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Manchester

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Beetham Tower and the Great Northern Warehouse
For other places with the same name, see Manchester (disambiguation).
Manchester is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — have a look at each of them.

Manchester [23] lies at the heart of Greater Manchester, in the north west of England. The city proper has a population of around half a million, while the larger conurbation, referred to as either Greater Manchester or Manchester City Region, has over 2.7 million inhabitants.

Dubbed (unofficially) "The Capital of the North", Manchester is known for its influence on the histories of industry and music, as well as its world-renowned sporting connections. It is seen by many as the 'second city' of the United Kingdom, and is home to the UK's largest airport outside London. As the most visited city in England by overseas visitors aside from the capital, a multitude of shopping, cultural and entertainment facilities set out to charm travellers and students alike.

Districts[edit]

City of Manchester (click to enlarge).
East Central
Covers the area of the city centre bounded by the A57 (M), Oxford Road, and the A62. It covers the locales of Piccadilly, the Northern Quarter, Chinatown, the Gay Village, and Piccadilly Gardens.
North Central
Covers the area in central Manchester north of Piccadilly Gardens and east of Quay St and Peter St. It covers the locales of the Millennium Quarter, Deansgate, Albert square, and St. Ann's Square as well as the newly developed business district of Spinningfields.
West Central
Covers the area in central Manchester west of Quay St, Peter St and Oxford St. It covers the locales of Castlefield and St. Peter's Fields.
North
Covers the area north of the centre as far as the M60. Includes Sportcity, Prestwich, Crumpsall, Moston, Newton, Blackley and Beswick.
South
Covers the area south of the centre as far as the M60. Includes the neighbourhoods of Hulme, Moss Side, Old Trafford, Whalley Range, Withington, Didsbury and Chorlton-Cum-Hardy.
University Corridor
Covers the Oxford Rd/Wilmslow Rd corridor from the A57(M) to the bottom of Fallowfield. Includes both universities, Rusholme, and Fallowfield.
Salford and the Western Districts.
Covers all of the City of Salford and also includes the regenerated Salford Quays with its award-winning architecture and museums.

Towns within the Greater Manchester Conurbation[edit]

The following towns are all within Greater Manchester but not covered by the scope of this article:

Understand[edit]

City information[edit]

Manchester Town Hall

Manchester is in the northwest region of England and is characterised by its friendly, approachable inhabitants. Manchester is located about equidistant between Liverpool and Leeds, which are roughly 1 hour's travel each by road or rail from Manchester city centre. The expansion of the modern city has its roots in the 1800's when it became the world's first industrial city through the development of the cotton industry. The remnants of this development are still commonly visible through the red-brick mills of the period. The city had challenges following the decline of this industry in the twentieth century, however Investment in the city's regeneration following the 1996 IRA bomb and 2002 Commonwealth Games paid off and Manchester is well worth a visit.

The city has developed dramatically in the last two decades and the city has a vibrant, cosmopolitan, exciting air. The city is being positioned as the heart of a new 'Northern Powerhouse', providing links to the surrounding cities and regions and delivering a counterweight to London in the south. Manchester is therefore well positioned to be used as a base to explore northern England and North Wales, with excellent air, rail, tram and road links.

Although it has the image of being very wet, the rainfall and number of rainy days in Manchester are actually less than the UK average.

Manchester is a city where people are choosing to settle and the population of the city and surrounding region is increasing. It is seen by many as young, vibrant and cutting edge city, where there is always something happening. Many see their city as a rival to London, albeit on a more human scale; never mind the ongoing battle with Birmingham for "The Second City" title. The "Manchester brand" is seen to extend well beyond the immediate city's boundaries and across Greater Manchester. This serves to reflect the influence it has on the wider region as a whole.

Over the years, many have moved to Manchester from London. These people are by no means all returning to their northern roots. Some are from overseas, who stopped off down south on their way north in search of a more affordable urban existence, or indeed Londoners and natives of Southern England who have been priced out of the housing market. 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 are generally proud of Manchester and all it offers. Positive comments and praise go down a treat with the locals, and with all that has happened in recent years, such is often due.

The adjective associated with Manchester is Mancunian or simply Manc. The distinctive linguistic accent of the city's indigenous inhabitants. Some pronunciations are 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.

  • Manchester Visitor Information Centre, Piccadilly Plaza, Portland Street, Manchester, M1 4BT, phone: 0871 222 8223 ([email protected] fax: +44 161 236 9900) [24] Mon-Sat 09:30 - 17:30, Sun 10:30 - 16:30 (recorded information available by phone outside these times). The Visitor Centre has up-to-date lists of places to eat and sleep. The old visitor centre used to be near the town hall so if you ask for directions and someone says that's where it is then they're wrong. Try asking for directions to Piccadilly Gardens - the new Visitor information place is near the tram stop there.

History[edit]

Manchester was the site of the Roman Fort Mamucium (breast-shaped) 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 less broken threads and cut down on 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 the Ancoats Northern Quarter section of the city. By the end of the 19th Century, Manchester was one of the 10 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 Midland Hotel was the first meeting place of Mr Rolls and Mr Royce, before the formation of the famous car company Rolls Royce.

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. Both Engels and Marx frequented the city; the former was himself an industrialist, thanks to his being a partner in a German family firm that owned a cotton factory in Manchester, and on the basis of his experiences conducted his famous inquiry into the condition of the working class. The latter drew heavily on his friend's experience in order to develop his celebrated critique of political economy, an incisive and original analysis of the capitalist mode of production which retains great relevance today, despite its being shoehorned into the traditions of Russian authoritarianism by the Soviet revolutionaries, with generally disastrous consequences. Cleaving to a more gently pragmatic English tradition Manchester was the birthplace of the Trades Union Congress which led to the creation of the Labour Party, as well as of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, now part of the Co-operative Group, the world's largest consumer co-operative still headquartered in the city. 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.

In more recent times, Manchester has 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 unfortunately 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.

At 11:20, on Saturday, 15 June 1996, Manchester's city centre was rocked by a huge 1500 kg IRA bomb blast. Although preliminary intelligence managed to clear people from the scene enough for there to be no fatalities, the very heart of the city was ripped to shreds. A huge amount of money and effort was put into regenerating this bomb damaged part of the centre, redubbed the Millennium Quarter. The area has renewed interest in the centre and contains the entertainment and shopping heart of the city.

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)) [25] and Manchester Metropolitan University (aka 'Man Met', formerly the Polytechnic, itself a conglomeration of municipal colleges), as well as the Royal Northern College of Music. There is also The University of Salford, within one mile of the city centre, which is renowned as a European Centre of excellence in Media and well renowned for its healthcare courses. 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, the world renowned Manchester United (Old Trafford), who have the record number of 20 English football league titles and Manchester City (Etihad Stadium, Sportcity). Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium is 2 miles from the city centre in neighbouring Trafford and Manchester City's stadium is 2.5 miles to the east.

Old Trafford is also home to the Lancashire County Cricket Club. despite no longer being a part of the county of Lancashire.

In 2002, Manchester was the host to the Commonwealth Games and a large area of East Manchester was converted into a new Sportcity, the centre-piece of which is the new athletics and football stadium.

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 2008 Olympics is very much due this venue and most of the medal winners are based in and around the city.

In July 2009, it has been reported that the world's first purpose-built BMX Centre is also to be built on the site. Work on this addition to Sportcity is expected to start in January 2010 and is said to remove any lingering doubts that Manchester will be replaced by London as British Cycling's headquarters after the 2012 Olymipic Games. The centre will be used by athletes preparing for London 2012 and help bring major national and international events to the city. It will also be open to schools,clubs and the local community.

In the Queen's New Year's Honours list in January 2009, some of the locally based cycling heroes were given awards, including a knighthood to Chris Hoy.

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, are 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, fire fighters 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. It is certainly the most gay friendly major city by far and has the most visible LGBT community of any major city outside London; as well as the highest percentage. 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]

Climate Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Daily highs (°C) 6 7 9 12 15 18 20 20 17 14 9 7
Nightly lows (°C) 1 1 3 4 7 10 12 12 10 8 4 2
Precipitation (mm) 69 50 61 51 61 67 65 79 74 77 78 78
See the 5 day forecast for Manchester at the Met Office

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 (within nine minutes 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.

Get in[edit]

By plane[edit]

Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN) (ICAO: EGCC). [26] in the south of the city is the largest airport in the UK outside of London and is amongst the 50 largest airports in the world. Nearly 100 operators fly to and from hundreds of locations worldwide, including most major cities in Europe, along with services from the Americas, Africa, and Asia. It is owned by the 10 Greater Manchester Councils with Manchester City council having the largest share (55%) and the other councils 5% each. The airport has won numerous industry awards including Best Major UK Airport in recent years.

Notable services include:

A full list of destinations served can be found on the airport's official website: www.manchesterairport.co.uk

Direct trains operated by Northern and TransPennine Express run from the airport station (reached by the Skylink walkway between T1 and T2 - access to T3 via T1) to Manchester Piccadilly (and onwards to other towns and cities in the region and further afield) every 3 to 10 minutes, which cost around £4.20 for a single. No booking is required for these services.

The Metrolink also serves the airport, and is of particular use for accessing more specific points around Manchester in addition to the outlying towns of Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Ashton-under-Lyne. Trams to Cornbrook (in the city) operate every 12 minutes, with connections to the rest of the network available there. A single to central Manchester costs £4.20 - the same as the train - with a day ticket being available for £5.

National Express coaches run to Chorlton Street station (approx 25 minute journey time) and the Stagecoach 43/105 services run to Piccadilly Gardens (approx 1 hour journey time).

Taxis are available from outside each terminal, costing about £15 and taking about 30-45 minutes.

Local buses include service 18 operated by Arriva Buses to Trafford and Altrincham

Car parks serving Manchester Airport[edit]

Manchester Airport Car Parking

Address On/Off Airport Distance / Transfer Time Security Additional Information
Long Stay Parking (T1-3)
Manchester Airport
M90 3NS
On
0.5 miles/ 800 metres/ 5 minutes
Security lighting and fencing, entry/exit barriers and 24-hour security patrols.
Maximum vehicle height of 2.2 metres. Trailers are not permitted.
Long Stay Parking (T2)
Manchester Airport
M90 5PR
On
0.5 miles / 800 metres/ 5 minutes
Security lighting, perimeter fencing, entry/exit barriers and 24-hour security patrols.
Maximum vehicle height of 2.2 metres. Trailers are not permitted.
Short Stay Parking (All terminals)
Manchester Airport
M90 1QX
On
.2 miles / 300 metres/ Walking distance
CCTV, entry/exit barriers and regular security patrols.
Maximum vehicle height is 2 metres. Trailers are not permitted.
Multi-Storey Parking (All terminals)
Manchester Airport Terminals 1-3
M90 1QX
On
.2 miles / 300 metres/ Walking distance
CCTV, entry/exit barriers and regular security patrols.
Maximum vehicle height of 2 metres. Trailers are not permitted.
Meteor Meet & Greet Parking
Car park does not disclose address for security reasons.
On
Customer is met at terminal. No transfer required.
CCTV, security lighting, 1.8 m security fencing and regular security patrols.
Meteor drivers are comprehensively insured to drive customers' cars.
Airparks Handforth Dean Parking
Car park does not disclose address for security reasons.
Off
4 miles / 6 km / 15 min transfer
CCTV, security lighting, security fencing and regular security patrols.
No trailers are allowed.
Airparks Manchester Ringway
Isherwood Road,Carrington,Wilmslow,Manchester,M31 4RA
Off
4 miles / 6km / 15mins transfer
CCTV, security fencing and regular security patrols.
No trailers are allowed. Maximum vehicle height of 2.10m
Jetparks
Styal Road,Manchester,M90 1QX
Off
3 miles / 5 km/ 10mins transfer
CCTV, security fencing and regular security patrols.
No trailers are allowed.
APH Manchester [27]
Bradnor Road, Sharston Industrial Area, Manchester. M22 4TE
Off
5mins transfer
CCTV, Barrier controlled entrance and exit system, Breaker Beams, 24 hour security patrols, Park Mark® Safer Parking Award.
2.4 metre height restriction. No trailers are allowed.
Aeropark [28]
Car park does not disclose address for security reasons.
Off
Customer is met at terminal. No transfer required.
CCTV, security fencing and 24-hour on-site security.
No

John Lennon Airport, [29] in Liverpool is a budget airline airport with Easyjet [30] and Ryanair [31] serving it and is also relatively conveniently located for access to Manchester. However, Easyjet now has connections to Manchester from various departure points. A coach service runs connecting the airport to Manchester's central coach station and takes about 45 min. There is now a direct train link between Liverpool Parkway (the station near John Lennon Airport) and Manchester Oxford Road Train Station (in the city centre). Services currently run once per hour, but are planned to increase to every half hour.

Site includes disabled car parking information for Manchester Airport Manchester Airport Parking Guide

By train[edit]

Wikitravel has a guide to Rail travel in the United Kingdom.

Manchester city centre is served by two major railway stations, Victoria in the north (the area around the station has recently undergone extensive redevelopment with much more to come) and Piccadilly (transformed in recent years and voted the UK's most popular station in 2007) in the south.

Piccadilly is the main destination for long-haul trains from around the UK (eg London, Birmingham, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Glasgow etc) in addition to a few local services (notably to/from Glossop and Buxton). Northern [32], TransPennine Express [33], Virgin Trains [34], CrossCountry [35], Arriva Trains Wales [36] and East Midlands Trains [37] all serve Piccadilly.

Victoria is a hub for local stopping trains to/from West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire and Liverpool, virtually all of which are operated by Northern [38].

Trains from Liverpool, Leeds, York, Sheffield and Nottingham may also stop at Manchester Oxford Road, which is convenient for the University.

Other stations in the city centre are Deansgate, and Salford Central, but generally only local services stop at these stations.

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 note this 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. Be sure to park in a well-lit place because car crime is a particular problem in Manchester.

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 [39] 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.

A tip worth noting is that on Saturday from 12:30 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!

Alternatively, you can book a driveway or garage in advance via services such as YourParkingSpace or Parkonmydrive.

By motorbike[edit]

There are several free parking bays for motorbikes around Manchester city centre. The locations are on the Council's website[40].

By bus[edit]

Chorlton Street Coach Station is the central coach station in Manchester, located 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.

Shudehill Interchange has bus services to the North of Greater Manchester, as well as a link to Metrolink.

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

  • National Express [41] is a comfortable and frequent service which runs 24 hours a day from some cities, including London. These services depart from Chorlton Street Coach Station.
  • Megabus [42] run services to London, Scotland, South Wales and the West. Fares start at £1 and must be booked in advance online. These services run from the Shudehill Interchange.
  • Englandbus [43] transport of people by mini buses to Wales, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland.


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

Get around[edit]

Manchester trams

Transport in Greater Manchester is overseen and co-ordinated by TfGM (Information: 0871 200 22 33) [44]. TfGM sells a number of tickets which are valid for multiple operators, such as the any bus day ticket or System One. If you are planning to do a lot of travelling in one day, these might be your cheapest option. Metromax day tickets are good value if using the Metrolink tram network. There are tickets for single people and family tickets. The best value are valid after 9:30 a.m.

Maps[edit]

Dotted around the city centre on main streets including Deansgate, Oxford Road, Market Street etc, are the pedestrian-level street maps. They are usually placed in normal advertising hoardings, which can make difficult to spot from a distance. The maps have been updated with different colours for 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.

As with any other large UK city, an A-Z map is often handy. These street maps, in book form, are available from newsagents or book shops and, depending on size, cover everything from the city centre to the whole Greater Manchester conurbation. Free tourist-friendly A3 city maps can be obtained from the Visitor Information Centre in Piccadilly Gardens as well as the Information Desks at Manchester Airport.

On foot in the city centre[edit]

Manchester city centre's attractions are easily reached on foot, and walking provides the perfect opportunity to take in the architecture of the city. Manchester walking directions can be planned online with the walkit.com [45] walking route planner.

By bus[edit]

Metroshuttle [46] is a FREE bus service run jointly by the local council, National Car Parks Manchester and Allied London Spinningfields. They are operated by First Manchester. It runs three routes which between them cover most of the major areas in the city centre. These bus routes can be caught straight from all city centre railway stations (Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Deansgate, Salford Central and Victoria) as well as many of the larger car parks. 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. Just note, that due to a high-level of pedestrian priority around areas such as Deansgate, traffic in the city centre is often slow at peak times. These buses are now also operated by green hybrid buses in a bid to cut pollution and emissions in the city centre. Each line is colour branded with 1 Orange, 2 Green and 3 Purple.

Most of the buses in North Manchester are operated by First [47] whilst Stagecoach operate in South Manchester [48] 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 a new state-of-the-art £24 million interchange has been built at Shudehill for 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. The North/South rule generally applies other than those exceptions.

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 £1.50. 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 aware that during peak hours it can take as long as 30 min to make the relatively short three mile journey from Piccadilly Gardens to Rusholme. The 42/142 (operated by various companies) is usually the most frequent service, operating through the night from Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Wilmslow Road, Rusholme and beyond.

It is well worth noting that the number 43 bus not only runs all day to the airport but also throughout the night every 30 minutes. Train services from Piccadilly also serve the airport all night.

Buses to the Trafford Centre include the Stagecoach-operated Route 250 [49], 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. In the evening, or on Sundays and public holidays, your better bet for the Trafford Centre, from the city centre, is the tram and buslink to and from Stretford, as buses are much less frequent at these times.

Bus Tickets are usually purchased directly from the driver. First and Stagecoach both offer day-savers for unlimited travel on their company's buses, which cannot be used on other busses. A FirstDay is currently £4.20. If transfer between different bus companies is required, ask the driver for an "any bus day-saver", emphasising the "any". These '"System One"' tickets can be used on any bus and details of current prices are available at [50]

By tram[edit]

Metrolink [51], also known as the tram or 'Met', is the name for Manchester's local mass-transit system. With a map of the system it is very easy to understand.

