchester Food and Drink Festival.

Manchester itself can easily keep you busy for a day or two or longer if you wish to explore the stunning surrounding areas and national parks from a base in or around the city.

Manchester has really good public transport systems that are straightforward to navigate and also are reasonably priced. These include buses, trams, and trains, making it easy to get around the city. 

Manchester International Airport also has good train and bus links into the city.  

There are various walking tours such as this Northern Quarter Street Art Walking Tour , Salford Quays Guided Walking Tour , Food and Drinks Walking Tour or if you prefer there is a Manchester Sightseeing bus tour available.

• By train – Book tickets here
• Private Transfer – Book a private transfer here

The train is the easiest way to get to Manchester from London, taking around 2 hours direct from London Euston on the West Coast Mainline.

The price of tickets are variable depending on day/time of travel and type of ticket purchased and how soon in advance of travel. National railcards options and rail passes are also available. Read our guide to saving money while travelling the UK by rail.

It is around 4 hour’s drive between London and Manchester though this will depend on start and end locations within the very large cities.

Takes approximately 4 hours to drive the 200 miles.

By private transfer

Click here to book your London to Manchester private transfer (Land Rover Discover)

National Express coaches from London Victoria coach station take around 5 hours. The cost is around £11 per person.

Best tours & tickets in Manchester

#1 TOP PICK 🏆

Old Trafford: Manchester United Museum and Stadium Tour ✔️ Walk through the tunnel to the pitch ✔️ Sit in the home team dressing room ✔️ See a variety of memorabilia

The Coronation Street Experience ✔️ 1.5 hour tour ✔️ Tour of Coronation Street, Rosamund Street and Victoria Street ✔️ Learn about the history of the street

Etihad Stadium: The Manchester City Stadium Tour ✔️ Behind the scenes tour ✔️ Visit the home team dressing room ✔️ Experience the interactive exhibition area

• 🛥 Book a Canal & River Cruise
• ⚽️ Book your National Football Museum Admission Ticket
• 🚏 Book your Manchester City Bus Tour
• 🦀 Manchester SeaLife Centre Ticket
• ⛵️ Day trip to the Lake District and Windermere
• ⛰ Day trip to North Wales, Snowdonia and Chester
• 🏔 Day trip to Derbyshire and Peak District

With so much to see and do within the Manchester area, it is difficult to list them all.  Some of the must-sees are:

• LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
• Play Factore – Entertainment Centre
• Football – Take a tour around the home of Manchester City Football Club at the Etihad Stadium or to Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United Football Club.
• Manchester Arena or the Palace Theatre – See a show or a concert.  See also the Manchester Opera House.
• Northern Quarter – A fashionable and popular location with independent shops and bars.
• John Rylands Library – Visit the beautiful neo-Gothic library with a vast collection of books and manuscripts.
• Manchester Art Gallery –  Collection of contemporary art.
• Manchester Cathedral   – An impressive mediaeval church in the heart of the city.
• Heaton Park – Take a leisurely stroll around the beautiful park with lakes, gardens, and a zoo.
• Chinatown – Explore the area with traditional Chinese architecture and restaurants.
• Great Shopping Centre – Visit the Trafford Visitor Centre, the Arndale Shopping Centre or the Jewellery Quarter.
• Castlefields – Railway Viaduct with Roman Fort

There is every kind of accommodation option available in the Greater Manchester area and beyond. These include budget and luxury hotels with family-friendly options and bed & breakfasts. Also on offer are self-catering, camping and eco-friendly accommodation alternatives if you choose.

Some of the most popular places to stay are Deansgate and the Northern Quarter.

• ⭐️⭐️ ibis Manchester Centre 96 Portland Street
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Motel One Manchester-Piccadilly
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hampton By Hilton Manchester Northern Quarter
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ YOTEL Manchester Deansgate
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Midland

More special stays –  Accommodation Guide for England

• The 9 Regions of England (An essential guide for itinerary planning)
• 12 Cities in England to visit
• Liverpool Travel Guide
• Chester Travel Guide
• Blackpool Travel Guide
• Best of Britain by rail 2 week itinerary

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• Australia edition
• Europe edition

A trail of two cities: an alternative guide to Salford and Manchester

Sunday’s Sounds from the Other City festival is a joyful celebration of Greater Manchester’s leftfield culture

O n the first Sunday of May every year, Chapel Street, where central Manchester and Salford meet, comes alive with DIY art, music and spectacle at the Sounds from the Other City festival. It is a vibrant public celebration of the “community spirit and collaborative working” which co-director Emma Thompson says sustains much alternative culture in the region.

“Collaboration is core to what we do, to Greater Manchester as a city,” Thompson says. “People come together, and it crosses genres and art forms. Sounds from the Other City wouldn’t be turning 20 next year if it wasn’t for that. The fees we offer aren’t huge but people really get behind it, do it for the love of it.”

Thompson is forthright about the challenges facing those making experimental art: “It’s precarious. It feels unstable.” Costs are high, affordable space is scarce, funding is “very competitive”. Such forces are reshaping the creative landscape, literally. Manchester’s Northern Quarter still has its quirkier, arty hangouts, but generic bars and restaurants dominate. Leftfield culture is migrating to the city’s edges – or into Salford.

For the past 18 months, the band WH Lung have been based at Salford’s Islington Mill, a complex of artist-maker studios. Keyboard player Tom Sharkett says that a time when, in many ways, you’d “have to be mad” to pursue a life in music and art, it is inspirational to be surrounded by people “doing cool stuff for the right reasons”.

Opened in 2000, Islington Mill has latterly expanded into new buildings, including an adjacent trading estate. “The Mill feels like it’s taken on a new life. It feels strong,” says Sharkett. That’s also true of wider Manchester and Salford’s creative vigour. The obstacles are many, but the urge to make great art endures.

Music and nightlife

Arguably, Manchester music is as vibrant right now as at any point post-punk – from Anz to Space Afrika, Blackhaine to Sockethead, Mandy, Indiana to Michael J Blood. Much of that is down to the nurturing influence of The White Hotel , a former garage near Strangeways prison. In contrast with the bland gentrification of modern Manchester, this singular entity (grimy location, great sound, art school ethos, all-night-rave energy) has created space for new music to grow. “It’s a really important space,” says Thompson.

In the Northern Quarter, but in similar creative territory, club and gig venue Soup proves that all you need is a basement, a red light and, as well as a feeling, a programme that challenges its audience.

Other city-centre venues that defy convention include punk and indie haven the Star & Garter , Aatma , the Peer Hat and Peste (see Drink section below). But interesting things increasingly happen just outside the centre, often in unexpected places.

Two of Manchester’s vital grassroots venues – the Old Abbey Taphouse , on a science park in Hulme, south of the city centre; and DBA on Cheetham Hill to the north – are historic pubs that now double as club and music venues. “Stood outside the DBA,” says Sharkett, of this traditional Victorian boozer, “you wouldn’t have a clue what’s going on in there.” He once took veteran Glaswegian DJs Optimo in: “They’ve seen it all, but loved it.”

In these relatively obscure corners, music is encouraged to get weird: at warehouse venue Hidden ; Salford’s Eagle Inn ; the musically out-there N/OM ; the Yard ; and Partisan at Islington Mill. Affordable, inclusive and home to “a huge array” of LGBTQ+ events, the Partisan collective is one of the city’s most exciting venues, according to Thompson. “It’s a glorious place.”

Arts and culture

At 24 years young, Salford’s Islington Mill remains an essential creative hub. Its public events are led by Partisan, which hosts club nights, exhibitions, discussion groups and creative workshops, and “radioactive queer bar” Mirage . This bar-gallery-event space is home to genre-fluid evenings of art, performance and experimental music, from outfits including Kunstlicker and Short Supply .

Also in Salford, artists’ studio space Paradise Works regularly hosts exhibitions (entry by appointment), as does Oceans Apart , a contemporary painting gallery at OA Studios (by appointment, mainly weekends).

In central Manchester, visitors might spot pop-up exhibitions in multi-use spaces such as Studio Bee . HappeningInMCR curates a “micro-gallery” at alternative shopping emporium Affleck’s Palace , and the foyer of the Great Northern Warehouse leisure complex (already home to a collection of artist Stanley Chow’s illustrations) will soon feature work from 30 creatives based on site at GRIT Studios MCR ’s new space.

For more established contemporary art there is Castlefield Gallery , currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, and ESEA Contemporary , which showcases work of east and south-east Asian heritage. Jane Jin Kaisen ’s current Halmang exhibition explores themes provoked by the female seafood divers of South Korea’s Jeju island.

Book lovers in the Northern Quarter can explore LGBTQ+ bookshop Queer Lit , or Anywhere Out Of the World , which focuses on philosophy and poetry – and hosts similarly thought-provoking music events on its upper floor. Nearby, Village Books is a feast of pop-cultural periodicals and ’zines and houses a neat basement exhibition space.

Eager to drink different? You are in the right cities. There are exceptional cocktails at Schofield’s (currently number one on the UK Top 50 Cocktails Bars list); natural wine at KERB and Flawd ; and incredible beer at Port Street Beer House , the Marble Arch or Smithfield Market Tavern . Further off-piste, the trading estate behind Manchester’s Piccadilly Station (dubbed the Beermuda Triangle by resident brewery Sureshot ) is home to tap rooms from Track , Cloudwater and funky, mixed fermentation explorers Balance Brewing & Blending .

