In the Doghouse again ! Manchester.

So after a couple of hours rest after Center Parcs and then Exeter, it was up early for the next adventure.....an hours drive to Heathrow to catch the early morning BA flight to Manchester.

Purple Parking for £20 for two days, then onto terminal 5, straight through security and a short walk to the gate where we are paged ? - it seems the security cameras didn't capture my wife's image so needed to verify the journey started in the UK, as no need for passports. Security come really quick, a check of the parking booking, and we are now first to board - bonus ! No club travel this time as it's only a 30 minute flight or so and we are having breakfast when we get there.



Definitely quicker than the last time we went to Manchester ( 6 hours with traffic jams). We walk from terminal 3 across to terminal 1 and then the transport into the city. Manchester Airport looks very tired compared to Gatwick and Heathrow. We opt for the tram , which takes about an hour and around £5 each as it goes across 4 travel zones, but straight into the City centre, Market Street.

We head straight for cafebar19 cafebar19 which is rated as one the best breakfast places in the city, I'd agree and so would the people queueing outside no doubt.


After breakfast we wander around the shops ending up at the Brewdog Doghouse hotel  doghouse just prior to our check in time , so a couple of drinks to pass the time . The hotel is right in the city centre and easy to find.



If you know Brewdog it's an all familiar theme. We go to our room for a quick snooze.










Waking to hear the rain outside..we decide not to walk to far for dinner.. Pieminister - pie and mash !

Pieminister



It's chucking it down now, so a relax in the room a bit of telly and an early night, sleeping really well waking to mooch a little and then the brewdog breakfast - full English for me and chicken and waffles for the good lady wife. Very filling.


Another wander around the city then back to the airport this time on the train from Manchester Piccadilly - £4.60 with a two together card.



You arrive into terminal 1 and walk about 10 - 15 minutes between the terminals to terminal 3. the airport seems drab and in need of some updating in my opinion. We get to security and wait in a slow moving line as there appears to be limited staff dealing with the amount of people - a stark contrast to Heathrow's efficiency.

It's no wonder that people seem to dislike Manchester airport..it didn't enthral me and I generally enjoy airports, this one not so much ! It was packed with minimal comfy seating, the gate area had no seats so stood around waiting for our delayed flight - 1 of the 5 delayed flights to Heathrow that day ( seems to be more the norm now unfortunately ! ) as it appears there is no recourse for any delays under 3 hours for the airlines.

We board a very full flight ( the BA flight after ours has been cancelled, so presumably everybody on this one now ) arriving around 40 minutes later , then the bus back to car park and then the short journey home - it feels like we've travelling all day - time for bed. 



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