Manchester Airport is the UK’s global gateway in the North, with an enviable range of destinations served by direct flights. The hub boasts more than 200 routes across four different continents, serving holiday hotspots like Spain, Greece and Turkey – but also linking people in our region with lesser-known destinations where they can grab a bargain and throw themselves into a different culture.
Eastern Europe is a melting pot of cultural influences, from cuisine to architecture – and offers everything from summer sunshine and spectacular beaches, to historic sites, picturesque hiking trails and natural wonders. In the first few months of the year you can even find winter wonderlands blanketed in ice and snow, perfect for a skiing or snowboarding break if you’re looking for a change of scene from the Alpine resorts. And cities like Prague and Budapest have become synonymous with long weekends and mini-breaks.
Manchester Airport has an incredible 24 direct services to 12 Eastern European countries, each with something a little bit different to offer. What unites them is a friendly welcome and an experience you’ll remember, all at a price that offers great value for money. Let’s dive in…
Poland
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Krakow, Gdansk, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan, Rzeszow, Katowice**
Prices starting from: £32pp return* (Ryanair – Poznan)
Highlights: 20th Century history, filled Pierogi and the ‘Polish Riviera’
With no fewer than seven Polish cities benefitting from direct flights to Manchester, travellers from our region can reach every corner of the country, and there’s loads to explore. The capital Warsaw was almost completely rebuilt after World War 2 and is now a vibrant and modern city, but for much of the later 20th Century it was behind the Iron Curtain, and the Museum of Life under Communism offers a fascinating insight into what this was like for locals.
Krakow has a picturesque Old Town, but has some dark stories in its past and many visitors here use it as a base from which to visit the museum and memorial at nearby Auschwitz. Something altogether different is on offer in Sopot near Gdansk – a Baltic Sea resort on what has become known as the ‘Polish Riviera’, where the opulent Grand Hotel has attracted musicians, actors, and political leaders.
Wherever you choose to go in Poland, make sure you try some of the local cuisine, like Pierogi – miniature dumplings with a range of delicious fillings.
Croatia
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Dubrovnik**, Split**, Pula**, Zadar**, Zagreb**
Prices starting from: £28pp return* (Ryanair – Zagreb)
Highlights: Stunning beaches, Game of Thrones and an emerging summer festival scene.
Visitors to Croatia this summer will have five different options if they wish to travel from Manchester. Perhaps the best known is Dubrovnik, the walled city that doubled for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones and boasts some of the Adriatic’s most iconic architecture. Further up the coast, Split houses Diocletian’s Palace, an enormous retirement estate built for a Roman Emperor that has, over the centuries, become intertwined with Split’s labyrinth of Medieval streets.
Pula and Zadar offer links to Croatia’s islands, where a burgeoning arts scene draws young crowds to events like the Hideout Festival, a five-day beach party showcasing the best in electronic music. The capital Zagreb, meanwhile,is a great option for a city break.
Bulgaria
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Sofia**, Burgas**, Plovdiv**
Prices starting from: £111pp return* (easyJet – Sofia)
Highlights: Café culture, Black Sea resorts and ski slopes
Manchester Airport offers routes to three destinations in Bulgaria which offer contrasting experiences. Sofia is a bustling modern metropolis with a rich history under the surface, and city-breakers can explore cobbled streets, a thriving café culture and sites like the 1,700-year-old St. George Rotunda Church, one of the world’s oldest surviving churches, and the City Gardens, in front of the stunning Ivan Vazov National Theatre.
Burgas is the gateway to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The resort of Sunny Beach attracts a younger, partygoing crowd, but the idyllic fishing port of Nessebar also offers some great beaches if you’re looking for something more sedate. In the winter, Ryanair offers flights from Manchester to Plovdiv, a city at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains with a selection of ski resorts.
Hungary
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Budapest
Prices starting from: £57pp return* (Ryanair)
Highlights: Ruin bars, public baths and grand architecture
Jet2.com, Ryanair and TUI all fly to Budapest year-round from Manchester. Hungary’s capital is a firm favourite for mini breaks with plenty to see and do. The impressive Parliament building was modelled on London’s Houses of Parliament but with a neo-Gothic twist and is a popular selfie spot, as is Buda Castle. The city is also known for its thermal baths, and the most impressive is the sprawling Széchenyi Bath, set in the City Park. The city comes alive at night when its ruin bars – a collection of quirky bars in formerly abandoned buildings – are thronged with visitors.
