Manchester is where I was born and raised. I lived there up until I was 18 at which point I left for my Year in Industry at Shell, and thereafter, university. I haven't lived there since I left and although I go back at least once a year, it has changed so much (and is still changing!) so I can't say I know everything about how it is anymore. But what I do know, I will share. Yes, we have two football clubs, the powerhouse that is Manchester City, and the embarrassment that is Manchester United, but we are more than that. Some fun facts about Manchester:
I live on the north side of the city centre in a place called Collyhurst. The church is also here. When looking for a place to stay, I would recommend staying somewhere around the city center, but not much further out than beyond Collyhurst or Miles Platting as it starts to get sketchy, and places like Oldham and Rochdale, although part of Manchester, are more further out than reasonable. I like to walk, and I walk a lot so I find Manchester very walkable. Staying on the south side of Manchester is possible but I can't help you there. At least for me, the area within the A57 ring road is most convenient for all things around the city centre.
In terms of where to actually stay, the price ranges massively. We do have Airbnb in Manchester. If you're going for a hotel, do take care about the age of the hotel. There are some very old hotels, such as the Britannia, and whilst they look grand and carry the historic charm, they are also, old. Don't forget to check the google reviews and sort the reviews by the age of the review. Google reviews are used quite a lot in the UK and are fairly reliable. We are not tripadvisor people.
To get to the city from the Airport, I would recommend to take the train. It's fairly cheap and only takes around 15 minutes to get to Manchester Picadilly. You can then get a bus, taxi or Uber from the station to get to your destination. Within the city centre, Manchester is very walkable and very pedestrian friendly. Walking from Picadilly to the church takes around 25 minutes.
There is a free “hop on, hop off” bus in the city centre (often just called the Free Bus) linking Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Deansgate, Salford Central, Shudehill and Victoria. This keeps you in and around the city centre. To go beyond the city centre, you can take the bus or the tram, depending on where you want to go. They're operated by the Bee Network and whilst I can't speak to their reliability, they are cheap. A bus ticket costs £2 for a single adult hopper ticket, and £1 for a child. The trams use tap in and tap out contactless. I've heard that they're hounds at fining people for not having a ticket so do take care with them.
If you don't feel adventurous enough to take the public transport, Uber or Bolt works in Manchester. Renting a car and driving is possible, but parking can be expensive. I would say to plan around what you want to see and do and decide whether a car would be necessary/worthwhile.
If you want to go beyond Manchester and visit other cities, you can take the train. I can't say that trains in the UK are reliable, but they do exist, at times. The National Rail website is very good at being up to date with the train services. There is also the beloved National Express (there's a great song from a while back), and the not so beloved Flixbus. Flixbus is dirt cheap and they do get you there to be fair. If you're on a "pick up" stop, it's better to be there sooner rather than on time.
As a citizen of Manchester, I never really experienced it as a tourist so it's a little bit difficult for me to recommend what's worth seeing. Here are some places that I do or have enjoyed which I would recommend:
In and around the city centre:
Not in the city centre:
Contrary to popular belief, English food is more than fish and chips (which itself is already delicious) and you can definitely eat well for good value. We have always enjoyed eating out here; they're usually very considerate of any allergens. A few places I would recommend: