I'm going to preface this with 'I love shopping' so I was really excited when my husband said we should visit the Trafford shopping centre whilst on our trip up north. However, upon arrival, I was somewhat underwhelmed by this place. I recall reading one of the reviews on here and thinking this is what people think is 'the gem of Manchester'? The car parking was good. They had free wifi in parts. However, the shops were ones you could get just about anywhere in the uk, which for the most part is helpful because you know what you're getting and after all we are creatures of habit. But having said that, I'm sure Manchester has a lot of up and coming new designers, what about supporting these guys by introducing some of their work to the wider public. This would mean getting more creatively designed pieces which were unique. I haven't eaten in a mall since I was about 10 years old and I wasn't going to restart here but one wrong turn later and lured towards the interesting looking decoration, we found ourselves slap bang in the middle of the massive food court. The selection was wide but I'd hate to think how packed out it can get on a weekend. Having seen enough we slowly turned around and headed back home! read more

Used to have a lot of variety and a certain something about it, but now it seems 90% clothes shops. Was a real shame Festival Village was removed, that was something other shopping centres didn't have. On the whole though, free parking, lots of food choice, and good transport links. read more

First word of advice do not go here on a Saturday afternoon! It's overcrowded and full of idiots either off school or taking the brats out for a day. It has a good selection of shops most are between reasonably priced and expensive with some decent restaurants (Zizzi's, EST to name some) Good bars and even a bowling alley. Its wall to floor marble and pillars and looks great inside and out. Parking is free and there's a ton of places to park so you wont have a problem. Living round the corner from this monstrosity makes it convenient for me to pick up things or visit Starbucks etc hence the extra star. Otherwise it would be 2/5. read more

I'm a fan of this majestic place. It has an epic design too built by people who think big and were clearly prepared to put their money down. The pillars, the dancing water fountains, the architraves, with statues adorned with flowing robes, even the paint colours are Greek style; the floor tiles alone probably cost as much as the cost of building a large residential housing development. The architect certainly knew their stuff. I'm not going to attempt to rehearse all the shops and eateries within; anyway it has its own elaborate website to achieve that. What I want to say is that here I can shop in M&S, Selfridges and Hotel Chocolat. I can go into Carluccio's for good coffee and croissants or into Starbucks. I can go to the ever busy Apple Store. Food wise I can eat Far Eastern (Oh Chaobaby) Spanish, British and I can go to the movies (the Hobbit is coming). Given the choices the over priced fast food outlets here have no chance of getting any of my business, but they won't miss me judging by the crowds. I noticed a ground floor 'street food' place that's overpriced and certainly not street food. One thing is always evident in this centre (no it's not the fact that there aren't any places closed up) it's the effort the management make to keep this great place vibrant. The Christmas decorations are big and wonderful. And the singing Christmas tree is a bit of fun and the fact it takes a break is just great as it clears away the enthralled kids and world weary parents. Then when the tree wakes up a whole new swathe park up to be enchanted. It's worth supporting. read more

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Simply awesome. We travelled to Florida this year and spent two nights in Manchester. We spent both days at the Trafford centre. There is soooo much to do from the cinema and crazy golf through to shopping and eating. The venue is truly stunning and the food courts are great. Find the Legoland store not for legoland but it will take you outside to a hidden paradise. Cannot rate this place enough. read more

Despite how extremely busy it can get on weekends, we always somehow manage to find a parking space (even in December). We only tend to come here on a Saturday, packed with people who'll get in our way constantly (Despite this, we always come back). You can find some good bargains in some of the shops and we always leave with at least one thing. There was a time we decided to go on a Tuesday evening. For some dumb reason, a heated argument between my parents and older brother about him lying about being ill in order to avoid his job somehow resulted in us going to Wetherspoons without him. Anyhow, I was quite amazed at how eerie it was. Not many people around which meant I could just walk without having to dodge or swerve to avoid bumping into people. One of my best experiences in the Trafford Centre. My advice for anyone wanting to visit this place is: Come during the week, it'll be less crowded and you'll be less likely to attack someone for getting in your way. read more

