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Manchester is one of the major cities in the UK. It is the main city in the North West of England. For most of the last two hundred years it was the largest city in Lancashire, but is now the centre of its own sub-region of Greater Manchester, which has a population of over 2.5 million.
Manchester is world-renowned for its influence on the histories of industry and music, and for its sporting connections. It is one of the most gay-friendly and multicultural cities in Europe, and boasts the largest university in Britain.
In addition to Manchester, Greater Manchester contains the boroughs of Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Oldham and Tameside which are also discussed under the subject of 'Manchester', as well as Bolton, Bury, Rochdale and Wigan. It is administered independently, but parts of it are often considered to be in their former counties, Lancashire and Cheshire.
Manchester is located in the centre of the Northwest of England, about equidistant from Liverpool and Leeds. Due to its proximity to the Pennines, it receives more than its fair share of wet weather. Make sure you have an umbrella if you're visiting Manchester, even in the summer!
Manchester used to have a reputation for being a dirty and boring city, but things have dramatically changed in the last decade and it is now a more pleasant, open, clean and exciting place, and well worth a visit, even if just for a day.
By plane
Manchester International Airport (IATA: MAN) (ICAO: EGCC). in the South of the city is the largest airport in the UK outside of London. Nearly 100 operators fly to and from hundreds of locations worldwide, including most major cities in Europe.
Direct trains run from the airport station (reached by Skyway, between terminals 1 and 2) to Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations about every 20 minutes and cost about £3. Taxis are available from outside each terminal, costing about £15 and taking about 30-45 minutes.
Jet2, is one of several 'low cost airlines' that operate between Manchester and a large number of major European cities and resorts.
John Lennon Airport, in Liverpool is served by budget carriers Easyjet and Ryanair and is also relatively conveniently located for access to Manchester. A coach service runs connecting the airport to Manchester's central coach station and takes about 45 minutes. Some airlines will provide this service for free.
By train
Manchester city centre is served by two major railway stations, Victoria in the north and Piccadilly in the south. These stations are well-connected with the rest of the UK. Fares vary dramatically depending on time of day and rail operator.
Other stations close to the centre are Deansgate/G-Mex, Oxford Road and Salford Central but generally only local services will stop at these stations.
Connections from London run from Euston to Piccadilly on the Virgin Voyager service, which can take between 2 and 3 hours, depending on whether Virgin is running its flagship Pendolino train which does not need to slow down when going round corners. The Voyager is a very expensive service, but dramatically cheaper fares are available online if you book well enough in advance (at least 14 days is advisable).
By car
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 (followed by M61 and M56 from the North or South respectively).
Bear in mind that parking in the city centre of Manchester can be very expensive (£10-20 per day). Avoid the multi-storey car parks if you can and look for some open-air car parks just outside the centre, such as in Castlefield or on Bridge Street in Salford. 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 centre and Stretford tram station.
By bus
Chorlton Street Coach Station is the central coach station in Manchester, located close to the centre, between Chinatown and The Village. 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 4 hours, but it depends on the time of day and number of stops.
Information provided by Wikipedia
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