Living in Manchester has its own perks. Located exactly in the middle of England, Mancunians, or people who reside in Manchester, has easy access to other UK well-known cities by trains. As a student from another country far from the UK, I love exploring new places in other towns and in this blog-post I want to highlight three cities that are only less than an hour train ride away from Manchester. These cities are perfect for a short one-day getaway and surely not going to drain your pocket as well.
First of all, there is Liverpool. Located on the west side of Manchester, Liverpool is only 30 minutes train ride from Manchester. Aside from its internationally-known football team, Liverpool is also famous for its waterfront and docks as it is located next to the River Mersey. Furthermore, this city was also the birthplace of The Beatles during the sixties era and has been nominated as the World Capital City of Pop by Guinness World Records. Liverpool Cathedral and Saint George's Hall are also worth visiting if you are interested in architecture and historical buildings.
Second, Leeds is located north-east of Manchester and can be reached in almost an hour by train. Dubbed as UK's largest legal and financial centre outside London, Leeds has a unique combination between old-classical buildings and skyscrapers. The city also has interesting shopping centres inside a well-preserved historical building like Victoria Quarter and The Corn Exchange.
Lastly, Sheffield. Only 50 minutes by train to the east of Manchester through the Peak District, Sheffield is another UK's big metropolitan that worth to be visited. In the past during the industrial revolution era, the city was famous for its steelworks. Some of the free touristic spots are Millennium Museum and the Winter Garden, which basically is a massive greenhouse in the middle of the city with various plants around the world. If you feel a bit hungry, I would recommend you to try Kommune, a hipster food-court with interesting combination of food-stalls offering indulging treats.
Before you set your itinerary and pack your bag, I would recommend you to get the 16-25 railcard that grants you 30% discounts on all train ride. A worth investment if you plan to travel by train a lot. And be honest, why won't you?