Want some cultural stimulation with your pint? In Salford, the Kings Arms is a real ale pub and theatre; YES is a student-friendly complex of bars, gig venues, DJs and pizza; and there is storied underground record shop, Eastern Bloc . By night, the latter morphs into a late bar for techno larks. Prefer guitars? Head to Oldham Street pub and music venues Gullivers , the Castle Hotel and cafe-bar Night & Day , which recently resolved its noise complaint issues with Manchester city council.

Newer venues include the Peer Hat , a brilliantly ramshackle boho pub and basement venue geared to marginal scenes. It is an all-ages refuge from the shinier, more commercial aspects of the Northern Quarter – somewhere, says Thompson, that promoters can put on weird, noisy stuff. “It’s intimate enough you can have 20 people in and it feels great. You can experiment. You need that.”

A little way north on the edge of Ancoats, White Hotel spin-off O! Peste Destroyed is a handsomely styled (ecclesiastical chic) bar, record and bookshop devoted to head-stretching work, with exhibitions and art installations in its basement. On Fridays, DJ Conor Thomas leads drinkers on ear-opening excursions into downtempo electronics, frazzled pop-edits and all points in between. A1 cocktails served by friendly bar staff complete this gem of a bar.

Manchester’s food scene is growing at astonishing speed, with distinctive independents frequently setting the pace. A medium wrap from Go Falafel is still the best way to spend £5.50 in the Northern Quarter. The meat-free half of the menu at nearby Asmara Bella , a cosy, laid-back Eritrean and Ethiopian bistro, is a similar flavour-packed boon for vegans and vegetarians, as is Piccadilly’s Bundobust , with its Gujarati sharing plates.

Idle Hands has you covered for coffee and brunch. Pollen bakery-cafes are also good. Across town, Grub , hidden in an old light-industrial unit, is a bar and creative events space (home, for example, to Cultplex cinema and classes from Floating Art ) and hosts street-food traders in its quirky, upcycled beer garden.

For something more refined, Another Hand on Deansgate Mews offers stellar plates of roasted cabbage in cider, smoked mussel and pancetta cream, or butter bean cacio e pepe . At nearby Exhibition , there is food from three different kitchens, including Baratxuri, a compelling homage to the Basque Country.

Higher Ground is arguably Manchester’s most singular dining experience. Using heritage and rare-breed ingredients from small producers (including Higher Ground’s partner, Cheshire market garden Cinderwood), chef Joe Otway creates dishes – coal-roasted pork, yellow peas and sprouting cabbage, or leek with smoked cod’s roe and thyme – which, although simple in outline, are generous, surprising and flavour intense.

Set around an impressive, five-floor atrium within Ducie Street Warehouse , Native Manchester ’s 162 aparthotel rooms are modish, comfortable spaces. The keen aesthetic (post-industrial via Copenhagen) continues into the buzzy, ground-floor public areas. DJs soundtrack the weekend and spaces host events ranging from film screenings to pop-up vintage sales. Doubles from £100 B&B.

Also convenient for the Northern Quarter, Cow Hollow is a stylish, 16-bed boutique bolthole. Clever use is made of the building’s 19th-century industrial heritage, with ironworks and winding gears incorporated as features. Its small, glamorous bar evokes Rimini or Ibiza Town. Doubles from £99 B&B.

Sounds From The Other City is on 5 May , tickets £40 plus booking fee

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Travelcards for bus, train and tram across Greater Manchester. Available for 1, 7 and 28 days with an annual option also available.

Just click ‘Find a Travelcard’ for more information.

Roads and transport Concessionary travel passes

Who can apply.

If you're eligible you can apply for a Concessionary Pass that will allow you to travel on reduced fares - or for free - across Greater Manchester and (in some cases) nationally. Note: Concessionary passes are issued by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), not Manchester City Council.

To apply you'll need to visit the  Concessionary fares page of the TfGM website , where you'll find full details.

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• people over 60
• disabled people
• blind or partially sighted people
• deaf people
• young people under 16
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Travel Plan Toolkit

• What is a Travel Plan?
• Do I need a Travel Plan?
• Why would I need a Travel Plan?
• When would I need a Travel Plan?
• What happens to my Travel Plan?
• Supporting initiatives
• Policy vault
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About Travel Plans

Find a travel plan, implement a travel plan, design a travel plan, assess a travel plan.

• Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the TfGM Travel Plan Toolkit

This toolkit helps developer, consultants, businesses and local authorities in Greater Manchester to create, review and implement effective, sustainable Travel Plans as part of the planning process for an employment site . The toolkit explains what travel plans are, provides a search facility and information on resources, as well as a process for Travel Plan users.

What is an employment site?

This Travel Plan Toolkit is for employment sites such as:

Office developments

This can include:

• business parks
• office blocks
• individual businesses
• office relocations

Retail developments

• retail parks
• supermarkets
• individual shops
• restaurants/food outlets

Education developments

• universities
• training centres

Health/wellbeing developments

• doctors’ surgeries

For businesses, consultants and developers A guided, step-by-step process, providing support and information.

For planning authorities Provides a framework for Local Authority planning officers to assess Travel Plans.

For Travel Plan Coordinators Help with developing and implementing measures identified in the Travel Plan.

New to Travel Plans? Find out more about when they are needed and the benefits they bring.

Find detailed background information and guidance on policy, best practice, example measures, jargon and contacts.

Search the archives for Greater Manchester Travel Plans created using the toolkit.

What Ryanair's new deal with On The Beach means for Manchester Airport passengers

Manchester travel giant and Irish airline reached deal after furious legal battles last year

• 07:41, 5 MAY 2024
• Updated 07:49, 5 MAY 2024

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Ryanair and Manchester travel agent On The Beach have confirmed a package holiday deal that could offer local customers more holiday options - and make their journeys easier.

Ryanair's CEO Eddie Wilson came to the travel company’s offices near Piccadilly this week to announce the low-cost airline’s flights are now on offer as part of On The Beach's package deals.

The Irish airline had been locked in a furious row with On The Beach over whether or not it could sell Ryanair flights. Ryanair has accused online travel agents of being 'pirates' for selling flights unofficially, meaning there could be confusion over contact details and refunds when there were delays or cancellations. The companies even went to court, with OTB winning a £2m victory in December .

But in February the companies announced they had reached an agreement , and today OTB’s chief executive Shaun Morton and Mr Wilson met staff at OTB in Adair Street to announce Ryanair flights are from today available as part of OTB’s holidays. That means people can book through OTB and then get all their flight information directly from Ryanair.

Mr Morton told the MEN that as Ryanair was expanding across Europe, the new deal could allow OTB to offer more holidays to more destinations.

He said: “As a business, it's really important to us that customers have the broadest possible choice. Once you've got competition in the market and choice, that's how you can deliver better value.

“We've always booked Ryanair seats for our customers as part of our package holidays, but that journey has not been without friction. And I'd say particularly over the last 12 months, there’s been friction there and us and Ryanair - we have had a dispute about that.

“And what's really positive here is that this dispute has been resolved by us both getting around a table and coming to a sensible commercial arrangement, rather than it being decided by a judge in a courtroom. That’s really positive.

“What this arrangement does is provide a perfect blueprint for how airlines and travel agents could work together. It's free and fair access to their seats in a very transparent way.”

Mr Morton said the deal would help On The Beach to access Ryanair’s massive network. The airline already serves 170 destinations from 22 UK airports, and last year carried more than 180 million passengers across its European network. Mr Morton added: “That will help us provide some real choice for customers in the UK.”

And he said: “Ryanair represents a huge amount of the seat supply that we would like. This is going to make things more straightforward for customers, operationally more straightforward for us, and it means we can focus on doing what we want to do - which is providing the holidays to our customers.”

Ryanair boss Mr Wilson said the deal could help On The Beach offer more flight choices to passengers from Manchester and beyond. He said: “We've got a relationship here, whereby they're able to package (with Ryanair) the lowest fares, best on-time performance, and the widest network with the most frequencies.

“So like if you think about it from their point of view, they might actually be selling a holiday and people don't want to go on the first flight out of Manchester - well invariably, to the popular destinations, we might have three, four or five flights throughout the day, so there’s much more choice in how they package those as well.”

Mr Wilson said there had been a 'grey area' where online travel agents resold Ryanair flights to their customers. That meant Ryanair did not have direct access to those customers' information, which was held by the agent - so if there were any flight changes, delays or cancellations, there could be confusion about what would happen.

He said: “So when we’ve got a regularised relationship here, as we do with On The Beach, it means that they can sell those seats and package it onto a package holiday customer.

“The consumer knows who they're flying with, who's got responsibility for what in terms of refunds and provision of information.

“It's really important to us, because cleaning that up if things go wrong is hugely expensive, and there's a lot of reputational damage that we had prior to this.”

On The Beach is one of six online travel agents (OTAs) with whom Ryanair has signed formal agreements. Mr Wilson said Ryanair - led by outspoken group chief executive Michael O'Leary - would still pursue any other travel agents who sold its flights without permission. He said bluntly: "The ones that we don't have a relationship with, it’s very simple, they are mis-selling our flights."

