Jet2 has just unveiled details of its new “once in a lifetime” trips to Iceland direct from Manchester next winter.
It’s no secret that Iceland is a country which commonly features on bucket list, and now, with holidaymakers already flocking in their thousands to book flights to this stunning Nordic destination for next winter, the UK’s largest operator of city breaks to Europe has just launched its biggest-ever Iceland programme.
Jet2 says this new Winter 2025/26 programme offers customers and independent travel agents an “unrivalled choice of departure points”, as it covers all 12 of its UK airport bases – including Manchester Airport.
More than 170 outbound flights will run across the UK between October 2025 and April 2026, and there’ll be whopping 34,000 tickets to grab.
Jet2 has launched new ‘once in a lifetime’ winter package holidays to Iceland direct from Manchester / Credit: Nicolas J Leclrercq | Tom Podmore (via Unsplash)
The programme’s run dates means trips are available at several key periods during winter 2025 and 2026, including over the October and February half terms, the Easter holidays, and even in the exciting countdown to Christmas too.
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Scheduled Monday and Thursday services operating from Manchester Airport throughout the season will run from 2 October to 8 December 2025, and 29 January to 27 April 2026.
As well as providing customers with “plenty of flexibility” when it comes to which month or period they want to travel, Jet2 says the flights are also “perfectly timed” for those are keen to get a chance at witnessing the spectacular Northern Lights in all their glory.
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More than 170 outbound flights will run across the UK between October 2025 and April 2026 / Credit: Suhyeon Choi (via Unsplash)
Customers can pick from flight-only or package holiday options within Jet2’s newly-launched Winter 2025/26 programme.
Package options with Jet2CityBreaks direct from Manchester to Keflavík International Airport, near Reykjavik, include a guided Northern Lights Tour, flights with Jet2.com, 22kg hold luggage, transfers to and from the airport, and a choice of 3 and 4-star hotels in central Reykjavik, all for a deposit as little as £60 per person.
On top of this, you can also add a choice of excursions to the South Shore, Golden Circle, and Blue Lagoon to your package.
You can now get a pre-holiday carvery at Manchester Airport as new lounge opens
Daisy Jackson
Forget a pre-flight pint or a meal deal – passengers travelling through Manchester Airport can now fill up on a carvery before they go on holiday.
It’s believed to be the UK’s first-ever airport lounge carvery, and has opened as part of the new lounge at Terminal 2.
As well as the carvery, passengers will find live cooking, premium drinks, made-to-order dishes, and barista coffee.
AND before you head to your gate, you can visit the bespoke “One Last Treat” gumball machine, where tokens reveal locally inspired sweets, surprise rewards and complimentary future experiences.
For The Executive by Escape Lounges premium lounge, Manchester Airport has pulled together an impressive roster of local suppliers and makers.
You’ll find everything from Chorlton Cheesemongers cheese to Martins Bakery baked goods, plus Grandpa Greene’s ice cream, Manchester Gin, JW Lees beers, and Ground Effect coffee.
And of course, the decor features a few bee-inspired details and textile references, as well as artwork installations and carefully selected local stories.
Passengers can visit the carvery at the new loungeThere’s also a bespoke gumball machineThe Executive by Escape Lounges lounge at Manchester Airport
There are five distinct areas to explore at The Executive, with fresh pastries at Leaf & Loaf, deli-style options at The Humm, and hot dishes and live cooking at The Loom.
The Loom is also where you’ll find that new carvery experience, so you can load up on roast meat and Yorkshire puddings before your flight.
Sarah Marshall, General Manager at The Executive by Escape Lounges, said: “We wanted to create something genuinely different. The Executive has been designed to feel special from the moment guests arrive, with hospitality, food and thoughtful details at the centre of the experience.
“Dining plays a huge role in how people connect, celebrate and relax before they travel, so we wanted to create a lounge where food and drink are a defining part of the experience rather than simply something that’s available.
“From live cooking and chef-led dishes to local suppliers and seated dining, every element has been carefully considered to create a memorable start to the journey.”
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “Here at Manchester Airport we’re proud to connect the North to the world. Our £1.5bn investment in Terminal 2 has transformed the experience for millions of passengers and The Executive is another exciting addition to that offer.
“Passengers increasingly want choice when they travel, and this new lounge provides something genuinely different. It combines premium hospitality with a distinctive food and drink experience, giving passengers another great way to start their journey.”
The Executive by Escape Lounges is now open in Manchester Airport Terminal 2 and can be booked online HERE.
Prices start from £57.99 per person for the Buffet experience. Seated Dining is priced from £82.99 per person and will open for booking later this year, initially available exclusively to eligible airline guests.
7 serene spas in the North West where you can swim, soak, and switch off
Daisy Jackson
Whether you’re planning a romantic overnight escape, a catch-up with friends, or simply craving a few hours of uninterrupted peace, the North West is home to some of the UK’s most impressive spas.
From sprawling countryside retreats with outdoor thermal gardens and swim-up bars, to stylish city sanctuaries hidden in the heart of Manchester, there’s a spa to suit every kind of relaxation.
We’ve rounded up some of the very best spas across the North West and just beyond, each offering something a little different, whether that’s lakeside hot tubs, award-winning wellness facilities, luxurious spa suites, or unique experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
So switch your phone to silent, grab your robe, and prepare to discover the spa breaks that are truly worth checking into.
1. Manor House
The new ‘secret garden’ pool at Manor HouseCosy relaxation pods at Manor House, a top North West spa
If you like your wellness with a side of whimsy, Manor House is the spa break you need to get on your wishlist.
This beautiful garden spa is like a maze of flowers and hedges that hide all sorts of hot tubs, saunas, swimming pools (and TWO swim-up bars), relaxation pods, steam rooms, and more.
There’s a cold plunge pool with spring flowers wrapped around it, a lawn for sunbathing if you’re lucky, and a traditional Finnish sauna overlooking it all, plus a sunken, circular hydrotherapy pool, a cosy summer house with noise-cancelling headphones you can plug in to, a gently heated panoramic laconium, hammocks, squishy sunbeds, swing seats, and so much more.
There’s even a new sauna that looks like a potting shed, so you can sit like a content little garden gnome while all your worries and tensions melt away.
Spa visits from £79, overnight packages from £279 – find out more HERE.
2. Carden Park, Cheshire
The indoor pool at Carden Park looks out over the spa gardensCarden Park’s award-winning North West spa garden
A heated outdoor pool, thermal pods, hot tubs, saunas, an all-weather champagne bar, fire pit, indoor pool, treatment rooms, relaxation rooms, Finnish sauna, bio sauna, salt steam room, aroma steam room, two restaurants, bars, golf, sculpture park, tennis courts, lake deep breath…
That’s just a taster of all the facilities on offer at Carden Park, a spa hotel in Cheshire that’s been named the best in the UK at the AA awards.
The rooms within the hotel have undergone a refurb in recent years and are now just as beautiful as those award-winning spa facilities, while the on-site restaurant The Vines has scooped a third AA Rosette.
Spa experiences start from £89 per person, with overnight packages from £170. See more HERE.
3. Ye Olde Bell Hotel & Spa, Nottinghamshire
Ye Olde Bell’s amazing mineral coal saunaThe outdoor pool at Ye Olde Bell spa
This gorgeous spa hotel has an amazing indoor-outdoor pool, with loads of massage jets and other features to relax with, plus heated outdoor loungers, different saunas and steam rooms, foot spas, and more.
At Ye Olde Bell, can even experience every season inside, with an artificial snowstorm to cool down after a sauna session, and an indoor beach to relax on.
A highlight is the medieval-looking stone bath, where mineral coals are lowered into a water bath by a mechanised iron bucket, releasing bursts of steam, and there’s a wooden fan you crank yourself to push the heat back down.
The rooms vary from traditional countryside hotel rooms to cosy lodges.
Spa days start from £90, while spa breaks with an overnight stay begin at £160. See more HERE.
4. The Gilpin, Lake District
A private hot tub at The Gilpin spa suitesA different hydrotherapy pool at The Lake House at The Gilpin
This Lake District spa hotel is pretty special, with a couple of spa options to suit every taste.
Up at the main hotel, you could book yourself a stay in one of the luxurious and modern spa suites, which come with their own sauna, steam room, treatment space, hot tub, and rainfall showers INSIDE your suite, as well as a private hot tub on the decking outside.
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Or you can head down to the fairytale lakeside setting of The Lake House, where wood-fired hot tubs sit on the waterside and have beautiful views down the valley.
You can read more about a stay at The Gilpin HERE.
The spa at King Street Townhouse in ManchesterThe spa at King Street Townhouse in Manchester
It’s hard to believe this serene spa is right in the heart of Manchester city centre, tucked down just metres from the rat race.
King Street Townhouse’s exceptional spa is the perfect place to relax and unwind, with facilities like a steam room, sauna and relaxation room, plus plenty of treatment options.
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There’s a menu of exclusive ESPA treatments have been designed to ‘melt away stress and restore your glow’.
Some packages even include a scoop of ice cream after your massage, which is a nice touch.
Spa visits start from £100, – there are also memberships available. Click HERE to find out more.
6. Moddershall Oaks, Staffordshire
Moddershall Oaks spa. Credit: Supplied
A little further afield but worth the drive for the big relax at the end of it, Moddershall Oaks is a luxury country retreat with first-class indoor and outdoor spa facilities.
Spa treatments take place in the cosy former farmhouse, while the spa itself is surrounded by woodland and centred around a 25 sq metre heated outdoor pool.
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The outdoor spa also includes a relaxation lounge, kelo sauna, drench bucket and a private spa pool, while inside you’ll find an indoor swimming pool, a steam room, a hydrotherapy pool, an experience shower, and reflexology footbaths.
There’s even a sleep lounge where you devices are banned, so you can proper switch off and have a snooze.
There are loads of spa packages available starting from £120, plus overnights from £260. See more HERE.
On arrival, the theme of Mottram Hall is grand – you drive past 270 acres of landscaped gardens, check in inside the Grade II-listed manor house, then head across to the luxurious £15m Champneys spa.
The spa facilities at Mottram Hall include a 20 metre swimming pool, a hydropool, thermal suites, and a cold room, plus an outdoor hydropool so you can soak beneath the stars or in the sunshine.
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And if you like a more comprehensive wellness day, they’ve got a fantastic gym, a golf course, and a padel court too.
Spa visits start from £59; spa breaks with an overnight stay and meals from £220 per person.
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2024 