Metrolink runs seven lines:

  • Altrincham - Victoria - Bury (via Market Street)
  • Altrincham – Piccadilly
  • Eccles – Ashton-under-Lyne
  • Bury - Piccadilly
  • East Didsbury – Exchange Sqaure - Oldham - Rochdale (via Exchange Square)
  • MediaCityUK - Etihad Campus
  • Manchester Airport - Victoria (via Market Street)

All trams run at least every 12 minutes Mon-Sat (every 15 minutes Sundays and Bank Holidays).

The system has been extended significantly over the last few years, with a new line to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport opening in late 2014 and a new line through Trafford Park currently under construction.

Metrolink is normally more expensive to travel on than the bus services - if you are going to be using it for more than one journey in a day, your best bet is to buy a day ticket, currently priced at £5 for unlimited travel until the end of that day's services. Tickets must be purchased before boarding from the automated vending machines at each station. New user-friendly ticket-machines have been installed across the network as part of its regeneration - these take cash or card and give change from notes, with instructions available in foreign languages.

If you are travelling from outside the City Centre proper, purchasing a ticket to 'City Zone' will allow you to use any of the City Zone stops - the following of which are likely to be useful for visitors:

  • Victoria — for National Football Museum, Chethams Library and the Manchester Cathedral Visitor Centre.
  • Shudehill — for Bus Interchange, The Printworks, Manchester Arndale and the western part of the Northern Quarter.
  • Market Street — for the main shopping area, including parts of Manchester Arndale and Afflecks Palace.
  • Exchange Square - for main shopping area, Manchester Arndale, Corn Exchange, and the Northern half of Deansgate.
  • Piccadilly Gardens — for bus services, 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 busses. Manchester Apollo is a 15 minute walk from here.
  • St. Peter's Square — for Central Library, The Library Theatre, Bridgewater Hall, The Midland Hotel, The Town Hall and Albert Square. Busses 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/concert venue), The Manchester International Conference Centre, Beetham Tower, Great Northern, MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry), Spinningfields, the southern half of Deansgate and the beautiful canalside area of Castlefield.

Other interesting destinations:

  • MediaCityUK — Around 15 minutes from the City Centre on the MediaCity/Eccles line. Closest station at Salford Quays to the Lowry, Lowry Outlet Mall and Imperial War Museum North as well as the new MediaCityUK development for BBC, ITV and University Of Salford. When the weather is fine, if coming from the centre, alight at Salford Quays Station, walk just a few metres in the direction of travel, cross the road, turn left, and enjoy the tree lined waterside walk, past the Salford Rowing club, as far as the bridge linking The Lowry with The War Museum.
  • Heaton Park — 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, vintage tramway museum, boating lake, stables and golf centre with pitch and putt. The former stately home Heaton Hall is located within the park and is open to visitors in the summer months.
  • Old Trafford — 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 — Around 10 minutes from the City Centre on the Altrincham Line. Alight here for a connecting bus to the Trafford Centre. Joint tickets are available from the usual machines.
  • Ladywell — 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 - Around 15 minutes from the City Centre on the East Didsbury Line. This area of South Manchester has lots to do in summer including the Beech Road Festival in June, The Unity Festival in Chorlton Park and the Big Green Festival as well as the Chorlton arts´ festival. The area is populated with creative people such as artists, writers and actors. Chorlton is also the location for the Cosgrove Hall animation studios, where the children's series Chorlton and the Wheelies and Dangermouse were created. The area is used by film crews for TV locations, such as The Second Coming.

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 ringroad (and sometimes little farther). If you are to travel farther, it is best to agree 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 a number of taxi ranks within the city centre, which are 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.

Manchester Taxi (44+ 161 401 1234), [Union Cars] (+44(0)161 833 4141) and Manchester Cars Taxis (+44 161 228 3355) are based in the city center and Manchester Cars is located conveniently behind the Chorlton Street coach station.

By train[edit]

Local rail services run regularly and to most places in the surrounding area and beyond. Most trains will pass through Piccadilly or Victoria, but it will do to call National Rail Enquiries (08457 48 49 50) [52] 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 March 2011, costs £4.40 per day for adults and £2.20 for children under 16 (accompanied children under 5 are free). An "Evening Ranger" is also available for just £2.20. 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 The Peak District. They also include free travel on the Metrolink within the central zone. These can be bought at ticket offices or on the train.

TfGM [53] has a "London tube-style" map of the Greater Manchester rail network, including Metrolink.

It is worth remembering that train services from Piccadilly serve the airport all night.

By bike[edit]

Cycling is another great way to tour Manchester.

Manchester has no steep hills and offers a number of bicycle paths throughout the city (although not all are segregated). You can look at a bicycling map online, some of the routes highlighted on the map have less traffic and can be off-road including along canal paths.

There is dockless bike sharing scheme called Mobike which allows you to rent bicycles via its app. Mobikes can be found anywhere around the city and the cost is £29 for the deposit (which is refundable) and 50p per 30minutes. Users can use these bikes for as long as they wish but must leave these in reasonable places.

See[edit][add listing]

Piccadilly Gardens

Cosmopolitan Manchester[edit]

The Imperial Chinese Archway in Manchester's Chinatown
  • Manchester's Chinatown around George Street and Faulkner Street has been a feature of Manchester since the late 1970s. Manchester Chinatown's historically Cantonese nature, reflecting Britain's colonial links with Hong Kong, is changing with greater Madarin influence. This is related to Manchester's significant Chinese student population and immigration. Many see Chinatown as a place for younger people at night - many karaoke bars and restaurants have opened in this district providing late night entertainment for all. You will find people on the streets of Chinatown speaking Cantonese and Mandarin to each other and most of the signs are bilingual. It is home to many of Manchester's east-asian restaurants as well as many traders in Chinese food and goods. There are a couple of good Chinese supermarkets. As night falls upon Chinatown, the neon lights come on, adding to the ambient feel of the area. There many eateries to try too, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and everything in between; 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. It serves as a magnet for the Chinese population, from around the city region and beyond.
  • 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 acceptance 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 heterosexual party-animals as they are with the gay crowd, mainly due to their very late opening hours (5am or later) and friendly carefree atmosphere.

The Village hosts a major Pride festival every year (August Bank Holiday; the last weekend of the month), when this part of town is closed to the public for a charity fundraising weekend for gay and gay-friendly people. Many thousands of pounds are raised, each year, for various charities. There is a moving memorial service on the Monday evening to round the weekend off. Entrance is by wrist band. These are valid for the whole weekend or part of it, if required.

Check out the restaurants in The Village too. The best and longest established has to be Velvet, on Canal Street. Friendly staff, good food, and a cosmopolitan environment make it a hip and popular restaurant, bar, and hotel. Art works are also on display.

  • Check out the Curry Mile, a 800 metre-long stretch of curry restaurants, sari shops, shisha bars and jewellery stores in Rusholme.
  • Manchester's Northern Quarter has seen huge growth over recent years and hosts an abundance of bars, clubs, restaurants and live music venues as well as independent shops.
  • If you have time and want to mix with trendy, monied residents try an evening out in the very upmarket southern suburbs of Chorlton-cum-Hardy or Didsbury. Both are popular evening/nighttime destinations for many from across the conurbation and are easily accessible from the city centre via Metrolink, buses or taxis (approx £15 fare). On the all too rare, warm and fine Saturday evenings in summer, they can put on a good show with upmarket restaurants, where you can eat outside at the many great pubs and bars. Think London's Hampstead and Islington with similar media types and many others from elsewhere in town, who just want a piece of the action. Chorlton and Didsbury are both highly sought-after places to live, with very high property prices and a certain cachet!

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. The recently finished Visitor's Centre provides an intimate experience for newcomers to the cathedral. This is near to Harvey Nichols, Urbis and Victoria Station.
Manchester Cathedral
  • 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. Free tours can be arranged and the state rooms are generally open to visitors when not otherwise in use. The Great Hall contains a series of pre-Raphaelite wall paintings by Ford Maddox Brown depicting historical scenes (some rather fanciful) from Manchester's past. The corridors are often seen on television dramas standing in for the Palace of Westminster, although the Commons chamber itself is usually depicted in a permanent set at Granada TV studios. The Town Hall is on the wide cobbled area of Albert Square, which is all accessible from St Peter's Square Metrolink station. There is now a tea rooms in the sculpture hall overlooking the square. It is directly to the right as you enter the building. Service is excellent and attentive, but what on offer a little limited.
  • 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 itself 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, Dancehouse Theatre, Home, Salford Arts Theatre, Kings Theatre, 3MT, and The Contact, not forgetting The Lowry at The Quays, which has three theatre spaces). Further afield, The Bolton Octagon, Bury Met, Oldham Coliseum, the lovingly restored 1930's Stockport Plaza with a wonderful 1930's 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 Madonna and Kylie at The MEN 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. An interesting, round building from the 1930s. The library has been reopened on 22 March 2014 following a 4 year renovation project since 2010.
  • Contact, on Oxford Road, is a brilliant theatre which often focuses on more contemporary productions than other theatres in the centre. These shows range from drama and physical theatre to music, circus and puppetry. It also features a lounge area serving great food as well as alcoholic, hot and cold drinks throughout the day/evening.
  • HOME on First Street, a combined art-house cinema, theatre and gallery based on a merger of the Cornerhouse cinema and the Library Theatre Company.
  • Imperial War Museum North [54], at The Quays. Great museum with fantastic architecture, located in Trafford Borough, across the water from The Lowry, near Manchester United's Stadium, and designed by Daniel Libeskind, who also designed The Jewish Museum in Berlin. The museum focuses on the people involved in war, whether it's the people who worked in the factories in World War two, or the soldiers who suffered in the battlefield. Tours are offered and displays are updated on a regular basis.
The award winning architecture of the Imperial War Museum North at the Quays.
  • The Lowry, at Pier 8 on the 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 particulary fine collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings.
  • Manchester Museum, on Oxford Road. Highlights include a fossil skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex and Egyptology, including painted mummy masks of the Roman era.
  • Gallery of English Costume, in Platt Hall Rusholme is now open once more and well worth a visit.
  • The Museum of Science and Industry [55], in Castlefield. This is very popular with families and school groups and offers a vast number of displays. The first ever railway station is part of the museum. Currently they are celebrating the centenary of the first all-British flight in 1909.
  • 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.
  • 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 Cafe has been declared "Best Family Restaurant" by the prestigious "Which?-Good Food Guide 2009". It has been described by its owner as "a fresh food cafe" with food of "restaurant quality". The menu is simple with an emphasis on seasonal, local produce.
  • Bridgewater Hall, near St. Peter's Square and Manchester Central Exhibition Centre, was completed 1996 and is the home of the Halle Orchestra, the world's first municipal symphony orchestra, and also houses traveling 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 also a bar next door down the wide steps, overlooking a pleasant water feature. Look out, too, for the polished stone sculpture outside!
  • Manchester Jewish Museum, 190 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester. This is a safe, 10-15 minute walk up the road behind The MEN Arena. You can also catch any bus that goes up Cheetham Hill Road from the stop by the side of the Urbis, opposite The Printworks. The 135 bus is an option; a reliable service running at least every ten minutes. It is about three or four stops from the Urbis, but it is best to ask the driver when to alight. Open Mon-Thu 10:30- 16:00, Sun 11:00- 17:00. Closed on Jewish holidays. Tells the story of the large Jewish population in Manchester. Adults £3.95, concessions £2.95. The museum is in the former Spanish-Portuguese synagogue in what was once the heart of the old Jewish quarter. The community has long since moved up the road to Cheetham Hill and Higher Broughton and, in later years, many less Orthodox people have moved to Prestwich, Whitefield and parts of Radcliffe and Sunnybank as well as to some desirable parts of south Manchester.

There are lots of guides to current theatre shows such as Live-Manchester.

Sporting Manchester[edit]

  • Manchester City Football Club, [56]located in Sportcity. Compared to their neighbours, Manchester City have enjoyed less success. However, they think of themselves as Manchester's truely local club having most of the fanbase coming mostly from the city but season ticket data clearly suggests that Manchester United have significantly more local fans. Also, City's home ground, The Etihad Stadium, is located within the city of Manchester. However they were recently acquired by ADUG (Abu Dhabi United Group) and their new found wealth is expected by many to bring a return of the success that the club enjoyed back in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
The B of the Bang - the tallest sculpture in the UK. Sadly dismantled for reasons of safety in 2009. It may be put elsewhere in the future.
  • Manchester United Football Club [57], the world's most popular Football Club, is located in the borough of Trafford. The club is one of the most successful in England, and are the first English club to become European champions when they did it in 1968. They have a very heated rivalry with Liverpool FC, considered by most football fans to be the biggest rivalry in all of England; a rivalry which stems from the traditional city rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool since the Industrial Revolution, and further fuelled by the fact that both clubs are the most successful English clubs in European competition. Matches between the two sides are always very charged affairs which attract sell-out crowds. Crowd violence is rare though, as there is always a strong police presence at big matches to keep things in order.
  • Sportcity is the "largest concentration of sporting venues in Europe." It is located 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, as well as the tallest sculpture in the UK, which is to be dismantled in spring 2009, for reasons of safety. Some are happy but many will miss it, it is reported.
  • Manchester Phoenix Ice Hockey Club, located in Altrincham, are the newly formed (2003) team to replace the once most supported team in European Hockey, Manchester Storm. The Phoenix also host the UK's most sucessfull ice hockey player in the form of Tony Hand the team's player/manager.

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. Free tours are offered Monday-Friday at 10am, 11am, Noon, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.
  • 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 S.I. 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.
  • Midland Bank Building (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 once it reopens. It is located at the upper end of King Street near Armani and Vivienne Westwood, towards Mosley Street.

Buy[edit][add listing]

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. Pickpockets can be a particular problem in Manchester city centre however so maintain an awareness at all times. Even in the most upmarket stores you are treated in a friendly manner, which many think is not the case in the capital. The recently redeveloped Arndale Centre is a 1970's city-centre shopping precinct, with 280 stores across just under 185 000 m² of retail space making it the largest city centre shopping centre in Europe, including the largest Next store in the world. The place retains some of its 1970's concrete charms and STILL some of the infamous yellow tiles that are a testament to bad urban planning of that era. It is connected via link bridge to the Marks and Spencer and Selfridges department stores adjacent in Exchange Square. Part awaits an update to the exterior, but the section modernised after the 1996 bomb is an improvement, although different to that of The Trafford Centre with a more modern simplistic feel compared with the grand exterior of the Trafford Centre. The inside has had a total revamp. It does get very busy at weekends and, unlike at The Trafford Centre, there are far too few places to sit down. If you do need to sit down there are a few benches on the lower floor around the staircase near the market.

There are a number of large shops aimed at bargain hunters ,including the largest Primark in the country, which is great for a bargain and much loved by US cabin crew when in town, 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 Triangle, an upmarket shopping centre based in the old Corn Exchange, worth a visit for the building alone and Selfridges, spread across 5 floors with its large Louis Vuitton concession and 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. 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 city centre offer a Vivienne Westwood store (a local girl, from the nearby Peak District), Joseph and DKNY, as well as 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 sixties!), 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. The new Champagne bar, on the third floor, is the latest addition. 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 set to open in Autumn 2010 in the Spinningfields district of the city centre. It will be the home to stores such as Flannels, Mulberry, Emporio Armani and Armani Collezioni, Brooks Brothers, Ermenegildo Zegna, Oliver Sweeney and Joseph. Combined with some of the new cafe's and restaurants this is set to become a top retail and leisure venue.

There is also an outlet mall at The Lowry, in Salford, near Media City: UK housing the BBC North project to relocate almost 3000 posts and 5 departments from London as well as BBC Manchester 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, or a bus/tram journey. It does not yet have a tram station of its own. It has been designated the Temple to Consumerism, and is one 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! If confused how to get there by bus and not too worried about the cost, opt for a through ticket on the tram and catch the link bus from Stretford station on the Altrincham line, (turn right out of station and take the first right for the bus stop). If you already have a Metromax day ticket for the tram, just pay extra on the link bus. You can catch the same bus back to the station from a couple of stops around the centre or from the centre's own bus station. The cinema is also one of the best in the area and has even hosted some UK premieres in the past. The centre is now also linked to an annex 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 club Manchester United is popular with some tourists. There is a dedicated superstore in the stadium at Old Trafford.
  • Manchester City FC also has its own dedicated retail outlet at the City of Manchester Stadium in Sportcity, as well as in on Market Street.
  • Afflecks Palace in the Northern Quarter is "an emporium of eclecticism, a totem of indie commerce," and a shopping arcade in a five story Victorian building, featuring a range of 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 April 2008, it is now simply 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 was put up in 1999 at a cost of £35 000, but the lights went out for some five years until a deal was struck in July 2010, by the city council, with the NCP carpark company who will pay the bill for the 12-metre light tower. It is lit from 21:00 to 01:00.
  • 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, arguably the greatest Champagne ever made and incomparably finer than the footballer's wildly overrated Crystal is about £150 cheaper than usually quoted elsewhere.
  • Of late, there is a flower market at the Market Street corner of Piccadilly Gardens Thursday through Saturday from 10:00- 18:00. 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 located 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 aforementioned Sainsbury's and Granada TV. M&S food outlets are located 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 Coop 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. The city centre's first'Waitrose store opened near The Avenue development, with another expected to open in Piccadilly Gardens in the near future. At the other end of the spectrum there are 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 newly-refurbished 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 BBC Studios on Oxford Road. Just out of the centre are a large Sainsbury's, in Regent Retail Park, Salford, an Asda store in Hulme, a Tesco Extra Hypermarket in Cheetham Hill.
  • Not of particular interest maybe, but it is worth knowing where the main public toilets are about town! Clean conveniences can be found at Piccadilly station (less reliable ones are to be found at Victoria) and there are a few pods around the centre (one is on the corner of John Dalton Street and Deansgate). There are pay toilets in the basement and on the top floor of The Triangle Centre, Exchange Square. You can also find FREE toilets in The Arndale Centre and at the following locations;
  • Kendals House of Fraser, Deansgate, (basement, 3rd, and 6th floors).
  • Selfridges,Exchange Square. (basement ,in the corner, near the alcohol section).
  • M&S, St Mary's Gate. (basement, near the food hall).
  • Harvey Nichols, New Cathedral Street (Near the food hall, bar, and restaurant).
  • Debenhams, Market Street. (Near cafe, top sales floor).
  • Royal Exchange Theatre, St. Ann's Square. (by bars and restaurant — not available to public during performances).
  • Town Hall. (entrance opposite Beluga restaurant, on Mount Street, just off Albert Square).

