A one-day ticket to roam Manchester on bus, train and metrolink after 09.30 costs £6.50. For details of other tickets and the transport network see: www.gmpte.com.

Here are 10 ways to spend an active afternoon in Manchester:

1. Get your bearings on the big wheel in Exchange Square. You can spin above the city by daylight or in the evening. Adults £5.50, under 12s £3.50. Open 10.00 to 23.00. For details see: www.visitmanchester.com.
   
   
2. Join a guided walk of the city centre, organised by the Manchester Visitor Information Centre, just off St Peter's Square. Tel: +44 161 234 3157
   
   
3. For a longer walk, follow all or part of the 30 mile Sculpture Trail along the river Irwell.
   
   
4. In summer, hop on and off a city-sightseeing bus, or stay on the tour for the full 75 minutes. The start point is St Peter's Square. Adults £6, under 15s £3.
   
   
5. Whizz around the Manchester Velodrome, Britain's major indoor cycle track. Equipment is included in one-hour sessions for beginners.
   
   
6. Attend a football match, or take a behind the scenes tour of Old Trafford, the Manchester United football stadium. Adults £9.50. Also, visit the Manchester City football stadium on the other side of town. Adults £8.75, under 16s £4.75.
   
   
7. Journey back in time on the East Lancashire Railway. Steam trains run from Heywood through Bury and Ramsbottom to Rawtenstall.
   
   
8. Enjoy the woodlands, grasslands, ponds, lakes and open spaces of Blackleach Country Park and Clifton Country Park on the outskirts of town. See: www.salford.gov.uk for details.
   
   
9. Take the kids to the Museum of Science and Industry, which is in one of the world's oldest passenger railway buildings. Entry to permanent collections is free-of-charge.
   
   
10. Explore urban culture and cities of tomorrow at Urbis. Entry to Levels 2-4 is free-of-charge.