Car Hire Manchester

A quick guide to Manchester

Ian Brown, lead singer of local rock legends the Stone Roses, once famously said of Manchester that “it has everything except a beach” – and that still holds true.

One minute you’ll find yourself in its vibrant Chinatown, the next venturing into the trendy, style-conscious Northern Quarter. And if you’re fond of your football (try not to say “soccer”), taking in a Manchester United or Manchester City game is a must.

Buzzing with life

Manchester pulses with life day and night. Head to Spinningfields, the heart of the city’s financial district, and you’ll find the locals enjoying after work drinks in the trendy cocktail bars or tucking into moreish grub in one of the eclectic mix of restaurants.

If you’re looking for something a little more colourful, consider the carnival feel of Canal Street, lined with bars and restaurants and home to the city’s Gay Quarter.

Dining is high on the agenda in Manchester. Take tapas to a different level at Iberica, sample sumptuous fine dining at The French (you’ll find it within the plush Midland hotel on Peter Street), or some Japanese specialties at Yuzu. If laid-back’s what you’re after, try dining by the canalside at The Wharf pub in Castlefield.

By day, Manchester offers one of the best mix of stores in the north of England. The Northern Quarter serves up vintage fashion and cool boutiques, while you’ll find high-end designers on King Street.

Jump in the car and travel out of town to the Trafford Centre for a whole range of stores – plus a Sea Life aquarium – all under one roof.

A city of sport

You can’t talk about Manchester without somebody mentioning football. The beautiful game is the lifeblood of the city, while the (mostly) friendly rivalry between the team’s two clubs ignites passions on a daily basis.

Both Old Trafford – home to United – and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium offer guided tours, but if you’re visiting between August and May it’s worth doing your best to bag some tickets and take in the unique atmosphere of a live game.

If you do find yourself catching football fever, Manchester is also the chosen location of the UK’s National Football Museum, where you can learn all about the history of the planet’s most popular sport.

Hit the open road

You’d struggle to find a better jumping off point to the rest of the UK than Manchester. Its excellent road links enable you to strike out for everything from the wild highlands of Scotland to the lush forests and towering castles of Wales, or down to the south of England.

Manchester is well within reach of the bright lights and must-see sights of London, a journey that should take around five hours by car. Liverpool is a mere 55km away and ripe for a musical odyssey in the home of The Beatles – or cross the border to see Conway Castle in Wales, an ornate fairytale fortress. It just depends how long you have and how far you want to venture.

Car hire in Manchester gives you the key to exploring the best of this great and endlessly exciting city, along with the rest of the region and the UK as a whole.

Driving in and around Manchester

When you hire a car in Manchester you’re opening up a world of possibilities. The city’s location makes it easy to access the rest of England as well as Scotland and Wales, while Ireland is also within your grasp.

As you would expect in a major city, roads in the centre of Manchester can get pretty congested during morning and evening rush hour. There are a number of one way systems too look out for, as well as tram, bus and cycle lanes. However there’s plenty of parking in the city and once you’re out of central Manchester you’ll find the traffic thinning out.

Main roads are well maintained and signposted so travelling is straightforward, whether you’re on the major highways or smaller roads.

There are speed restrictions of 112km/h on the motorways and two-lane dual carriageways, falling to 96km/h on single carriageways and 48km/h in urban and residential areas. But limits can change, so it’s worth keeping a close eye on the signs to avoid a potential fine.

You can find the full rules of the road in the UK here.

Travelling by car gives you great access to the towns and cities outside Manchester, from bustling and cosmopolitan to cosy and quaint.

Head out of the city along the M62 motorway to reach the charming towns and cobbled village streets of Yorkshire, while the A6 offers access to the dramatic landscape of the Peak District.

A 50km drive brings you to Buxton, a beautiful and tranquil spa town on the edge of the Peak District that’s a monument to elegant Victoriana.

Boasting one of the highest elevations in England, you can drink in the incredible views of the surrounding countryside, browse the charming shops or savour the delights of a traditional tea room.