From summer 2010 the City Council is working with retailers who are to display a sticker in their window offering free use of their toilet facilities.

Most museums and galleries include free toilets. There is nothing stopping you popping into any busy pub to use their conveniences! At busy times you would hardly be noticed.

  • Free copies of The Manchester Evening News are given out, around the city and available at the airport, on Thursday and Friday, as well as inside and outside some selected newsagents in town. There is a charge of 47p 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.

Do[edit][add listing]

  • theMANCHESTERcard is the city's tourist discount card. You can use it to save money off entry prices of key tourist attractions (like the United and City stadium tours, LEGOLAND, ChillFactorE, Alton Towers), as well as 100+ restaurants, bars, theatres and comedy clubs across the city. It is worth a look if you are planning on visiting more than one tourist attraction, and it costs £10 for 4 days.
  • Free Go to Cloud 23 bar on the 23rd floor of The Hilton, Deansgate. A pricey bar, but you can have a look at the skyline for free if you ask.
  • Visit the Trafford Area of this area of fascinating industrial heritage.
  • Manchester has a couple of big multi-screen cinemas located centrally, AMC off Deansgate (as cheap as £3.20 if you're a student) and Odeon in the Printworks show the usual Hollywood fare; Home tends to show smaller, independent, art house and foreign language movies. There is an Imax inside the Odeon in the Printworks.
  • Shows in Manchester [58], and Live-Manchester list many theatres and live music venues so see what's on when and where.
  • Hire a supercar in Manchester [59]; Northern Ferrari hire offer self drive supercar hire in Manchester.
  • LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester [60] located just off the Old Trafford; It's a kids attraction with rides, indoor playgrounds, a 4D cinema and several LEGO workshops.
  • Clue HQ - Manchester [61] located near Piccadilly Station. Live "escape the room experience" in which guests, as a team, are given 60 minute to escape the room, finding as many clues as possible to solve a series of puzzles and riddles. The perfect exhilarating, entertaining and exciting team building activity.
  • Longford Park Disc Golf Course, Stretford, Manchester M32 8PR (Located in the middle of Longford Park, Stretford), [1]. A free-to-play disc golf (golf with frisbees) course. Features 18 baskets with beginner and advanced tee positions. Discs can be hired from the Caffine & Co. café in the park (check opening hours). Easily reached by public transport from the centre. free.  edit

Learn[edit]

There is no doubt that Greater Manchester's universities continue to be a big draw. The University of Manchester is the most over subscribed university in Europe. More and more language schools are also now opening and offer a more reasonable option than the likes of London and other southern venues.

Ministry of Craft[62] based in the Northern Quarter offers short courses every weekend on everything from sewing to screen printing.

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, 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.

If you are qualified to work in Britain, work can be found. Many thousands of East Europeans have been drawn to the city in recent years, but according to the press reports, a great number are now returning due to perceived job insecurity and the falling value of the Pound, as a result of the economic downturn. Many, to date, have found work in the building trade, where there has been a boom as of late. In some areas of employment, you could find yourself competing with the many students who need to finance their studies.

Manchester is an important financial centre and the media are also well represented, as can be seen in the BBC's move to MediaCityUK at Salford Quays, where they have been joined by ITV-Granada (makers of Coronation Street). MediaCityUK is home to BBC Radio Manchester, BBC North West Tonight (regional TV news) and The Religious Affairs Department of The BBC and many other departments. Shows made at MediaCityUK include University Challenge, The Jeremy Kyle Show, Countdown and Judge Rinder.

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][add listing]

Manchester is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.


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 find any type of international and British food. It is also worth exploring some of the suburbs for superb, small independent bistros / 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", as regards restaurants, and THE place to eat .In Ramsbottom Ransoms has won many awards both regionally and nationally. The usual, well established UK chains like Cafe Rouge, Pizza Express, Nando's, Bella Italia etc are all to be found in Manchester city centre and out of town too.


  • Red Hot World Buffet, 48 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2EG, ☎ 0161 819 1240, [2]. All you can eat buffet style restaurant situated on Deansgate. Live entertainment ranges from live music to magicians performing close up magic. Prices for lunch start from £8.99 and dinner from £14.99.  edit

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 cafes, though, are still to be found in the back streets of the Northern Quarter. The Little Aladdin cafe at 72 High St (on the corner of Turner St, near Arndale centre) is a tiny little curry house with real charm. They serve a range of delicious curries and kebabs for £3-£4. Here's the menu: [63].

On John Dalton Street, on the left, just up from Deansgate, going to Albert Square, is a gem of a cafe,Essy's, (imagine a cross between an American diner and an old style British "café"). It is run by a group of Iranians, for whom nothing is too much trouble. You can be satisfied there for under £5 with clean, welcoming table service. There are a couple of other similar places around town; in the Northern Quarter and one just behind Kendals, on King Street West.

On the opposite of Manchester Metropolitan University at 121 Oxford Road, there is a small fast food restaurant called "Pizza Co". Try their spicy chicken wings with fries, which are a hit among students in Manchester, for under £3. The spicy wings are very flavourful and are really not very spicy.

Manchester University's Student Union bar, also on Oxford Road, currently (Sept. '14 to May '15) runs Meat-Free Mondays where all vegetarian food is half price on Monday. Try the vegetable pizza for £2.50, or the skin-on fries with 4-bean chilli and cheese for even cheaper.


Chinese[edit]

There are plenty of all-you-can-eat buffets in Chinatown for less than £10.00 (€ 13.00). 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 desert for around £5. Really cheap Chinese buffets include Number 1's at 48 Whitworth Street (between Oxford Road Station and the Gay Village) Tai Wu at 44 Oxford Street next to McDonalds.

Wing's Dai Pai Dong in the Arndale Market and Food court city centre is set around a sushi counter. It serves a variety of mainstream Cantonese (Hong Kong), Thai, and Japanese dishes. The Hong Kong style roasting dishes are particularly good value and well-made. Typically any mixture of Char Sui, Duck, Pork Belly, Jelly Fish, and Cold Cuts can be paired with Rice, Soup Noodle, or other fried noodles, typically for around £4.50 for a very large and filling bowl/plate. Teamed with a bottle of Asahi Beer, the bill per person will be well under £10.

There is a Chinese buffet near Piccadilly Gardens called 'Buffet Metro' which, if you eat there during Happy Hour (15:00-18:00 on weekdays), only costs £4.95 for unlimited food. A real cheap deal if you want to eat out, but on a budget.

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.

Mediterranean[edit]

  • Sultan Restaurant in Withington is a hidden local gem of superb mediterranean and middle eastern cuisine. Run by the former chef of the very succesfull restaurant Aladdin, it offers generous portions at low prices with many vegetarian options. They do not sell alcohol, but you are welcome to bring your own bottle; there is no corking fee. 513 Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester, M20 4BA. http://www.sultan-restaurant.co.uk

Chinese[edit]

Amongst the enormous range of Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown, the Great Wall at 52 Faulkner Street 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.

  • Red Chilli on Portland Street and Oxford Road (next to McDonald's) is of a very good standard and is unusual in Manchester in specializing in Beijing and the very spicy Szechuan cooking. It has a large Chinese following, which is always a good sign.

Outside Chinatown, the increasingly esteemed Tai Pan on Upper Brook Street and Brunswick Street. Visit the huge, Hong Kong style restaurant from Mon-Fri after 12:00 for half price dim sum.

  • Fuzion Noodle Bar at 264 Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield has very good, speedy pan-asian noodles.

Indian[edit]

Rusholme's Curry Mile, as the name suggests, was home to a lot of Indian, Pakistani and Bengali restaurants. The area has gone under something of a transition over the last five years and you're as likely to find shisha bars and Middle-Eastern cafes as you are curry houses. The quality of the remaining Indian restaurants is somewhat variable and you may be better off heading into the city centre for a decent eat.

In the centre 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 old BBC building (now demolished), 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. You can contact them at EastZEast.

Also just off Oxford Road on Chester Street is a new 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. This is in the top 10 restaurants in Manchester. Contact them at http://www.zoukteabar.co.uk

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, Asian Fusion and Tandoori Flame - the latter being without exception, the best curry house in the whole south of Manchester and more than worth the 15 minutes it'll take you to reach it via tram from the city centre. They are all on Barlow Moor Road.

Korean[edit]

  • Yechan Foods, 95 Mauldeth Road, Manchester M14 6SR, ph: +44 161 225 4447.
  • Koreana Restaurant — A Long established Korean Restaurant at 40a King Street West in city centre just off Deansgate. A regular stop for Manchester United's Korean football star Ji-Sung Park.
  • Seoul Kimchi, by the Universities on Booth Street.