Czech Republic
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Prague
Prices starting from: £28pp return* (Ryanair)
Highlights: Architecture, history and river cruises
Prague is another city that has built a reputation as an ideal weekend getaway. The Astronomical Clock on the facade of the City Hall dates to the 14th century and features moving statuettes, including representations of the Twelve Apostles. Other sites include Prague Castle, the ‘Powder Tower’ – a medieval city gate – and the historic Charles Bridge. You can take in the city’s amazing architecture on a river cruise along the Vltava, which flows through the heart of the city.
Slovakia
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Bratislava
Prices starting from: £28pp return* (Ryanair)
Highlights: Street art, brewpubs and UFOs
The Slovakian capital is a bohemian city with unique street art installations everywhere you look, like the iconic bronze statue of Cumil the Sewer Worker peeping up at passers-by on a busy city centre street from a faux manhole cover. Other quirky attractions in Bratislava include the ‘UFO tower’, a flying saucer shaped observation deck on one of the main city bridges. There is a burgeoning microbrewery scene here with taprooms scattered throughout the city, and nearby Devin Castle offers panoramic views over the Danube.
Latvia
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Riga
Prices starting from: £47pp return* (Ryanair)
Highlights: Relaxed strolls, Soviet relics and floating saunas
Much of the Old Town in the centre of Riga is pedestrianised – so Latvia’s capital is a great option if you like to get out and about on foot to explore a city. Sights to see include the House of the Blackheads, a former meeting place for a Medieval secret society of merchants, and the KGB’s Soviet-era headquarters which has now been converted into a museum studying life behind the ‘Iron Curtain’. One of the more unusual pastimes you can experience in Riga is a floating sauna set in the Daugava river, with city views.
Moldova
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Chisinau
Prices starting from: £113pp return* (FlyOne)
Highlights: Frescos, ancient ruins and local wines
Moldova is one of Europe’s least visited countries, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to see and do here. Highlights in the capital Chisinau include the Metropolitan Cathedral, with its elaborate interior artwork, and the Triumphal Arch. Moldova is a small country and most of its tourist sites are within easy reach of Chisinau – like the archaeological site at Old Orhei and the Cricova winery, which boasts the world’s largest wine cellar.
Romania
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Bucharest
Prices starting from: £71pp return* (Ryanair)
Highlights: Classical music, scenic national parks and ‘Dracula Castle’
When it comes to city break destinations, Bucharest is perhaps not as well known as Prague or Budapest but offers a similar aesthetic with its quaint Old Town, historic architecture and cultural sights. The Romanian Athenaeum is one of its most impressive buildings and has hosted performances by many of the big names in classical music. The city is at the foot of the Carpathian mountains and neighbours the Piatra Craiului and Bucegi National Parks. The famous ‘Dracula Castle’, believed to have provided inspiration for Bram Stoker’s novel, is reachable as a day trip.
Albania
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Tirana
Prices starting from: £97pp return* (Ryanair)
Highlights: Colourful streets, sandy beaches and lamb casserole
An emerging favourite for summer getaways thanks to its great beaches and fantastic value for money, Albania has more to offer besides. Buildings in the capital Tirana are painted in a vibrant mix of pastel colours and Skanderbeg Square at the heart of the city is a hub of activity with regular cultural events. Albania’s national dish Tavë Kosi – a lamb and rice casserole – is a must-try. The beach resort of Durres is just an hour to the west.
Montenegro
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Tivat**
Prices starting from: £118pp return* (Jet2.com)
Highlights: Rugged coastline, hiking trails and the ‘Budva Riviera’
Montenegro sits just south of Croatia on the Adriatic coastline and shares the same dramatic scenery, with steep-sided mountains rising up out of the sea and idyllic villages clinging to the side of them. There are direct flights to Tivat airport from Manchester with easyJet each summer, and the towns of Tivat and Kotor, located on the Bay of Kotor, offer up the best of this scenery. The hiking trail to the Old Kotor Fort is a challenging one but worth it for the spectacular views. Further down the coast is Budva – at the heart of the ‘Budva Riviera’ with golden sands and turquoise waters.
North Macedonia
Destinations with direct flights from Manchester: Ohrid**
Prices starting from: £108pp return* (TUI)
Highlights: Ancient Greek ruins, lake views and rustic charm
TUI flies direct from Manchester to Ohrid in the summer months. The town is perched on a hilltop overlooking Lake Ohrid, from which it takes its name. Lake Ohrid has some of the best lake beaches to be found anywhere in Europe and the town has a rustic charm too, with cafes and bars along the waterfront and centuries of history on show. Sites include the Theatre of Lychnidos, an Ancient Greek amphitheatre, and the Church of Saints Clement of Ohrid and Panteleimon. Better still, prices in North Macedonia are some of the lowest anywhere in Europe – so it offers great value for money.
