Get around

Manchester trams
Transport in Greater Manchester is overseen and co-ordinated by TfGM (Information: 0871 200
22 33) [16]. TfGM sells a number of tickets which are valid for multiple operators, such as the any
bus day ticket or System One. If you are planning to do a lot of travelling in one day, these might
be your cheapest option. Metromax day tickets are good value if using the Metrolink tram network.
There are tickets for single people and family tickets. The best value are valid after 9:30 a.m.

By bus
Metroshuttle [18] is a FREE bus service run jointly by the local council, National Car Parks
Manchester and Allied London Spinningfields. They are operated by First Manchester. It runs
three routes which between them cover most of the major areas in the city centre. These bus
routes can be caught straight from all city centre railway stations (Piccadilly, Oxford Road,
Deansgate, Salford Central and Victoria) as well as many of the larger car parks. Areas on the
fringes of the city centre (such as Spinningfields, Petersfield, Oxford Road Corridor, Millennium
Quarter) are now easier to access from other parts of the city. Just note, that due to a high-level
of pedestrian priority around areas such as Deansgate, traffic in the city centre is often slow at
peak times. These buses are now also operated by green hybrid buses in a bid to cut pollution
and emissions in the city centre. Each line is colour branded with 1 Orange, 2 Green and 3
Purple.

Most of the buses in North Manchester are operated by First [19] whilst Stagecoach operate in
South Manchester [20] and serve most places that you are likely to want to go in the conurbation.
The main bus station for the south is Piccadilly Gardensm and a new state-of-the-art 24 million
interchange has been built at Shudehill for the north. However buses for Wigan, Leigh, Lowton
and Bolton can be found at Piccadilly Gardens as well as for Altrincham and Droylsden at
Shudehill. The North/South rule generally applies other than those exceptions.

The South Manchester corridor that begins with Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road is the most-
served bus route in Europe. Buses connect the centre with the universities and Rusholme, as
often as every one minute. The general rule on this street is to get on any bus that is not operated
by Stagecoach and your fare is likely to be under 1. Some buses have a student fare, which they
will charge you if you look like a student, regardless of whether you ask for it or not. Be warned,
though, during peak hours it can take as long as 30 min to make the relatively short three mile
journey from Piccadilly Gardens to Rusholme. The 42 (operated by various companies) is usually
the most frequent service, operating through the night from Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Wilmslow
Road, Rusholme and beyond.

It is well worth noting that the number 43 bus not only runs all day to the airport but also
throughout the night at regular intervals. Train services from Piccadilly also serve the airport all
night.

Busses to the Trafford Centre include the Stagecoach-operated Route 250 [21], from Piccadilly
Gardens to the Trafford Centre and the First-operated Routes 100 and 110 , from Shudehill, via
Blackfriars (the stop is just off Deansgate) and Eccles, to The Trafford Centre. The quickest, most

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direct option is the Stagecoach X50 bus route.They run every 20-30 minutes Monday to Saturday
daytime and take only 25 minutes. There are other bus services from Central Manchester to The
Trafford Centre and additional services from other towns and suburbs in the conurbation. In the
evening, or on Sundays and public holidays, your better bet for the Trafford Centre, from the city
centre, is the tram and buslink to and from Stretford, as buses are much less frequent at these
times.

Bus Tickets are usually purchased directly from the driver. First and Stagecoach both offer day-
savers for unlimited travel on their company's buses, which cannot be used on other busses. A
FirstDay is currently 4.10. If transfer between different bus companies is required, ask the driver
for an "any bus day-saver", emphasising the "any". These '"System One"' tickets can be used on
any bus and details of current prices are available at [22]

By tram

Map of the Metrolink network

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 Currently, Metrolink runs two lines, Altrincham-Bury (every 6 minutes at peak times, every 12
minutes off-peak, and Piccadilly-Eccles via Media City (every 12 minutes at peak times, every 15
minutes off-peak). At peak times, trams run from either Bury or Altrincham to Piccadilly, via
Piccadilly Gardens, where you can change, or direct Bury to Altrincham. Off peak there are no
direct Bury-Altrincham trams and your only option is to change at Piccadilly Gardens. A small part
of the city centre from Piccadilly to Cornbrook is shared between the two lines. Metrolink stops
serve major areas of the city centre and Central Zone tickets are quite cheap.

