Manchester is historically notable for being one of the world's first industrialised cities. It was the dominant international centre of textile manufacture and cotton spinning during the 19th century, earning the name Cottonopolis during the Victorian era.

Today, Manchester is a centre of the arts, the media and higher education. It is also well known for its sporting connections, being the home of Manchester City and Manchester United Football Clubs and having hosted the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002.

It has a vibrant and lively city centre which is pedestrian-friendly, with many interesting old and modern buildings and public squares. Free Metroshuttle services link important areas of the city, such as Manchester Victoria, Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations with Chinatown, Deansgate, Salford Central, and Albert Square. There are three routes, which run every 5-10 minutes and complement the Metrolink and National Rail services, linking them with the city's car parks, tourist attractions and bus termini.

Manchester airport is about a 20 minute drive from central Manchester on the M56 motorway with a dedicated link road from the motorway at Junction 5. The Airport Railway Station offers direct trains to much of northern England and other national connections can be made at Piccadilly.

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