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The ultimate guide for first time visitors to Greater Manchester

If you’ve not had the pleasure of visiting Greater Manchester yet, now’s the time. To make things a little easier for first time visitors, we’ve compiled a guide of what to see and do, and how to navigate this wonderful city region. Think we’ve missed something? Leave your comments below!

Photo from  Archives+ , Manchester Central Library

Manchester is the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the innovator of the first computer and the first passenger railway line, the home of English football, and one of the most exciting places to visit in the UK right now.

Originally established in AD 79 as the Roman fort of Mamucium, Manchester remained a township until its astonishing expansion during the 19th Century, as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

Achieving city status in 1853, Manchester has continued to build on its modest yet solid foundations, becoming a progressive and welcoming city with a proud history in science, politics, music, arts and sport. Now jam-packed with unique and exciting restaurants, shops, museums and galleries and with a year-round cultural calendar to be proud of, Manchester is the place to be.

TRAVEL Thanks to an integrated transport network, Manchester is one of the most accessible cities in the UK for both national and international visitors.

With three city-centre train stations, ( Piccadilly , Oxford Road and Victoria ) there are direct rail services from across the country. Road access to the city is via the M60 ring road, and coach services from all over the country are regular, and the majority arrive and depart from the centrally located  Chorlton Street Coach Station.

Manchester Airport is a great national and international hub, and the global gateway to the North of England . More than 60 airlines connect over 200 destinations directly to Manchester, so getting here shouldn’t be a problem.

Getting around Manchester and the surrounding areas is easy thanks to the fleet of buses, trams and trains available. Manchester is also well known for its compact nature, making it a popular city to explore by foot, and allowing visitors to explore its many hidden gems. It’s also a bike-friendly city with many marked cycle lanes and routes.

Need a hand navigating? Download one of our maps.

Photo: HOME, First Street

WHAT TO SEE & DO

Greater Manchester certainly isn’t short of things to see, with a huge number of museums and galleries, many of which are free. Explore the world at Manchester Museum , see one of the country’s finest art collections at Manchester Art Gallery and explore how the Industrial Revolution started in Manchester at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Further afield, the Imperial War Museum North allows visitors to become immersed in a collection of personal stories of life on the home and fighting fronts, while The Lowry Galleries showcase changing exhibitions by one of Britain’s best loved artists, LS Lowry.

Visit the Pankhurst Centre which houses a small museum and heritage centre that remains as a legacy to the Pankhurst family and the Suffragette movement, or take in the beautiful architecture at John Rylands Library . Embrace the gallery in the park at The Whitworth , experience Manchester’s radical past at the People’s History Museum or delve into regimental collections acquired over 350 year at Bury’s Fusilier Museum .

From walking and music to history and food, the selection of tours available in and around Manchester is huge.

Discover Manchester with a hop-on hop-off bus tour or embrace the streets of Manchester with one of Discover Manchester’s daily guided walking tours . Join Skyliner and learn about the creation of the Northern Quarter and its street art with this one of a kind tour, or take like a duck to water and experience the fascinating Manchester Ship Canal Cruise , taking in spectacular scenery and learning about how the ship canal shaped the city of Manchester, and North West England.

Fancy something a little bit different? Why not try hurling axes at targets or putt your way through one of the 9-hole crazy golf courses at Junkyard Golf Club . Be the star of the 90’s classic, The Crystal Maze and take on the ultimate team challenge with friends or hit the Mancunian slopes at Chill Factore .

Step back in time and experience the sights and sounds of Britain's Home Front at Stockport Air Raid Shelters and wander round the authentically reconstructed tunnels. Book in to take a tour of the BBC at MediaCity and learn more about the world of broadcasting or stop off at contemporary arts centre, HOME – a creative space with something for everyone.

Incredibly well-known for its music scene, with names such as Oasis, The Smiths and Blossoms all hailing from the city-region, as well as the legendary Hacienda Nightclub; the city’s rich musical history has allowed for a plethora of independent music venues to continue to blossom, with the likes of the Deaf Institute , Band on the Wall and Albert Hall . Head to Manchester institution, Night and Day Cafe which has had the likes of Alex Turner, Guy Garvey and Johnny Marr grace its intimate stage, or the world landmark Jazz club, Matt and Phred’s .

Photo: Altrincham Market

Manchester’s food landscape is thriving, and with new restaurants and café’s opening almost every week, it’s hard to tire of the city’s gastronomic delights.

