Manchester Airport has done the hard work of planning your escape a little easier again, sharing a list of 10 places you can fly to for a bit of last-minute winter sun.
The airport has selected destinations that involve plenty of vitamin D, beaches, and warm seas, even at this time of year.
And the best bit is that return flights start from just £30 per person.
The list of 10 winter sun escapes from Manchester covers everything from classic holiday destinations like the Canary islands, as well as more far-flung adventures.
There’s even a brand-new route to Thailand on the cards.
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So here are 10 last-minute winter sun escapes from Manchester Airport to help you beat those January blues.
Tenerife
You can fly to Tenerife from just £30 from Manchester. Credit: Unsplash, Fausto Garcia Menendez
It’s one of Britain’s favourite holiday destinations, thanks to its reliable sunshine year-round and family-friendly attractions like the gigantic Siam Park water park.
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In January and February, temperatures sit around the low- to mid-twenties, which feels practically roasting compared to the UK, and there’s not a lot of rain to worry about either.
Younger travellers might want to head to Playa de las Americas for the nightlife, but there’s bags of things to do for families and for those looking for a quieter winter holiday too.
Fly with Ryanair from only £30pp*.
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Fuerteventura
All the climate wins of Tenerife, but generally a little quieter, Fuerteventura is another great place to jet off to for some winter sun.
The entire island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, so if you love nature and outdoors adventures, you’ll love it here.
It’s a paradise for marine and desert habitats – and outstanding beaches to unwind on once you’re done exploring too.
Fly with Ryanair from only £32pp*.
Paphos
Paphos offers a winter sun escape from Manchester. Credit: Unsplash, Datingjungle
Cyprus has a very Brit-friendly climate in the off-season, with temperatures in the high teens but with plenty of sunshine.
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It’s much quieter (and cheaper) now than it is in the heat of the summer months, but the slightly cooler weather makes it the perfect time to explore the island’s great outdoors and historic sites.
Visit the ruins of Ancient Paphos and the Tombs of the Kings, then refuel on souvlaki and seafood.
Fly with Ryanair from only £38pp*.
Agadir
This has become a hotspot for tourists visiting Morocco, thanks to its pleasant year-round climate, wide beach, and seafront strips of restaurants and cafes.
In January, temperatures reach about 22 degrees, but it gets a little warmer than that as we head into February and March – you might just manage a day on the beach.
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There’s also the Museum of Arts, which explores the surrounding region’s Berber heritage, and a visit to the Souk El Had market will let you practice your haggling skills.
Fly with Ryanair from only £49pp*.
Sal
Cape Verde is another firm favourite for winter sun from Manchester, with a similar climate to the Canary Islands (it’s just a little south of them).
Sal is an island that’s part of the African nation, but almost has a Caribbean vibe.
Expect colonial architecture, waterfront barbecues, and palm tree-lined beaches.
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Fly with easyJet from only £134pp*.
Sharm el Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. Credit: Unsplash, Karine Avetisyan
Sharm el Sheikh is the most famous and popular resort of Egypt’s bustling Red Sea coastline, and January is a great month to visit.
There’s comfortable temperatures around the low- to mid-twenties, blazing winter sun, and clear skies (though it does get chilly in the evening, it’s nothing like the Manchester weather).
This place is paradise for scuba diving and snorkelling too, with incredible diverse reefs just off the shore.
Fly with easyJet from only £237pp*.
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Montego Bay
Montego Bay in Jamaica. Credit: Unsplash, ROMAIN TERPREAU
Now we’re getting serious about our winter sun suggestions, and getting a long way from Manchester.
Montego Bay is Jamaica’s most-loved beach resort, with year-round temperatures of around 30 degrees and a gorgeous Caribbean atmosphere.
It’s the dry season right now, which means you can make the most of those white sands, turquoise waters, and mouthwatering food.
Fly with TUI from only £363pp*.
Cancun
Previously tarnished as being a Spring Break destination for American students seeking a wild party, Cancun has developed a more family-orientated reputation in recent years.
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There are more than 60 miles of golden sands in the surrounding Riviera Maya, plus water parks, historic sites like Chichen Itza, and amazing natural landscapes.
As for the weather – temperatures in January and February are similar to what you’d find in the Mediterranean in the height of summer. Toasty.
Fly with TUI from only £433pp*.
Bangkok
You can fly direct to Bangkok from Manchester and access Southern Thailand for witner sun. Credit: Unsplash, Sumit Chinchane
This is a brand-new direct route for Manchester Airport, with flights whizzing passengers straight to Bangkok for some winter sun.
We’re now linked to the world’s most-visited city, which is a vibrant and busy hub with great food and cultural wonders.
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But it also acts as a gateway to the islands and beaches of Southern Thailand, including Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, and Koh Samui.
Fly with Norse from only £598pp*.
Dubai
Dubai offers winter sun from Manchester. Credit: Unsplash, Christopher Moreno Stokoe
It’s a lot of people’s dream destination (and a lot of people’s worst nightmare), but you can’t deny the weather in Dubai is pretty tempting at this time of year.
The impressive high-rise city also has some amazing white-sand beaches, and temperatures in the mid-twenties in January and February.