Japanese[edit]

  • Wagamama's, (located in the Printworks), is one of the chain of Japanese restaurants popping up all over the country. Wagamama's serve the best ramen, ebi gyoza, and many other different Japanese cooked dishes... perfect with a hot flask of sake! Their second venture in town is into the Spinningfields district just off Deansgate.
  • New Samsi, 36 Whitworth Street, city centre. A great sushi restaurant that also caters well for those that don't like raw fish. With a well-stocked, but small Japanese supermarket below (accessed from inside the restaurant) [64].
  • 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.
  • Wasabi, 63 Faulkner St, Manchester, M1 4FF, ☎ +44 161 228 7288, [3]. Great sushi from the conveyor belt in a fun atmosphere. £7.95 for 6 dishes and miso soup or 3 dishes and a noodle/rice dish. £12.95 for 10 dishes and a miso soup. £14.95 for 10 dishes and a rice/noodle dish..  edit Needless to say, you will be full. 2 restaurants in the City Centre, in Chinatown and the Printworks.
  • Tokyo Season Located on Portland Street, between Piccadilly Gardens and the gay village, they serve traditional Japanese dishes at reasonable prices, with a full menu of drinks also available including asian and world beers, spirits and wines.
  • 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.
  • Tampopo located in Albert Square and the Triangle in Exchange Square, they offer good priced pan asian food with quick, friendly service in a modern, clean restaurant environment.
  • Umezushi is a traditional style Japanese restaurant of a quality rarely found outside of Japan. The menu (not cheap, but certainly worth the cost) varies on a daily basis depending on the best quality fish the chef can source that morning. A hidden Gem on Mirabel Street (near the Manchester Arena). [65]

Greek[edit]

  • Kosmos Taverna, 248 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M14 6LD (in [[Manchester/Universities|Fallowfield]]), ☎ +44 161 225 9106, [4]. Good Greek food, but quite pricey. Not the most attractive interior, but good service and atmosphere.  edit
  • Dimitri's Deansgate (opposite Beetham Tower) a taverna with live acts as well as underground seating in a plush environment. Food and drink is competitively priced but well worth the money for the spectacular quality and authenticity of the food and dining experience as a whole.
  • Rozafa located near Albert Square and the town hall, a pleasant place to while away an hour or two, with very honest and tasty food.
  • Bouzuki by night Princess Street.
  • Twisted Med Castlefield (near Deansgate Station) Greek, Spanish and Italian-influenced Mediterranean cuisine set in a beautiful high end location of the city centre.

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 (The Lowry Hotel, The Midland, SAS Radisson, and the Hilton, Deansgate to name just four). 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 and a new, modern, Spanish-style venture behind Piccadilly Gardens on New York Street called Grados. Abode at 107 Piccadilly is also believed to have brought something new to the Manchester dining scene.

Harvey Nichols is 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 recently pumped a load of money into Rosso an upmarket "Italian", which has so far had good, if not excellent, revues in the local press which praised the decor and very professional waiters more than the food.

Armenian[edit]

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.

Chinese[edit]

  • Yang Sing at 17 George Street by Princess Street at the south-western edge of Chinatown has long been considered the best Cantonese restaurant in the country (and perhaps in Europe).


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 review.

Patisserie and Tearooms[edit]

In common with a number of provincial towns/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][add listing]

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 SAS Radisson and The Aurora Hotel are also upmarket. For other upmarket venues (there are some very discrete 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 querky 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 new-comers like Kasabian. Smaller bands can also be seen at a range of excellent venues in the city including, Night and Day, Gullivers and The Castle all in the Northern Quarter, and Sound Control 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 Music Box and The Phoenix, both on Oxford Road.

Also check out Rock Kitchen on a Saturday night for cheap drinks at the Manchester Metropolitan University Student's Union, again on Oxford Road. If you are interested in Rock and Metal paired with cage dancers and a lapdancing 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.

Retro Bar on Sackville Street, hosts live acts upstairs and a club downstairs with play lists 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 [66] in East Manchester is something of a local indie institution with a great playlist. Be warned, 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, 60's pop, and 70's 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 08:00), 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, has recently opened a second venture, Trof North, on Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter.


Although there are still plenty of cafes 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 Street.
  • Salisbury at 2 Wakefield Street off of Oxford Road.
  • Peveril of the Peak. Behind The Bridgewater Hall at 27 Great Bridgewater Street.
  • Britons Protection. 50 Bridgewater Street, 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 pressganged into the army. Great selection of whisky. Has a small backyard beer garden.
  • Sinclairs. This is just by Harvey Nichols store at 2 Cathedral Gates.
  • Grey Horse Inn at 80 Portland Street.
  • The Old Wellington Inn, the oldest pub in Manchester. It was opened in 1552. 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 Road. Real ale brewed on the premises and cask ale from micro-breweries nationwide.
  • The Venue Nightclub, 29 Jacksons Row. Dedicated to delivering amazing music with cheap drink prices. A must visit.

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. XS Malarkey at 341-343 Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield is cheap but good.

Sleep[edit][add listing]

Manchester is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.


Budget[edit]

  • Castlefield Hotel, Liverpool Rd, ☎ +44 161 832 7073, [5]. A three-star hotel in the Castlefield area. Extensive on-site leisure facilities, including an 18m pool. The hotel offers free WiFi and has parking available for an extra charge. from £49 for private rooms.  edit
  • Hilton Chambers, 15 Hilton Street Manchester, M1 1JJ (http://www.hattersgroup.com/Hilton/location.php), ☎ +44 161 236 4414, [6]. A popular youth hostel which is part of the 2nd most popularly rated hostel chain worldwide. Their accommodations include 24-hour check in, wifi, a guest kitchen, TV, common area, and a continental breakfast included in the rate. They also have a BBQ on the rooftop deck. £15-25 for dorms, £45-70 for private rooms.  edit
  • YHA Manchester, Potato Wharf Castlefield Manchester, M3 4NB (http://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/north-west-cities/hostels/manchester/travel_info.aspx), ☎ 0845 371 9647, [7]. This hostel is centrally located by the canal, and offers a game room, TV, cafe and restaurant, guest kitchen, laundry, internet access, and parking facilities. £18 for a dorm bed.  edit
  • Manchester Hotels, City Centre Manchester, [8]. This Manchester Hotel provides all types of accommodation in Manchester aswell as Manchester City Centre Accommodation. £19 for a single room.  edit
  • Trafford Hall Hotel, 23 Talbot Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0PE (http://www.venturehotels.co.uk/Trafford-Hall-Hotel/budget-hotels-manchester.aspx), ☎ +44 161 848 7791, [9]. This hotel is located near old trafford football ground and has great transport access to Salford and the city centre. £50 for a hotel room.  edit
  • Sachas Hotel, Tib Street Manchester. Britannia Sachas is a popular hotel located near Manchester city centre. from £26 for a single room.  edit
  • Britannia Hotel Manchester, Portland Street Manchester, [10]. Britannia Manchester Hotel is located in city centre from £26 for a single room.  edit
  • Dave Hotel Manchester, New Street Manchester, [11]. Hotel is located in city centre from £20 for a single room.  edit
  • Ibis Budget Manchester Salford Quays, 19 Trafford Road, Salford, M5 3AW, ☎ +44 161 848 0898 (fax: +44 113 267 4410), [12]. Ibis budget Hotel Manchester Salford Quays is a low-cost hotel located in the Salford Quays district, about 3 km from the city centre.  edit
  • ibis Manchester Princess Street, M1 7DG , tel: +44 161 619 9001, [67] ibis Manchester Centre Princess Street is a budget hotel, less than 1 km from the city centre.
  • ibis Manchester Portland Street, 96 Portland Street, M1 4JY , tel: +44 161 619 9000, [68] ibis Manchester Centre Portland Street hotel is located in Manchester city center, close to the city's major attractions.

Mid Range[edit]