The food market and street food scenes are flourishing in many European cities, and Manchester certainly isn’t one to be left behind. Check out the local’s favourite, Altrincham Market with regional independent food producers lacing the food halls four corners, or the newly opened Mackie Mayor – a 1858 Grade II listed market building on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Visiting at the weekend? Every Friday and Saturday, GRUB offer street food and craft ales, wines and spirits, DJs and good times at Fairfield Social Club.

If you’re feeling a little bit fancy and wouldn’t mind a fantastic view over the city, Cloud 23 at the Hilton is the highest point from which you can enjoy a bite to eat and a glass of fizz. Alternatively, 20 Stories offers a rooftop restaurant, grill and terrace with menus created by Aiden Byrne.

The heart of Manchester’s independent food and drink scene has long been the Northern Quarter. Also littered with a multitude of quirky shops, boutiques and shop/café hybrids, The Northern Quarter, or NQ as it’s affectionately known is fit to burst with incredible eateries. Head to Yard and Coop for delectable fried chicken, Teacup Kitchen for cakes and treats, The Bay Horse for some proper pub grub, Federal for incredible coffee and brunchin’ and V Revolution for some vegan junk food.

The Corn Exchange is home to a whole host of incredible restaurants, all under one roof. Home to Wahaca, Pho, Cabana and Mowgli to name a few, this beautiful Edwardian building has become one of Manchester’s most popular foodie destinations.

It wouldn’t be a trip to Manchester without a visit to a traditional English pub – even if it’s just for an orange juice and a chat with the locals. Albert Square Chop House is all about welcoming hospitality, a great atmosphere, and the best of British food and drink. If you’re after local ales in a beautiful setting, then head to The Oast House  and for a proper Mancunian drinking experience, pay a visit to Port Street Beer House.

Locals and visitors alike are flocking to Albert’s Schloss to experience Manchester’s first Tankovna, serving the freshest Pilsner this side of the Danube. Take advantage of their ‘push for prosecco buttons, or dance on the tables when the place really comes alive with live music and ‘kabaret’!

If you’re more the cocktail type, jump on a tram to MediaCityUK and visit gigantic golden spacecraft* The Alchemist , or head to The Botanist with its selection of incredible botanical cocktails and food to match. The world-famous Canal Street is a must for any visitor to Manchester. A beacon of celebration for Manchester’s LGBT community, the Village is both party central and a living piece of social history.

Greater Manchester is a truly vibrant city region, with events and celebrations taking place year-round. Keep up to date with what’s going on in our events section , and keep an eye on our blog to find out about new openings and guides to the city.

*Not strictly a spacecraft...

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Fans ‘buzzing’ as gig moved from Co-op Live goes ahead

F ans of A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie said they were "buzzing" to be at his Manchester concert on Saturday, after it was moved from the troubled Co-op Live arena.

The American rapper was originally due to perform at the new venue on Wednesday.

But that concert had to be called off at the last minute, due to technical issues.

The artist then switched to a rival venue, the AO Arena.

The rapper opened with an enthusiastic "Manchester are you ready", getting an excited response from the largely teenage crowd.

"It cost us a lot," Dylan, 19, from Leeds, told BBC News.

He and his girlfriend Emmy, 18, had had to rearrange trains in order to make the new date.

"But it's Boogie at the end of the day. I'm buzzing."

Many fans only found out about the original gig's cancellation while they were queuing for the doors to open on Wednesday.

Rose and Tilly, both 17 and from Greater Manchester, said the whole situation had been "really annoying".

"We had to travel in again by tram," said Rose.

She said she already had plans for Saturday and had to move things around, in order to make the new date.

But both said it was "worth the wait" to finally get to see A Boogie wit Da Hoodie.

The rapper is not the only act to fall foul of the crisis at Co-op Live arena.

The UK's largest arena was due to open last month but has been hit by setbacks, delays and cancellations.

• ‘I couldn’t stop crying’: Co-op Live workers tell BBC of behind-the-scenes chaos
• I spent £1,500 to see Olivia Rodrigo at Co-op Live
• Take That move Co-op Live shows after chaos

Boy band Take That has also announced a switch to the AO for their concerts which were cancelled. US singer Olivia Rodrigo's two sold out gigs at the new venue this weekend were also called off.

Oak View Group, which owns the Co-op Live arena, has blamed defects with parts of its ventilation system for recent cancellations.

The venue said the delays were to allow for "an independent inspection of all elements of the arena ceiling".

Members of the Manchester Arena Support Network, which is a group which helps people affected by the 2017 terror attack, have urged the Co-op Live venue to postpone concerts until the building is ready.

Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds others were injured after suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a homemade device at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.

