Planning a trip to Manchester

[1e10]

Hello,

I am going to Manchester next weekend (30th) and will be there for around 6-7 hours. I am going to the Science Museum and wondering if anyone had any suggestions for other things to see whilst in the area? I want to make the most of the day.

Thanks!

 

[harry42]

Football museum really isn't worth it.

Take the metrolink to media city UK: FANTASTIC MUSEUM: Manchester Imperial War Museum is GREAT. There is also an art gallery there with a café.

Believe there is a transport museum somewhere too.

 

[theblackwatch]

Football museum really isn't worth it.

Take the metrolink to media city UK: FANTASTIC MUSEUM: Manchester Imperial War Museum is GREAT. There is also an art gallery there with a café.

You are referring to The Lowry I think - http://www.thelowry.com/

Believe there is a transport museum somewhere too.

The Manchester Museum of Transport - see http://www.gmts.co.uk/ . Bretty much bus related it seems.

 

[1e10]

Where can I purchase Metrolink tickets from, are they available at Piccadilly station?

What is the journey time from Piccadilly to MediaCityUK?

 

[harry42]

Where can I purchase Metrolink tickets from, are they available at Piccadilly station?

What is the journey time from Piccadilly to MediaCityUK?

Yes and 20 minutes.

And yes the Lowry, thanks

 

[rm88]

go to the Etihad, nice stadium.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Could go for a ride on the (relatively) new Ashton Line?

 

[CC 72100]

go to the Etihad, nice stadium.

Go to Old Trafford, much better

 

[Simon11]

Go to Old Trafford, much better

Agreed, they have a much better colour scheme going

 

[rm88]

Old Trafford is not in Manchester though, go to Ian Allen bookshop just outside Piccadilly station. All agreed yes.

 

[Crossover]

Yeah, Ian Allen Bookshop is a good shout

1e10, Metrolink have ticket machines on every platform. I'm not sure if you can purchase them from the main ticket office on Piccadilly station, though I'd doubt it

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I'm not sure if you can purchase them from the main ticket office on Piccadilly station, though I'd doubt it

You can purchase tram/train tickets at the main one, I think.

 

[Bevan Price]

6-7 hours probably won't allow you enough time to visit all the suggested attractions unless you make very brief visits to the chosen museums & galleries.
The Rugby League World Cup final is at Old Trafford on 30 November, so Metrolink services passing near the stadium (including those to Media City) are likely to be very busy before and after the match.
For info. about galleries / museums, see:

http://www.manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/manchesters-museums-and-galleries/

http://www.visitmanchester.com/what-to-do/attractions/museums--galleries/

(Some of the attractions listed in the second link are outside the city and you will not have time to visit them.)

 

[1e10]

6-7 hours probably won't allow you enough time to visit all the suggested attractions unless you make very brief visits to the chosen museums & galleries.
The Rugby League World Cup final is at Old Trafford on 30 November, so Metrolink services passing near the stadium (including those to Media City) are likely to be very busy before and after the match.
For info. about galleries / museums, see:

http://www.manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/manchesters-museums-and-galleries/

http://www.visitmanchester.com/what-to-do/attractions/museums--galleries/

(Some of the attractions listed in the second link are outside the city and you will not have time to visit them.)

It's the best I can do. I'm going from Bristol for the day, so 3 hours there and back between Bristol and Manchester plus connection times for journey to/from a local station to Bristol TM.

 

[Techniquest]

Yeah, Ian Allen Bookshop is a good shout

Agreed, best Ian Allen shop I've been to out of Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester. Not been to the London one in ages mind.

Metrolink tickets can easily be got from the ticket machines on the stations, including an all-day ticket. Never sourced one from the mainline stations but I too would doubt they'd be available there unless it was a ticket such as a Greater Manchester Rail Ranger or Wayfarer.

 

[1e10]

Anyone how busy these services are?

1M25 0700 Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly
1V67 1805 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads

Pretty much 95%+ of seats have already been reserved on the website. Hoping it's not going to be a packed Voyager

 

[fowler9]

The Christmas Market is quite pleasant if that has started yet. The East Lancs Railway if you have time for a spin up there on the Metrolink.

 

[Techniquest]

Anyone how busy these services are?

1M25 0700 Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly
1V67 1805 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads

Pretty much 95%+ of seats have already been reserved on the website. Hoping it's not going to be a packed Voyager

Ouch, poor you going to Manchester on Voyagers...

0700 CDF > MAN is normally dead empty out of CDF, less so out of NWP, I'd imagine it's the 0800 off BRI so it'll be pretty busy for most of the journey north. 1805 MAN > BRI will be just coming up to the end of the evening peak from MAN and Stockport, so I'd imagine it'll be rather busy to Stoke on Trent and maybe Stafford, after which it may be OK to BHM from where I'd expect it to be reasonably well loaded.

 

[ValleyLines142]

0700 CDF > MAN is normally dead empty out of CDF, less so out of NWP, I'd imagine it's the 0800 off BRI so it'll be pretty busy for most of the journey north.

Woah woah woah....stop right there.....were you drunk when you last used this service my friend?!

As someone who gets the 0700 twice a week, I can assure you it's far from dead empty! At Cardiff, quite a few people get on, but you can still have two seats to yourself. Then at Newport, ALL other seats are gone.

