Manchester Travel Forum

Hello Everyone,

Any suggestions on how my girlfriend and I should spend this Sunday in Manchester? We'll be arriving Saturday evening (first time in Europe) and leaving Monday morning.

The weather is calling for rain all weekend, so we (I) were thinking of visiting Old Trafford in the morning (I'm a United fan), and then taking the bus to the Trafford Center in the afternoon. Any good restaurants around the area? ...not too expensive.

Also, what are my chances of getting a pair of tickets for Manchester United's game against West Ham? They are sold out on-line...I'm not holding my breath.

Thanks all.

The Trafford Centre is nice, a bit cramped by American shopping mall standards, but with a Las Vegas feel to it with all the fountains and themes. However, the shopping in the city centre is just as good and the Arndale Centre there is probably larger. Both are full of eateries. Bear in mind shopping hours on a Sunday are from 11 or so till 5 or 6 (a shop can be open 6 hours max on a Sunday).

Personally I would stay in the city centre looking around the cathedral area with some very good pubs (some of the city's oldest buildings), popping into Urbis (free museum/gallery with funky shop), the Triangle (lovely old building full of posh shops), the Printworks (mainly eateries and nightclubs), the aforementioned Arndale (recently expanded, it's huge), into Selfridges and/or Harvey Nichols (right across from each other), down through St Anns Square with its church, down King Street (a lovely lane with more shops) and finally the Town Hall on Albert Square (plus possibly the City Art Gallery nearby). And when the shops close it's time to hit the pubs..or Chinatown..or Canal Street..which will be far more fun than trailing out on the bus through the wastes of Salford to see a shopping mall on the expressway! ;)

As for Old Trafford, it's worth a look if you're a fan I suppose, but if there is a match on it is absolutely heaving whether you go by tram or bus so expect to put up with a lot of rowdy drunk fans. Probably the best way of seeing the match is by finding a pub showing it on the big screen (plenty of those to chose from in the city centre).

Happy trails!

Thanks Jayhawk.

Excellent advice. I agree that exploring the city would be a much better option, and that was the original plan. However, it's supposed to rain all weekend so I mentioned the Trafford Center because we didn't want to be drenched from walking around in it all day.

I think I'll take your advice about watching the game at a pub. I don't want to spend my first visit to England dealing with drunk fans...although I may be one of them.

Thanks again!

No worries...it is Manchester after all, so a spot of rain now and then is all we can expect. But have a think about a walkabout because it's only 5 minutes from the Town Hall to the Arndale, with lots of shops/pubs/etc to duck into along the way. Besides, you can impress all your friends at home by telling them about how you spent your first day splashing around in English rain ;)

Happy trails wherever you roam!