Weather/Climate

Okay, the elephant in the room. Manchester is known as the ‘Rainy City’, and there is no irony in that sentence. No month survives without a single drop of rain, so always be prepared for drizzle of some kind. Summer theoretically runs from June to September, but you could get a week of blissful sunshine in April and masses of rain in August. This is the north of England after all. Winters are cold, although it rarely goes too far below zero.

Crime & Safety

Manchester is the capital of the north, so the crime statistics are a little livelier here than in say Leeds, Sheffield or York. Anti-social crimes are common, although these rarely impact visitors to the city. The crippling austerity of nearly a decade of Tory government has seen homelessness in the city skyrocket, leading to an increase in drug-related crime. This is all very regrettable, but it is important to stress that the crime rarely impacts tourists. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.

Hospitals & Pharmacies

There are plenty of hospitals in Manchester, catering for all the conditions you could imagine. What impact Brexit will have on this remains to be seen, but we’re trying not to think of that too much. As far as pharmacies go, look out for Boots, Savers and other chemists, although most basic tablets and medicines can be purchased in supermarkets. Such is modern British life. 999 is the number to call in an emergency.

Public Toilets

Don’t use public toilets in the UK. Sure, they exist and are fine 70% of the time, but you never know when you’ll run into some questionable goings on, and the cleanliness of the things isn’t worth thinking about. Nip into a cafe or a pub, buy a drink, do your business.

Can you drink the tap water

You can drink tap water anywhere in the UK, as we are yet to reach Threads-levels of panic and hysteria. The water in the north west is thought to be particularly excellent, if you happen to be a connoisseur of the stuff.

The Manchester Card

The Manchester Card is a little slice of excellence that offers discounts to many restaurants, bars, attractions and all the rest. A variety of versions on offer at the website, or simply download the app and see what works best for you. The £10 four-day version makes the most sense to us.

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