Suggestions Please .. for a day trip from Liverpool

[Willie Bee]

My wife and i shall be visiting Liverpool soon, a city we have been to a few times.

During previous visits, we have had day trips to Chester and Llandudno, which were both great.

I am looking for somewhere new to visit .. either for a day or even just a few hours. We'll be using public transport.

thank you

 

[JRHurst]

Blackpool! Fish and chips on the Comedy Carpet, a walk on North Pier and some trams thrown in?

 

[NorthWestRover]

West Kirby and/or Port Sunlight.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

My wife and i shall be visiting Liverpool soon, a city we have been to a few times.

During previous visits, we have had day trips to Chester and Llandudno, which were both great.

I am looking for somewhere new to visit .. either for a day or even just a few hours. We'll be using public transport.

thank you

It depends what you enjoy doing - walking, sightseeing, visiting historic sites?

If it's the former, I'd suggest getting the Merseyrail up the coast towards Southport and having a ramble through the woods and dunes at Formby where if you're lucky you may see red squirrels.

 

[Djgr]

West Kirby and/or Port Sunlight.

West Kirby for a walk on the beach or even across to Hilbre Island

Port Sunlight for the Village, Museum and Lady Lever Art Gallery

 

[WolvertonWorks]

When we were staying in Liverpool for a few nights a couple of years ago we took Merseyrail out to New Brighton and had a walk. We had seen the dome of SS Peter & Paul when we'd been up the Liver Building so went to explore and find the building.

Then we got a bus back under the river as we wanted to ride through the Mersey tunnel on a bus.

We then took Merseyrail out to Southport and had a wander.

 

[ChrisC]

When I was last in Liverpool for a few days a couple of years ago I had a number of good days out without having to travel too far.

Ness Botanical Gardens over on the Wirral are well worth visiting. The 487 bus runs straight to the garden entrance every 30 minutes from the centre of Liverpool. The 2 hourly 22A bus is an interesting route back up the coast to West Kirby and you could always stop off at Parkgate for an ice cream.

West Kirby is always with a visit for the beach, walking over to Hilbre Island if the tide allows, or a walk along the causeway around the marine lake.
The seafront, beach and lifeboat station at nearby Hoylake are also worth visiting.

The Antony Gormley Another Place statues on the beach at Crosby are worth going to see when the tide is right. Get the train up to Hall Road, view the statues then take a walk north towards Hightown along the coast path.

 

[Thames99]

A day trip to Manchester? Endless things to do there.

 

[sh24]

The Anthony Gormley sculptures at Crosby are well worth seeing. Agree with the others about Port Sunlight.

Blackpool! Fish and chips on the Comedy Carpet, a walk on North Pier and some trams thrown in?

Wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

 

[Willie Bee]

OP here .. thank you for the suggestions

 

[TheSel]

You don't say when you're going, but you might wish/need to be aware that from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th of July, it's the Open Golf Championships at Royal Birkdale. This will make Liverpool ~ Southport trains - and Southport Town Centre - very busy. Similarly - but to a lesser extent - the 'Practice Days', Sunday 12th - Wednesday 15th July. This will have a knock-on effect on all Merseyrail timetables (not just Liverpool-Southport), especially for the 'competition' days, 16-19 July.

One suggestion: Buy a Merseyrail 'SaveAway' ticket (£6.80) - which covers all public transport in Merseyside County. Do a one-way trip across the Mersey on the ferry (it's majorly advertised as a 'River Explorer Cruise' at £14, or £12.50 for concessions - but a SaveAway ticket is valid providing you're only doing a one-way crossing, so Liverpool to Seacombe or Seacombe to Liverpool - link here).

From Seacombe, get a bus to New Brighton - every few minutes, or if you're feeling energetic, it's a flat walk along the promenade - about 3km. Lots of cafes, pubs etc in New Brighton. Then train or bus back to Liverpool (trains every 15mins, buses every 10) which will take you through the rail or Wallasey road tunnel repectively - or bus 410 (every 15mins) from New Brighton to Birkenhead Park (link here). From here, there are very frequent buses to Liverpool through the Birkenhead tunnel, or 8 trains an hour from Birkenhead Park station.

 

[Sunil_P]

We did Chester Zoo as a day trip by bus back in 2018. We even didn't have to leave that early from Liverpool bus station. The next day we did New Brighton by Merseyrail.

 

[Djgr]

You don't say when you're going, but you might wish/need to be aware that from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th of July, it's the Open Golf Championships at Royal Birkdale. This will make Liverpool ~ Southport trains - and Southport Town Centre - very busy. Similarly - but to a lesser extent - the 'Practice Days', Sunday 12th - Wednesday 15th July. This will have a knock-on effect on all Merseyrail timetables (not just Liverpool-Southport), especially for the 'competition' days, 16-19 July.

One suggestion: Buy a Merseyrail 'SaveAway' ticket (£6.80) - which covers all public transport in Merseyside County. Do a one-way trip across the Mersey on the ferry (it's majorly advertised as a 'River Explorer Cruise' at £14, or £12.50 for concessions - but a SaveAway ticket is valid providing you're only doing a one-way crossing, so Liverpool to Seacombe or Seacombe to Liverpool - link here).

From Seacombe, get a bus to New Brighton - every few minutes, or if you're feeling energetic, it's a flat walk along the promenade - about 3km. Lots of cafes, pubs etc in New Brighton. Then train or bus back to Liverpool (trains every 15mins, buses every 10) which will take you through the rail or Wallasey road tunnel repectively - or bus 410 (every 15mins) from New Brighton to Birkenhead Park (link here). From here, there are very frequent buses to Liverpool through the Birkenhead tunnel, or 8 trains an hour from Birkenhead Park station.

