Manchester

Manchester is a great place for family breaks or short family holidays with a cultural flavour, while for those looking to combine a city break with an exploration of greener pastures, it's only 25km from the Peak District or an ideal stop-off for those heading north to the Lake District or Scotland.

Modern architecture that currently dominates Manchester's skyline stands in stark contrast to Victorian red-brick cotton warehouses and factories that have been turned into anything from museums to boutique hotels, loft-apartments, and cutting-edge nightclubs. A lack of vast open areas may make the city center appear less welcoming to people with small children than, instance, London with its Royal Parks, but swish trams make Manchester considerably simpler to travel around - and, of course, it's more compact. Many people consider Manchester to be a smaller version of London, with nicer people.

Visit the Museum of Science and Industry, where Manchester's industrial legacy is brought to life via a variety of hands-on activities. Crawl through a Victorian sewer, see shows in the planetarium or 4D theatre, and see one of the world's largest collections of working steam engines before riding around the site on a replica steam train - and much more!

Discover other central attractions, such as the Manchester Art Gallery, which hosts numerous free events for children, has a permanent Clore Interactive Gallery designed specifically for families, and provides free activity backpacks to children aged 7 to 12, as well as explorer tool belts and story bags to children aged 3-6. A sketching path and a handling trail are also available. The People's History Museum highlights the narrative of democracy and the working class in the United Kingdom, with hands-on activities for all ages in each gallery, frequent family events, explorer kits for ages 3-6, and a picnic space in its engine hall.

Location: United Kingdom