Then we stop at Severn Tunnel, where at least fifty people get on it. By this point, the vestibules are full and standing and every seat is taken.

This is a VERY busy service between Cardiff and Bristol, and ideally it needs to be a 221 (which it is now and again, but mainly it's a 220).

I strongly, strongly recommend getting a seat reservation, otherwise you WILL be standing if you try and get on after Newport!

Put it this way, there are FAR less people getting on at Bristol than there are getting off!

Your description is correct for a Saturday, but NOT for a weekday! It is heaving!!

 

[1e10]

Grr, I thought it would quiet because of it being a weekend. Is there ever a service worked by a Voyager that isn't cramped?!

Thanks for all the info guys

 

[TrainfanBen]

Just note that there is a university open day at Manchester Metropolitan University. Just pointing this out, I don't actually know how much busier services into Manchester will be due to this.

 

[Techniquest]

Woah woah woah....stop right there.....were you drunk when you last used this service my friend?!

I must admit, I did the 0700 from CDF way back in Virgin Trains days, just for the novelty of doing it We're probably talking about 2005, or possibly sometime in 2004 so memory doesn't serve me too well here. Except to say that I know full well it was as empty as anything when I did it. Regrettably, I have no idea which day of the week it was, since it was definitely in the period where my record keeping was beyond abysmal. These days, it really grates on my nerves if I don't have a decent log of my journeys!

I was as sober as anything earlier when I made the post, I'm now on my second can of Arkells 3B tonight so not so sober now lol Need some more of it, I really thought the 8 cans I bought last night would be enough, but 4 of them went last night in 2 hours or so and I've only 2 left now! hock:

 

[ValleyLines142]

I must admit, I did the 0700 from CDF way back in Virgin Trains days, just for the novelty of doing it We're probably talking about 2005, or possibly sometime in 2004 so memory doesn't serve me too well here. Except to say that I know full well it was as empty as anything when I did it. Regrettably, I have no idea which day of the week it was, since it was definitely in the period where my record keeping was beyond abysmal. These days, it really grates on my nerves if I don't have a decent log of my journeys!

Haha no you're right in fairness back in 2005 days it was quiet. These days it's heaving! Very depressing.

In the other direction though the 1705 off Manchester, it is heaving all the way to Birmingham, then a few more go on for Bristol, but between Bristol and Cardiff it has about three people on board

On Saturdays it is still relatively quiet though.

I was as sober as anything earlier when I made the post, I'm now on my second can of Arkells 3B tonight so not so sober now lol Need some more of it, I really thought the 8 cans I bought last night would be enough, but 4 of them went last night in 2 hours or so and I've only 2 left now! hock:

Oh dear!

 

[CC 72100]

Grr, I thought it would quiet because of it being a weekend. Is there ever a service worked by a Voyager that isn't cramped?!

Thanks for all the info guys

06:08 Bristol TM (via Westbury) - Plymouth - having a coach to myself was the only time that going down a sea wall in a voyager wasn't too bad.

Not the most useful of services though, i'll confess...

 

[1e10]

06:08 Bristol TM (via Westbury) - Plymouth - having a coach to myself was the only time that going down a sea wall in a voyager wasn't too bad.

Not the most useful of services though, i'll confess...

I've had a vestibule to myself before.. If that counts! And yes, the rest of the train was packed.

 

[Starmill]

Is there ever a service worked by a Voyager that isn't cramped?!

Hmm: 1D80, 0530 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead was pretty dead all the way really! Few got on up the coast but only 3 other people in my coach!

 

[Techniquest]

I've been on plenty of Voyagers which weren't packed to the rafters, some of them were even on weekdays at fairly busy times of the day. Granted, most of them weren't empty either, but not packed like anchovies in a tin either.

That said, I've been on the platform for a Voyager (it was in Taunton, so wasn't a lot of choice at my chosen time of the day IIRC) before now and seen the doors open, only to find them full of luggage and unable to get on through certain doorways. Not to mention the other horror stories you hear about Voyagers.

In all fairness, I've been on 185s that were heaving too with the same problems before. And 170s, and 175s, and 158s, as well as many other classes!

 

[ValleyLines142]

Is there ever a service worked by a Voyager that isn't cramped?!

As I said before, I'd have to say the 2015 Bristol to Cardiff (1V65, 1705 off Manchester), which has about three people in each coach.

Although one day the 1954 Bristol to Cardiff (1F30, 1723 off Portsmouth), the previous service, was cancelled and so 1V65 was quite busy!

 

[1e10]

0800 service cancelled due to a one under. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P30740/2013/11/30/advanced

Now on a rather packed 0900 service that is delayed because of another one under the north bound side of Birmingham New Street. Been standing between Bristol and BHM with no WiFi signal in the vestibule.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
0800 service cancelled due to a one under. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P30740/2013/11/30/advanced

Now on a rather packed 0900 service that is delayed because of another one under the north bound side of Birmingham New Street. Been standing between Bristol and BHM with no WiFi signal in the vestibule.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

The Christmas Market is quite pleasant if that has started yet.

Yes, it started about 14th Nov.

I'd recommend a visit to Manchester Central (formerly known as G-MEX) which is probably the UK's best example of a very large railway station being brought into use as a 21st c facility. The massive vaulted glass and iron roof and detailled brickwork looks just as it will have done in the 19th c.
[You will probably have to request permission if it's in the middle of a trade fair or other function.]