Manchester

Pop-up park and rides announced to manage ‘sheer volume’ of people travelling to Manchester city centre

Plus late-night trams!

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 19th November 2025

Four new pop-up park and rides will open in Greater Manchester from this week, to help people travelling into the city centre over the Christmas period.

Transport for Greater Manchester has announced the scheme will kick in to handle the ‘sheer volume’ of people heading into town for festive events and Christmas shopping, with around 80,000 extra trips made in one weekend alone last year.

The news comes after a weekend that saw car parks congested and the city streets gridlocked with traffic.

TfGM is now encouraging people to use public transport – including the new park and ride services – instead of driving this winter.

The four park and rides will provide an extra 1000 free parking spaces, with frequent bus shuttles then completing journeys into Manchester city centre.

ADVERTISEMENT

Millions of people are expected to visit this year for events including the Manchester Christmas Markets, shopping, football matches, concerts and nights out.

The Bee Network is hoping to help all those people save cash, beat traffic, and keep the city centre moving.

ADVERTISEMENT

Other measures being introduced this year, as part of a joint approach by TfGM, Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police (GMP), include later-running trams at weekends, temporary parking restrictions and traffic measures, and round-the-clock CCTV monitoring.

Trams will run until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays over the Christmas period, with extra double trams running at busy times.

Temporary weekend parking restrictions are being introduced on Swan Street and Liverpool Street, with weekend closures inbound on Corporation Street to reduce congestion around Shudehill, and a no right turn from the Arndale car park to ease congestion on Withy Grove.

ADVERTISEMENT

The four new park and rides, with 1,000 extra parking spaces, will be open every Saturday and Sunday from this Saturday (22 November) until 21 December.

They’ll be located at Booth Street West, Central Park, Belle Vue and Irwell Place.

People are urged to plan their journeys carefully this Christmas.

Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at TfGM said: “Christmas is one of the best times to enjoy Manchester – so much is going on and there’s such a buzz to the city centre. Our message is clear … the Bee Network is the best way to get there and home again. Board the bus, jump on the tram and plan your journey in advance.

@jstaffcycles

When you know its Christmas in Manchester.

♬ original sound – James S

“With plenty of frequent buses and trams to and from the city centre, single bus fares from just £2 and trams from just £1.40, the Bee Network is the easiest, quickest and most affordable way to travel this Christmas.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Our pop-up park and rides mean you don’t need to struggle for parking in the city centre, but can park for free and finish the journey on a dedicated bus for just £2 single or £4 return and completely free for under 16s.

“As well as the new pop-up park and rides, there’s also 24 park and ride sites across Greater Manchester where you can park for free and jump on the tram – with all the locations and latest tram times available in the Bee Network app.

“We know roads and the network are going to be really busy, especially at weekends. That’s why we’re working closely with Manchester City Council and GMP on a joined-up approach to keep people moving safely around the city as they experience the brilliant things it has to offer.”

Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, said: “Christmas is always a hectic period on our roads and this year we are redoubling our collective efforts to keep the transport network moving across Greater Manchester.

“With millions of people set to visit Manchester City Centre we are urging people to plan their journeys ahead of time and where possible, leave the car at home. There are a huge number of ways to get to town, be that a bus, tram or train, and these will often be a quicker and cheaper alternative.”

Read more

Featured image: TfGM

Manchester

New flights to magical Christmas Market city launch from Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson New flights to magical Christmas Market town launch from Manchester

A new route from Manchester that will whisk passengers away to a world-famous Christmas Markets city has launched.

EasyJet is now jetting off to Nuremberg from Manchester Airport, opening up a brand-new direct route to Bavaria’s second city.

The pretty German destination is famed across the globe for its traditional Christmas Markets, as well as its medieval architecture, rich history, and Franconian food and drink.

The Nuremberg Christmas Market has just been named among the cheapest in Europe too, with mulled wine usually costing around £3.85 (compared to the £5.50 of Manchester Christmas Markets last year).

And with return flights from just £64 per person, it actually might be a cheaper way to join in the festivities than celebrating on home turf.

Nuremberg is the second-largest city in Bavaria, behind Munich, and boasts a beautiful and walkable old town that makes it an ideal choice for a short break.

The world-famous Christmas Market – known here as Christkindlesmarkt – dates back centuries and spills out across the city’s picturesque Hauptmarkt square with traditional wooden stalls selling handcrafted gifts, decorations and festive treats.

You’ll also find traditional winter food and drink like Gluhwein, roasted almonds, and gingerbread, soundtracked by live choirs and carol singers.

And don’t miss Drei im Weggla, the city’s famous chipolata-sized grilled pork sausages that are typically served three at a time in a crusty bread roll, then topped with sauerkraut and German mustard.

New direct flights to Nuremberg from Manchester have launched
New direct flights to Nuremberg from Manchester have launched. Credit: Pixabay, ArminEP

You can also explore attractions here like the Nuremberg Castle, perched high above the city, with panoramic views across the Old Town, then wander some of Europe’s best-preserved city walls and cobbled streets.

Stephen Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport, said: “We’re proud to connect people from across the North with the destinations they want to travel to – so it’s incredibly exciting to see easyJet launching direct flights to Nuremberg from Manchester, just in time for the city’s iconic Christmas markets.

“This service makes us the only UK airport outside London with a direct connection to Bavaria’s second city.

“Nuremberg is a hotbed of German culture, history, cuisine and architecture – there’s so much to explore within the city and we’re sure it’ll prove extremely popular with travellers from Manchester.”

Nuremberg is a magical winter city in Bavaria. Credit: Unsplash,
Nuremberg is a magical winter city in Bavaria. Credit: Unsplash, Ram Lanka

Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: “We’re really pleased to be celebrating the launch of our first flight from Manchester to Nuremberg today and welcoming customers onboard our newest route from the North West.

“Nuremberg is a fantastic addition to our network and an ideal destination for a winter city break, from its famous Christmas markets to its fascinating history and medieval architecture.

“The launch further expands the choice we offer our customers from Manchester, providing even more great-value connectivity across Europe and beyond.”

Flights from Manchester to Nuremberg will operate twice per week until early January 2027, on Mondays and Fridays, with return fares from only £64pp.

Read more

Featured image: G.C. from Pixabay

Manchester

Police urgently appeal after 19-year-old pedestrian is hit and ‘seriously injured’ on Mancunian Way

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Mancunian Way at night

An urgent police appeal has been issued following a serious collision on the Mancunian Way this past weekend.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at 11:50pm on Halloween (Saturday 31 October), officers responded to reports of a serious collision on the Mancunian Way, by the exit slip road for London Road.

It was reported that a 19-year-old man had walked on the slip road, where he was struck by a vehicle – causing him to sustain ‘life-threatening injuries’ in the process.

Police say the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, and has cooperated with enquires.

As officers continue to establish the full circumstances of this shocking incident, GMP has now issued an appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

This includes anyone who witnessed the collision, or has any dashcam or CCTV footage from around the time and location of the incident.

Can you help?

Read more:

Anyone with information is asked to contact GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741 or the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 4579 of 31/10/26.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – Geograph

More Manchester

Art & Culture

Tickets go live as opening date is announced for Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience

Role Model has added a Manchester AO Arena gig to his tour

Audio

Role Model adds Manchester arena show to world tour after huge demand

City Centre

Only two arrested after day of ‘peaceful’ protests in Manchester city centre over the weekend

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches