Beatles tour with 16 year old - which?

Did you see the recent Twitter posts by James Corden, with Paul McCartney filming Carpool Kareoke with him, there in Liverpool last Saturday? :) There were awesome videos, tourists outside Paul's childhood home, and OUT HE CAME with James corden! Tour guide was shocked. :) He even played in a pub, took selfies in front of his statue, went all over town :) Don't know that it'll ever happen again, but some tourists and locals zoomed over when they heard about it to try to hear him play or to see them goofing around. :)

If you find the news about it (and there's a You Tube interview with James Corden about it too, he revels that the 1st song he and Paul sing in the car is... Baby You Can Drive My Car, it HAD to be done...), you may see different sights you didn't know about before, and want to go to them. At the very least, you may want to see the late show of James Corden's when it airs :)

Have fun!
-Alison

Thanks Alison! We will absolutely check that out. How amazing that must have been for the tourists present when Paul popped out - fantastic!

Google the taxi tours. I also prefer not to be herded like cattle on a big bus tour.

I've done just about everything Beatles related in Liverpool, I've been there 5 times.

The National Trust tour is excellent, it has a small group as they use a bus which is more like an extended van. It needs to be booked in advance, but only a small portion of the tour is outdoors before you enter the houses. It is a fascinating look not just at John and Paul, but also post World War II Liverpool. One time that I did the tour, the driver pointed out some Beatles related attractions as well as played Beatles music. The second time I did it, there was silence from the driver mot of the way and no music.

The Magical Mystery Tour is quite fun, it hits quite a few sites including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, you get off the bus for photos. The bus also stops at George Harrison's house and Paul McCartney's house, you can't enter either of them and you're told to use discretion at George's house since a private tenant lives there, it's on a very small street at 12 Arnold Grove. You'll also pass by St Peter's Church where John and Paul met. There's also some general information provided about Liverpool, I imagine the Philharmonic Pub might be added since that's where Paul just did his pop up concert. You also get free admission to the Cavern if it's a day where the Cavern is charging admission.

The Beatles Story museum is worth a visit, although I think it's slightly overpriced. I'm not sure if the 16 year old gets a discount. It's very strong on the Beatles early days, it tends to jump from Beatlemania and the trip to the USA to the Sgt. Pepper era. You're given a free audio guide with admission, I suggest sitting in the replica airplane that the Beatles took to New York and listening to the guide which does cover some of the time period from Beatlemania to Sgt Pepper.

If you'll also be in London, there are two Beatles walks offered by London Walks, they're both excellent and include a visit to the Abbey Road crossing.

I haven't done a taxi tour, just not cost efficient for a solo traveler. If you do take one, I'd suggest one that includes a trip to the Casbah club, which isn't particularly easy to get to via public transport.

If you've got other Liverpool or Beatles related question, please feel free to ask.

Dale thank you. There will be three of us, so trying to figure out what's best and cost effective.

Maybe we can fit in the National Trust and Magical Mystery in same day?

As said above, the three "big" Beatles options in Liverpool - the National Trust tour of John's and Paul's childhood homes, the Magical Mystery Tour (or a taxi equivalent) and the Beatles Story - have only minimal overlap. I did the childhood homes and Beatles Story, and found both very worthwhile. Except, that is, for the inane Fab 4D Experience at the annex to the Beatles Story - that's 12 minutes of my life I'll never get back!

Note that while the Beatles Story and Magical Mystery Tour don't require advance booking, the National Trust tour does. There are four tours a day, each for only about 12 people. Book here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatles-childhood-homes

Note that Liverpool has lots of great non-Beatles attractions as well. Rick has a very good Liverpool chapter in his Great Britain and his England books (same chapter in each book). If you're interested in my trip report from September 2016, here it is (you can skip the Glasgow and Manchester sections if you're not going to these places): https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/uk-trip-report-glasgow-manchester-liverpool-in-september-2016

You can fit in the Magical Mystery Tour and National Trust tour on the same day. I'd suggest National Trust tour first, it will pick off and drop off at the Jury Inn hotel on Albert Dock, you can then walk over to the Magical Mystery Tour which starts at the Albert Dock, but ends on North John Street around the Hard Day's Night hotel, then you can easily walk over to Mathew Street to see or visit the Cavern as well as the other Beatles sights in the area.

Depending on timing, the Beatles Story Museum is right near where the Magical Mystery Tour departs from on the Albert Docks

Hint: Use the bathroom before each tour starts, no facilities available on either tour.

My tip is always taxi tour + NT house tour. If you take a bus tour and the house tour you'll be seeing the houses twice, with taxi tour you can just customize it and skip the repeats.