Travel & Tourism

You can take a mini cruise to Amsterdam for just £65

And using just one day off

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 5th December 2024

Did you know you can fall asleep in the UK and wake up in the Netherlands, with tickets that are cheaper than a train to London? 

There are mini cruises to Amsterdam and Rotterdam running year-round, with tickets from just £65 a head. 

These bargain mini breaks give you a chance to experience a holiday on the high seas and a brilliant city break in one. 

And the best part is that you can have a two-night adventure using only one day of annual leave. 

We went along on a P&O Ferries mini cruise to see what it’s all about. 

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Your holiday begins just outside Hull, swiftly boarding your ferry by 7pm (a MUCH quicker process than boarding a plane). 

Each passenger is greeted by P&O staff who’ll show you to your cabin. 

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You can take a mini cruise to Amsterdam to eat Stroopwaffels. Credit: The Manc Group
You can take a mini cruise to Amsterdam to eat Stroopwaffels. Credit: The Manc Group
The view from a canal boat tour in Amsterdam on a mini cruise
The view from a canal boat tour in Amsterdam on a mini cruise. Credit: The Manc Group

There are various sizes of cabin available – ours were the Premier Cabins, with a modern interior, two single beds and an en suite bathroom. 

Although the P&O ferry that runs to the Netherlands is a little smaller than the huge passenger vessels sailing around the Caribbean, there’s still a surprising amount of entertainment on board, from interactive quizzes to a casino to live acoustic musicians in the sky lounge to a full show in the showlounge. 

There are also a few restaurants and bars, including a Costa, an Irish pub and a decent cocktail bar, alongside the main buffet restaurant. 

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Once you’ve tired yourself out on board and hit the hay, you’ll be ready to wake up in the land of tulips and canals and bicycles. 

The Pride of Hull, which runs mini cruises to Amsterdam
The Pride of Hull, which runs mini cruises to Amsterdam
The Pride of Hull, which runs mini cruises to Amsterdam

The ferry docks in Rotterdam, where you can spend the day, or there are coaches ready to whisk you off to Amsterdam. 

It’s surprising how much you can pack into a day in this vibrant city – start with a wander down some of the canals, grab a portion of Dutch fries loaded with parmesan and sauces, visit one of Amsterdam’s many museums, spend an hour on a canal boat tour seeing the city from the waterways, and grab a cocktail before embarking on your return journey. 

The coach drops you within walking distance of the city centre and all of the must-visit attractions of Amsterdam, whether you’re after stroopwaffels or coffee shops or a visit to Anne Frank’s house.

After another night on the ferry, and a whole new buffet, you’ll dock back on home turf first thing in the morning, and can comfortably be back at your desk before the work day even begins.

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You can find out more about P&O mini cruises to Amsterdam HERE.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

Thousands of elderly and disabled people to get free 24-hour bus travel across Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled people in Greater Manchester are set to benefit from round-the-clock bus travel for free.

Currently, as part on an ongoing pilot scheme, people with a Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)-issued concessionary travel pass have free unlimited travel on Bee Network buses between 9.30am and midnight during the week, and all day on weekends and public holidays.

The rule was lifted in August on a trial basis for a month, meaning older and disabled residents in Greater Manchester had access to unlimited free bus travel any time between the allocated hours.

During the August trial, more than 100,000 journeys were made by older and disabled people – with up to 6,000 people a day making use of the pilot.

But now, after proving to be a huge success, the pilot is being extended even further, so that 400,000 eligible residents will now get free bus travel 24-hours a day, seven days a week, starting from 1 November.

As well as free early-morning bus travel, during the trial starting in November, eligible residents will be able to board the Bee Network’s night buses for free too.

TfGM says allowing concessionary pass holders to travel at any time will ‘better connect’ them to healthcare, leisure, and retail opportunities.

“The last trial in August was a brilliant success, which saw more than 100,000 journeys made by our older and disabled people before 9.30am,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

“We are now carrying out this second trial, at a busier time of year, to see whether we can safely remove the restriction permanently and help our older and disabled people to get to work, go shopping, and get to medical appointments.

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“We want the Bee Network to be the best public transport system possible and this means it needs to support all of our residents and communities to make the journeys they need to make and use the bus more.”

Featured Image – TfGM

Travel & Tourism

Dunham Massey – The corner of Greater Manchester with unbeatable autumn landscapes and one of nature’s great spectacles

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Dunham Massey in Autumn. Credit: James Beck

Dunham Massey is one of the North West’s proudest gems, a National Trust site that’s home to both a magnificent Georgian manor house and a beautiful deer park.

But there’s something to be said for the way it comes into its own as autumn rolls around, when the grounds are blanketed in red and orange leaves and a mist lies low over the lawns.

This is a perfect spot to escape into autumn properly, with a perfect mix of heritage, fresh air and scenery (as well as a pumpkin spice latte in the cafe afterwards).

As we creep further into the autumn months, autumnal bulbs will begin to bloom in the Winter Garden, leaves will rustle underfoot, and bright colours will transform the landscape.

When we hear ‘Dunham Massey’, most of us will think of the resident herd of fallow deer who still graze on the grounds of the former medieval deer park.

Those who explore the park on foot this autumn may catch a glimpse of breeding or ‘rutting’ season, one of nature’s great spectacles, where the bucks fight for their pick of the does.

Expect these amazing beasts to be roaring and bellowing at each other and showing off their fully grown antlers, with the bucks parallel walking and sizing each other up – and potentially clashing over the nearby females.

The best time to see the deer rutting at Dumham Massey is early in the mornings, when the park is quiet.

Also honouring the deer is the Stags in Bradgate Park sculpture, a silver masterpiece dating back to 1855, which was previously believed to have been lost forever and melted down.

Deer resting on the lawn at Dunham Massey. Credit: Arnhel de Serra
Deer resting on the lawn at Dunham Massey. Credit: Arnhel de Serra

Now back on display at Dunham Massey and reunited with the silver collection, it portrays two rutting red deer stags and was commissioned by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford in an act of love and rebellion.

It was a symbol of locking horns with the Cheshire society that shunned him over his marriage to Catherine Cox – a woman who was considered beneath him by Victorian high society.

The silver centrepiece was crafted by royal goldsmiths and was seen as a masterpiece at the time, going on to be exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862 and the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867.

Elsewhere at Dunham Massey this autumn you’ll find the unique ORIGIN deep listening art installation, which connects visitors to the mansion and gardens through sonic landscapes and visual artistry.

Designed to soothe and rejuvenate, ORIGIN explores the powerful themes of life’s cycle and the human connection to nature.

Dunham Massey is accessible by public transport, with regular buses running from Altrincham and Warrington.

And you can claim 10% off in the ice cream parlour, cafe and restaurant when you show a valid bus ticket.

Find out more about Dunham Massey and what’s on offer this winter HERE.

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Featured image: James Beck

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