Gets pretty hot in there on a sunny day. Great parking. Elderly relatives should get a wheel chair as can really tire you out. On the whole, I liked it. read more

Would you believe me if I tell you that for nearly half a year, I didn't know that Trafford Centre exists? Silly, I know. Well, by mistake, I took the wrong bus from town...I didn't pay any attention to where I am, where I'm going, but after 15 minutes I've realized that I don't recognize the surroundings, so I've asked a lovely lady where am i?! She said on my way to Trafford centre...a shopping place. Ohhh, uuuuu, really??? Excited. New adventure for me. When I got there though...Oh dear! Massive building. I thought I need three days to explore that thing. I've started easily to walk around. Obviously it was quite late already, so I couldn't spend time going in the shops, it took me an hour just to walk around, to see all the bits and bobs. I mean the food court is amazing. That's my favorite. The sculptures around, and the idea that you are in a big boat. Loved it. I was really upset that I didn't have my camera with me. Then I got to an area that looked really fancy, with golden lions and expensive marble on the floor. It wasn't for me really. A bit too much, if you know what I mean; plus, I don't like golden things. At all. Bleah. But the rest of it...awesome. Fountains everywhere, clean, smiley people. Of course, I went there again. To spend my whole day in there. Walking from shop to shop this time, buying stuff and taking photos like a little tourist. You need to go to Trafford Centre. No, really, you do! read more

Makes a lovely change each time I visit. Love the M&S Home Store, surrounding areas and John Lewis. Great choice of places to eat in New Orleans. Enjoyed the last 3 days :-) read more

One of the best gems of Manchester. I was amazed at the size and expanse of this mall. It puts shopping malls in the US to shame. I loved how it was themed and very grand in its décor and many areas. Every store you would ever imagine can be found here from the very basic to the most upscale. Not to mention it has every type of restaurant one could hope for from Asian to Mexican. One could definitely kill a few hours, if not an entire day, exploring the gargantuan space of this mall. read more

Ugh. A mix between Disneyland and being stabbed in the eye with a lemon. A big pile of the same shops you get everywhere else, squashed around a lot of screaming kids and fat people. read more

Yes, it has everything you need; shops, restaurants, bars, cinema but it's just too big, too characterless and too full of people.

this place is so easy to get to! as we traveled down from leeds! no sooner did we turn of J10 we were there, with great free parking facilities and easy access, though there was a bit of a walk to get into the center. as we went on a saturday 18th oct, we have decided the next visit to take place on a school day, as it was so very busy! and at times almost to packed to move about! but it had a good range of stores and nothing seemed to repeat, like at the metro center, when there was the same stores in every section! and the vivienne westwood store is a most see, no clothes just handbags, shoes and accessories. the whole center looked clean, and about as many cleaning staff as there were shoppers. the food court section, was fab, with places like the Ha! Ha! bar, there is 1 in york, and the food is excellent! Tampo po's spell check, and loads of others, we spent over half an hour walking about, before we choose Cathay dim sum! well i kinda got out voted again! it is a full day out, and impossible to see all the stores in a day! especially if your draggin small bored children with you! but i think, i might stick to the city center? though it had a lot of the stores i like, it was near impossible to browse over anything, because it was so busy, all the store/counter staff were harrassed, especially the one at the chanel counter in boots! practically rude! at times i would love to be a mystery shopper! read more

Good food, good shops and fun to spend a few hours in

I love the trafford centre! All the great high st shops under one roof! Not only for the shoppaholic - There is also the lovely Orient section where you can go for a wonderful slap up meal ranging from chinese, tapas, italian to good old fashioned home cooking. Good to go to if your partial to the odd cocktail too. Not forgetting the fashion shown, bowling alley and cinemabasically a place for everyone! read more