You can also escape into the nearby desert for a day in a 4×4 safari.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/CGIs (publicity pictures via Manchester Airport)
Travel & Tourism
IRONMAN Bolton guide 2026 – course map, key times, travel advice and all the essential info
Danny Jones
The annual IRONMAN competition here in Greater Manchester has come back around for 2026, with the 70.3-mile Bolton challenge returning for a fourth editionthis weekend.
Just the third consecutive iteration of the middle-distance triathlon since the event became permanent once again in 2024, this incredible feat of endurance still draws just as much support as the 14 full-length versions that concluded the year prior – if not maybe even more.
From a spectator’s point of view, the shorter (but still ridiculously impressive length) arguably makes for a much better day out cheering from the sidelines overall, and these superhuman specimens definitely need as much support as they can get.
With that in mind, we thought we’d put together a list of all the important information ahead of the race, from details around the three stages themselves to the whereabouts in Bolton it will pass through, guidance when it comes to getting there, and much more.
IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton 2026: everything you need to know
The IRONMAN route through Bolton – course maps, transitions and more
For starters, we’re sure most, if not all, of you taking this on are already fully familiar with the routes they’ll be taking over the course of Sunday, 7 June, but perhaps for the select few who haven’t and the benefit of those cheering on from the sidelines, here’s how it looks…
The swim
First up is the open-water swim across Pennington Flash Country Park and nature reserve, which is technically located in Leigh, but this will be your first foray over Wigan way on the day.
Bolton Ironman bike ride course
Moving on to the cycling section after the first transition, the IRONMAN official global series-approved course largely hasn’t changed all that much in recent memory, with the route taking you through parts of the borough, including Bolton centre, Farnworth, Westhoughton, Lostock, Middlebrook and more.
You will also head towards Leigh and Pennington, once again, as well as Atherton and near Golborn before making your way back over to Bolton proper.
Running route
Finally, things will be rounding off with a half marathon right in the heart of the old Lancashire town, with the approximately 21.1 km course seeing you complete two loops before crossing the finish line in the shadow of Bolton Town Hall. Box office stuff.
You can also see each of the transition maps and download all course sections to your GPX right HERE.
2026 event schedule and estimated timings
With the sold-out Night Run and IRONKIDS tie-in events taking place the day prior, following sign-ins on the Friday evening (5 Jun), full IRONMAN 70.3 athlete registration will be open from 8am on Saturday, with the check-in at the aforementioned Town Hall closing at 3pm sharp.
Bag and bike check-ins for RED and BLUE groups for the first two transitions from 8 and 9am, respectively; each will close around 4pm, so once again, don’t wait around and put any of this off.
Our advice, as always with these things: get there early and have it done and out of the way as soon as possible so you can focus on the long couple of days ahead.
There will also be an official swim practice held at Pennington Flash from 11am-1pm for registered athletes only, so take that into consideration, too.
As for the race day itself, times will obviously vary between participants, but here’s a breakdown of the activity blocks and when people need to be present for pick-ups by the shuttle buses, etc:
You can consult the entire event schedule in full HERE
Road closure and travel info
Now, as travel advice, it goes without saying that an event this big and spanning multiple Greater Manc areas doesn’t go ahead without serious planning and preparation infrastructure-wise.
With that in mind, as you can see above, there are shuttle buses available for both IRONMAN challengers and their fans, with pick-up points in central Bolton and from Leigh Sports Village (LSV).
As always with big events like this, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) are advising people to take public methods of transportation wherever possible, especially given the multiple road closures and diversions over the weekend.
You’ll find all the specific diversion details in here.
Getting there by train
Bolton is well connected to all main railway stops in Manchester and is only roughly a 20-minute journey from the city; Bolton train station itself is only a 10-minute walk from the Town Hall, as well.
By bus
As for hopping on a bus, there are various Bee Network lines and other services across the region that will take you into Bolton town centre. You can plan your journey (with diverted routes taken into account) right HERE.
Parking
If you must drive, please be advised of the road closures mentioned above, and as for car parks, you will find spaces at the following locations:
LSV – Over 1,000 free car parking spaces are available on the site; access to these car parks is via Sale Way, situated directly off the A579 Atherleigh Way.
Bolton town centre – Various designated parking spaces across the town, all are subject to charge, with the option to pre-book some spaces in advance.
Spectator spots, volunteering, and other supporter info
Last but not least, getting that extra energy from those standing roadside or even on the shore for the duration of IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton is essential for these legends to make it through to the end, so if you’re spectating on the day, here’s some extra advice.
Fan hotspots include Atherleigh Way for the swim start and a good view of the cycling course; the same goes for The Retreat on Chorley New Road for the bike and running routes. Meanwhile, The Crown pub in Horwich is a popular stop-off during the two-wheeled action, as is the Old Kiln Lane Climb.
St Luke’s Church in Lowton is also another great viewing zone, with coffees being handed out to plen ty of supporters, too, and of course, anything near Le Mans Crescent or into Bolton town centre for the heart of the whole IRONMAN Festival weekend is always a great atmosphere.
For instance, there’s also a brand-new expo village and fan area, where people can enjoy everything from poster making and temporary tattoos to photo opps, bib decoration, as well as various other games and activities for all ages – not to mention food and drink across the IRONFAN area.
All we have left to say is good luck to everyone taking on the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 in Bolton this Sunday. It’s truly inspiring stuff, and we sincerely hope you get lots of noise and buzz from those watching on.
Daisy Jackson -
24th January 2026 
