Dreaming of an amazing weekend in Manchester but don't know how to organize it? No worries! Your trip promises to be much brighter and more interesting if you hire a car. Pick up a Budget car hire Manchester airport and you will be able to comfortably reach any of the city's attractions at a time convenient for you. Of course, there are many great places to go in Manchester!
Magnificent parks, museums, town halls, and cathedrals, as well as just cozy streets and lively youth districts with a huge number of pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs: sounds good, doesn't it? We have selected some great places in Manchester where you can have a really good time during your trip.
Heaton Park
Heaton Park will be a great place to relax and unwind during your car hire trip. With an area of about 300 hectares, it’s one of the largest parks in the UK. In 1902, the city government made a huge gift to all residents of the city by purchasing the park from the Earl of Wilton.
There’s everything for a full relaxation: an 18-hole golf course, lakes, and reservoirs where you can go boating, a farm with pets that offers horseback riding, and a bee farm where you can learn all about honey production.
You can also ride a small and cozy retro tram. On the territory of the park you’ll find many architectural monuments. The most famous of them is Heaton Hall – a country house from the middle of the 18th century.
National Football Museum
A large glass building in the middle of Manchester is very difficult to miss from the window of a hire car. It’s here that the museum of the most popular sport in the whole country found its place. It was created not very long ago, in 2001, and several times the exposition changed its location.
The museum has several halls and many different entertainment and animation objects. While walking through the Hall of Fame, you can explore the entire history of English football from the little-known ‘Preston’ to the great ‘Manchester United’.
In the adjacent hall, there’s a huge collection of T-shirts, cups, balls, awards, and other football exhibits. By the way, the ball, which was used in the final match of the 1966 World Cup, and Diego Maradona's original T-shirt are also exhibited there.
There are a lot of interactive elements near the exhibits. For example, you can put on headphones and listen to famous football commentators, or see on the interactive panel what injuries are most often suffered by football players. There’s a penalty room for children. The entrance to the museum is free of charge.
Manchester Cathedral
Where else can you go with the hire car in Manchester? Keep your way to the Cathedral. This cathedral is one of the most beautiful in all of England, a famous monument of history and architecture, which has seen a lot and keeps various legends within its walls.
The construction of the cathedral was carried out in several stages, but the main part was erected during the time of James Stanley, who was the church head from 1485-1506. He was closely related to the Tudors, so he had the opportunity to invite the best masters.
In the interior of the cathedral, you will see delightful wood carvings: 15 figurines of angels are located in the middle of the church, and at the top is a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. The cathedral has a visitor center as well as a tea room where you can taste English tea with muffins, homemade sandwiches, and fruit tart.
Chinatown
In the heart of Manchester city center, you can leave your hired car in the car park and stroll around Chinatown. The first settlers from China arrived in the city quite recently-in the XX century. From that time, a fairly large community began to emerge, which is growing every year. This is mainly due to the students who come there to study.
Manchester's Chinatown is the third-largest in Europe and the second-largest in the UK. The entrance to the quarter is decorated with an imperial Chinese-style arch, which is its symbol. For exotic foods, check out local supermarkets and, of course, visit a restaurant or cafe to enjoy Chinese cuisine.
SeaLife Manchester
Another pride of locals is the aquarium, which you can easily reach by hire car. Here, seven days a week, from 10 am till 7 pm, you’ll be able to enjoy five thousand sea animals – all these animals are housed in 30 huge aquariums.
It makes no sense to list all the delights of the aquarium, because you will have a unique opportunity to walk along the seabed wearing diving equipment. Real sharks and giant rays will swim over you. Of course, if you don't like such extreme adventures, then you can just walk around exploring marine life.
During the day, the aquarium hosts fish, penguins, and turtles feeding shows, as well as interactive lectures for children. There’s also a soft playroom for the youngest marine explorers.