Can you say massive? Everything you need in this huge mall, shops, food, places for the kids and so much more! TC as it is known is a 3 mile walk from start to finish, there are over 230 stores and over 60 restaurants to choose from as well as the usual fast food chains! This place is always busy and is open until 10pm nightly. What more could you ask for? The areas are clean and tidy and the scenery as you walk round is brilliant! read more

great opening hours. those late night 10pm closes help you shy away from the murder of weekend shoppers. Great selection of shops. could quite easily spend 2 hours in Selfridges dept store alone! nice to see shops that you dont find in other malls such as miss sixy, diesel these are nomally only available through smaller off-chains such as tucci, bank. Mango and aldo are my favourites stores and both are found here. The next place to me those stores are available are leeds and york, so its great that they are both there under 1 roof. The only thing i would comment on is the lack of seating aroung the complex. Seating in the eating areas. but not populatesd very well else where. not a problem for me but it takes a while to get around, may not be ideal for the elderly etc.. read more

All the big stores are here but it is so noisy this must be due to poor design as bluewater and lakeside are much quieter and nicer

I love it here, so much to do, and the food is great! So much variety, and the cinema is pretty big too, love it! you can spend a day just shopping.. there is also laser quest here so you can get up to so much. its great read more

Great all rounder for those in Manchester or visiting. It has everything you need and you have some really nice bars in there as well, which are reasonable prices. Sometimes u have entertainers in there as well, mainly dancers which is really entertaining and free. Although u can give them money if you wish. Usually they start in the middle of two bars, so you can watch from either bar or watch from the front and you can take pics as well. The dancers usually are found in there on fridays. read more

I went here for some shopping. It is an amazing place, so huge and a myriad of shops. Also the food court has a massive screen with demonstrations sometimes. Also there is an arcade and a cinema. Perfect for a family day. read more

The Trafford Centre is probably the most spectacular shopping centre in the country. There seems to be something for everybody here which means you need a full day to visit. The traffic system seems to cope surprisingly well and there seems to be enough parking spaces usually, although as I take the bus I do not pay much attention to the parking. I would advise you to plan your trip around the shopping centre as you do not want to find that the shop you want to go to is at the opposite side of the shopping centre. In some ways it is too big! Another problem with the Trafford Centre is the massive crowds means shopping can be difficult. read more

I love to spend a Day trawling the Shops of the Trafford Centre , its an amazing place with so much choice for shopping, entertainment and Eating out. I love the fact that all of the best stores are all under one roof, much easier to shop when its raining!! The one things that discourages me from going more often is that the stores here dont tend to have the best Sales, I think the smaller malls and high street shops are better if you are searching for a bargain. Christmas at the Trafford centre is lovely, the decorations are spectacular and resemble a Big American Mall. A great addition to Manchester. read more

I think the trafford centre is fantastic. It is very clean and lovely place to walk around. There is every shop you could want all in the one place. The new Home section is fabulous. I love all the marble and fountains etc. It a wonderful shopping experience. we went to Manchester to specifically go to the Trafford Centre. A great day out, in fact we could have spent days there. read more

Souless and huge. It is a shopping mecca of American proportions which provides all the obvious outlets you could want or need after normal shopping hours. If you need a shirt for work, or a present for someone you don't really like or know then this is the place for you. If you'd like to suppress your child's creative urges and will to be a unique individual then this is also the place for you. Also good for celeb spotting and nutritionally void, and horrendoudly bland food. If you're desperate for clothes and food at 8pm then this is your place! read more

The Trafford Centre is big, crazy big. It hosts a range of high street and more upmarket shops with an impressive array of eateries, from fancy restaraunts to the 'golden arches'. Entertainment is also available for those who don't shop, or as an after-shopping experience. The shops are laid out in one long stretch, which should make them easier to navigate, however I still manage to lose myself each time I go. It does tend to get overly busy on weekends. Don't visit in December, you won't get out alive. read more

The Trafford Centre has a lot to recommend it. It has a great range of shops, restaurants and entertainment (including a multi screen cinema) as well as free parking. It has 3 department stores including Debenhams and a huge variety of other smaller shops which is great for purchasing gifts. It has nice architecture and looks more elegant than the average shopping centre. However, the thing to watch out for is going on a busy day, as it can be an absolute nightmare to get out of the car park if you leave at the end of the day. You can take the kids as there is a play area for them but if they come with you beware of moans after they have to walk what seems like miles to get where you want to be. I say go and see what you think - we like it but also go elsewhere. read more

