The central, British city of Manchester hardly needs any further introduction for most Norwegians. It is primarily known for its world-famous football team Manchester United, but recently another big team from the city has emerged in Manchester City. It is probably first and foremost for a football trip that Norwegians travel here, but as a big city, Manchester can offer everything from cultural sights to typical tourist attractions such as museums, shopping, venerable buildings and classic British pubs.
With just under 500,000 inhabitants in the city center, according to Abbreviation Finder, Manchester can in many ways be compared to Oslo, but if you include the suburbs, the population rises to 2.55 million. The city has a varied structure, with modern architecture and a bustling life in the center, while it also has some “old towns” with quiet pedestrian streets. Almost a million tourists visit Manchester every year, and then we would assume that quite a few of them have planned a trip to Old Trafford or Etihad Stadium.
Recommended hotels in Manchester
- The Lowry Hotel-The Lowry is a lovely 5 star hotel in the center of Manchester. The hotel has spacious and nice rooms with a high standard and very nice staff. The hotel has its own bar and restaurant, its own spa and fitness center. Consistently very good feedback from Norwegian guests.
- Hotel Gotham- Hotel Gotham is an exclusive and fashionable five star hotel in the heart of Manchester. The hotel has a high standard, but a night here does not have to cost the shirt. Take a search on the current date you intend to stay here and see if there are any good offers. The hotel has a nice and central location, unique design, brilliant service, very good facilities, good food and a tough roof terrace with its own bar.
- Holiday Inn Manchester – City Center– A cheaper option than our other two recommendations, but this is still a very good hotel. The hotel is centrally located right in the heart of Manchester with a short distance to most things. The subway stop is not far from the hotel, a short walk to Old Trafford. The hotel receives very good feedback from previous guests and is a safe hotel choice in Manchester.
Travel to Manchester
Even though Manchester as the crow flies is not far away, there are few flights here from Norway. There are some direct departures from Bergen and Oslo, but it is also common to fly to London to take a train from there, or to fly to Amsterdam and then fly on from Amsterdam to Manchester. This is because direct flights are often expensive and do not run as often.
The currency unit in the UK is known to be the British pound and you will generally find that the price level in the city is lower than, for example, the capital London, but it varies greatly in terms of accommodation, shopping and dining. You usually travel safely as a tourist in Manchester, and if you take the usual precautions you will hardly experience any problems. It is safe to drink tap water, but it may not taste as good as in Norway.
Hotels and restaurants in Manchester
Accommodation in Manchester is rarely a problem, but if you want a cheap room you may have to be out well in advance. On the weekends there are home games in the city, there can be more competition for the hotels, especially if you want to stay centrally. It is usually the location that determines the price, and the standard is usually quite decent if you go for one of the cheaper downtown hotels.
British cuisine has not done much to contribute with gastronomic food, apart from the well-known “English breakfast”. In Manchester, therefore, there are few opportunities to eat local food, but you should not go hungry for that reason. Inspired by cuisines from all over the world, the restaurants offer everything from Asian to Italian. In particular, you will find a lot of Chinese and Indian here, as well as a number of restaurants that are of extremely high quality.
Attractions in Manchester
Besides the city’s two football teams, Manchester has more to offer than that. We will take a closer look at everything from modern shopping malls to venerable cathedrals, in a city that combines the modern with the old-fashioned in a completely perfect way.
Shopping in Manchester
If you travel to Manchester, you are guaranteed to go shopping! Then we recommend that you go to the shopping centers Arndale and Affleck’s Palace, which are modern shopping malls with both fashionable shops and fashionable clothing stores. Here you will find a rich selection of different stores, ranging from expensive brand stores to cheaper alternatives. The price level is generally cheaper than in Norway, especially for clothes and shoes.
Manchester Cathedral
No city tour without seeing the local cathedral. The Manchester Cathedral was built as far back as the early 13th century and has a Gothic style. The venerable building looks very good where it is located between modern high-rise buildings, and you can even take the trip to the top of the church tower to enjoy one of the better viewpoints in the city.
Old Trafford
If there is one attraction that is a self-written visit when traveling to Manchester, it is Old Trafford. It is the stadium facility of the city’s leading football team, Manchester United. If you do not get to experience a football match at this famous facility (something that is highly recommended), then you can take a guided tour through the facility. Here you get to know more about the club’s history, see more effects from the club’s biggest stars through the ages, as well as a guided tour of the home team’s locker room.
Manchester Museum and Jewish Museum
The museum in Manchester contains very few elements from the city itself, but has over 8 million effects from all continents of the world! Here you can see everything from important documents to fossils and dinosaurs – like the almost complete exhibition of a T-Rex! Also stop by the Jewish Museum in Manchester, which gives you a very detailed account of how the Jewish community has experienced Manchester in recent centuries.
Imperial War Museum
Those interested in history should set aside time for a visit to the war museum. The modern exhibition takes you on a journey through the last world wars, and gives a very realistic insight into the consequences such an extensive war can have. With free admission there is nothing to wonder about!
Ethihad stadion
As mentioned, Manchester has two teams in the Premier League and Manchester City play their home games at the Etihad Stadium. The stadium is well worth a visit for those interested in football, whether you have tickets for a match or not. As at Old Trafford, you can also join a guided tour of the stadium here.
