How To Spend A Day In Manchester For Under £60*

It wasn't too long ago I last spoke about my love for Manchester. George and I ventured there for the day with Bear recently as we wanted to see more of what the city had to offer and in the past we've usually just gone around Christmas time. On that particular trip we got to see a show at Manchester Opera House, we explored the Northern Quarter and we finally saw the new Friends cafe which is insane! Manchester is one of those places though that is constantly buzzing and there is always something new to discover, so this time I wanted to share a few more of my tips for the city. More specifically, I want to talk about how you can spend the day there for less than £60. Yep, we might all love a day out but they can be very expensive, so let's see what's available if you're on a budget.

Before we get onto seeing the sights in Manchester, let's talk about travel. In the past we've travelled to Manchester by train, it's not too far and there's just something I really like about sitting for an hour with my book and just watching the world go by. Unfortunately train prices have rocketed over the last few years so I've been looking for other alternatives and that's where Megabus comes in. Megabus are the market leader for great value coach trips and as they're part of Stagecoach, this means they offer greener, smarter travel at great value prices. Megabus have recently extended their service meaning 6 new buses are available on their London to Aberdeen route, those being of course London and Aberdeen but also Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Dundee. To make your journey even more comfortable too, the new coaches are kitted out with a new interior, tables and wireless charging meaning your journey can be as fuss-free as possible. So if you're on a budget it's well worth looking into Megabus for a great start to any day trip!

Breakfast

Now, all good day trips start with breakfast don't they? And Manchester is full to the brim of cool eateries so you'll be spoilt for choice. My first recommendation would be Cafe 19 who do an array of indulgent pancakes, huge sandwiches and delish cakes, located just down the road from Primark in the city centre. There's also Gino D'acampo's Coffee & Deli Bar located in the Arndale selling a range of croissants, brioche rolls and classic Italian hot chocolate. Yes please. If you're wanting to start off your day shopping in the Arndale then I also recommend Bella Italia. They currently do breakfast for £5.49 which is so affordable! The menu is huge and you can always be guaranteed a nice meal. Lastly, for something a little different, I recommend The Koffee Pot, in the Northern Quarter. Here you'll find all american pancakes, grilled cheese and even breakfast cocktails. There's also some really cool street art around this area which is working checking out. So now breakfast is covered, let's start exploring

The Printworks

Next up I'd recommend heading to the Printworks. Not only does this look incredibly cool, but it's also full of fun activities. Here you'll find things like Escape Rooms and Mini Golf, perfect for all of the family and there's even a cinema! It's also a hub of unique bars and restaurants, great if you want to stop for a drink, and Bierkeller is apparently the place to go for the ultimate German experience! The range you spend can obviously vary depending on if you want to take on any of the activities but for free it's definitely worth at least paying a visit!

Browse The Libraries

You all know how much I adore reading so visiting libraries is my kind of thing! Luckily Manchester has several and of course they're free! There's the John Rylands Library which is a Victorian Gothic masterpiece and this in particular houses some of the world's oldest and most important books. It's absolutely beautiful inside and out and there's also the Manchester Central Library which is huge! You can spend hours and hours there.

Manchester Cathedral

Not far from the Manchester Central Library is Manchester Cathedral. Stunning come rain or shine, you have to go and see this. Open to visitors all year round, you can even pop inside and they do guided tours too if you want to learn as much as possible. With activities for children too, it can be a place for all of the family to enjoy and there's even a cafe. Maybe a great choice for a spot of lunch? They offer a contemporary take on the traditional British tearoom and serve an impressive selection of loose leaf teas, homemade meals and hand crafted cakes.

Christmas Markets

The perfect way to end your day, a visit to the Christmas markets. Now obviously this is only from November onwards but if planning a trip to Manchester any time soon, you can't miss out on a walk around the gorgeous markets. Stalls upon stalls of baked goods, mulled wine, homemade gifts and so much more. The markets are sure to put you in the festive mood, so much so that last year I put up the decorations pretty much as soon as we got in! I've been to quite a few Christmas markets now and so far, I've found none better than Manchester. The whole city just gets into the festive spirit and you can't help but be happy there! The amount you'll spend really depends on how much food and drink you want to try, and if you want to get any Christmas shopping done. I personally think for £20 you can get a decent amount, which if you've spent the day seeing all of the free things Manchester has to offer, then really that's not bad at all!

I've only just scratched the surface with what Manchester has available, so a few other things I thought were worth mentioning are - the Manchester Art Gallery, the Museum of Science and Industry, the National Football Museum, Heaton Park and Haigh Woodland Park. Oh, and they're all FREE. Whilst Manchester is a great place to visit for a shopping trip - the Arndale and of course the Trafford Centre are brilliant, the city also has so much more to offer and as you can see a lot of it can be done within a budget.

I hope if you're planning a visit to Manchester that this has given you some inspiration. I couldn't recommend going for the Christmas markets enough!

*This post is in collaboration with Megabus but all views are my own

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