• 53.478255-2.2441131 Manchester Visitor Information Centre, Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, M2 5PD, ☏ 0871 222 8223 (high cost number), fax: +44 161 236-9900, touristinformation@visitmanchester.com. M-Sa 9AM-5PM. Has up-to-date lists of places to eat and sleep. The visitor centre has moved close to the town hall. (updated Oct 2022)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Main article: Manchester Airport

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

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

Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain

Manchester city centre is served by two major railway stations, 53.47739-2.230731 Piccadilly in the south and 53.48758-2.242612 Victoria in the north.

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

Trains from Liverpool, Leeds, York, Sheffield and Nottingham often also stop at 53.474-2.24233 Manchester Oxford Road which is convenient for the University.

Other stations in the city centre are 53.4742-2.25084 Deansgate and 53.482778-2.2558335 Salford Central, but generally only local services stop at these stations.

Avanti West Coast operates service between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston. This journey, on the West Coast Mainline, takes just over 2 hours in Pendolino trains that do not need to slow down when going around bends. Prices start from just over £26 each way if booked on-line in advance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The nearest cruise terminal is Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Since 2023 bus services in Greater Manchester have been moving in waves to a franchise model under the unified Bee Network. As of August 2024, all bus services within Greater Manchester other than routes serving South Manchester, Wythenshawe, Stockport and Tameside are part of the Bee Network, with Bee Network buses branded in yellow, although some old operator-liveried buses remain with Bee Network vinyls. Remaining non-Bee Network routes are predominantly operated by Stagecoach and are due to become part of the Bee Network in January 2025. The Bee Network site provides information and timetables for all buses in Greater Manchester whether part of the Bee Network or run by another operator. TfGM operates a travelshop at Shudehill Interchange where timetables, maps and information for all Greater Manchester services can be found.

Piccadilly Gardens bus station is generally for services to the south of Greater Manchester along with Wigan and Bolton. Shudehill Bus Station has services to the north of Greater Manchester. Other services leave from street stands in the Piccadilly and Northern Quarter areas.

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 main routes which serve the corridor are the 42/42A/42B/42C (towards Stockport, Reddish, Woodford and Handforth Dean respectively) and the 43 (towards the airport). The 142 and 143 shadow the portions of the 42 and 43 route providing extra frequency between the city centre and East/West Didsbury respectively. All the mentioned buses leave from the Piccadilly Gardens interchange in the city centre. Due to heavy traffic congestion, buses divert to avoid Wilmslow Road in Rusholme on Friday and Saturday nights after 8PM. Services via the corridor are moderately reduced over the summer period (July and August) as the student demand is much lower.

The number 43 bus runs 24/7 to the airport, every 10 minutes during weekday daytimes and every 30 minutes at night (as of 2024). Train services from Piccadilly Station also serve the airport regularly, other than between 1AM and 4AM.

Buses to the Trafford Centre include the Stagecoach-operated Route 250, from Piccadilly Gardens to the Trafford Centre and the Bee Network-operated 100, from Shudehill, via Blackfriars (the stop is just off Deansgate) and Eccles, to the Trafford Centre. The quickest, most direct option is the Diamond-operated X50 bus route (which also extends to RHS Bridgewater). They run every 30 minutes daily and takes 30 minutes. There are other bus services from Central Manchester to The Trafford Centre and additional services from other towns and suburbs in the conurbation. Metrolink trams also now serve the Trafford Centre.

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

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

- light blue and orange lines west to Salford Quays, Media City and Eccles; and east to Piccadilly, Etihad Stadium and Ashton-under-Lyne.

- green and purple lines west to Old Trafford, Stretford and Altrincham; eastbound the purple line ends at Piccadilly while the green line goes west to Victoria and Bury.

- yellow line starts at Piccadilly and joins the green line at Victoria then to Bury.

- red line west to Imperial War Museum and Trafford Centre.

- navy line south to Wythenshawe and the airport; and east to Victoria.

- pink and grey lines west to East Didsbury; and east to Victoria, Oldham and Rochdale.

Trams are identified by their destination on the tram front only; colours are only shown on maps and not on the tram. To pick the correct tram for your destination, find the final destination on the map; for example for a tram to Crumpsall from the city centre (yellow/green lines), look for a tram towards Bury. When inbound to the city centre trams will also show their route across the city centre where appropriate.

On Mondays to Saturdays each coloured line operates a 12-minute frequency (15 minutes on Sundays), timed for an even 6-minute service on the doubled lines, as of 2024. Some lines (green, gray and orange) only operate at peak hours: M-F 7AM-8PM and Sa AM-6:30PM. Light blue line services to Eccles only call at MediaCityUK if stated on the tram front (Eccles/Ashton via MediaCityUK); in normal circumstances this happens only when the orange line is not in operation on evenings and Sundays.