This presents a plan for an excellent day out. Just to highlight several points:

a) When you use your Saveaway to make a one way ferry crossing, go to the ticket office and show your Saveaway to get your boarding pass for the ferry.

b) There may be open top buses running from Seacombe Ferry to New Brighton.

c) There are several good pubs on the promenade between Seacombe Ferry and New Brighton. The first is the (Egremont) Ferry, with outdoor seating and probably the best view of the Liverpool waterfront that you will ever find. The second is the Mags (Magazine), which also has a beer garden with river views.

 

[childwallblues]

New Brighton by train , walkdown to the prom and take the bus back to Liverpool City Centre from the promenade. You can visit Fort Perch Rock by the lighthouse.

 

[Djgr]

New Brighton by train , walkdown to the prom and take the bus back to Liverpool City Centre from the promenade. You can visit Fort Perch Rock by the lighthouse.

Check Fort Perch Rock is open first, as it has a tendency to close for random events.

 

[Willie Bee]

One suggestion: Buy a Merseyrail 'SaveAway' ticket (£6.80) - which covers all public transport in Merseyside County. Do a one-way trip across the Mersey on the ferry (it's majorly advertised as a 'River Explorer Cruise' at £14, or £12.50 for concessions - but a SaveAway ticket is valid providing you're only doing a one-way crossing, so Liverpool to Seacombe or Seacombe to Liverpool - link here).

The first time we visited Liverpool, we actually did this exact same thing .. ferry over the river, bus to Hamilton Square, then back to Liverpool by train. We had Saveaway tickets and used them for the remainder of the day. I had actually posted a question on this forum at the time and was kindly given the information about the ticket .. far more useful if I recall correctly than a day saver ticket, or whatever it was called.

 

[Willie Bee]

The Anthony Gormley sculptures at Crosby are well worth seeing. Agree with the others about Port Sunlight.

I thought about that .. but it's a fair walk, even from the train station and I'm not too sure my wife would appreciate the walk, just for the sight of a few chaps in the water. Maybe I'll go on my own, while she goes to the shops

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Get a train down the Wrexham line to somewhere like Hope, Cefn-y-nedd or Caergwrle and have a ramble in the Welsh hills?

 

[ChrisC]

I thought about that .. but it's a fair walk, even from the train station and I'm not too sure my wife would appreciate the walk, just for the sight of a few chaps in the water. Maybe I'll go on my own, while she goes to the shops

The Anthony Gormley Sculptures are only a very short walk from Hall Road Station. Your wife will find it only a fraction of the distance it would be to walk around the shops! Whenever I have been to the Hall Road end there has always been a mobile cafe in the car park on the sea front where you can get a tea or a coffee. It’s a lovely place to sit on the sea front on a warm sunny day.

 

[ian1944]

Lots of buses to Sefton Park, a classical municipal open space with a lake and a wonderful palm house. Too late for this year, but the Marie Curie Field of Hope in the SE corner has a magnificent display of daffodils.

 

[NorthWestRover]

...and a little further out, but also wirh regular buses is the underrated Calderstones Park.

 

[TheSmiths82]

This is a sort of trip I have done lots of times from Liverpool. I have a few suggestions, Conwy is well worth visiting if you haven't done before although it will end up being a full day as the trains won't be that frequent and may require a connection. West Kirkby is lovely in the sun with stunning views towards Snowdonia if the conditions are right. It is a very easy trip from Liverpool via Merseyrail.

Crosby is nice and has a decent out door bar on the beach which can be good and then a slow walk towards Formby before getting the train back. If the weather is good that can easily kill a day.

Southport sadly isn't what it once was, it is still probably worth a visit but with the pier being closed it just isn't the same.

Update, sorry just seen the above posts but not wanting to walk too far. West Kirkby is good for this as the train station is right next to the beach. Also as others have said the ferry is worth doing but I find there isn't much there at the other end unless you walk or get the bus further into Wirral. I sometimes get the ferry then walk to New Brighton. As New Brighton is very accessible I would be inclined to either go there or West Kirkby. The views of the Liverpool skyline at New Brighton are stunning.

 

[Spaceship323]

The Cavern Club is a short walk from Lime street (past the shops!) then you could get the Merseyrail from James street to Hall road (for the Sefton sculptures) and then go to Southport for lunch

 

[Dr Hoo]

If you’ve been to Liverpool ‘a few times’ before it may be worth checking if there are any City attractions that you haven’t already been to - both Cathedrals, galleries, museums, Albert Dock and more.
I’d definitely recommend the Gormley statues (subject to the right tidal conditions) as a completely novel experience.

 

[Willie Bee]

The Anthony Gormley sculptures at Crosby are well worth seeing. Agree with the others about Port Sunlight.



Wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

Which Merseyrail stop would you recommend to see as many as possible of the AG sculptures please ?

Blundellsands & Crosby, or Hall Road ?

 

[sh24]

Which Merseyrail stop would you recommend to see as many as possible of the AG sculptures please ?

Blundellsands & Crosby, or Hall Road ?

We used Blundelsands & Crosby, shortest walk and it takes you to pretty much the centre of the sculpture line.

 

[Willie Bee]

We used Blundelsands & Crosby, shortest walk and it takes you to pretty much the centre of the sculpture line.

thank you .. my wife and I are heading to Liverpool tomorrow for a few days and we've seen all the famous sites in and around the city.