Speaking to BBC News, Ruth Leney, who was at Manchester Arena with her daughter on the night of the bombing, said: "For safety reasons, they need to postpone the opening until they're ready."

She said for her, and another survivors of the attack, safety is "paramount".

And with the anniversary of the attack - 22 May - approaching, she said it's an especially anxious time.

"In May, our anxiety is raised because as soon as 1 May hits, we know what's coming, 22 May, and everyone has this higher level of anxiety as it stands, and if we'd been arranging to go to the Co-op venue, the new venue, it's just sending everyone out of control really."

A spokesperson for the Co-op Live arena told the BBC it "couldn't and wouldn't operate any show or event without all necessary approvals".

Oak View Group boss Tim Leiweke, has said Co-op Live was working to rebuild trust after a "huge amount of disruption and frustration".

He reiterated his "sincerest apologies to everyone affected" and said the firm was working "incredibly hard" to have the building ready for 14 May.

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Opening in April 2024, just a short 20-minute drive away from the hotel, 5.5 miles is the brand new Co-op Live Arena which will be the UK's only music-first arena. Co-op Live will boast the largest floor space of any indoor venue and host a large number of events.

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Local elections live: Local election drubbing laid at the feet of Sunak by former minister as minister to defend results

Trevor Phillips will be speaking to Transport Secretary Mark Harper and shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden this morning. Suella Braverman has blamed Rishi Sunak for her party's performance in the polls

Sunday 5 May 2024 07:53, UK

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• Minister to defend Tory election defeats on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips
• Braverman lays blame for electoral drubbing at Sunak's feet
• Labour wins West Midlands mayoral election
• 'Devastated' Street refuses to blame Sunak for loss
• Tory MP says 'awful' results should be 'massive wake-up call' in WhatsApps leaked to Sky News
• Khan heckled by losing candidate as he's declared winner of London mayoral election
• Darren McCaffrey:  London loss asks bigger questions of the Conservatives
• Andy Burnham re-elected as Greater Manchester mayor
• Lib Dems win more council seats than Tories in England
• Sam Coates:  Tory MPs sad but not mutinous
• Vote 2024:   Council results in full  |  Mayoral results in full
• Live reporting by  Tim Baker

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has given his verdict on the local election results in today's Observer.

He uses his article to attack Rishi Sunak and call for a general election - while also celebrating his own party's victories.

Sir Keir writes: "Tragically, Britain is now the victim of a zombie government, stuck in purgatory with a prime minister who won't call an election he fears he'll lose, but can't give this country the change it deserves. 

"Dragging this out longer will only cause more damage, decline and drift."

He adds that "Labour is on the starting line, ­raring to go" for a general election.

But Labour is talking up the work it still has to do - with the leader saying "we will work night and day until then to earn your vote so we can turn the page on this decade of decline".

In a blistering article in the Daily Telegraph, former home secretary Suella Braverman has laid the blame for the Conservatives' poor showing in the local elections at the feet of Rishi Sunak.

But she says it would be wrong to replace him.

Ms Braverman writes: "Let me cut to the chase so no one wastes time overanalysing this: we must not change our leader.

"Changing leader now won't work: the time to do so came and went.

"The hole to dig us out is the PM's, and it's time for him to start shovelling."

She goes on to say that victories for councillors in her constituency, and the win for Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley mayoral race, were "with no thanks to the national Conservative 'brand'".

She goes on to call for action from the government on a variety of issues, including tax, migration, small boats and law and order - adding that she wants to see "strong leadership, not managerialism".

Not changing course will mean the party has "no one else to blame when this week's political earthquake is made to look like a mere tremor come the general election night".

 Welcome back to the Politics Hub.

It's Sunday morning - which means Trevor Phillips will be interviewing politicians and looking forward to the week ahead. 

A must-watch every week, today it carries extra weight in the aftermath of the local elections.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper is out to bat for the government after the Conservatives lost hundreds of council seats and managed to win only one mayoral election.

He will be looking to steady the ship - with potential rebels against Rishi Sunak waiting in the wings when MPs return to Westminster.

Pat McFadden , the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, will have an easier job as Labour's representative on the airwaves this morning.

The party clinched the West Midlands mayoralty last night by 1,508 votes, ousting Conservative incumbent Andy Street - after also romping home in London and a swathe of other contests.

Trevor will be speaking to John Swinney , who is eyeing a return to the top of the Scottish National Party after Humza Yousaf's resignation.

Elsewhere, the deputy director of the European Broadcasting Union - Jean Philip de Tender - will be speaking to Trevor about Eurovision and the political row over Israel.

Joining us for the panel discussions throughout will be Boris Johnson's former Downing Street communications chief Guto Harri , the ex-FT editor Lionel Barber , and Miranda Green - a former Lib Dem adviser and FT columnist. 

