London and Manchester trip

[Wish1719]

Hi, have not travelled that far before, and need some advise,

planning to fly up London and travel up north to liverpool and manchester,

probably getting to watch a match at old trafford.

Any bros or sis done that before? Which travel agent should i go?

Thanks in advance.

[Wreckwrx]

I went to Anfield to watch Liverpool play back in 2000 and here's my experience...

 

I did it on my own.

 

There are plenty of airlines that fly to London so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

But hotels in london is very expensive so if you are prepared to rough it out, you can consider staying in hostels. Otherwise you can consider those Bed & Breakfast (B&B) type of accomodation but personally, I don't find them very cheap either. Seach online or you can look up the travel guides for reccomendation and price range.

 

From London, you can always take a bus up to Liverpool or Manchester.... alternatively you can try the infamous Brit Rail but in the past (I am talking about 6~8 yrs ago), they got a reputation for being very unreliable (something that you don't need esp if you are intending to catch a match). The buses are quite comfortable but suggest you buy the tickets in advance (it's just like taking a coach from SG to KL).

 

As for the match tickets, go to the official club website and see if they have the tickets for general sale and whether you can buy them online. But seats are very limited and usually they are for "not so good" matches. If there is a particular match that you die die must see, then you can try the tons of ticketing agents in London. But be prepared to pay a premium. The last alternative is to just turn up at the stadium and see if anyone got tickets for sale. But this is known as touting and is illegal. Also I don't reccomend it because you might end up with fake tickets....

 

Have Fun!

[Silver_blade]

You can easily do a free & easy. Just book a hotel in which ever city you are going. The are frequent train serviced to these cities.

[Wish1719]

Thanks a lot...my kids been pestering me to bring them there, so thought this Nov period during their sch holidays. Was actually thinking of driving but not sure if the routes are as easy as they are indicated on the GPS...

[Wreckwrx]

I took a bus the last time coz i was on a tight budget and couldn't even afford to rent a car..

 

Actually visiting Old Trafford or Anfield is not too difficult. But getting match tixs (esp for those more "exciting matches" is the challenge. But if money is no object, you can buy them from ticketing agents at a premium. But when you buy the tixs, make sure that it is in the correct stand. You don't want to be with Everton supporters if you support Liverpool...

 

I actually went to a pub next to Anfield before the kick-off and the seeing how the Liverpool supporters psych themselves up before the match was truly Thinking back, it was pretty dangerous thing to do because me and my fren were the only asians in the whole pub and these people are already drunk even before the match..

[Bern2]

Uk roads are generally easy to navigate if you plan to drive. Try to get a larger car as distances are a lot further in Miles! Do be prepared for some delays and jams on the M25 though and sometimes on the M6 which heads towards Manchester. A lot depends on the time of the day and roadworks. If I remember correctly the route from Heathrow to Manchester is pretty straight forward. The most headache parts are getting out from Heathrow to the expressways and in the city centre of Manchester itself.

 

If you are planning a driving holiday this is what I used to do. Plan a bit in advance where you are going. Stay just outside the city at a B&B and drive in to catch the games, events and shows etc. B&B can be prebooked ahead at any of the Tourist Info centres in major cities. Hotels also but they are more functional and less family oriented. Price can be stated upfront. GPS is a bonus and a map will be handy. You can head up to the Lake District which is a nice place if a little cold and foggy in Nov. Alternatively, head west into Wales to enjoy the spectacular Mountains of Snowdonia.

 

Do cater for shortening daylight if going in Nov. Most of all have a fun holiday.

[Blue2]

bro...when u in London u can take the Line to go to Emirate Stadium....

[Silver_blade]

Like what Bern2 said. Driving and navigating around the UK motorway is easy. It also help that their road signs are very similar to ours...and everything is in english.

[Wish1719]

Thanks, am checking out the website on visitbritian.com

[Wish1719]

Thanks for the infos...

[Wish1719]

cannot leh...wait wear MU jersey kenna hammer by the gunners...

my whole family all MU fans...was thinking of catching the Arsenal vs Man Utd game on the 8 Nov, but ticket very expensive...

[Bern2]

You're most welcome. I stayed there as a student and drove around a lot. North, South, East & West also I went! Cept Ireland cos it wasn't quite stable then and not enuff money for the ferry. Petrol was 60p/litre then.

[Wish1719]

You can head up to the Lake District which is a nice place if a little cold and foggy in Nov. Alternatively, head west into Wales to enjoy the spectacular Mountains of Snowdonia.

Heard my coll telling me about the place too, just a short drive up from Liverpool right?

[Bern2]

Yup around 2 hrs drive. Very scenic and has a number of nice stops which is very good for taking photos. The roads there are narrow though so do take care if you intend to go up. Wonderful place to park the car and go picnic or hiking around the hills & lakes. If I recall correctly there are some nice places for tourist types like Derwent.

[Wish1719]

Thanks again mate!

[Maroon5]

bro, for OT tickets, you can try this site http://www.1st4FootballTickets.com

i got mine last year for the Man U vs Wigan match.

 

my transaction was quite hassle free and safe. tickets were hand delivered to me at my hotel.

 

you can also try the hotel i stayed which is at the city centre too. (The Merchants Hotel)

you can then easily grab a train to OT on match day from the nearby train stand.

 

but be prepared to pay for the tickets which starts from GBP 70 each.

 

but somehow once u r inside the stadium, you find its totally worth it.

[Bern2]

Cheers and no worries!

[Wish1719]

Thanks for the website, will check it out. cheers!