Travel advice has now been issued ahead of the Manchester Christmas Markets, with millions of visitors expected to attend the attraction over the coming weeks.
The arrival of the wooden huts and festive teepees signals the start of the Christmas season for the city, with the smell of sizzling sausages and mulled wine in the air.
Every year, the Manchester Christmas Markets attract around nine million visitors from around the region, the UK and beyond.
It’s arguably the biggest visitor attraction in the North West and can get busy – and that often trickles over into the roads and public transport.
So Transport for Greater Manchester has now shared a bit of travel advice to help you soak up all those lovely festive vibes without sitting in a traffic jam.
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The Bee Network is the most convenient way to get around, with fast, frequent and later services running whether you’re Christmas shopping, at your work party or just enjoying all the city centre has to offer.
There are also discounted tickets for families – a group of one to three children with one or two adults are able to enjoy unlimited off-peak travel on any bus for £9, or make use of the full Metrolink network over an entire weekend (from 6pm on a Friday until last services on a Sunday) for £9.50 (now available on the Bee Network app).
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In comparison, four hours parking in the city centre is on average £13.46.
As for car journeys, they’re expected to take on average 20% longer around the city centre in the lead-up to Christmas, especially at the weekends.
Those who do drive are encouraged to use one of the Park and Ride sites across the Metrolink, bus and train network.
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TfGM has stressed that you can use Starling Bank bikes to nip around town itself, as well as the many tram and bus stops.
And the V1 and 36 bus services – connecting Manchester with Leigh and Bolton via Salford – now operate 24 hours a day, meaning you don’t have to worry about missing the last bus home.
TfGM’s Chief Network Officer Danny Vaughan, said: “The opening of the Christmas Markets means the start of the festive season for many people, as the countdown to the big day begins and everywhere gets much busier for a few weeks.
“It can be a hectic time of year, but choosing the Bee Network and leaving the car at home is a smart way for people to save time and money, keeping more cash in their pocket for shopping, nights out and festive treats.
“There is a great range of affordable tickets on offer, including for families. So, get on board with us to take the stress out of things by making your journey as reliable, comfortable and affordable as possible.
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“Our frequent bus and tram services can avoid you sitting in traffic and stressing over finding somewhere to park, and for short journeys consider cycling, walking or wheeling – it is often the quickest, healthiest and most cost-effective way to make your journeys.”
The Manchester Christmas Markets are open from Friday 8 November until Sunday 22 December.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2024 prices – how much is food and drink this year?
Featured image: The Manc Group
Travel & Tourism
A historic Stockport pub has officially become a listed building
Danny Jones
The Angel Inn pub in Stockport has officially become the thriving Greater Manchester borough’s latest listed building.
Being granted Grade II-listed status following an extensive visit and survey by Historic England (HE), Stockport Market Place’s Angel Inn may have had a lick of paint amidst the ‘Old Town Revival’ over the last decade or so, but the pub itself was erected back in the 16th century.
Reopened as one of the area’s most beloved boozers back in 2018, whilst still maintaining key fixtures and that feeling of authenticity, it harks back to the town’s Cheshire roots and taps into a deep vein of local culture.
The assessment, which was completed earlier this month, means that Angel Inn has been recognised as having special architectural or historic significance – i.e. the definition of a listed building.
Writing in a post on social media, the government-backed English heritage organisation detailed that while the inn predates the Early Modern/post-medieval period, the Angel‘s frame is comprised of wood from the 15th century.
But it gets even more interesting than that…
As well as being one of a select few surviving, traditional wattle-and-daub structures in the UK – nearby Bramall Hall being another (and a technique that had died out by the 18th century) – a close inspection of the internal floorboards unearthed something truly fascinating.
It just so happens that tests by HE proved that one particular plank of flooring “was cut from a tree alive in 1086, the year the Domesday Book was completed: the oldest government record held in The National Archives, commissioned by William the Conqueror.
How bloody cool is that?
It’s also worth noting that it’s genuinely a brilliant boozer and one of the most popular watering holes you’ll find in the town centre, promising a cosy interior, an intimate little outdoor area out back and serving plenty of regional ales.
You only have to glance at the exterior to clue into its age, let alone what there is to be found inside.Way back when.Credit: Historic England (handout)/Stockport Archives
Although they say it’s likely that the floorboard in question was originally cut for an earlier building situated in the same location, it still goes to show how old this particular North West settlement is.
“The name ‘Angel Inn’ dates from as early as 1769, though the site’s hospitality roots extend further, with references to “Cotterell’s inn” used for sequestrators’ meetings in the 1640s, who met to organise the confiscation of property of supporters of King Charles I during The English Civil War”, HE went on to add.
Angel Inn is one of only a handful of venues like this in Greater Manchester and Cheshire; safe to say a lot of time, effort and money are being put into preserving these links to the past.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Historic England (handout)/Stockport Archives
Travel & Tourism
Four Just Stop Oil protesters jailed after planning to cause disruption at Manchester Airport
Emily Sergeant
Four Just Stop Oil protesters have been jailed after plotting to intentionally cause public nuisance at Manchester Airport.
Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr were first found guilty and appeared at Manchester Minshull Crown Court on 21 February after being arrested by officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Specialist Operations Branch and Serious Crime Division during the early hours of the morning last August.
But yesterday (27 May), they were each sentenced to jail time.
The four were detained while walking along South Park Road in Gatley as they made their way to Manchester Airport.
#JAILED | Four Just Stop Oil protestors jailed for a collective seven years and five months after GMP foil disruption activity plans close to Manchester Airport pic.twitter.com/3IXS1QaC3q
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 27, 2025
According to GMP, the group was equipped with heavy duty bolt cutters, angle grinders, glue, sand, Just Stop Oil high visibility vests, and a leaflet containing instructions to follow when interacting with police.
One of the defendants, Leanorah Ward, was also found in possession of a handwritten detailing the motive of the group – which was to enter the airfield of Manchester Airport, before contacting the police to alert them of their activity.
It’s said that they were planning to stick themselves to the airfield taxiway using the glue and sand, with one main goal – to disrupt airport activity and gain media attention.
Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr were jailed for a collective seven years and five months / Credit: GMP
GMP said the arrests of the four managed to ‘prevent large-scale disruption’ at Manchester Airport amid a ‘summer of chaos’ threatened by Just Stop Oil, and that police forces across the country worked to ensure disruption was kept to a minimum and that no members of the public were put at risk as a result of the group’s activity.
Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr have each been jailed for a collective seven years and five months.
“This result is testament to all the hard-working officers across the force,” explained GMP’s Assistant Chief Constable, Chris Sykes.
“When faced with complex and uncertain situations, we will always use the full resources of Greater Manchester Police to protect the public, prevent disruptions, and ensure people are brought to justice.”
Daisy Jackson -
8th November 2024 
