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.
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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.
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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. 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.
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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, 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.
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“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.
TfGM apologises after two weeks of major tram disruption across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Trams have finally resumed running in Greater Manchester following two weeks of major disruption across the Metrolink network.
Tram services have resumed across the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this morning (Monday 2 November) following the completion of major track replacement work between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, while maintenance and renewal work also took place on the Eccles line and in the city centre during the planned closure.
Engineers replaced around 4km of track on what is said to be one of the ‘busiest and most complex’ sections of the Metrolink network.
The new track will allow further speed restrictions to be lifted, as according to TfGM, around 100,000 journeys are already benefiting from journey time improvements delivered through previous phases of work every day.
It all forms part of the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network in a bid to make it ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
✅ This morning, tram services have resumed on the Altrincham, East Didsbury, Eccles, Manchester Airport and Trafford Park lines.
We thank customers for their patience and understanding while these works took place.
↪️ A small service change remains in place through the city centre until the end of service on Wednesday 4 November.
Until then, trams on the Bury – Altrincham, and Victoria – Manchester Airport lines will divert via Exchange Square. Customers may need to change trams to reach Shudehill or Market Street.
👉 Find out more: https://t.co/Vm08ZEDUq4
With services now back up and running, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued a statement apologising for disruption.
Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, commented: “This was an essential piece of engineering work on one of the busiest parts of our tram network and will help keep services safe, reliable and fit for the future.
“We’re sorry for the disruption and I’d like to thank passengers, residents, and businesses for their patience while we got on with the job.
“The upgrades mean customers will benefit from smoother journeys and allow us to lift further speed restrictions on this section of the network. It will help speed up our journeys and improve reliability for everyone who uses our network.
“Completing work of this scale on time is a significant achievement and I’d like to thank everyone involved for getting it done safely and efficiently.”
Featured Image – TfGM
Travel & Tourism
‘Groundbreaking’ new police team launches on Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world
Emily Sergeant
A ‘groundbreaking’ new policing model aimed at making the Bee Network one of the safest public transport networks in the world has launched.
Described as being ‘pioneering’, the first-of-its-kind approach – named the Transport Policing and Crime Command (TPACC) – will bring Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) even closer together to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour, and safety issues across the region’s transport network.
So, how will it work then? Well, according to TfGM, the command will ‘effectively establish’ the Bee Network as GMP’s eleventh policing district.
It will bring together up to 300 personnel, including new police officers, who are all involved in keeping the network safe and providing greater reassurance to passengers travelling across the region.
Efforts to keep passengers safe on buses, trams, active travel routes, and roads across Greater Manchester will be ‘strengthened’ through the new team – improving co-ordination in response to incidents, and helping to reassure communities.
A ‘groundbreaking’ new police team has launched on the Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world / Credit: TfGM
The new team will also incorporate the existing Roads Policing Unit within GMP that includes specialist functions such as the Central Ticket Office, the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit, the motorbike unit, the Commercial Vehicle Unit, the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, and more.
Overall, the key focus of TPACC is to:
Increase public confidence on safety across the transport network
Reduce violence, antisocial behaviour and criminality across the transport network
Increase the number of users of the Bee Network across Greater Manchester
The launch of TPACC is said to represents ‘the next phase’ of Greater Manchester’s commitment to creating a ‘safer, more secure, and more welcoming’ transport network for everyone who lives, works, and travels across the region.
“I want a world-class Bee Network where everyone feels safe,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“Our new dedicated transport policing command will bring together more than 300 police and safety officers, with high-profile patrols across our roads and the Bee Network. It means a stronger presence in our communities and faster action when people need help.
“TPACC will also crack down on dangerous driving to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, which have devastating consequences for families and communities.”