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. Get there by coach/bus from Manchester Central Coach Station, Chorlton Street (cheaper by far, as many locals will confirm, and often more reliable than the train).
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.
Liverpool was 2008 European Capital of Culture, and is booming again, being seen by many in The North West as a strong rival to Manchester; although lots of Mancunians have friends and family based in their sister city and are curently enjoying its urban renaissance as a compliment to their own; with the renewed city centre and shopping facilties, for example, and the big step forward in summer 2010 with Liverpool's lively LGBT pride fesival. The two cities do not really have any fierce rivalry as they are both part of the greater northwest and the massive urban sprawl of northern England. Often seen as quicker than the train is the hourly coach service to Liverpool from Chorlton Street Coach Station. A day return is a real bargain and you are in Liverpool in about an hour. This can be a little longer, at times, but the friendly staff at the coach station can advise you how long the trip takes at busier times. The River Mersey and Liverpool's Albert Dock, along with the city's breathtaking skyline and cosmopolitain character, 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.
"Liverpool One", the new city centre shopping centre, might not yet boast a Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser or Selfridges, but all other big names are there including an excellent John Lewis and great eating places too, overlooking Liverpool's own wheel and a fantastic urban park leading through to Albert Dock.
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 away and the train service from Piccadilly is good and the journey a scenic one. This fine, industrial city is said to be built on seven hills and was once home to a thriving steel industry.
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.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Manchester
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Manchester - updated May 2024
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Manchester Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
