The first leading industrial city of the world and England’s most popular tourist destination outside of London, Manchester is a great place to base yourself from and not just for the football.
The city is home to Europe’s third largest Chinatown, with a wealth of traditional and modern Chinese restaurants and shops to explore. It’s also home to one of the most important Victorian structures in England, the Manchester Town Hall and its concert stadium The Manchester Evening News Arena attracts bigger audiences than New York’s Madison Square Gardens.
Home to the world’s first railway station, Manchester has a thriving bus, train and tram network, including Metrolink Tramway, soon to be Europe’s largest. Located 257km northwest of London, it’s one of England’s largest cities and an absolute breeze to navigate thanks to its comprehensive public transport system.
Manchester Information
Population: Approx. 464,200
Time Zone: GMT + 0
Languages: English (official)
Currency: Great Brtian Pound (GBP)
Currency Exchange: Purchase your GBP cash and travellers cheques before you leave Australia
Manchester Climate
Categorised as a temperate maritime climate, summers are typically warm and winters quite cold. Summer temperatures reach 19°C (66°F) during the day and fall to around 11°C (52°F) overnight. Winter days rarely climb above 7°C (44°F) and drop to lows of around 1°C (34°F) overnight. The region experiences slightly lower rainfall than the rest of England with around 70mm falling each month during summer and 66mm in winter.
Manchester Airport
Name: Manchester Airport
Website: http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf
Partner Airline: Etihad Airways
Car Rental:Mates rates on all car hire with our preferred partners
Around Manchester
Watching a live English Premier League game should be at the top of every visitors list. Home to not one but two Premiership Football Clubs there really is no excuse for missing a game – even for non-enthusiasts the atmosphere is electric. The home ground for Manchester City can be found at the City of Manchester Stadium and Manchester United at the Old Trafford Grounds. The English Premier League season usually kicks off in August and lasts through to May.
Heaton Park is Manchester’s largest green space and one of the biggest municipal parks in Europe. Pack a picnic and find a spot on one of more than 600 acres of parklands. Here you can enjoy horse riding, a pitch and putt gold course, café, tram museum and even a beekeepers show. Visit during the warmer months and you can hire a paddle boat and explore the 12 acre lake.
If you’re in town to explore the cities pulsing night life then make sure you get your hands on a ticket for The Warehouse Project. Originally held at Boddingtons Brewery the club has now moved to a former air raid shelter underneath the Piccadilly train station on Store St. Some of the biggest names in electro, breaks, hip-hop and house have been featured in the warehouse events including big internationals like De La Soul, Dizzie Rascal, David Guetta and 2manydjs.
Surrounding Area
Take a day trip to the seaside town of Blackpool. Crowded during summer but well worth a visit, the Pleasure Beach Fair is home to one of England’s biggest roller coasters as well as perennial favourites the Ferris wheel and games arcade. The area is home to plenty of kitsch beachside accommodation and popular restaurants and bars.
The Midland Hotel
4 Star Property
The Midland, Manchester is an iconic landmark. Built in 1903 the hotel is steeped in history, with an unrivalled reputation for elegance, luxury, high standards of cuisine and customer service. Close to Manchester's transport links and centrally located near shops and tourist hot spots. There are two restaurants, including the double AA Rosette winning French restaurant and a fully-equipped leisure club.
Radisson Edwardian Manchester
5 Star Property
Located in the heart of Manchester near GMEX, this five star property has provided the city with a cool new focal point. All rooms come with high speed, wireless internet access, walk in showers, original art and bespoke designer furniture. Alto Terrace housed in the magnificent atrium serves breakfast daily, whilst Opus One has been one of Manchester's liveliest and popular restaurants.
Hilton Manchester Deansgate
4 Star Property
Situated within the lower 23 floors of the Beetham Tower, Hilton Manchester Deansgate is a landmark hotel with spectacular views over the city with excellent leisure facilities.
Macdonald Manchester Hotel
4 Star Property
The MacDonald Manchester hotel offers 229 rooms with classic bedrooms including eight junior suites and two executive suites. The hotel has vital health and fitness beauty club. It has also a very nice cafe bar and a hotel restaurant. All of the rooms have air-conditioning, mini bars, Wi-Fi, satellite TV, and a walk-in shower within the bathroom.
City Inn Manchester
4 Star Property
Located in the heart of the city center, opposite Piccadilly Train Station, this hotel combines a passion for modern design and innovation with contemporary living.
The Palace Hotel
4 Star Property
Situated right in the heart of the city centre, the Palace Hotel is a recognised landmark of Manchester, thanks to its distinctive 217ft tall clock tower.
Dining
Whether you need to warm yourself up with a steaming bowl of soup in winter or keep it cool with a simple sandwich or salad in summer, Shlurp located at Brazennose House East on Brazennose St is the place for you. Fiercely committed to the production of fresh, seasonal food you won’t find any nasties here. Despite its lack of onsite seating the preservative and additive free soups and stews will have you wanting more. The inexpensive eating house is open Monday through Friday and is a favourite amongst inner city locals.
For a late night curry hit there’s no better place than Hunters BBQ. Dishing up generous serves of tasty curries, including some seriously good game choices like rabbit and quail, it’s fast becoming a Manchester institution. If you can get past the mismatched crockery and less than chic interior, you’re sure to be back for more. 90-94 High St.
Spoil your palate at Michael Caines Abode, located in the basement of the Abode Hotel in the heart of bustling Piccadilly. The menu is an exciting take on modern European cuisine with a particular focus on sourcing produce from nearby regional areas. Regular menu changes reflect the restaurants commitment to quality and it certainly pays off. The seven-course tasting menu gives you the chance to savour smaller portions of the restaurants highly acclaimed a la carte dishes. Expect to see the likes of pan-fried duck liver, roasted pork fillet and apple parfait – with a price tag to match it’s an expensive but justified treat. 107 Piccadilly.
Shopping
Shop the Trafford Centre and you’ll think you’re in retail heaven. From Armani to Zara all the international brands you could hope for are under the one roof including Selfridges and its highly acclaimed accessories hall - for the who’s who of designer bags and shoes.
For those craving a bargain the Lowry Outlet Mall at Salford Quays should satisfy even the biggest retail appetite. Here you can find GAP, Nike and even Marks and Spencer at up to 70 per cent off - just a quick 12 minutes by train.
Take a step back in time by heading to the Manchester Vintage Fashion Market. Held on the third Saturday of each month at Piccadilly Gardens you can take a step back in time as you sort through fashions greatest fads and finds. From the fluorescent eighties, glamorous fifties and flapper style of the twenties, your perfect pre-loved piece is here. Selling everything from clothes to jewellery, gloves and hats it’s a must visit on any fashion fans itinerary, open from 11am to 5pm.
