Manchester flights and travel guide

Many travellers bound for the United Kingdom will take cheap flights to Manchester and connect there to other parts of the country, but the city in the northeast is more than a match for London or Edinburgh, the UK's most visited cities. Sports fans will know it as the home of Manchester United, the world's most popular soccer club, and music fans will know it as the city with a vibrant scene.

Its history contains many "firsts" - the first industrialized city in the world, the first canal in Britain, the oldest orchestra in Britain - and its streets are full of magnificent Victorian buildings. Recent regeneration has added some stunning new architecture such as the Urbis, an exhibition centre about city life, and the Imperial War Museum North. Salford docks have been redeveloped as Salford Quays, home to the Lowry Centre, an arts and entertainment centre where paintings by Laurence Stephen Lowry now hang. Other museums and galleries have benefitted from the largesse of leading industrialists.

With several universities, Manchester has a young and buzzy population who know how to throw a good party.

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Manchester climate

Travellers booking cheap flights to Manchester may be aware of the city's reputation as a rainy place, but in fact it gets the same amount as Venice, Italy. With a maritime climate, like much of the rest of the UK, summers are cool and winters are mild. Average summer temperatures are about 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit), while winter temperatures hover between 3 and 6 degrees (37-42F).

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When to fly to Manchester

Manchester is a four-season destination. The sporting season runs September to May and there is a packed calendar of arts and cultural events that runs year round.

Peak Season:
Apart from sports fans who take cheap flights to Manchester between September and May to watch soccer games at Old Trafford Stadium, summer is peak season.

Off Season:
There's no off season per se, but the winter months, when Manchester receives most rain, are less attractive to visitors.

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Getting downtown Manchester

The Station at Manchester Airport offers up to six trains an hour to Manchester Piccadilly. There are regular train services to more than 100 destinations around the North of England and beyond. Regular coach and bus services link the airport with the city and beyond. There is a 24-hour bus service operating to and from the airport. Car rental companies are represented at the airport and taxi ranks are located outside all three terminals. Taxis are metered.

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Getting around Manchester

Once travellers have landed on their cheap flights to Manchester, they'll discover that this is a compact city, ideal for walking. Some of Manchester’s attractions are reachable on foot, but the city’s public transportation system, Metrolink, is also excellent. You can take buses, trams and trains almost anywhere. 

A free bus called Metroshuttle serves the city’s centre and connects the major rail stations, car parks, shopping centres and businesses. Board the Metroshuttle at terminals like Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Deansgate, Salford Central and Victoria. 

If you want to go farther from the city, First and Stagecoach bus companies in North and South Manchester are reasonably priced. 

To get from the airport to the city’s centre or to other parts of the country, you can hop on the Greater Manchester rail network.                      

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Manchester insider information

• The Quays is home to Old Trafford, the world's most famous soccer stadium. If you're taking cheap flights to Manchester to catch a soccer game, make time for a tour of the Theatre of Dreams to discover Manchester United's incredible history and view its extraordinary collection of silverware, won since 1908. Manchester City, the city's other team, also welcome visitors to their stadium (the City of Manchester Stadium).
• Mancunian painter LS Lowry, a local rent collector, used the streets and factories of Manchester as inspiration for his paintings. He painted the everyday scenes - children playing in the streets, people going to and coming from work, women gossipping and Whit processions.
• Old Trafford Centre is great for shopping. There are 230 stores ranging from designer and high-fashion to high street. It is also home to the Odeon 20 screen cinema - one of the largest in the UK.
• The best places to eat include the Lowry Hotel, Harvey Nicholls, Market Restaurant and Soup Kitchen. China Town is great for Chinese food and the Curry Mile for curries.
• Catch live music. Manchester is one of the most musically creative cities in the UK. The list of bands to come from the city include Joy Division, New Order, Buzzcocks, The Smiths, the Stone Roses, Oasis and the Ting Tings.
• The Whitworth Art Gallery has a stunning collection of British watercolours and textiles. The Manchester Art Gallery boasts works by Turner, Gainsborough and Stubbs and the John Rylands Library, built by Manchester's first millionaire, houses rare books and manuscripts.

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Manchester airports

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