  • Arora International Manchester, 18-24 Princess Street Manchester, M1 4LY (http://www.arorainternational.com/manchester/location.html), ☎ +44 161 236 8999 (fax: +44 161 236 3222), [13]. A modern hotel inside a fine old building with restored facade. Rooms are reasonably spacious for the UK, bathrooms modern and there is air conditioning. The beds are comfortable and the rooms have irons, safes, fridges and heated bathroom mirrors. It is very centrally located in the Manchester city centre, being just across the road from the Manchester Art Gallery. The staff are friendly and helpful. Residential floors are secured; access requires your room key card. Breakfast has a good selection and may be included in the room rate. It is eaten in the hotel's own Obsidian Restaurant and Bar located in the basement and accessible by lift if you don't want to leave the hotel. The Obsidian also has its own separate street entrance. In room broadband internet is available for a fee. The reception area is modest. Parking is a few hundred metres away in a multi-storey public park; the hotel has none of its own. £130.  edit
  • SACO Apartments, 5 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BP, ☎ +44 117 970 6999 (fax: +44 117 974 5939), [14]. checkin: 16:00; checkout: 10:00. Serviced apartments set over the top of the new piazza in Piccadilly Place. Rooms are well-equipped with necessities like wireless Internet, a direct dial phone, separate showers, digital tv and CD/DVD player and more. The lobby includes a lift, off-site gym and car parking. From £72.  edit
  • stayManchester, 40 Laystall Street, Manchester M1 2JZ, ☎ +44 161 236 7330 (), [15]. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 10:00. Serviced apartments in Manchester City Centre. A great selection of 28 one bedroom (sleeps 3), 55 two bedroom (sleeps 5 or 6) and 1 three bedroom (sleeps 8) self catering apartments, which come fully furnished with bed linen and towels also provided. All apartments also come with fully-equipped kitchens, washer/dryer, microwave oven, TV/DVD players and lounge/dining area. From £70.  edit
  • Macdonald Manchester Hotel and Spa, London Road, Manchester, M1 2PG, ☎ 0344 879 9088, [16]. The Macdonald Manchester Hotel and Spa is the largest 4-star hotel in Manchester. Located a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station.  edit
  • Mercure Manchester Norton Grange Hotel and Spa, Manchester Road Castleton, ☎ +44 161 619 9004 (fax: +44 161 228 1568), [17]. The 4-star Mercure Manchester Norton Grange Hotel and Spa is set in the countryside and its own landscaped grounds, 8 miles form the city centre.  edit
  • Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, Portland Street, M1 4PH, ☎ 0844 815 9024 (, fax: +44 161 228 1568), [18]. The 3 star Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel is located only nine mile away from Manchester airport and half a mile from Manchester Piccadilly railway station and the MEN Arena.  edit

Splurge[edit]

  • The Principal Manchester, Oxford Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M60 7HA, ☎ 0161 288 1111 (), [19]. With its clock tower and striking Victorian architecture, The Principal Manchester is an unmistakable landmark in the city's skyline. A magnificent, terracotta Grade II listed building, the hotel has a history dating back to 1890, when it first opened as The Refuge Assurance Company headquarters.  edit
  • Roomzzz Manchester City, 36 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 4JY, ☎ 0844 499 4888 (), [20]. Roomzzz Manchester City is part of the fabric of the city. It's housed in a Grade II listed cotton warehouse, boasting high ceilings, long windows, soaring interior spaces and grand Victorian character. The concept of Roomzzz is to combine all the best features of a boutique hotel with all the best things about a luxury apartment. Each room has a pocket-sprung memory foam bed, an Apple Mac Computer, widescreen LCD TV with Freeview and free wi-fi, local and national calls.  edit
  • Marriott Victoria and Albert Hotel, Water Street Manchester, M3 4JQ (http://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/maps/travel/manva-manchester-marriott-victoria-and-albert-hotel/), ☎ +44 161 832 1188 (fax: +44 161 834 2484), [21]. Built in 1844 and restored immaculately in 2005, this 4-star hotel is one of Manchester's most deluxe accommodations, on the banks of the Irwell River. The hotel has a gourmet restaurant, bar, and lounge. The hotel is smoke-free except for designated rooms on the 2nd floor. £150.  edit
  • Radisson SAS Hotel Manchester Airport, Chicago Avenue, Ringway, Greater Manchester, M90 3RA, ☎ +44 161 490 5000 (fax: +44 161 490 5100), [22]. Stunning views in Business Class with direct access to both its own station and to Manchester Airport. The high-speed wireless internet is reasonably priced, with a fantastic restaurant and lavishly equipped health club. £75-250.  edit

There are thousands of hotel beds in the city ranging from 5 star establishments to bed and breakfast. If in doubt consult the tourist office, behind the Town Hall on St Peter's Square. See City Information section for contact details and address.

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! Light in The Northern Quarter seems to be THE place to stay, of this kind, of late. Do also 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.

Contact[edit]

Although you will find a whole bunch of available wi-fi hot spots in central Manchester, they can be very expensive. Until the free municipal wi-fi network comes live in a few years, make best use of the free wi-fi available at:

  • Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street - art gallery, cinema, bar.
  • Oklahoma Cafe, 74 - 76 High Street - organic, vegetarian and fair trade coffee shop.
  • The Castle Pub, 66 Oldham Street - traditional pub *Note: currently being refurbished so may have limited service or be closed.
  • Revolution, 90-94 Oxford Road, M1 5WH - trendy vodka bar. The wifi is also reachable from the Starbucks on the other side of Oxford Road.

The Post Code for Manchester is 'M'. The Dialling Code is '0161'.

If you're wanting to use a mobile in Manchester, it might be worth looking at some local sims.

The main mobile networks are EE, Vodafone, Three and O2. However there are a host of MVNOs that use the infrastructure of these networks, these often offer plans tailored towards expat communities and tourist who wish to call abroad, the main players are LycaMobile, Lebara and giffgaff. Most of these sim cards can be picked up in local shops however giffgaff do not have shops and only post out sims to the UK - therefore if you'd like a giffgaff sim abroad you can order one here. If staying connected is a priority you may want to compare the data speeds of the networks, OpenSignal provide London coverage maps.

Stay safe[edit]

Manchester is reknowned for it's energetic and diverse nightlife and music scene, which can of course also include a heady amount of public drunkenness in the later hours, particularly on weekends. Police patrol heavily on Friday and Saturday nights in the major traffic areas, and it is generally safe although quiet areas after dark should be avoided, especially in the early hours. As in any town or city, you should also avoid any conflict with door staff at bars, clubs, and pubs. Most door staff will be friendly enough but the profession sometimes attracts thugs.

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 recently. What starts out as "banter" quite commonly gets out of hand.

Homelessness and begging have increased dramatically in recent years, and consequently some associated criminal behaviour with it. Some busy central areas, particularly Picadilly Gardens, can be a centre of hustling and public drunkenness and it is advisable to avoid hanging around, particularly alone. If you are arranging to meet someone in central Manchester, try instead some of the nearby coffee shops or department stores. Picadilly Gardens after dark is also an active site for drug dealers and a general central crossing point for much of Manchester's nightlife, so bear this in mind. Pickpockets are also occasionally a problem so remain alert to your belongings at all times.

As in other parts of Britain, you may encounter sellers of "The Big Issue". 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 £2 copy. Please ensure you only buy from badged, official vendors.

Unfortunately, Manchester has the highest car crime rate in the UK, and one of the highest rates of car theft and break-ins in Europe. If you bring your car into Manchester be careful to park it in a well-lit area, and hide away any belongings in the boot.

It's important to stress that overall Manchester is a safe city, especially during the daytime - however after dark, it is advisable to stick to the busier commercialised areas and well-lit streets. Use your common sense - should you spot suspicious-looking groups avoid them and walk the other way, or try to walk past them quickly.

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

  • Longsight, Levenshulme, Gorton, and Burnage. This is a somewhat deprived residential area in the shadow of the city centre, which has as yet avoided the gentrification of nearby Hulme. Crime is above average although organised crime has seen a large decline in recent years after a series of high-profile prosecutions.
  • Moss Side. Famously, this area has been historically associated with gang related violence and gun crime but after heavy redevelopment, and community action and policing since the 1990's, it is largely no worse than other inner-city areas of any major city. It is adjacent to some pleasant parks, including the small Whitworth Park and larger Platt Fields Park, although all of these parks are to be avoided after dark. Catch the Caribbean Festival of Manchester in Alexandra Park every July/August.
  • Parts of Withington & Fallowfield. Like Moss Side, these areas have also been home to elements to gang culture. It is safe enough during the daytime, but avoid council estates after dark. Due to the above-average rate of young people, typically students and post-graduates, who live in the area, some predatory elements are attracted and sometimes seek drunk or otherwise vulnerable people, typically in the early hours.
  • 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. Avoid council estates at night.
  • 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 area is a vast public housing district, out towards the airport. A mixture of low income and more middle-class housing, some parts are comparatively deprived yet adjacent to older, more expensive properties, particularly along Wythenshawe Park.
  • Ordsall. Whilst in the process of extensive redevelopment, Ordsall neighbors onto more deprived areas in Salford and so some caution after dark is advisable.
  • Ancoats. Whilst home to significant redevelopment and expansion, and only just north and adjacent to the trendy Northern Quarter, Ancoats is generally best avoided on foot after dark, or at least it is best to travel in groups to and from your destination.

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.

  • Consulate of Belgium, 76 Moss Lane Bramhall, Stockport SK7 1EJ. Tel. +44 161 439 5999.
  • Consulate General of The People's Republic of China, Denison House, Denison Road, Rusholme, Manchester M14 5RY. Tel. +44 161 248 9304.
  • The Royal Danish Consulate, Beaumont House, 455 Chester Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 9HA. Tel: +44 161 300 5375.
  • Trade Commission of France, 24th Floor, Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester M1.
  • Consulate of France, Davis Blank Furniss, 90 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2QJ. Tel. +44 161 832 3304.
  • Trade Board of Ireland, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester M1.
  • Consulate of Italy, Rodwell Tower, 111 Piccadilly, Manchester M1.
  • Consulate of Monaco, Dene Manor, Dene Park, Manchester M20.
  • The Royal Consulate of the Netherlands, 123 Deansgate, Manchester M3.
  • Vice-consulate of Pakistan, 4th Floor Hilton House, 26/28 Hilton Street, Manchester M1.
  • Consulate General of Spain, La Brook House, 70 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 2BQ.
  • Consulate General of Switzerland, 24th Floor, Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester M1.
  • Swedish Consulate, Lincoln House, 1 Brazennoze Street, Manchester M2 5FJ. Tel. +44 161 834 4814.
  • Norwegian Consulate, International Trade centre, Churchgate House,6 Oxford Street,Manchester M60 7HF. Tel. +44 161 236 1406.
  • Consulate of Iceland, 28 Macclesfield Road, Wilmslow SK9 2AF. Tel. +44 1625 524133.
  • Consulate of Finland, 5 Bramway,High Lane, Stockport SK6 8EN.Tel. +44 161 376 4799.
  • Consulate of Czech Republic, 20 Stamford New Road,Altrincham WA14 1EJ. Tel(mob). +44 7729 834759.
  • High Commission of Cyprus, 304-306 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9NS. Tel. +44 161 276 5013.

