The best day and weekend trips from Manchester if you fancy an adventure

It’s getting increasingly unlikely that many of us will be able to travel abroad on holiday this year, as restrictions are still in place in most of our favourite holiday destinations.

But let’s not worry about that, because the UK has some of the most exciting and beautiful destinations on our very doorstep, and with the weather set to improve over the next couple of months, this year will be the year of the STAYCATION!

In response, we’ve all been looking at the best ways to get around the UK. With trains being SO expensive, a few creative companies, like Virtuo, have turned to making hiring a car 10x easier than ever before.

Perfect for those hard-to-reach destinations where trains are few and far between or the ideal choice when looking at a road trip with your mates, Virtuo has made hiring a car as easy as possible, with no queues, no counters, no paperwork – everything is done through their app!

Virtuo

All you need to do is download the Virtuo App, get your licence validated and you can be sat behind the wheel of a Mercedes A-Class in minutes.

With rentals available from just 1 day, right up to 90 days – we thought we should look at some of the best places the UK can offer…

Less Than 1 Hour Drive…

Chester

Chester not only looks absolutely stunning, with its huge Tudor-style half-timber buildings stretching down the main streets, but the city also packs a serious number of things to do within its modest size.

Famed throughout the North West for the quality of its shopping, as well as the main high street at Eastgate there’s also Cheshire Oaks where you can bag yourself some serious bargains. Just down the road from the Outlet Village is Chester Zoo – one of the UK’s best tourist destinations and a fantastic day out for all the family.

Buxton

Located right on the edge of the Peak District, Buxton is the perfect distance away from Manchester, and the drive through the peaks is gorgeous. The town centre is packed full of stunning architecture, great bars and restaurants and, not forgetting; the world famous Opera House.

Just outside town you’ll find the stunning Pooles Cavern, where you can delve deep into the vast network of caves under the peaks, and just next to it – Go Ape! where you can dangle 100ft up in the air and scream.

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The Pennines

Just a short drive outside of Manchester you’ll find the Pennines, and its many quaint, beautiful villages and towns. Head down to Saddleworth where you can explore Dovestones Reservoir, before taking walks through the rolling hills and gentle moors.

There’s Uppermill, Delph, Denshaw and Dobcross, all within a few minutes’ drive of each other, each one offering up an impressive choice of excellent shops, bars and some world-class restaurants. Don’t forget to visit The Old Bell Inn in Delph and its collection of over 1,300 gins!

Jodrell Bank & Tatton Park

Once the largest radio telescope in the world, Jodrell Bank is a fantastic day out for the family, with something for everyone underneath the imposing 90m high Lovell Telescope.

This year sees them open The First Light Pavilion, a stunning new £21m exhibition space and gallery in the gardens. Speaking of gardens, just a short drive away is the HUGE Tatton Park, 2000 acres of lush gardens, as well as a farm, a deer park and the medieval manor house – Tatton Hall.

Liverpool

Us Mancunians may have a bit of a rivalry going on with the people of Liverpool but you shouldn’t let that stand in the way of visiting. Recent years have seen considerable investment in the city, and it’s almost unrecognisable nowadays – and best of all – it’s still a lot of fun!

There’s plenty of attractions that you can take the kids to, including The Beatles Story on the Albert Docks, followed by a ferry across the Mersey if you don’t mind wind and seagulls. The city’s streets are packed with some of the best shops in the region, as well as some truly wonderful restaurants and bars.

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1-2 Hour Drive…

Lake District

In such a huge area as the Lake District, it would be impossible for us to completely do it justice in just a few lines of text. There’s Windermere, Coniston, Bowness, Keswick, Ambleside, plus some truly delightful scenery to drive through on the way.

There’s also an unusually high concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants here, including L’Enclume in Cartmel, The Cottage in the Wood in Braithwaite, and The Old Stamp House Restaurant in Ambleside.

Blackpool

Everyone loves Blackpool. You can’t go wrong with a stick of rock, a ‘Kiss Me Quick’ hat and a massive bag of Fish and Chips on the pier. Everyone remembers being driven here as a kid and playing the game where the first person to spot the Tower wins.

Well, you can still do that, as long as you keep your eyes on the road too! There’s plenty to do in the seaside town, from visiting the Pleasure Beach to booking out a B&B on the Golden Mile and holidaying like your nan. Blackpool’s still got it – trust us!

York

The city itself is actually really small, surrounded by ancient city walls and with a skyline dominated by the huge York Minster Cathedral. It’s always a pleasure to explore the tiny alleys and back streets of the city, with a dead good pub or restaurant pretty much everywhere you look.

There’s loads to do here and SO much history that you’ll struggle to fit it all in within a couple of days.

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Brontë Country

One of the UK’s most stunning drives must be that from Manchester to Brontë Country, a vast, windswept area of moorland straddling the West Yorkshire and East Lancashire Pennines.

It’s also home to the gorgeous Hebden Bridge, and Haworth, the tiny village where the Bronte family lived. There are literally hundreds of walks in and around this area, and if you visit a village there’s always plenty of things to see and do.

Delamere Forest

A huge forest over in Cheshire, Delamere is great for a day trip so you can truly be at one with nature without having to sleep in a tent and cook your dinner over a damp campfire.

The landscape is stunning and there are plenty of things to do and activities to keep you entertained. There’s loads of walking routes, cycling routes and places to take the family. Close by is the town of Frodsham, a great place for a cracking Sunday Lunch.

For a few days…

London

Looking at the cost of a train from Manchester Piccadilly to Euston is enough to bring a few tears to a grown man’s eyes – so if you’re looking to visit ‘The Big Smoke’, driving is often the cheapest and easiest option. As you’d expect with the country’s capital, it’s a superb place for a staycation, with a seemingly infinite number of things to do.

A little bit of advice from us would be to stay away from Zones 1 and 2 and instead explore the suburbs of London, home to an ever-increasing range of world-class restaurants, bars and attractions. South of the river you’ll find Peckham and Brixton – both fantastic, while North – Islington, Camden, Hackney and Walthamstow.

Cornwall

Just saying ‘Cornwall’ isn’t enough to describe this huge stretch of the country – one which is pretty difficult to navigate unless you have a car. The region is massive, and there are significant differences between the different towns and areas, almost as if it’s just begging to be explored with 4 wheels.

The beaches are stunning, the quaint villages are perfect for a few days relaxing and you’ll always find outstanding restaurants, old pubs and some of the best seafood in the world.

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The Highlands

The Highlands are vast and they are truly magnificent, and there’s LOADS to be getting on with up there. You can take in the Lochs from Inverness to Fort William, from there you can climb Ben Nevis or perhaps embark on the UK’s answer to Route 66 – the North Coast 500 – easily one of the most beautiful and exhilarating road trips in the world. I’ll be doing it for my birthday this year – and I can hardly wait.

Snowdonia

Mt. Snowdon, and indeed the whole of the North of Wales, is truly stunning, and the perfect distance from Manchester for a weekend away. Alongside ample walks and nature trails, you’ll find canoeing, rock climbing, horse riding – plus loads more.

One of the best ways to explore the National Park is to drive to Llanberis and then take the Snowdon Mountain Railway, one of the world’s steepest railway inclines.

Virtuo Car Hire is available in Manchester right now. You can get things rolling here.

Featured image: Virtuo & Jim Roberts Gallery/Flickr