A flight and hotel in Manchester is the perfect way to discover the rich heritage of this magnificent northern city. Famed for its music and football, the city has continued to grow into a hub of arts and culture. The trendy Northern Quarter is the place for a quirky cocktail or craft beer once you have exhausted your credit card in the array of shops on Market Street and King Street.
Manchester is home to a large international airport, located to the south of the city. Passengers arriving for a weekend in Manchester can reach the city via the Metro system or by taking a train to Picadilly Station. The metro is significantly cheaper but takes three times as long as the train. Taxis are available from outside the terminal building and if you are splitting the cost between 3 or 4 people they can be a cost-effective way of reaching the city centre.
The summer months between June and September are, without question, the best time for city breaks in Manchester. While it rarely gets overly hot, this is the warmest period with temperature regularly reaching 20 degrees. Rainfall is also at its lowest in the summer though cannot be ruled out. The Manchester International Festival is held every summer and is a fantastic celebration of the best in global music, theatre and art to explore with a flight from Cork to Manchester. It also hosts one of the largest Christmas markets in the UK every December.
The city is one of the UK's hubs of fashion, arts and culture and there is plenty to see and do when you book a flight and hotel in Manchester. The Palace Theatre and Opera House are two magnificent venues which host a range of comedy and musical theatre, Those who enjoy comedy should check the local listings at the Comedy Store in Deans gate. Keen shoppers will love the Arndale Centre with its big high street brands and the Northern Quarter, the city's coolest district, which has plenty of boutiques where you can shop for clothes, gadgets books and trinkets. Head to the Gay Village on Canal Street for a drink amidst the city's former mills or sip a cocktail in trendy Spinningfields among the footballers and actors of Manchester.
The People's History Museum is one of the most fantastic and informative in the north of England. It charts the city's past covering subjects from women's suffrage to the LGBT movement. The Whitworth Art Gallery, which is located in a historic park close to the university buildings, is a wonderful museum with galleries, screenings and regular lectures. A trip to Salford on the tram with a flight to Manchester is well worth the short 15-minute journey. It has recently been redeveloped and is now home to several television studios. The magnificent Imperial War Museum North and The Lowry, a large complex with a theatre, comedy space and art gallery, are also located in Slaford. Other notable attractions to visit on city breaks in Manchester include:
Manchester's culinary scene has exploded in recent years with every type of food imaginable now available in the city's fabulous restaurants. The food market in the Arndale serves up everything from hearty burritos to pizza slices. The Indian street food cafe This and That is affordable, delicious and authentic. The Tiffin Rooms in another excellent Indian with a more upmarket vibe. For dessert head to Home Sweet Home and sample a slice of their cake when you book a flight from Dublin to Manchester.
Football kits from Man United or Man City will thrill any sports lover and the collection of record shops in the Northern Quarter are the perfect place to find a gift for music fans. Fashionistas can pick up some vintage clothes at the second-hand shops which pepper the city and the upmarket shops on King Street are perfect for some luxury perfumes or bath and shower goodies to purchase on package holidays in Manchester.