Manchester: Overview

Cotton mills, Morrissey, Man U, the Mondays...ah, marvellous Manchester.

Manchester is looking up. Gone are the Dickensian days of grinding poverty. Gone too the gloom'n'doom of the 1980s indie punk scene and its Joy Division pessimism: over the last 15 years the city has developed a champagne-for-breakfast insouciance and an almost giddy attitude toward fun.

The town that started the industrial revolution is stepping out of the steam-and-sweat age and into a swanky, partying juvenilia. But 'Madchester' is more than just froth-at-the-mouth football and high-class party jinks - there's also museums, fine dining and excellent shopping.

Travel Warning: Security Warning - Cabin Luggage Restrictions

In the wake of 2005's bombings in London and Glasgow, the British Home Office still rates the UK's terrorism threat level as severe. Travellers should exercise caution, monitor the media for any developments in the situation and expect delays at airports due to increased security measures.

Restrictions on airline cabin luggage are in place throughout the UK, although some restrictions have recently been relaxed slightly. For details check the UK Department for Transport website .

severity: High-level alert

Fast Facts

Population

3,200,000

Currency

Name: Pound Sterling
Code: GBP
Symbol: £

Electrical Plugs

British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade
240V 50Hz

Languages Spoken

Official: English

Time Zones

GMT/UTC 0 

Country Dialing Code

+44

Weights & Measures

Metric

Traveller Tips & Discussion

Thorn Tree Forum

  • Manchester
    Post by: cat_suoma, 09 Feb 07
    5 Replies
    Last reply: 567 days ago
  • manchester
    Post by: jj30, 10 Mar 07
    3 Replies
    Last reply: 538 days ago
  • Manchester
    Post by: Ang1e, 31 Jul 07
    4 Replies
    Last reply: 395 days ago
  • Manchester
    Post by: nyoka, 01 Mar 07
    6 Replies
    Last reply: 547 days ago
  • Manchester- Things to do
    Post by: juliacarolineb, 06 Apr 07
    6 Replies
    Last reply: 511 days ago

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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.

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