A cultural hub in Northern England

Manchester is a vibrant city that attracts numerous visitors from the United Kingdom and abroad. Between a rich cultural heritage, sports, shopping, and entertainment, there are many things to see and do in the northern city.

When to visit, events, holidays, and festivals

A wide range of festivals and celebrations are organised in Manchester all year round, which is a great way to discover the local culture. Starting in January-February, the Chinese New Year celebrations are quite impressive. In terms of festivals, the most famous are the Jazz Festival, held at the end of July, the Manchester Literature Festival in September and October and the Manchester Food and Drink Festival in September.

Things to know before your trip

Overall, the cost of living in Manchester is lower than that of London, but it remains close to the average for the United Kingdom. Visitors can head to the Manchester Visitor Information Centre located on the Piccadilly Plaza for help, suggestions and tips about the city.

Local public transport and accommodation

On arrival at Manchester Airport, several options are available to reach the city centre. Travellers can go to the railway station and catch a train to Manchester Piccadilly. A ticket costs around £4.50 and the journey is about 15 minutes long. The Metrolink also travels to central Manchester taking 35 minutes or so and the fare is approximately £4.50. Alternatively, number 43 bus is available for the same journey. Taxi ranks can be found at Terminal 1 and the price is around £18, for a journey lasting about 25 minutes. In terms of lodging in Manchester, budget accommodation is on offer starting at approximately £15 per person per night in a shared room. As for rooms in 3-star hotels, they cost around £60 per person per night. When it comes to public transport, the free Metroshuttle consists of 3 routes that serve all major areas in central Manchester. Tickets for Stagecoach buses cost about £1.50, while a day ticket for the tram is approximately £5. TfGM offers "any bus day tickets" and "system one", which can be used on all buses regardless of the operator. While public transport is useful, the sights in the city centre can be accessed on foot. Also, taxis are cheaper in Manchester than in London, but traffic can be quite slow in the central areas.

	Outbound	Return	Airlines	Baggage	Price
Aberdeen Manchester	Outbound 07/05/25 1 Stopover (LHR) BA1311, BA1406 08h 00min	Return 31/05/25 1 Stopover (LHR) BA1399, BA1318 04h 00min	British Airways		£162
Aberdeen Manchester	Outbound 07/05/25 1 Stopover (LHR) BA1311, BA1406 08h 00min	Return 31/05/25 direct LM0026 01h 25min	British Airways		£173
Best option Aberdeen Manchester	Outbound 08/02/25 direct LM0021 01h 15min	Return 02/03/25 direct LM0028 01h 15min	Loganair	?	£215

	Outbound	Return	Airlines	Baggage	Price
Best option Belfast Manchester	Outbound 08/02/25 direct RK0190 01h 00min	Return 02/03/25 direct RK0191 01h 00min	Ryanair UK		£42
Belfast Manchester	Outbound 01/03/25 direct EC0702 00h 55min	Return 18/03/25 direct EC0707 00h 55min	easyJet Europe	?	£48
Belfast Manchester	Outbound 01/03/25 direct U20702 00h 55min	Return 18/03/25 direct U20707 00h 55min	easyJet	?	£48

	Outbound	Return	Airlines	Baggage	Price
Edinburgh Manchester	Outbound 08/02/25 1 Stopover (BFS) RK0179, RK0190 21h 45min	Return 02/03/25 1 Stopover (BFS) RK0191, RK0178 16h 00min	Ryanair UK	?	£86
Edinburgh Manchester	Outbound 01/03/25 1 Stopover (LHR) BA1459, BA1388 25h 40min	Return 18/03/25 1 Stopover (LHR) BA1403, BA1432 14h 35min	British Airways	?	£200
Edinburgh Manchester Pay attention to transfer at connecting flight	Outbound 08/02/25 1 Stopover (ORK) FR3732, FR2088 07h 50min	Return 02/03/25 1 Stopover (CRL) FR0613, FR7323 05h 35min	Ryanair		£115

	Outbound	Return	Airlines	Baggage	Price
Best option Glasgow Manchester	Outbound 01/03/25 1 Stopover (DUB) FR5564, RK1899 05h 45min	Return 18/03/25 1 Stopover (DUB) RK0557, FR0276 10h 55min	Ryanair, Ryanair UK	?	£118
Glasgow Manchester	Outbound 08/02/25 1 Stopover (DUB) EI3221, RK1899 13h 35min	Return 02/03/25 1 Stopover (BFS) RK0191, U20420 26h 50min	Aer Lingus Irish Airlines, Ryanair UK	?	£135
Glasgow Manchester Pay attention to transfer at connecting flight	Outbound 16/04/25 1 Stopover (DUB) FR5150, FR0554 05h 55min	Return 30/04/25 1 Stopover (DUB) FR0553, FR0276 04h 15min	Ryanair		£123 found yesterday

	Outbound	Return	Airlines	Price
Inverness Manchester	Outbound 08/02/25 1 Stopover (LHR) BA1471, BA1370 11h 40min	Return 02/03/25 direct LM0598 01h 30min	British Airways	£189
Inverness Manchester	Outbound 01/03/25 1 Stopover (LHR) BA1469, BA1388 07h 35min	Return 18/03/25 direct LM0598 01h 30min	British Airways	£191
Best option Inverness Manchester	Outbound 01/03/25 direct LM0591 01h 15min	Return 18/03/25 direct LM0598 01h 30min	Loganair	£224

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Manchester

Manchester travel tips

A cultural hub in Northern England

When to visit, events, holidays, and festivals

Things to know before your trip

Local public transport and accommodation

Most frequent connection from Manchester

Alternative routes to United Kingdom