United Kingdom : Safety by City
- Aberdeen
- Bath
- Belfast
- Birmingham
- Bradford
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Cambridge
- Canterbury
- Cardiff
- Coventry
- Dundee
- Edinburgh
- Exeter
- Glasgow
- Inverness
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Northern Ireland
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Peterborough
- Salford
- Scotland
- Sheffield
- Southampton
- Surrey
- York
Manchester is located at the heart of Greater Manchester, in the northwest of England.
Manchester is often called “The Capital of the North”, and is known for the role it had in the histories of the English industry and music, as well as its world-known sports teams.
The UK’s largest airport outside of London is located in Manchester, and it’s also the most visited city in England by overseas visitors aside from the capital.
To the youngsters as well as the older and experienced travelers, it offers unique charm, a multitude of shopping, cultural and entertainment opportunities, and edifices.
Warnings & Dangers in Manchester
OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
Manchester isn't the safest city to visit in the UK, but if you apply all the basic precaution measures, and move around areas that are frequented by tourists, you won't have any problems.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
Transportation and traffic, in general, is dangerous in Manchester. Watch out when crossing the roads, since every year tourists suffer from traffic accidents because the people here drive on the left side of the road which is highly confusing for people from around the world.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
Pickpockets represent the most common form of street crime in Manchester. They are common and there are even some locations known for pickpockets operating in and around them. Take basic precaution measures.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
You can relax when it comes to natural disasters, because, apart from the common bad weather, there are no threats in Manchester.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
When it comes to mugging and kidnapping, Manchester is relatively safe. However, you should be careful and avoid dangerous areas where you could get attacked.
TERRORISM RISK: HIGH
The entire United Kingdom, and with it Manchester too, has recently been targeted by several terrorist attacks and it is now publicly announced that the threat to the UK is severe.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
Manchester is relatively visited by tourists, and it only makes sense that there will always be people trying to scam them. Always be cautious with people trying to distract you, help you with your luggage, or groups of people acting strange. Always check your change twice and negotiate everything in advance.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Manchester is mostly very safe for women to travel to, or as safe as it can get for a tourist, meaning you won't get into any specific trouble just because you're a woman. Just follow your basic common sense and general rules of things to avoid, and you should be fine.
So... How Safe Is Manchester Really?
Manchester is mostly safe for tourists in the sense that most of the areas in Manchester where tourists venture are very safe.
Some areas are secluded and not recommended for tourists, like Longsight, Levenshulme, and Gorton, Moss Side, Withington and Fallowfield, parts of Hulme, Cheetham Hill, Wythenshawe, Ordsall, and Ancoats.
Unfortunately, however, Manchester is known for having the highest car crime rate in the UK, as well as the highest rates of car theft and break-ins in all of Europe!
Avoid bringing your car to Manchester, and if you do, be careful to park it in a well-lit area – and never leave anything of value inside!
You should avoid wearing football shirts or showing any kind of support for any football team because such shows of support might end violently since some rivalries are taken very seriously in Manchester.
Violent crime is rare and there is a very low probability that, as a tourist, you will experience anything more than petty crime.
All in all, be wary of pickpockets and know that some parts of Manchester can be dangerous in some areas at night as you can run into groups of drunken people acting strange.
How Does Manchester Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Manchester | 44 |
| London | 68 |
| Northern Ireland | 56 |
| Belfast | 56 |
| Edinburgh | 70 |
| Scotland | 71 |
| Glasgow | 55 |
| Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 45 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
| Sofia (Bulgaria) | 73 |
| Siem Reap (Cambodia) | 63 |
| Phnom Penh (Cambodia) | 61 |
| Niagara Falls (Canada) | 87 |
Useful Information
Visas
Member countries of the EU do not need visas to enter Manchester, as well as some other countries, but there is a considerable number of countries that do. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into the United Kingdom. If you are not sure about your visa status, contact your local British embassy for further information.
Currency
The British pound is the currency in Manchester. Keep in mind that this is one of the most expensive countries in Europe and the prices of accommodation in such a famous English city are skyrocketing.
Weather
Manchester has a mild climate, generally warm and temperate. It also has a significant amount of rainfall during the year. Summer (Jun-Sep) is very warm and the best time to visit this city.
Airports
The UK's largest airport outside of London is located in Manchester. It is called the Manchester Airport and is an international airport located at Ringway, some 13km south-west of Manchester city centre.
Travel Insurance
Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Manchester, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.