Work is now underway to extend the system to five lines with new destinations: at Oldham,
Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne, East Didsbury, Tameside, and Manchester Airport, which is
already well served by trains and buses.

In part due to its financial difficulties, Metrolink is quite expensive to travel on and does not really
provide good value for money. If you are going to be using it for more than one journey in a day,
your best bet is to buy a Metromax ticket. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the
automated vending machines at each station. Press the required destination followed by the
required ticket type and then insert your money.

Most machines accept notes, but if your note is anything more than even slightly crumpled, it will
more then likely be rejected by the machine. Change is not guaranteed over 7 at any machines,
or at all, at some machines with the appropriate warning lamp.

The following Central Zone stations might be useful to you:

Victoria for Urbis, Chethams Library, Manchester Cathedral Visitor Centre, The Triangle and
the Northern half of Deansgate,
Shudehill for Bus Interchange, The Printworks, Manchester Arndale and parts of the Northern
Quarter.
Market Street for the main shopping area, including parts of Manchester Arndale.
Piccadilly Gardens and Mosley Street for Coach Interchange from Chorlton Street Coach
Station, Chinatown, The Gay Village, Manchester Art Gallery, Cube Gallery and parts of the
Northern Quarter.
Piccadilly for Rail Interchange and Metroshuttle and Oxford Road Link busses. Manchester
Apollo is a 10 minute walk from here.
St. Peter's Square for Central Library, The Library Theatre, Bridgewater Hall, The Midland
Hotel, The Town Hall and Albert Square. Busses down the Oxford Road corridor to The Palace
Theatre, The Green Room, Dance House and Contact Theatres and to the universities and
beyond.
Deansgate-Castlefield for Rail Interchange from Deansgate Station, Manchester Central
(exhibition centre/concert venue), The Manchester International Conference Centre, MOSI
(Museum of Science and Industry), the southern half of Deansgate and the beautiful canalside
area of Castlefield.
Other interesting destinations:

Harbour City Around 10 minutes from the City Centre. Closest station at Salford Quays to the
Lowry, Lowry Outlet Mall and Imperial War Museum North. When the weather is fine, if coming
from the centre, alight at Salford Quays Station, walk just a few yards in the direction of travel,
cross the road, turn left, and enjoy the tree lined waterside walk, past the Salford Rowing club, as

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 far as the bridge linking The Lowry with The War Museum.
Heaton Park Around 10 minutes from the City Centre. Alight here for Manchester's chief
parkland. This is the biggest municipal park in the country and a great day out in summer. It has
seen much investment of late. Inside you will find a pet zoo, tramway museum, boating lake,
stables and golf centre with pitch and putt. The former stately home Heaton Hall is located within
the park and is open to visitors in the summer months.
Old Trafford Around 10 minutes from the City Centre. For Manchester United Football Club,
and the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
Stretford Around 10 minutes from the City Centre. Alight here for a connecting bus to the
Trafford Centre. Joint tickets are available from the usual machines.Take care at night.
Ladywell Around 15 minutes from the City Centre.There is a large, free car park for the Park
and Ride service to Salford Quays and the city.

By taxi
Taxis are considerably cheaper than in London. As a general rule you should be able to get
anywhere you need to go within the core of the city for 5-10. Because of the nature of the tight
local authority boundaries within the conurbation, taxis easily cross these, and there are few
problems as long as your journey stays within Greater Manchester. As a general rule, taxis are
required to put the meter on for journeys within the M60 ringroad (and sometimes little farther). If
you are to travel farther, it is best to agree a price in advance. You may flag down only the black
cabs (London-style Hackney carriages): other taxis must be booked in advance over the phone
and are marked with the yellow Manchester City Council sign on the bonnet, and the firm's phone
number (again on a yellow strip) on the sides. These are often called minicabs or private hire
cars.

Avoid rogue mini cabs at all costs. Even if the car has a Manchester City Council plate, or one
from one of the other metropolitan boroughs, you are not insured if the cab was not booked in
advance.