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

Tickets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Use the following Zone 1 stations for:

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

Other interesting destinations:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Train services from Piccadilly serve the airport all night.

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

• 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; visitation by appointment or pre-booked guided tours only.
• St Mary's, The Hidden Gem, near Albert Square. The oldest post-Reformation Catholic church in the country, dating from 1794. It contains one of the greatest pieces of art in Manchester, and the altar is quite magnificent. This is a quiet refuge from the noise of the city.
• The futuristic Trinity Bridge, designed by the Spaniard Santiago Calatrava, who was heavily involved in the designs for the Olympic village in Barcelona, is in the Chapel Wharf Area. This links the twin cities of Manchester and Salford, leading to the five star Lowry Hotel on the Salford bank. It is all a block behind Kendals, near the Freemasons' Hall. A nice pleasant view.
• The Hulme Bridge in Hulme and the Merchant's Bridge in Castlefield, by Catalan Square, are also worth a look.
• Parsonage Gardens is at the back of the House of Fraser (Kendals) Department Store. This is a quaint garden. Nice to relax in when the weather is fine and to read a book. Nearby there is also an observation platform which looks over the River Irwell and is ideal for taking photos of Trinity Bridge and The Lowry Hotel. This does also serve as a carpark, on an overhang, for one of the office blocks, but you may use it. It is a little hidden away but you access this to the right of 20 St Mary's Parsonage, which runs along one side of the gardens.
• Portico Library and Gallery, near Piccadilly Gardens. Home of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical society. Speakers here have included Dalton, the father of atomic theory and describer of his own colour blindness, the Salford physicist Joule for whom the metric unit of energy is named and Roget (who compiled his celebrated Thesaurus here). The Austrian philosopher Wittgenstein here claimed to have attempted to repeat Franklin's celebrated kite and lightning experiment in the Peak District while employed at Manchester University.
• 100 King Street (was the King Street branch of HSBC) is a domineering piece of architecture from 1928, reminiscent of Dublin's General Post Office. Go inside for a look if you can - its banking hall is now a restaurant owned by Jamie Oliver. It is at the upper end of King Street near Armani and Vivienne Westwood, towards Mosley Street.
• The Cloud 23 Bar on the 23rd floor of the Hilton, Deansgate, within the Beetham Tower, offers a sublime view across Greater Manchester. Whilst the bar may be pricey, the view from even half-way up the gleaming skyscraper is magnificent. If you're not feeling thirsty you can also visit the bar and enjoy the vista for free. Just ask in the lobby.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• La Reserve Aparthotel, Ducie St

• 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 first weekend in November.
• If you want a quiet 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 access the northern end from Southport quite easily.

• Liverpool — The two cities do not really have any fierce rivalry as they are both part of the greater north west and the massive urban sprawl of northern England. The River Mersey and Liverpool's Albert Dock, along with the city's breath-taking skyline, make it definitely worth a visit, with museums of national importance, a wealth of fine Victorian and Georgian buildings as well as two very contrasting cathedrals.
• Leeds — Less than an hour from Manchester, the largest city in Yorkshire is home to the Royal Armouries 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 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 do 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.
• Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, is less well known to Manchester people, due to poor road links, but it is less than 40 miles (65 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. Preston is about a 40-minute drive north of Manchester and also accessible by train or coach.

• 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.

• Huddersfield — A solid Victorian gem! Around 30 minutes away by TransPennine Express. This fine town is in West Yorkshire.
• Todmorden - A lovely Victorian town about 30 minutes away by train. A bustling market, fine restaurants and striking natural beauty are all included within this town of 14,000
• Hebden Bridge - Set in the picturesque Calder Valley, this former mill town is around 35 minutes away by train.
• Wigan — 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 1970s Northern Soul scene, famous for its premier league football league team Wigan Athletic & Super League Champion Rugby team Wigan Warriors as well as pies.
• 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 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. The Metrolink tram service now runs to Rochdale.
• Stockport is in the south of the city region and boasts the Hat Museum and the 1930s 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 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, as well as the rolling hills and greenery of the West Pennine Moors.
• 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 away from the city centre by train or Metrolink tram or a little more by bus.

Chester / Birmingham ← (S) ← Manchester Airport ←	SW  N	→ END
Glasgow ← Bolton ←	NW  SE	→ merges with
Liverpool ← Warrington ←	W  NE	→ Rochdale → Leeds
Burnley ← Bury ←	N  S	→ merges with /
merges with ←	W  E	→ Hyde → Sheffield
Preston ← Salford ←	NW  SE	→ Stockport → Buxton
END ←	N  S	→ Cheadle → Stoke-on-Trent
Burnley ← Bury ←	NW  SW	→ Sale → Warrington