As one of the UK's biggest cities, Manchester has excellent road links, making it easy to get around with your rental car. The city's outer ring road (the M60) connects the bustling centre to the wider Greater Manchester region, including the nearby towns of Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury and Bolton.

The M62 connects Manchester to Chester, Liverpool, Leeds and Hull. You can reach Birmingham to the south in about two and a half hours, and Preston to the north in under an hour via the M6.

The Inner Ring Road is the easiest way to access the city centre with your rental car, via Great Ancoats Street to the north and east, Trinity Way to the south and west and the A57(M), also known as the Mancunian Way, to the south. Locate Deansgate and you'll be close to some of the city's major leisure and tourist destinations, while a drive down Oxford Road will take you out of the city to The University of Manchester, Aquatic Centre and Conference Centre.

Business Manchester Central, formerly known as GMEX, can be found off Deansgate. A busy conference centre, it also stages popular fan conventions and concerts. The city centre is pedestrianised in places and a one-way system is in operation on the busier streets. And don't forget to watch out for the Metrolink - the city's tram system which runs alongside the roads and pedestrian zones, with major stops found at Piccadilly Gardens and Victoria Station.

The days when either (or both) of Manchester's two Premier League football teams, City and United, are playing at home can get very busy on the roads. Old Trafford is about two miles south-west of the city centre while City's Etihad Stadium is a couple of miles east via Great Ancoats Street.

Manchester is a dynamic and energetic city that's forever reinventing itself. The recent relocation of many BBC programmes to Salford Quays has injected new life and energy into the area, bringing with it employment and business opportunities and the creation of Media City.

With industrial parks and offices springing up to the north and east of the city, and the broadening of the city centre's leisure experience, Manchester is delivering in its bid to be considered the UK's Second City, and doing so with northern charm and cheek.

Millennium and Northern Quarters

Investment in Manchester's Millennium Quarter has created a cultural hub, bringing together Manchester Cathedral, Chetham's School of Music and the Corn Exchange while preserving space for a city park. Ongoing interest in the Northern Quarter has seen design studios and creative types make it their home, and it is where you can find a thriving independent cafe culture and buzzing restaurants.

When it comes to shopping, if you make your way to Harvey Nichols and Selfridges at Exchange Square Central you'll also find a string of high-end boutiques that have popped up in the immediate vicinity. The biggest high street brands are located along Market Street, in St Ann's Square and on the less well-known but equally charming King's Street. If you want an alternative shopping experience head for Affleck's Palace, a mecca of pre-loved and independent shops in the Northern Quarter. A rabbit warren of unique outlets, it shot to fame in the ‘Madchester' era but is still thriving today.

A tale of two teams

The city is the proud home of not one but two elite football clubs. The Red Devils of Manchester United are possibly the world's best-known team, while their rivals in sky blue, Manchester City, have fought their way to the top with a decade of shrewd acquisitions and the continent's leading managers. Manchester also hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and has built a number of leading sports facilities as a result, such as the Aquatic Centre on Oxford Road, and the City of Manchester Stadium, now occupied by City.

Northern culture

Culture vultures will not be disappointed if they delve into what this city has to offer, as it's home to dozens of outstanding galleries and museums. You'll find Manchester Art Gallery in the city centre and the Whitworth Art Gallery on Oxford Road, while The Museum of Science and Industry in Castlefield offers younger visitors an eye-opening and engaging range of interactive exhibits. For local history buffs, part of this museum's building is also what remains of Manchester Liverpool Road railway station – the first of its kind to be opened in the world.

Past and present, Manchester continues to deliver the vision of a city that is sure of its identity and yet continues to innovate, offering a wide range of ways to spend your precious free time. Car hire in Manchester is the perfect way to explore all this and more.