You may find it difficult to get a black cab after the pubs shut on Friday and Saturday nights in the
city centre, so it serves to have a backup plan for getting back to your accommodation. Larger
groups are most likely to be able to "flag" down a taxi on the road. If you are struggling for a taxi
after midnight and don't mind waiting around drunk people, it can often be easier to join a queue
outside larger clubs, such as those in The Printworks, as black cabs often stop here. The black
cabs with the amber "TAXI" sign illuminated are the ones that are looking for fares. Otherwise,
buy something at a takeaway and then ask for a taxi: the employees do that all the time.

There are a number of taxi ranks within the city centre, which are staffed by security/logistical staff
during busy periods. These ranks are serviced only by black cabs, but there are also private hire
taxi/minicab companies that you can walk to and then wait (inside or usually outside) until a car
becomes available.

Manchester Cars Taxis (0161 228 3355) is based in the city centre and located conveniently
behind the Chorlton Street coach station.

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 By train
Local rail services run regularly and to most places in the surrounding area and beyond. Most
trains will pass through Piccadilly or Victoria, but it will do to call National Rail Enquiries (08457
48 49 50) [24] to find out which one before setting off. If you plan to take several off peak journeys
within Greater Manchester, you could consider a "Rail Ranger" ticket, which, as of March 2011,
costs 4.40 per day for adults and 2.20 for children under 16 (accompanied children under 5 are
free). An "Evening Ranger" is also available for just 2.20. This is a large area and means you
could travel as far north as Bolton and Rochdale, as far south as the airport and Stockport, as far
west as Wigan and as far east as The Peak District. They also include free travel on the metrolink
within the central zone. These can be bought at ticket offices or on the train.

TfGM [25] has a "London tube-style" map of the Greater Manchester rail network, including
Metrolink.

It is worth remembering that train services from Piccadilly serve the airport all night.

Manchester United Football Club, (A dedicated station is right behind the football stadium's
South stand: it is called Manchester United FC Halt station. Trains are provided by Northern Rail
and there are about five or so services before and after the match to the mainline Manchester
Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road stations.), Open only on match days. Generally, a very
high quality of football. Tickets for matches against lesser opposition are quite easy to come by
(the stadium holds around 75,000 people) and can be purchased from the club's official website
or the Ticketing & Memebrship Office.
LegoLand Discovery Centre Manchester. The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping and
entertainment centre. Activities include LegoLand Discovery Centre Manchester. (Take the
Manchester Metrolink tram to Stretford, where you can catch the Metrolink Shuttle Bus direct to
The Trafford Centre.), 0871 222 2662,
Manchester's Chinatown around George Street and Faulkner Street has been a feature
of Manchester since the late 1970s. Of late there is much talk of its decline, as many
middle aged people are taking their business to the suburbs rather than the centre, which
many see as a place for younger people at night. You will find people on the streets of
Chinatown speaking Chinese to each other and most of the signs are bilingual. It is home
to the bulk of Manchester's east-asian restaurants as well as many traders in Chinese
food and goods. As night falls upon Chinatown, the neon lights come on, adding to the
ambient feel of the area. There many eateries to try too. All of them have an astounding
quality, ranging from Chinese to Japanese; reaching out to a wide spectrum of tastes.
There are also Chinese shops for the locals to buy items imported directly from China,
such as newspapers, magazines, DVDs and medications. It also serves as a magnet for
the Chinese population, from around the city region and beyond.

There are a number of large shops aimed at bargain hunters ,including the largest
Primark in the country, which is great for a bargain and much loved by US cabin crew
when in town, and an Aldi food hall on Market Street (just off Piccadilly Gardens).

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 The Millennium Quarter (at the back of the Arndale Centre) is now quite smart and good
for shopping. There's The Triangle, an upmarket shopping centre based in the beautiful
old Corn Exchange, worth a visit for the building alone and Selfridges, spread across 5
floors with its large Louis Vuitton concession and fantastic food hall in the basement. You
will find everything from sushi to fine chocolates, kosher foods, to a juice bar, etc. Harvey
Nichols, opposite the Triangle, offers luxury fashions and produce to Manchester's rich
and famous. The centre of Manchester's shopping area has traditionally been St. Ann's
Square, and there are many shops nearby. King Street and Spring Gardens city centre
offer a Vivienne Westwood store (a local girl, from the nearby Peak District), Joseph
and DKNY, as well as Emporio Armani and Collezione; these catering for, amongst
others, the city's Premiership footballers, soap stars ("Coronation Street" has been
produced in the city since the early sixties!), and the many media types who can also be
found in the area.

