Cheap flights from Belfast to Manchester from £13

Belfast to Manchester flights land at Manchester Airport (MAN), and the journey takes about one hour.

Direct flights depart from both Belfast airports. Aer Lingus flies from George Best Belfast City Airport, while easyJet and Ryanair fly from Belfast International Airport.

In the last few days, travellers on the Belfast to Manchester route have booked tickets on eDreams for £13, so it pays to compare dates if you can be flexible.

Non-stop flights between Belfast and Manchester are run by these airlines:

• Aer Lingus: flies from George Best Belfast City Airport, the Belfast airport closest to the city centre
• easyJet: flies from Belfast International Airport, west of the city near Lough Neagh
• Ryanair: also flies from Belfast International Airport, alongside easyJet on the same route

The flight takes about one hour with any of them, so the choice usually comes down to which Belfast airport is nearer to you and which timetable suits your trip.

October suits book lovers: the annual Manchester Literature Festival brings well-known writers, poets and performers from across the country to a series of literary events.

In May, the Manchester Jazz Festival fills venues across the city centre with musicians from the UK and abroad, and its opening weekend at First Street is free to attend.

Football fans can plan around the season from August to May, when Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium host matches most weekends.

From November, the Manchester Christmas Markets fill Piccadilly Gardens, St Ann's Square and the streets around Albert Square with food and craft stalls.

George Best Belfast City Airport

George Best Belfast City Airport is close to the city centre, and Aer Lingus flights to Manchester leave from here. Ways to reach the airport:

• Train: Sydenham station, on the line from the city centre, is a seven-minute walk from the terminal
• Bus: the Airport Express 600 runs from the city centre to the terminal every half an hour
• Taxi: the ride from the city centre to the terminal takes 10 to 15 minutes

Belfast International Airport

Belfast International Airport is about 15 miles west of the city, close to the shores of Lough Neagh. easyJet and Ryanair fly to Manchester from here.

The Airport Express 300 bus runs seven days a week, with up to four services an hour at peak times. A taxi from the city centre takes about 30 minutes.

Manchester Airport

Flights from Belfast land at Manchester Airport, south of the city. Ways into the city centre:

• Train: direct trains run from the airport station to Manchester Piccadilly in about 20 minutes
• Tram: Metrolink trams leave every 12 minutes for Manchester Victoria, a ride of about an hour
• Bus: the Skyline 43 bus runs from the airport to the city centre day and night
• Taxi: taxis wait outside the terminals, and the ride takes about 20 minutes

Manchester mixes industrial heritage, football and a lively music scene. Places worth a visit:

• Science and Industry Museum: fascinating insights into Manchester's heritage as an industrial powerhouse, in the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station
• National Football Museum: the history of the game, with interactive galleries in the Urbis building near the cathedral
• John Rylands Library: a Victorian Gothic reading room on Deansgate with rare books and manuscripts
• Greater Manchester Police Museum: the city's crime history in a former police station that still has its original cells
• Treetop Manchester: a climbing course through the canopy of Heaton Park, with instruction on climbing safely
• Clue HQ: an escape-room experience, a good activity to share with friends on a rainy day
• Northern Quarter: independent shops, record stores, street art, cafés and bars around Stevenson Square

For a day outside the city, the Peak District national park lies to the east and south-east. Walk the famed limestone valleys and visit charming villages such as Edale.