Get out[edit]

Manchester is well placed at the heart of Northern England. Everything is within an hour or so of Manchester's Piccadilly and Victoria stations; major cities, National Parks, picturesque scenery, seaside resorts and swanky suburbs can all be reached by train.

Seaside[edit]

  • Blackpool — Around 1 hour by train. Previously known as 'The Playground of England'. Famed for a wild night out and favoured by Stag and Hen parties. An education, with some fantastic gay clubs to rival those anywhere! Blackpool's attractions including Britain's busiest theme park Pleasure Beach, Blackpool and the famous "Lights" from end of August to the second weekend in November.
  • If you want a quieter day by the seaside try Southport. Shopping and tea rooms combine with the beach to make Southport a nice relaxing day out. Accessible by train from Manchester in around one hour.
  • The North Wales seaside resorts of Rhyl , Prestatyn and Llandudno are around an hour and a half to two hours away from Manchester.
  • Formby near Southport is a nice day out. Some picturesque sand-dunes, red squirrel preservation area, an ice-cream van and a lovely beach, without the usual British seaside resort junk (arcade games, amusements etc). A change of train is required, so journey times are over an hour away. You can get to Formby on Merseyrail's northern line from Liverpool or from Southport.

City[edit]

  • Liverpool was European Capital of Culture in 2008, and is booming with its buzzing nightlife, great shops, superb restuarants, bars and theatres, and its world famous waterfront. The River Mersey and the magnificent Albert Dock, along with the city's cosmopolitan character and its rich cultural, music and sporting heritage make it definitely worth a visit, with numerous museums of national importance, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, a superb concert arena, a wealth of fine Victorian and Georgian buildings and two very contrasting cathedrals. Liverpool One, the new city centre shopping centre, has put Liverpool in the top five most popular retail destinations in the UK. Many Mancunians have friends and family based in their sister city and are enjoying its urban renaissance as a compliment to their own. Take a trip to Liverpool for a great day out and make sure you include a ride on the world famous Mersey ferry, or book into one of the many splendid city centre hotels and spend a weekend to really sample the vibrant nightlife and perhaps have a meal in Europe's oldest Chinatown. In 2014 Liverpool was voted the third best visitor destination in the world by Trip Advisor, and fourth friendliest city in the world for travelers by Rough Guide.
  • Leeds — Less than an hour from Manchester, in West Yorkshire, this is the largest city in Yorkshire and now a major financial centre, as well as home to The Royal Armories Collection, good museums and galleries and the much-praised West Yorkshire Playhouse Theatre. There is great shopping to be had, some of which is housed in elegant victorian arcades, and many excellent restaurants & bars too.
  • Bradford. This city is next door to Leeds, so close their suburbs merge into one, and boasts the fabulous Alhambra Theatre, The National Media Museum, with a giant IMAX screen, and the German Merchants' Quarter, which is also well worth a visit.
  • Chester — Take a Direct train from Manchester Piccadilly or Oxford Road stations to this compact Roman city in Cheshire on the edge of North Wales. Old buildings and cobbled streets will greet you as well as the unique shopping streets with two storeys. You can also walk around the city centre on the Roman Walls. Lots of inviting tea rooms and pubs await you too as well as the cathedral and Roman remains.
The city's zoo is one of the best in the country, and can be found on the edge of the city, near the main Park & Ride car park, which is easily reached from Manchester or Liverpool and well signposted. The "Blue Planet Aquarium" and "Cheshire Oaks Outlet Centre", near to each other, are but a short drive from the zoo also.
In Chester listen out for all the accents, including a lot of Welsh voices, mixed with those of nearby Liverpool, Manchester and beyond!
  • Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, is less well known to Manchester people, due to poor road links, but it is less than 40 miles/60 km away and the train service from Piccadilly is good and the journey a scenic one. This fine, post-industrial city is said to be built on seven hills and was once home to a world-famous steel industry. Nowadays, Sheffield is a growing cultural centre, boasting the UK's second largest theatre complex and a thriving music scene that has produced such acts as Arctic Monkeys, Def Leppard and Pulp.
  • Preston — This Lancashire town still retains an "old northern" culture and is the UK's newest city, having been at last granted that status. The city centre is currently undergoing a £700 million redevelopment project. Preston is about a 40 minute drive north of Manchester and also accessible by train or coach. Preston is well worth a visit. It is the administrative centre of the County of Lancashire and home to County Hall and one of the region's newer universities, UCLAN.

Country[edit]

  • Peak District for grass and hills. About 20 miles/30 km to the east of the city. A National Park and one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Buxton and the villages around are worth a look. Hadfield and Glossop are around 30 minutes train ride away from Piccadilly. Edale and Buxton are under an hour away.
  • The Lake District — For a bit of greenery in a National Park, go to the north. Of international poetic repute and one of the most beautiful parts of England. About an hour away.
  • Heaton Park — Ok, not exactly deep countryside but the nearest suburban Manchester can offer. Heaton Park is served by Metrolink trams around 10 minutes away from Manchester Victoria on the Bury Line, so it is great if you want a break from the city but are short on time! The tram station is on the Prestwich side of the park. The Nº 135 bus from Manchester centre will take you to the same entrance, as will the 137 and 138. Some other buses will take you to the Middleton Road side to the east of the park. You could easily spend a whole day in this expansive park, with loads of attractions including pitch and putt, the boating lake, the tramway museum, former stately home "Heaton Hall". Finish off with the excellent views of the City and surrounding countryside from the highest point in Manchester "Heaton Park Temple".
  • Delamere Forrest and Tatton Park are beautiful areas of Mid-Cheshire on the Manchester-Chester via Stockport line. Alight at Delamere and Knutsford stations respectively.

Suburban and beyond[edit]

  • Todmorden - A lovely Victorian town about 30 minutes away by train. A bustling market, fine restaurants and striking natural beauty are all included within the town. Population : 14 000
  • Clitheroe - Located in Lancashire, this historic town is home to a great example of an ancient Norman castle. The town is overlooked by the famous Pendle Hill known for the infamous Pendle Witch trials, the borough is also dominated by the Forest of Bowland one of the North's areas of outstanding natural beauty and a prefect place to explore some of the county's finest scenery. Trains run from Victoria station every hour and the journey takes roughly 1 hour 20 minutes.
  • Wigan — Located in the western part of Greater Manchester, it is the 2nd largest borough in the city region in terms of size and population. Home to the 1970's Northern Soul scene, famous for its premier league football league team Wigan Athletic & Super League Champion Rugby team Wigan Warriors as well as pies. The shopping district has been greatly expanded with the grand arcade shopping centre opening in 2007, and is now in the top 100 UK retail destinations. Wigan is around a 25-40 minutes by frequent trains (6 per hour) from central Manchester depending on the service and line, or 1 hour by First bus services 32 & 33 from Piccadilly Gardens.
  • Rochdale — Also within Greater Manchester and home town of Gracie Fields, boasting a Victorian Gothic town hall to rival Manchester's. The town is around a 20-25 minute Metrolink or train ride from Victoria or 50 minutes by bus from Shudehill Interchange, with First's 17 being the most frequent. The Cooperative Movement started here and there is a dedicated museum.
  • Stockport is in the south of the city region and boasts the Hat Museum and the 1930's Plaza Cinema and Theatre with an authentic old style tea room. Trains from Piccadilly take around 13 minutes and there are also excellent bus links. From the railway station there is a free bus link to the centre. You can also visit the underground, former World War II bomb shelters. Stockport is served by Stagecoach's 192 from Piccadilly Gardens and this is the most frequent bus service in the conurbation.
  • Bolton - The most northern district of Greater Manchester, famous for Bolton Wanderers FC, Bolton Market and the home of comic Peter Kay. Bolton is around 25 minutes by train or 1 hour by bus on services 8, 36 & 37 from the city centre. It is also home to the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester's newest and smallest university.
  • Bury, Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne, and Altrincham are all satellite towns, within Greater Manchester, each with their distinct feeling and market-town atmosphere. They are all under 25 minutes way from the city centre by train or Metrolink tram or a little more by bus.

If you are in a hurry to get to outlying places by train and are unsure where to buy your ticket, as long as you board the correct one, these can be bought on the train from the guard who will walk through the carriages. Piccadilly in particular can be quite confusing to the visitor. There are some ticket machines if the queues are too long.

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