Deansgate has a fair number upmarket stores, as do some of the roads off it. The House
of Fraser store, considered by many to be the top people's shop, (still known as
"Kendals" to most Manchester people and "Kendal Milne's" to an even older generation)
is on Deansgate and has been on roughly the same site since the mid-19th century. It is
somewhat old school and the eating places are worth a visit. The new Champagne bar,
on the third floor, is the latest addition. One of central Manchester's few quiet green
squares is just behind the store. This is Parsonage Gardens. Deansgate is also home to
Ed Hardy, The General Store, Edwards as well as some high end restaurants.

Just off Deansgate is The Avenue a luxury designer shopping destination set to open in
Autumn 2010 in the Spinningfields district of the city centre. It will be the home to stores
such as Flannels, Mulberry, Emporio Armani and Armani Collezioni, Brooks Brothers,
Ermenegildo Zegna, Oliver Sweeney and Joseph. Combined with some of the new cafe's
and restaurants this is set to become a top retail and leisure venue.

There is also an outlet mall at The Lowry, in Salford, near the future site (2011) of Media
City: UK housing the BBC North project to relocate almost 3000 posts and 5 departments
from London as well as BBC Manchester and Salford University's school of Media and
Performance.

Not of particular interest maybe, but it is worth knowing where the main public toilets are about
town! Clean conveniences can be found at Piccadilly station (less reliable ones are to be found at
Victoria) and there are a few pods around the centre (one is on the corner of John Dalton Street
and Deansgate). There are pay toilets in the basement and on the top floor of The Triangle
Centre, Exchange Square. You can also find FREE toilets in The Arndale Centre and at the
following locations;
Kendals House of Fraser, Deansgate, (basement, 3rd, and 6th floors).
Selfridges,Exchange Square. (basement ,in the corner, near the alcohol section).
M&S, St Mary's Gate. (basement, near the food hall).

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 Harvey Nichols, New Cathedral Street (Near the food hall, bar, and restaurant).
Debenhams, Market Street. (Near cafe, top sales floor).
Royal Exchange Theatre, St. Ann's Square. (by bars and restaurant not available
to public during performances).
Town Hall. (entrance opposite Beluga restaurant, on Mount Street, just off Albert
Square).

EAT
Budget
There are hundreds of kebab and pizza shops on Oxford Road and in Fallowfield and Rusholme.
In Rusholme, in particular, locals speak of the 10 curry, where if you bring your own drinks into
the curry house, you should leave with change from a ten pound note.

Some of the cheapest, long-established curry cafes, though, are still to be found in the back
streets of the Northern Quarter. The Little Aladdin cafe at 72 High St (on the corner of Turner St,
near Arndale centre) is a tiny little curry house with real charm. They serve a range of delicious
curries and kebabs for 3-4. Here's the menu: [32].

On John Dalton Street, on the left, just up from Deansgate, going to Albert Square, is a gem of a
cafe,Essy's, (imagine a cross between an American diner and an old style British "cafe"). It is run
by a group of Iranians, for whom nothing is too much trouble. You can be satisfied there for under
5 with clean, welcoming table service. There are a couple of other similar places around town; in
the Northern Quarter and one just behind Kendals, on King Street West.

On the opposite of Manchester Metropolitan University at 121 Oxford Road, there is a small fast
food restaurant called "Pizza Co". Try their spicy chicken wings with fries, which are a hit among
students in Manchester, for under 3. The spicy wings are very flavourful and are really not very
spicy.

Chinese
There are plenty of all-you-can-eat buffets in Chinatown for less than 10.00 ( 13.00). Prices
tend to change with the time of day and likely demand. If you eat earlier in the day, you can have
a full all-you-can-eat meal, including soup, starter, and desert for around 5. Really cheap
Chinese buffets include Number 1's at 48 Whitworth Street (between Oxford Road Station and the
Gay Village) Tai Wu at 44 Oxford Street next to McDonalds.