Manchester Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 7 |
| Low °C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| High °F | 45 | 45 | 48 | 54 | 61 | 66 | 68 | 68 | 63 | 57 | 48 | 45 |
| Low °F | 36 | 34 | 37 | 41 | 46 | 50 | 54 | 54 | 50 | 46 | 39 | 36 |
United Kingdom - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 63 |
| Bath | 81 |
| Belfast | 56 |
| Birmingham | 44 |
| Bradford | 42 |
| Brighton | 67 |
| Bristol | 58 |
| Cambridge | 78 |
| Canterbury | 79 |
| Cardiff | 64 |
| Coventry | 41 |
| Dundee | 60 |
| Edinburgh | 70 |
| Exeter | 77 |
| Glasgow | 55 |
| Inverness | 73 |
| Leeds | 56 |
| Leicester | 43 |
| Liverpool | 56 |
| London | 68 |
| Manchester | 44 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 72 |
| Northern Ireland | 56 |
| Nottingham | 56 |
| Oxford | 66 |
| Peterborough | 70 |
| Salford | 43 |
| Scotland | 71 |
| Sheffield | 74 |
| Southampton | 65 |
| Surrey | 77 |
| York | 83 |
Safer than London!
I’ve lived in Manchester for 11 years, including Hulme, Cheetnam Hill, moss side, ordsall and Wythenshawe and I’ve never heard or seen any issues for people travelling in these areas unless you are part of a gang then you could run into issues in moss side. I found it comical to see these are areas to avoid. All my female friends travel around the city and suburbs (one lives in Cheetnam Hill) at all times of the night with no issues. There are apparently pick pockets in the busy areas, although I’ve not known anyone that’s ever been targeted. Violent crime towards tourists is unheard of. If you’re female and travelling around after a few drinks avoid the gay village late at night, there are gangs of young men that will pester/follow you and it’s not unheard of that women have had their drinks spiked. That is the only real no go area for single women especially if you’re intoxicated.
I was going to mention this. I don’t live in either area but I did go to school in the UK for two years. Staying in London for most of that time, I can tell you after having stayed in Manchester – It is a night and day difference. I feel like London has to be the most unsafe place in the entire UK.
Completely agree. You won’t find any problem unless you’re involved in the gangs
Safe enough
I visited Manchester last year and don’t agree with the football support part bit. Yes, some fans are aggressive but wearing a football jersey is absolutely fine and not everyone is going to pick a fight with you on that.
It becomes a bit scary late night as the metrolink is less crowded, and more n more ticketless drunk people look to get a ride for free, but since I stayed very short, I can’t be a judge.
A fantastic lively city
What a load of rubbish. Manchester is very, very safe. Wear whatever football shirt you choose -nobody will bother you. The night-life is fantastic with bars and restaurants a plenty. Plenty of interesting places to visit in the centre and the surrounding areas. By all means visit Longsight, Gorton ect. There is not much there to see but you will be very safe. Do visit Didsbury and Chorlton in South Manchester. Both lively centres. I’ve lived in Manchester all my life, so take it from me, it is very safe.
In serous need of updating...
When were these articles written and how often are they updated?!
Manchester has high terrorism threat? Seriously?!
Is this since 2005?
I’m shocked at the lack of recent information. Being local and knowing this is not true it makes me doubt all the other information you provide for other destinations.
Please, at least, include the date of the article so we make our own assumptions (which by the way, completely defeats the point of your website and service)…
was this written before or after the manchester arena bombing
Strange ratings
High risk of terrorism? This website has really given Manchester a higher terrorism risk than Tehran. The Manchester arena bombing was awful but it was an outlier and there are very very very few (emphasis on very and few) terrorist attacks in Manchester. As someone who lives in London I’m also shocked at how much lower Manchester is. Manchester is definitely safer than London statistically and I definitely feel safer in Manchester when compared to London. Weird ratings
Update on travel threat
Are people asking when this was updated?
I can’t answer that but smarttraveller lifted the safety rating (government site) from exercising a normal amount of caution to an extreme on 29 June 2022 because of updated terrorism risk.
I’m visiting next week and we get updated through travel insurance.
I was born and lived in Oldham and lived there for 30 years working in Manchester for 8 years so I’m familiar with it.
This review is very wrong
This is not accurate, Manchester is 44, which is considered more dangerous then Detroit, St Louis, Baltimore and Memphis, personally I’ve not been to any of these places but I’ve heard that these are the most dangerous cities in United States and Manchester is considered worse!? I’ve been to Manchester loads of times and I know many who have lived there and it’s not that bad. Also the Terrorism is listed as “high” when there hasn’t been a proper terrorist attack since 2017. I’m not sure where they got the information that Manchester is dangerous for American standards but it needs to be changed.