The beauty of the UK is how easy it is to take day trips, both by train and car, from all its major cities. Liverpool, nestled on the west coast, is no exception. The home of The Beatles, rich maritime history and a pretty unique accent, there are plenty of things to do in Liverpool to keep you entertained for a shorter trip. However, should you have an extra day to spare, there are several options for day trips from Liverpool. In this post, Helena from Fountain of Travel covered some Liverpool day trips by train and also one destination that you can easily reach by car from Liverpool.
This is a guest post by Helena from Fountain of Travel. She is a Swedish native but currently resides in Manchester UK, where she takes as many day trips and weekend trips as possible with her 9-to-5 job. She’s just as crazy about collecting postcards as I am and chooses city over the beach, any day of the week. Follow Helena on Twitter or Facebook!
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6 Great Day Trips from Liverpool by train and car
Day Trips from Liverpool by Train
First things first, you won’t get far on your Liverpool day tour without a train ticket. There are a couple of options for booking tickets:
- Pre-book your tickets through
Trainline , which could save you money. Pick up the tickets at your chosen train station through one of the ticket machines. You need to bring the booking reference and a payment card (such as Mastercard or Visa). - Buy your tickets at the train station. There are ticket machines for you to easily buy them.
In either scenario, you should compare prices between an open day return and two single tickets. The open return often works out cheaper and you’re not tied down to a specific train.
Finally, be aware that Liverpool has multiple train stations. Liverpool Lime Street is the main station for most popular day trip destinations but, depending on destination, trains could also depart from Liverpool Central.
Liverpool to Manchester by Train
Manchester is perhaps most famous for being the cradle of industrialization, excellent football teams,
I suggest that you take a day tour from Liverpool to explore Manchester’s rapidly developing food scene, quirky Northern Quarter, and excellent museums. Trains from Liverpool Lime Street travel to either Manchester Victoria (35 min) or Manchester Piccadilly (roughly 1 hour). Both Manchester stations are close to the city
If old buildings and history are your
Alternatively, if you are more of an art fan, I would suggest the
Finally, even though this is almost impossible to narrow down, some of the top places to eat in Manchester include The Fusion Lab in the Arndale Food Market (an Asian food stall), Mackie Mayor (indoor food market) and The Refuge (excellent Sunday roasts).
If you fancy cocktails
Day Trip by Train from Liverpool to York
If you don’t mind a long day trip from Liverpool then York is an ever-popular English destination that’s full of history. The train journey from Liverpool Lime Street to York takes roughly 1h 50 min.
The two most famous sights in York are York Minster and The Shambles. Both are packed with tourists, but for good reason. I suggest that you brave the crowds and give in to being a tourist for the day.
First up, York Minster has defined the York skyline in its current form for over 500 years. However, you’ll soon learn from the Roman exhibition below the minster that the site dates back to Roman times. York Minster is also famous for its stained glass windows, so make sure you don’t miss these. Entrance tickets to York Minster are valid for 1 year so you can return multiple times.
Once you’ve had a look around York Minster, head for the Shambles. The Shambles is a street of crooked houses dating back to the 14th / 15th century that used to house butchers shops. The street is full of character and is supposedly the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies. Finish your day visit to York with a walk around the city walls; they are the longest medieval town walls in England.
Liverpool to Southport by train
If long day trips don’t float your boat then Southport is a nice and short day trip from Liverpool. The train journey takes 47 min from Liverpool Central and you’ll be transported to a city famed for its pier and beach promenade.
Whilst the city center of Southport is pretty (don’t miss Lord Street from the 19th century) and they offer a lawnmower museum (yeap…you read that right), the main draw is the seaside. Because of the beach promenade focus, I would definitely recommend that you make Southport a summer day trip.
Once at the pier area, there are several activity options. You can play games in the arcade, eat fish and chips by the pier, walk the pier or ride an old-fashioned carousel. If that’s not enough, you can also paddle on the lake in a giant pink flamingo, go for rides at the amusement park Southport Pleasureland or walk on the seabed at low tide. The choice is all yours.
Most importantly though, make sure you grab an ice cream from Rossi’s before you head back to Liverpool.
Day Trip from Liverpool to Delamere Forest by train
Delamere Forest is a personal favorite of mine and a great day trip from Liverpool if you crave forests and tranquility. You can, of course, travel to Delamere Forest from Liverpool by car but it’s also pretty straightforward to make this a Liverpool day trip by train. Trains depart from Liverpool Central and the journey takes just over an hour with a change at Chester.
Delamere train station is basically next to the forest so there is only a short walk before you’re immersed in the woodland. The main activity in Delamere Forest is obviously walking, but you can also book Go Ape activities. Go Ape is the UK’s most popular company for forest adventures and can be found in 33 locations.
One of their most well-known activities is the Tree Top adventure where you move between stations in the treetops, but they also run Segway tours, net climbing, and zip wire adventures. I would recommend the Segway Tour through the forest; it’s a fun and quirky way to explore the area.
They also take you through some rugged parts so you’ll soon learn to navigate your Segway over rocks and slopes. A great way to have a local adventure away from the hustle and bustle of Liverpool!
Chester from Liverpool Day Trip
I challenge you to find anyone that can deny the charm of Chester’s Tudor-style houses and Roman heritage. Chester is only a short day trip from Liverpool by train and they also have a special price for travel between the two cities. For a mere £5.30 (buy the Merseyrail Day Saver after 9.30 am) and 45 minutes on the train you’ll be transported from the marine vibes of Liverpool to historic Chester.
Chester has a similar vibe to York, but there are enough differences to warrant a day trip to both. Start your visit by exploring Chester Cathedral and climbing its tower for great views of the city. Once you’ve climbed the stairs and admired the views, head over to Chester Town Hall and note the missing clock face on the town hall tower.
The legend of the clock face goes back to the feuds and general dislike between England and Wales, where the saying is that the clock face is missing because the English couldn’t give the Welsh the time of day.
Afterwards, you should check out The Rows which are those famous 2-story black and white Tudor-style houses. The majority are shops or restaurants so you could easily spend an hour here.
Lastly, finish your Chester day trip with a walk along the Roman city walls. Make sure you admire the Eastgate Clock, Chester Castle, and the Roman Gardens along the way.
Day Trip from Liverpool by Car
Some places are harder to reach by train than by car. You can either drive yourself in a rental car or go on a tour. Either way, don’t miss out on this great day trip from Liverpool.
Liverpool to Moel Famau Day Trip
As you looked at the missing clock face in Chester you might have noticed a large hill in the distance? The hill (not high enough to be called a mountain!) is called Moel Famau and can be found in Wales.
Clocking in at a manageable 562m in height, Moel Famau is popular with everyone from families to couples. Because of its fairly isolated location, Moel Famau is more suitable as a trip from Liverpool by car rather than train. You’ll find parking at the base of the hill. Be aware that there is little to no mobile signal out here. I traveled to Moel Famau by taxi and the driver was using a walkie talkie!
On the way up, aim for the path that doesn’t go through the forest as this is a gentler climb at the end. Head through the forest on your way down though as it’s a pretty walk. Unless you’re me (and get overtaken by small children), it’s a fairly easy walk up the hill and you’ll have great views of the countryside from the top. Finish your trip to Moel Famau with a meal at the pub We Three Loggerheads.
And that’s a wrap! Hopefully, you’ve found some inspiration for day trips from Liverpool and can’t wait to jump on that train or get in that car for local adventures. Please comment if you’ve ever been to any of these day-trip destinations!
