A yank comes to England (flying out on Thursday!!)

If, like many Americans, you are a multi-millionaire our train fares will be no problem. Otherwise I would get that Britpass as it is more flexible. Booking ahead is a pain in the butt and very restrictive.

If you're working from Manchester to London, consider doing the non-obvious thing. Like go to York, which is well worth a look as a place, and travel down the East Coast Main line, which is a more pleasant set up than than the direct Manchester-London train. Or take the Cardiff train which runs through the Welsh marches (you could have a look, for example, at Shrewsbury, Ludlow or Hereford) and take a London train from Cardiff or Newport. Cardiff is an excellent city to visit, just ask for Brain's beer.

One experience you should not miss is a good fish and chip shop. Note there are many which are sub par, but the best are wonderful. Trip Advisor is your friend. Most of the best ones are actually in Yorkshire. I recommend Graveleys of Harrogate, which is quite posh and more of a fish restaurant. But their haddock and chips is to die for.
 
Ignore all advice re Curry Mile .... it is utter shite nowadays. If you want a good curry, get to Rajdoot, a good Nepalese restaurant in Albert Square ....
 
GX Blue said:
https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times
Use these for your train trips.

https://www.travelodge.co.uk/
Use Travel lodge for your hotels. Cheap and cheerful and they are everywhere in the UK.

Getting at ticket for Villa at Home will be easy. Just log online at MCFC.co.uk 2/3 week before the fixture then chose your seat.

I personally dont really think Manchester is a sight seeing City. You're best off just getting pissed when you're here and save the sight seeing for London.
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Why would anyone use thetrainline? All the train companies sell tickets for anywhere in the UK without trainlines charge (which funds the fancy TV adverts). buytickets.virgintrains.co.uk sell half and half tickets for their trains (Advance one way, offpeak or anytime the other) so you can buy a single at half the return fare (instead of nearly the return fare) then get an Advance ticket for the other leg and throw it away. Other sites display the journeys differently, so you can see more trains at a time - and tpexpress.co.uk give you Nectar points!)

Re the OP, if you want flexible travel, or to travel at peak times, the Britail pass looks simplest. Unless you know exactly where and when you want to travel, 3 days anywhere on the system for £134 is a bargain.
 
With work and the recent (US) holiday, I've made no progress on my trip planning. Quick question for now. If my flight arrived in Manchester airport around 10:30am on Saturday, is there a realistic chance I could make a 3pm match?

Also, thanks to those who have sent me a PM...I will be in touch.
 
Skilly McRailnob said:
With work and the recent (US) holiday, I've made no progress on my trip planning. Quick question for now. If my flight arrived in Manchester airport around 10:30am on Saturday, is there a realistic chance I could make a 3pm match?

Also, thanks to those who have sent me a PM...I will be in touch.
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You will make it with loads to spare. Train from airport to Picadilly Station then Metro/Tram from the station to the Etihad. Should do the whole trip in about an hour.
 
Just piping in... I'd recommend a trip to the Lake District of you like walking and Traditional British settings. Not too far from Manchester.
Lake Windermere, Keswick.

Also, Chester is a nice visit, good info on the Roman Empire.
 
hi,
Englishman, Manc in exile iin USA. City fan for 50 years.
In reply to your questions, getting a rail rover pass or whatever it's called seems the better option as it gives you flexibility and unless you buy very expensive tickets for same day travel you can't change train times or dates with the cheaper advance purchase tickets.

TV might dictate a change of date for the City v Villa game to the Sunday or Monday, so keep that in mind.
Others have replied with good advice re decent hotels in M/cr city centre, you will be ok in the bars and restaurants around Deansgate or King St ( a bit more posh) and you should definitely try a Holland's meat pie or meat & potato pie or best of all a steak pudding and chips and gravy, all the chippies round Manchester sell Holland's stuff. Nothing to do with the Dutch, just the name of the company, Local and traditional to Lancashire.
Many pubs do great roast beef dinners with Yorkshire pud and unlimited veggies and spuds for five or six quid or less.
In London I recommend the Russell Hotel on Russell Square, it's in Bloomsbury near the British 'Museum, my wife and I stay there every year on our annual trip back home. It's a charming old hotel with modern amenities like free wi-fi, and handy for tube trains, bus routes, and the sights. Camden Lock market is a 20 minute bus ride away, open every day, collectibles and junk and antiquey things and better than the over rated and touristy Portobello Rd. Get an Oyster card for travel on the tubes and buses.

