Travel & Tourism

The day-long holidays you can go on with a flight from Manchester

Far-flung day trips.

Daisy Jackson - 20th February 2024

If you ever feel like you need a change of scenery, but get put off by all the admin of booking hotels and annual leave to actually leave Manchester, these there-and-back-in-a-day flights might be about to change the game.

Manchester Airport has rounded up a handy list of the places you can fly to for a day trip from our home city.

You could be lounging with an Aperol Spritz in a beautiful European city by 10am, and home in time for your usual bedtime.

In fact, you can get as far as Morocco, Ibiza or Majorca with time for an explore and a couple of meals before you have to head back to the rain.

Recent research from travel agents’ association ABTA shows city breaks have overtaken beach holidays as Britons’ favourite type of overseas trip.

And Manchester Airport is finding that these compact one-day city breaks are starting to take off, with budget airlines offering flights with no baggage charges or hotels to worry about.

And half the time, these flights are way cheaper (and faster) than an Avanti service down to London for the day…

Manchester Airport serves around 200 direct destinations, many of which have return flights the same day.

12 day trips you can do with a flight from Manchester Airport

Dublin

• Ryanair
• Depart Manchester 06:55, Arrive Dublin 07:55;
• Depart Dublin 21:55, Arrive Manchester 22:55.

A pint of Guinness, some live music in Temple Bar, and a wander down colourful cobbled streets – just a hop across the Irish Sea will land you in Ireland’s vibrant capital. It’s probably the most common international day trip you can do from Manchester with regular Ryanair flights.

Amsterdam

• easyJet:
• Depart Manchester 07:05, Arrive Amsterdam 09:25;
• Depart Amsterdam 21:30, Arrive Manchester 21:50.

With a flight time of just one hour and 20 minutes, and flights available in the early morning and late evening, you can give yourself a full 12 hours to explore the Dutch capital. This beautiful, cultural city is home to the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House, plus a buzzing food and drink scene.

Ibiza

• Jet2.com:
• Depart Manchester 17.10, Arrive Ibiza 21.05
• Depart Ibiza 10.50, Arrive Manchester 12.40

Forget New York being the city that never sleeps – Ibiza is the island that never sleeps. If you’re a party animal and can manage on barely any sleep, you can jet to Ibiza after work and arrive in time for the clubs opening, party the night away and be home less than 24 hours later.

Paris

• easyJet:
• Depart Manchester 07:05, Arrive Paris 09:35;
• Depart Paris 21:35, Arrive Manchester 22:00.

The ‘City of Light’ offers plenty to keep you busy – and flight times are only around an hour and a half, again with daily early morning and late evening flights available. If you’re well-organised, a full day will give you more than enough time to go on a sightseeing tour of the city – from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, with a few people-watching cafe stops along the way.

Alicante

• Ryanair:
• Depart Manchester 08:30, Arrive Alicante 12:15;
• Depart Alicante 21:20, Arrive Manchester 23:10.

In less than three hours you could swap Manc drizzle for Spanish sunshine, with regular Ryanair flights to the Costa Blanca hotspot of Alicante. That gives you more than nine hours to soak in as much sun as sangria as possible.

Belfast

• Ryanair:
• Depart Manchester 07:25, Arrive Belfast 08:25;
• Depart Belfast 20:55, Arrive Manchester 21:55.

Northern Ireland’s capital is a fantastic destination for a mini-break. Titanic Belfast tells the story of the how the famous cruiseliner was built in the city’s docks, and Belfast also boasts a zoo and a castle. The National Trust-owned Crown Liquor Saloon in the city centre is a popular spot for a beer and pub lunch – its look and feel has changed very little in nearly 200 years. And you can smash it out in a day with flights arriving by 8.25am and returning to Manchester at 8.55pm.

Barcelona

• Ryanair outbound / Vueling inbound:
• Depart Manchester 06:40, Arrive Barcelona 10:00;
• Depart Barcelona 19:20, Arrive Manchester 20:50.

One of Europe’s liveliest and most fascinating cities is only two and a half hours away, and you can get there and back in a day from Manchester by mixing a Ryanair and a Vueling flight. Admire the majestic La Sagrada Familia, explore the Gothic Quarter, and visit the city’s football stadiums. Or just hit the beach and eat tapas. Whatever.

Majorca

• Jet2.com outbound / Ryanair inbound:
• Depart Manchester 06:30, Arrive Majorca 10:15;
• Depart Majorca 21:30, Arrive Manchester 23:15.

Majorca is consistently one of the most popular destinations for passengers travelling from Manchester Airport, year after year, the travel hub says. It’s a family favourite with golden sandy beaches that are conveniently closed to the airport. You can spend more than 11 hours relaxing and living the island dream before you have to fly home again.

Cork

• Ryanair:
• Depart Manchester 07:45, Arrive Cork 09:00;
• Depart Cork 20:20, Arrive Manchester 21:35.

Another popular Irish destination, although perhaps lesser known than Dublin or Belfast, is Cork – the Republic of Ireland’s second city. It is one of the cheapest overseas day trips you can take from Manchester, with return flights frequently available for between £30 and £40pp with Ryanair. The English Market is a great place to grab a bite to eat, and the city also plays host to a number of museums and galleries, great shopping and authentic Irish pubs.

Newquay

• Loganair outbound / easyJet inbound:
• Depart Manchester 08:35, Arrive Newquay 10:00;
• Depart Newquay 17:00, Arrive Manchester 18:10.

Flights to Newquay, Cornwall’s biggest resort town and a water sports mecca, take a little over an hour from Manchester – waaay quicker than trying to drive to one of the UK’s most popular destinations. You’ll have a good seven hours to surf or kayak or kitesurf or explore the beautiful location on dry land, if you prefer.

Agadir

• Ryanair outbound / easyJet inbound:
• Depart Manchester 06:20, Arrive Agadir 10:15;
• Depart Agadir 19:15, Arrive Manchester 23:25.

Did you expect Africa to pop up on this list? Because we didn’t. But you can go all the way to Agadir in Morocco for a nine-hour day trip, where attractions include themed gardens, its Museum of Arts (which explores the surrounding region’s Berber heritage), the Souk El Had market, and beaches.

Munich

• Lufthansa:
• Depart Manchester 06:55, Arrive Munich 09:55;
• Depart Munich 21:55, Arrive Manchester 23:00.

Beer and bratwurst are top of the agenda for day-trippers to Munich, which is just a two-hour hop from Manchester. Its old town is filled with gothic architecture, including the Residenz and Alter Hof palaces, along with traditional beer halls like the 16th century Hofbräuhaus. That’s 12 hours of steins and sausages.

Milan

• Ryanair:
• Depart Manchester 06:15, Arrive Milan-Bergamo 09:25;
• Depart Milan-Malpensa 22:15, Arrive Manchester 23:30.

Milan is a global centre for fashion, and its iconic cathedral and the neighbouring square are the main draw for tourists. The surrounding area is filled with boutique stores, restaurants, pizzerias and ice cream shops. There are always lots of flights daily between Manchester and Milan’s two airports too.

All flight times correct and available on various dates across the year at the time of writing. Timings and availability are subject to change.

Featured image: Unsplash