This is not only a shopping centre it is a huge leisure centre as well. The range of shops is vast with all the Top stores and designers having shops here.You will be hard pressed to get round them all in a day. It has so many different types of food outlets here , you simply spoilt for choice. If you take the hubby and kids with you they can lose themselves at he cinema or even have a game of crazy golf. The car park is huge and with the access directly from the motorway there is no excuse for not coming here to do your shopping. read more

The Trafford Centre is huge, but personally I prefer going into Manchester or Liverpool to do my shopping because there is a wider choice and more independent shops with more personality than these. It is pretty tacky too and always seems to be busy no matter what time of day you go. It has good opening hours though and the Selfridges is particularly good. read more

The Trafford Centre is a huge American style complex. It has everything you need and hours can easily be lost here. As well as every high street shop you can think of the Trafford Centre has a huge selection of restaurants including a large pizza hut and a lovely Chinese called Cathay Dim Sum. There is also a selection of bars, a multiplex cinema, arcades and a laser quest. The décor of the complex is very ornate with huge pillars and water fountains. The layout is very easy to follow with the shops set over two floors and the restaurants in a separate area. The Trafford Centre can be a bit of a nightmare during sales when it gets so busy and hot you can end up feeling quite faint. read more

The Trafford Centre could be it's own little town on the outskirts of Manchesterit really is that big. First timers may struggle to navigate themselves around, and the maps aren't especially helpful. Or maybe that's my bad map reading skills? Anyway, there is every shop you need here and I would rather go here than Market Street in town any day. The only downsides are the lack of independent shops (you wont find anything unique here that you couldn't find in any other town/city in the country) and the preening peacocks who walk around like the Beckhams. It's easy to get to as well so thumbs up. read more

This is the biggest shopping centre in the entire europe. It has all the high street shops under one roof, restuarants, cinemas, a massive parking space. It's about a half an hour on the bus from manchester city centre and it is very well known as a place to spot various celebrities especially premiership footballers and actors and actresses from hollyoaks and emmerdale. Highly recommended for any shop-a-holic read more

It's huge. Just getting there and into the complex is confusing enough - it is indeed like a town of it's own. I went here again last weekend with guests up on a visit. I make the trip to the Trafford Centre bi-annual. Anything more regular would probably be the end of me. I have a bit of a like/hate (never love) relationship with this monolithic shopping cathedral. I've admittedly had pleasant evenings strolling through seemingly 12,000 stores (all pretty much the same chains you see in everywhere uk), the busy hum of evening shopping is somewhat soothing. I've had other times however when a mental meltdown is mere minutes away and I have to leave the place quick like. The collection of restaurants here are surprisingly good - give or take a few fast food joints there are some top notch family restaurants (the likes of Giraffe); the new Great Hall (including Carluccio's and Pesto); the Orient section (containing probably the best eateries in the Trafford Centre with local names such as Yang Sing and Tampopo represented. All a little expensive for what you're ultimately getting but if you view this as an occasional visit then it can be fairly enjoyable. Selfridge's have their second Manchester store here and that is always good for an hours perusal - the food section in here is well thought out if not a tad pricey. They've recently opened a 200,000sq foot extension called Barton Square: this contains mainly home wares stores and in true Trafford Centre 'Classy' style it is supposed to represent an Italian Piazza with attached Bell tower for authenticity. This probably pushes the TC back nearer the top of largest malls in the country. The vast car park is reputedly the safest in the country, getting out of it can be a little daunting howeverI've lost count at the amount of times I've ended up traversing Trafford park. A short while ago a huge indoor ski slope (Chill Factor E) opened across from here, then even more recently one of the largest indoor golf courses opened slap bang next to Dome - Paradise Islandwhich actually looks like a whole load of fun. read more