If you wanted to see a football match in Londom, try Fulham - friendly, easy to get a ticket, right on the banks of the river. Do not go anywhere near Millwall, Brixton, or Hackney, not at night anyway.

Or maybe even miss out London and see the smaller towns instead, like York and Lincoln and Oxford.
Have a good trip.
 
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Skilly McRailnob said:
thanks. how long will it take to get through customs?
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Not seen a custom officer for years ,if it busy Imigration takes usualy 30 min max for Europeans if all your paper work in order and the immigration officer is not a rag about 10 mins for you
 
Bring shorts, tshirts, jumpers, winter coats and some skis. It will either be nice and warm, pissing it down or snowing.
 
cyberblue said:
Not seen a custom officer for years ,if it busy Imigration takes usualy 30 min max for Europeans if all your paper work in order and the immigration officer is not a rag about 10 mins for you
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True story --- When I came in for a match v Swans a few years ago (2012), the IO asked me why I'd come to the UK. "For football and to see some friends", I said. He said, "Which match?" I said, "City and Swansea." He said, "You're a City fan?" "Yes" I replied. "Good lad", he said. "Off you go. If you were a United fan I'd have to send you to that room with the rubber glove dispenser."
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
True story --- When I came in for a match v Swans a few years ago (2012), the IO asked me why I'd come to the UK. "For football and to see some friends", I said. He said, "Which match?" I said, "City and Swansea." He said, "You're a City fan?" "Yes" I replied. "Good lad", he said. "Off you go. If you were a United fan I'd have to send you to that room with the rubber glove dispenser."
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I have returned to the UK wearing City clothes many times and always seem to get a smile and a wave through from passport control.
 
Noticed a lot of people have just mentioned shopping and nightlife in Manchester. Loads of sightseeing and cultural tips mate:

John Rylands Library on Deansgate: http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/

Manchester Museum is set in the University of Manchester campus, brilliant architecture: http://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

Tours of Manchester Town Hall and the Great Abel Clock tower: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/townhall/info/1/tours

Manchester Art Gallery (which houses everything from Pre-Raphaelite to Contemporary Art): http://manchesterartgallery.org
HOME which houses cinemas, exhibitions and theatre: http://homemcr.org
Museum of Science and Industry: http://msimanchester.org.uk/about

and last mention is The Whitworth which just won the Museum of the Year award, the largest arts award in Britain: http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

Manchester has just been listed in the top 10 Lonely Planet places to visit in 2016, think a lot of us locals find ourselves in the Arndale centre too much to realise what's on our doorstep! http://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/cities/8
 
Tell The King said:
Noticed a lot of people have just mentioned shopping and nightlife in Manchester. Loads of sightseeing and cultural tips mate:

John Rylands Library on Deansgate: http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/

Manchester Museum is set in the University of Manchester campus, brilliant architecture: http://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

Tours of Manchester Town Hall and the Great Abel Clock tower: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/townhall/info/1/tours

Manchester Art Gallery (which houses everything from Pre-Raphaelite to Contemporary Art): http://manchesterartgallery.org
HOME which houses cinemas, exhibitions and theatre: http://homemcr.org
Museum of Science and Industry: http://msimanchester.org.uk/about

and last mention is The Whitworth which just won the Museum of the Year award, the largest arts award in Britain: http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

Manchester has just been listed in the top 10 Lonely Planet places to visit in 2016, think a lot of us locals find ourselves in the Arndale centre too much to realise what's on our doorstep! http://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/cities/8
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Good post. We tend to play Manchester down too much to visitors, there's plenty to see and do in our city. Also Salford Quays with the Lowry Art Gallery and Imperial War Museum is only 10 minutes away on the tram from the town centre .
 
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