Wing's Dai Pai Dong in the Arndale Market and Food court city centre is set around a sushi
counter. It serves a variety of mainstream Cantonese (Hong Kong), Thai, and Japanese dishes.
The Hong Kong style roasting dishes are particularly good value and well-made. Typically any
mixture of Char Sui, Duck, Pork Belly, Jelly Fish, and Cold Cuts can be paired with Rice, Soup
Noodle, or other fried noodles, typically for around 4.50 for a very large and filling bowl/plate.
Teamed with a bottle of Asahi Beer, the bill per person will be well under 10.

free wi-fi available at:

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 Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street - art gallery, cinema, bar.
Oklahoma Cafe, 74 - 76 High Street - organic, vegetarian and fair trade coffee shop.
The Castle Pub, 66 Oldham Street - traditional pub *Note: currently being refurbished so may
have limited service or be closed.
Revolution, 90-94 Oxford Road, M1 5WH - trendy vodka bar. The wifi is also reachable from the
Starbucks on the other side of Oxford Road.

Stay safe

If you're uncomfortable around thousands of intoxicated young people, then you should probably
avoid Friday and Saturday night taxi queues in the city centre. You should also avoid any conflict
with door staff at bars, clubs and pubs.

All pubs, bars and clubs are best avoided on days where the Manchester derby football match is
taking place. Relations between the two sets of supporters have never been amicable, to say the
least, but things seem to have deteriorated recently. What starts out as "banter" quite commonly
gets out of hand.

Persistent begging is an irritation in Piccadilly. There is also a problem with people walking up to
you with a story like "I've lost my wallet and need 50p for the bus home". These people often say
the same story for years. This is usually a ruse to get money from you or, in some cases, in the
hope that you will get a wallet/purse out of your pocket so it can be stolen.

Sellers of "The Big Issue" magazine, are not usually regarded as beggars. The Magazine is
pubished by the Big Issue in The North, a social enterprise and sold to the homeless for resale on
the streets. All of the vendors are genuinely homeless and are forbidden from begging whilst
selling the magazine (though it is not uncommon to hear pleas for "spare change" from a Big
Issue vendor). Vendors can be found around the city and visitors may want to buy a 2 copy.
Please do only buy from badged, official vendors.

Manchester is generally quite a safe place, especially in commercialised and tourist orientated
areas. If you wander into a less desirable area you should be very wary of street gangs hanging
around.

Should you encounter a group which looks suspicious, either avoid them all together and walk the
other way, or try to walk past them quickly (at a distance if possible) and behave in a way that
they do not perceive as disrespectful or confrontational. This can include eye contact or accidently
brushing past them with your shoulder.

Most of the areas in Manchester where tourists venture are safe. The following areas are very
much "off the beaten path", with little to tempt the average visitor. Nonetheless, should
you choose to go, then caution would be advised:

Longsight. This is a somewhat rundown residential area in the shadow of the city centre, which
has as yet avoided the gentrification of nearby Hulme.
Moss Side. This area constitutes the heart of Manchester's African and Caribbean community
and is worth a visit if you looking for something different. It is an area that has been associated
with gang related violence but is no worse than other inner-city areas in Manchester, with such

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 crime having been greatly reduced by police and community efforts in recent years. It is adjacent
to some pleasant parks, including the small Whitworth Park and larger Platt Fields Park. Catch
the Caribbean Festival of Manchester in Alexandra Park every July/August.
Parts of Hulme but this young, trendy, regenerated area would be of interest to many with its new
town houses, quirky architecture and blocks of flats and is next to the centre.
Cheetham Hill. Avoid at night; but, during the day, this suburb, to the north of Victoria Station, is
a lively, colourful mixture of cultures: Jewish, Asian, and newer arrivals to the city from various
parts of the world! The shopping area around "The Village" is very much like an inner London
high street.
Wythenshawe. Much of this is a vast public housing district out towards the airport should be
avoided.
Ordsall. This area is on the up and following the example of Hulme with lots of new
developments.
Parts of East Manchester, particularly Beswick.
Salford. Unless you have good reason, do not wander too far, on foot at least, over the river Irwell
into Salford from the city centre. With the great number of new residential developments in the
area, it has improved. The straight route from Manchester centre, via Salford Cathedral along
Chapel Street to Salford University, is very safe up to Pendleton.
The Raphaels Bank ATM at the Airport offers such an applalling conversion rate that, far from
being "free of charge" as claimed, you pay exorbitant charges to use it.