I last visited the Trafford Centre about two weeks ago. It was a Wednesday so quiet compared to the weekends. Having not been for a few years I could see it had changed slightly. They now have a huge extension which has all the homeware shops in such as M&S Homes, British Home Stores, Next Homes and others. We didn't get chance to walk over there though. The Trafford Centre was home to the first Selfridges outside London and also has two other department stores Debenhams and John Lewis. If you are hungry, you are honestly spoilt for choice. There is the food court on the ground floor where you can find KFC, McDonalds etc. And upstairs there are restaurants such as TGI Fridays and Exchange Bar and Grill (where we ate) They also have the Odeon Cinema. There are toilets, cash machines and baby changing facilities all throughout the centre and they have customer service kiosks dotted throughout in case you need any help. Take extra care with security keep your belongings safe and don't let go of your children. They provide pushchairs, fun buggies, toddler wristlinks and security wristbands to help make the experience safe and fun for your children. read more

I have visited the Trafford Centre a few times since it opened and it never ceases to astound me design-wise. For a shopping centre in the UK it looks amazing, it actually reminds me of the Taj Mahal. You can see it clearly from the motorway as it is a clay-orange and soft green coloured building and it looks fantastic. Inside the aesthetics continue. First let's take the good hall.well the choice of counters and restaurants is staggering - all cuisines and culinary tastes get more than a look in and best of all the centrepiece is that the middle is a stage and it is all modelled on one end of a ship (Titanic I believe but I may be mistaken) - with the stage actually ON the ship. The food hall would be more at home in Florida than Manchester, it is such a no-expense-spared extravaganza. The upstairs part of the food court is themed on the French Quarter of New Orleans and as with the whole centre it is very impressively done. The walkways between shops have gorgeous fountains at regular intervals and both the interior and exterior look expensively designed and give it a more exclusive feel than the Metrocentre (see separate review). Everything about the place looks and feels shiny and new, despite the fact that it has been open many years now. It is located just off the M60 (and when I say just off, I mean literally just off, there is no way of getting lost or struggling to find it). I don't know what the public transport links are like as we have always travelled by car. There is a Premier Inn directly opposite too if you are travelling from further afield and fancy a cheap overnight stay. There is ample parking over two levels which is free, another good thing about the Trafford Centre as opposed to Manchester city centre itself. I will just give an overview of the shops as this is something you could easily find out online.there is a Debenhams and a Selfridges, M&S, Molton Brown, New Look, Gap/Baby Gap, Next, River Island, Faith, Early Learning Centre, Space NK, Clinton Cards, Boots, All Saints.the list goes on. However there are not as many shops as you would expect looking at the centre from the outside. I think the food hall takes up a massive amount of the building as it did not even take half a day to have a decent look in all of the shops. There are plenty of clean and pleasant toilet and baby change facilities which is excellent. Lifts are not spaced too far apart which is another plus if you have young children. There is also an Odeon cinema, amusements arcade, bowling alley and soft play area in the centre, as well as many other activities I can't remember off the top of my head. There is even a very swish and swanky spa located in Selfridges! There is a good range of shops from the fairly cheap (New Look) to the high-end ones (Molton Brown, Space NK, Selfridges) and plenty in the middle. There are no very cheap shops such as Primark located in the Trafford Centre though. All in all it is a great place to visit, although in terms of choice and number of shops there are better shopping centres (the Metrocentre being a prime example). But still very worth a visit, especially in bad weather as it is all under one very nice, shiny roof! read more

A lot of shops !! big car park good restaurants

I suppose its ok if u have the cash!!! Every shop there is expensive ..nothing for the poorer of us . No pound shop, no Home and Bargainnothing on those lines Saw a shop selling pens for £400. i wanted to go in and ask if I would get all As in my gcseif I bought one of those pens!!!! daylight robbery.. Even the place to eat are not cheap read more

Holds a variety of high street fashion, food court and also places to grab a swift drink. It doesn't stop there though, there's places for children of ages with cinemas, lazer tag, sea life and even legoland. There is quite literally something for everybody! read more

I just love the range of stores that are all under one roof at The Trafford Centre especially Selfridges and the Apple Store. Parking is ample and the vibe really pleasant. read more

The trafford centre is a wrothwhile day out,I absolutely love it,the nicest shopping centre I have ever been in UK.SHOP TILL YOU DROP