Travel & Tourism

This Manc TikTok couple are sharing viral travel hacks and tips on how to holiday on a budget

They travel the world with hand luggage only and do it all on the cheap.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 23rd November 2022

In a time when we’re all doing our best to pinch the pennies and try to enjoy life, any and all money-saving tips are an absolute godsend.

Better still, we don’t begrudge anyone who wants to get away for a few days at the minute; it’s a stressful time to live in this country and sometimes even a short city break can help hit the rest button.

So, when we stumbled across Manc TikTok couple, Ryan and Jade of ‘Live the Dash’ – who have garnered a huge audience through their short but informative travel videos – we thought it only right to share them with you lot as well.

For anyone unaware, these Manchester locals spend their free time travelling around the world on a budget, showing how you don’t have to break the bank to squeeze in a little trip. Led by nothing other than wanderlust, the pair often just throw a dart at a map and visit wherever it lands.

@live_thedash €100 in Latvia. The best things to do! #latvia #latviatravel #rigalatvia #budgettravel #latviatiktok ♬ original sound – Live_TheDash

As you can see, the real value of their videos (pardon the pun) comes when they set themselves a limit on spending and show off how to enjoy a city on nothing more than, say, £100.

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Covering everything from flights and accommodation to food and activities, this canny couple regularly end their travels with money left over. We can’t remember the last time we didn’t overspend on holiday.

One of our favourites, and undoubtedly one of their most popular videos to date, is when they planned an entire holiday which cost them less than a train ticket from Manchester Piccadilly to London would cost.

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@live_thedash Going on holiday for LESS than a train ticket. Where will @luckytrip take you?! ✈️ Let us know in the comments! Use code DASH10 for 10% off #luckytrip #holiday #tiktoktravel #traveltok #ad ♬ original sound – Live_TheDash

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It’s this kind of content that has seen the Mancunian influencers amass countless views, over 10.7m likes and more than 331,000 followers.

Not only do the duo have a very amusing obsession wtih trying McDonald’s from around the world (you know you all do exactly the same the second you step foot abroad), but they also have numerous travel hacks to make going on your jollies that little bit easier.

As well as sharing a really useful flight tracker trick that we really should have known about a long time ago, they even explained how you can save some serious money when parking at the airport.

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@live_thedash Airport travel tip for your next holiday ✈️ #traveltip #traveltipsandhacks #cheaptravel #londonheathrowairport ♬ original sound – Live_TheDash

We’re genuinely annoyed we didn’t find this account sooner, especially when they regularly highlight so many parts of our lovely city and the North West in general.

Be sure to check out our new favourite Manc TikTok couple the next time you find yourself scrolling for hours on end.

Oh, and make sure to follow The Manc’s TikTok page too — it’s great, even if we do say so ourselves.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — @livethedash (via TikTok)

Travel & Tourism

This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Didsbury named one of the best places to live in the UK

An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.

The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.

But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Credit: The Manc Group

The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.

With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.

There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.

Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.

If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.

You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.

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Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.

That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.

Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.

Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

A Greater Manchester town could be set to get a train station for the first time in 60 years

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of one local town could soon be able to hop on a train out of there.

That’s because a planning application for a brand-new £32 million station in Golborne – which would connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years – has been submitted to Wigan Council, meaning connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.

In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, and Leigh is the biggest town in England without a rail station, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.

The milestone aims to boost access to jobs and opportunities for people in the town and the wider Wigan borough.

According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Golborne station scheme forms part of a wider ambition to bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028 – of which “significant investment” has been put into.

The application includes plans for a new accessible two-platform rail station, including step-free access throughout with a footbridge across the tracks and lifts to both platforms, a new hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, and onwards to Stalybridge, an improved town centre car park, and also new walking and cycling links to the town centre.

The submitting of the proposals comes after nearly 3,000 people had their say on the station earlier this year, with more than 90% of respondents supporting the plans.

A CGI of what the proposed new Golborne station could look like, if plans are approved / Credit: TfGM

If the plans are approved by Wigan Council, work on the site should begin in 2026, according to TfGM, with the new station scheduled to open in 2027.

Mayor Andy Burnham called the submitting of the proposals a “transformative step” for the region.

“It has taken a huge effort to get us to this point,” he explained. “But we have finally reached a major milestone on the journey to reconnect Golborne to the rail network for the first time in over 60 years.

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“The proposal is based on extremely sound evidence and huge progress has been made with a planning application being submitted and overwhelming support from local residents.”

Featured Image – TfGM

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