Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Northwest
Lake District
National Park
Lake District
National Park
CUMBRIA
CUMBRIA
Grange-
over-Sands
Grange-
over-Sands
Ulverston
Barrow-
in-Furness
Ulverston
Barrow-
in-Furness
Yorkshire Dales
National Park
Yorkshire Dales
National Park
Warton
Warton
Carnforth
Carnforth
NORTH
YORKSHIRE
NORTH
YORKSHIRE
A65
M6
Walney I.
Walney I.
Morecambe
Morecambe
Lancaster
Lancaster
Settle
Settle
Forest of
Bowland
Forest of
Bowland
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle
Morecambe
Bay
Slaidburn
Slaidburn
Skipton
Skipton
Fleetwood
Fleetwood
LANCASHIRE
LANCASHIRE
Clitheroe
Clitheroe
I R I S H
S E A
IRISH
SEA
Colne
Nelson
Colne
Nelson
M6
Clitheroe
Castle
Clitheroe
Castle
Haworth
Haworth
Blackpool
Blackpool
Ribchester
Ribchester
Blackpool
Pleasure Beach
Blackpool
Pleasure Beach
M55
Burnley
Burnley
Brockholes
Brockholes
M65
Preston
Preston
Blackpool Int'l
Blackpool Int'l
Accrington
Accrington
WEST
YORKSHIRE
WEST
YORKSHIRE
Lytham St. Annes
Lytham St. Annes
Blackburn
Blackburn
Leyland
Leyland
Darwen
Darwen
Chorley
Chorley
Southport
Southport
M66
WWT Martin Mere
Wetland Centre
WWT Martin Mere
Wetland Centre
Royal Birkdale
Royal Birkdale
GREATER
MANCHESTER
GREATER
MANCHESTER
Bolton
Bolton
Ormskirk
Ormskirk
MERSEYSIDE
MERSEYSIDE
15
M6
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
M58
M60
Wigan
Wigan
Crosby
Aintree
Racecourse
Aintree
Racecourse
Manchester
Manchester
Leigh
St. Helens
Leigh
St. Helens
Liverpool Bay
Bootle
Bootle
The Traford
Centre
The Traford
Centre
M62
Liverpool
Liverpool
Stockport
Stockport
Altrincham
Altrincham
Warrington
Warrington
Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Lyme
Park
Lyme
Park
Widnes
Widnes
Manchester
Int'l
Manchester
Int'l
M56
Prestatyn
Prestatyn
John Lennon
John Lennon
DERBY-
SHIRE
DERBY-
SHIRE
Rhyl
Rhyl
Tatton
Park
Tatton
Park
M6
Runcorn
Runcorn
Wilmslow
Wilmslow
Peak District
Nat'l Park
Peak District
Nat'l Park
WALES
WALES
M56
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Northwich
Northwich
CHESHIRE
CHESHIRE
Express
(
&
0871/781-8181;
www.nationalexpress.com) buses from
Manchester
International Airport
(
&
08712/710-711;
www.manchesterairport.co.uk), 15
miles south of the center, links with London and other U.K. cities, plus many Euro-
pean and global destinations. Its station has frequent direct rail links with the city
(about 20 min. away) and other destinations including Liverpool (about 1
1
⁄
4
hr.) and
Leeds (about 1
1
⁄
4
hr.).
VISITOR INFORMATION
Manchester Visitor Information Centre,
Picca-
dilly Plaza, Portland Street (
&
0871/222-8223;
www.visitmanchester.com), is open
Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday 10:30am to 4:30 pm.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Manchester is busy all year, but events that may be worth
timing your visit with are the biennial
Manchester International Festival
(www.
mif.co.uk; next in summer 2013), and, in October, the
Manchester Science Fes-
tival
(www.manchestersciencefestival.com) and the
Manchester Literature Festi-
val
(www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk). Other great events are
Chinese New
Year
(late Jan/mid-Feb); the
Manchester Mega Mela
(July), with Asian music,
dance, food, and more;
Diwali,
the Hindu festival of lights (late Oct/early Nov); and
Christmas,
with markets, a snow-slide, an ice rink, and illuminations.