Watch  Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips  from 8.30am on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on the  Sky News website  and  app  or on  YouTube .

Thanks for joining us for another extremely busy day of local election news. You can join us tomorrow morning for a special election episode of Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.

Until then, here are today's headlines:

• Tory incumbent Andy Street has suffered a shock loss to Labour in the West Midlands mayoral race in a major blow to the prime minister;
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has heralded the win as a "significant piece of political history";
• Sadiq Khan has won a historic third term as London mayor;
• Andy Burnham was re-elected as Greater Manchester mayor for a third term with more than 60% of the vote;
• Labour also won mayoral races in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region and Salford ;
• The results mean Labour has won all but one of the mayoral races they were contesting, losing Tees Valley to the Tory incumbent;
• The Conservatives have lost 473 seats and control of 12 councils;
• Labour has gained eight councils and 185 seats;
• The results mean the  Liberal Democrats  have won more council seats than the Conservatives;
• The  Green Party  has netted an extra 74 seats, making serious gains in places like Bristol.

Richard Parker has pulled off a surprise victory in the West Midlands mayoral election.

The Labour candidate unseated Andy Street, winning by just 1,508 votes, to end the Tory's seven-year term.

Here's what you need to know about the relatively unknown politician.

Originally from Bristol, Mr Parker's father was a dock worker and his mother a school secretary.

He left school aged 16 and went straight to work at a local port authority before getting an economics degree.

Mr Parker went to work for PwC in 1989, where he gained his accountancy qualifications and went on to become a partner, managing the accountancy firm's relationship with the Labour Party.

Mr Parker also worked with council leaders to set up the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2016 before leaving to set up his own company RP Strategy.

Read more here:

By Andy Hayes, news reporter

Tory incumbent Andy Street has suffered a shock defeat to Labour in the West Midlands mayoral election after a partial recount was ordered.

Labour's Richard Parker beat Mr Street by just 1,508 votes - 0.25% - to deliver a major blow to Rishi Sunak in the key electoral battleground after a hammering in the local elections.

With the race neck-and-neck, in the end it came down to the results in one borough - Labour-supporting Sandwell.

"This is the most important thing I will ever do," Mr Parker said in his acceptance speech.

"I promise you that I will deliver jobs," he added.

He told Sky News he would take buses "back into public control" and deliver the "largest programme of social housing we've had in this region for more than 40 years".

And he thanked his predecessor, who he said had "led this region through a number of great challenges and you deserve great credit for that".

Labour's win in the West Midlands has left Rishi Sunak with "just one man standing", Sky's  political editor Beth Rigby  says. 

The Conservatives have now lost all of the mayoral races in this election, with the exception of Tees Valley. 

Beth says one senior Labour figure has told her the West Midlands was the Tory scalp Labour really wanted - and were pulling resources from Tees Valley to make it happen.

"They were really fighting hard to take this Tory jewel from the crown," she says.

The "energy and the euphoria was palpable" within the Labour camp after victory was declared, Beth says .

"They were so wired, excited, euphoric about this win because for them it is huge."

She says you could feel among the Labour activists, and Sir Keir Starmer himself, that they are beginning to feel "they can really do this" in the general election.

Symbolically they can say "we took your crown jewel in the West Midlands and we are coming for those seats".

"It gives Starmer momentum and it will leave the Conservatives hugely deflated," she adds.

Labour's new mayor for the West Midlands Richard Parker tells Sky News he plans to "work really closely with a future Labour government".

"I think that's the best way for us to work together for the wider benefit of this region," he says.

Mr Parker defeated Tory incumbent Andy Street in a major blow to the Conservatives.

Labour's election success is a "vindication of the hard work that we've done to change the Labour Party," Sir Keir Starmer says.

He heralds the "phenomenal result" in the West Midlands, which saw Labour's Richard Parker defeat the Tory incumbent. 

But he says Labour is now stepping up again towards the general election "so that we can serve the working people once again as a new and changed party".

He is asked about the extent to which Labour's stance on the Gaza war has cost the party votes.

"Where we have not been able to persuade people who might otherwise have voted for Labour, it is important to acknowledge that - to say I have heard, I've listened and I am determined to meet the concerns they have and win back their trust and confidence."

"But nothing takes away from the significance of this victory here in the West Midlands," he says.

Labour's Richard Parker is appearing alongside Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer after winning the West Midlands mayoral race. 

"It's time for a fresh start ... we start on Monday," Mr Parker says to a loud applause.

Speaking next, Sir Keir declares: "What a way to end the local elections in 2024". 

"This is a significant piece of political history that we have made here today," he says.

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