6 best day trips from Liverpool

Day trips compared

The day trips

30 km · About 45 minutes by train

1.Chester

A walled Roman city with the most complete circuit of city walls in Britain, the two-tier timber-framed shopping galleries called the Rows, a Gothic cathedral, Roman amphitheatre remains and Chester Zoo on the edge of town.

Getting there

Merseyrail from Liverpool Central, or trains from Lime Street

Best for

Families, Couples, Culture

20 km · About 30 minutes by train, then a walk

2.Formby

The National Trust's pinewoods at Formby are one of the last English refuges of the red squirrel, and behind them lie high sand dunes and a wide beach where prehistoric footprints are sometimes exposed in the mud.

Getting there

Merseyrail Northern line from Liverpool Central to Freshfield

Best for

Families, Quiet stays, Beach

7 km · About 15–20 minutes by train

3.Port Sunlight

William Lever built this model village on the Wirral for his soap-factory workers from 1888, with more than 900 listed cottages in varied styles around gardens. The Lady Lever Art Gallery has Pre-Raphaelite paintings and decorative arts.

Getting there

Merseyrail Wirral line from the city centre

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays, Couples

50 km · About 35–50 minutes by train

4.Manchester

Liverpool's neighbour has the Science and Industry Museum, the John Rylands Library, the Northern Quarter's independent shops and bars, and Old Trafford and Etihad stadium tours.

Getting there

Train from Lime Street

Best for

Culture, Shopping, Nightlife

30 km · About 45 minutes by train

5.Southport

A Victorian seaside resort with the long Southport Pier, the tree-lined, glass-canopied shopping boulevard of Lord Street, gardens and wide sands, plus a traditional funfair.

Getting there

Merseyrail Northern line from Liverpool Central

Best for

Families, Beach, Quiet stays

90 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes–2 hours by train

6.Conwy

On the North Wales coast, Conwy is a walled medieval town dominated by Edward I's 13th-century castle, with an almost complete circuit of town walls you can walk and a small harbour.

Getting there

Train, usually changing at Chester

Best for

Culture, Couples, Families

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Merseyrail's underground loop links Lime Street, Central, Moorfields and James Street in the centre, with lines to Crosby, Formby, Southport, the Wirral, Chester and Liverpool South Parkway for the airport.
• Buses run from Queen Square and Liverpool ONE bus stations to Anfield, Sefton Park, Woolton and other suburbs.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask