Liverpool Private Driver

You need to be aware that the time of the match may change to meet TV schedules and won’t be fixed this far in advance, so it may not be over by 7pm. Perhaps others can advise if the match date can be changed too.

Once you have confirmed timings, a Google search for local taxi firms should give you some options. I don’t think the road layouts etc round Anfield but you may find it’s not practical to be picked up until best part of an hour after the match ends. A local firm will know this

Where are you thinking of storing your baggage during the match?

Hi Bill,
Thanks for quick reply. I hadn't thought about the time of the match changing. Thanks for the heads-up. I had thought about trying one of the local services, but since the trip was to Heathrow I haven't explored that option yet. Since our sons are getting a hospitality package, I'm assuming that whichever hotel we pick will have a storage space. Curt

Yes, I’d guess you could leave bags at the hotel, but worth checking.

When you contact taxi firms, I’d let them know you’ll need to return to the hotel prior to heading for Heathrow.

This is a very risky plan, mainly because no one has any idea when the game will actually happen. I would say typically much less than half of the 10 Premier League games actually kick off at 3pm on a Saturday. This last weekend it was 3 from 10 at 3pm and 5 from 10 on the Saturday - the other 2 were at 5.30pm and 8pm. Further, as the game is in April, the decision on live coverage and therefore a move of kick-off time will not be decided until a few weeks before. What you have going for you is that the game is against Fulham and therefore not an automatic choice for live TV.

In reality you need to be prepared for the game happening any time across the weekend, and that can include Friday and Monday nights as well as different times on Saturdays and Sundays. Obviously, with a commitment for a flight on early Sunday that is a big risk.

if they continue this season in the current form, 7 wins and 6 losses, maybe the television won't want to broadcast

Unfortunately Liverpool have such a large International fan base that most of their games have been moved for TV coverage this season. I make it that they have only had two out of thirteen games kick off at 3 pm on Saturday. Of the next 8 weekend fixtures only three are Saturday 3 pm games.

Now, continued poor form might mean by April they have a lower chance of being chosen, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

National Express run overnight coaches from Liverpool to Heathrow. Check their website for departure point, times, prices.

Hi,
I really, really appreciate the helpful responses. A couple of quick thoughts generated from your responses.

Quick background. Our 33-year old twin sons are avid Liverpool fans. As a result, I'm letting them somewhat "call-the-shots." As of this writing, one of our boys ( and his wife) had planned to return to USA on Sunday in order to work that next Monday. Need to see if any flexibility there.

Dates/ times. In the USA, we are used to college football game times not being set until the week before the game (thank you ESPN, etc); however, here the games don't change dates only times during the regularly scheduled date. So, John, when you mention that only "two out of thirteen games kick off at 3PM on Saturday," then that really makes me pause to think of various options.

One option is to go with the "hospitality plan/ tickets" and simple take a tour of the stadium if the game falls outside our time perimeters and check what sort of "refund", if any, there is for change of dates/ times with the company). I was in Liverpool this past June and went to the stadium. I know that they would enjoy the tour if that is all we could do. If we went with the hospitality package, does anyone know how far ahead there if notification about a change of dates or times?

A second option is to make our own arrangements, book travel to Liverpool, accommodations, and try to obtain tickets if the match is held that Saturday. When I was at the stadium talking with couple of other fans, I asked about the difficulty of getting tickets. Their response "good luck!" Along with that, one of the sons had read that unauthorized "tickets" get sold. Is it even remotely possible to purchase tickets? Does anybody know how to acquire legitimate tickets without going through the "holiday packages?" ( Nigel, I chuckled when you mention recent Liverpool's wins/losses and that they play Fulham that April 11th! Maybe tickets will be easier to find!).

Another option is to plan those dates for Liverpool without buying tickets for the match, but catch a football match in the London area during that prior week. It appears that there are some matches (even if our sons might choke at watching rivals!).

Stuart, thanks for mentioning National Express. To be honest, I had checked trainline, but didn't look into bus service.

Again, thanks for all your responses and allowing me to think out loud. One reason that I/we are trying to work this out now is that I'm a long-distance walker. Last year I walked the South West Coast Path, and after the family leaves I'm planning on walking the Coast to Coast. Besides planning our family trip, I'm getting into the nitty-gritty of planning the C2C. Lots and lots to think about.

Curt - let's see whether I can help a bit.

Whilst not many Premier League games actually kick off at 3pm on Saturdays, many happen at other times on Saturdays, notably 12.30 and 5.30 and sometimes 8. So, the game could still happen on 11th. The trouble is that you won't know until around 4th March.

You should know that selling tickets for football games in the UK from anyone other than club authorised sources is illegal (although not buying them). Tickets for games at Anfield are very difficult to obtain and your decision to buy hospitality packages was very sensible (apart from the date issue!). I'm sure that tickets are offered outside the ground at every game and you might get lucky but equally there are endless stories in the press about people who have been scammed doing this. What might work in your favour is Liverpool's poor form so far this season - if they have nothing to play for by April there will be plenty of fans not turning up.

You mention other games during your trip. Unfortunately there are no Premier League games scheduled on the weekend or midweek before 11th April. The weekend before (Easter) will hold FA Cup quarter final games. Again they won't be known until the previous round is played in early March. Obviously there is a chance that Liverpool could be playing in one of them and almost certainly most of the 8 teams will be Premier League teams. Tickets will be difficult to get but hospitality should be OK depending on the home teams and the grounds they play in.

The Champions League quarter final first legs will also be in the midweek 7th/8th April. Again no idea who will have qualified and whether any will be English and whether they will be at home or away on that weekend, but that's another possibility.

Finally there are full rounds of fixtures in the EFL on Good Friday (3rd) and Easter Monday (6th), although again some of them will be moved for live TV. Games happen all over the country, so what would be practical would depend on where you might be. Games in the Championship in particular, the level below the Premier League, would be an excellent alternative choice. many football fans, including me, find the atmosphere at these games better than the Premier League.

John,
Thank you so much for the detailed helpful suggestions. I've been pondering your comments and have forwarded them to our sons.

When you mention that the game time might be announced possibly around March 4th or so, I realized that I didn't read your earlier post carefully when you had also mentioned several weeks ahead of time. Hopefully, it sounds as though we'll know a bit in advance and can adjust some other "hopeful" activities. Since our daughter-in-law hasn't been to England (strange I know), we are planning on spending most of the time in London. I had hoped that we could show them where my great-grandfather lived in Winterbourne Whitechurch (Dorset) or where my father-in-law's air force base was outside Peterborough, but probably not on this trip unless we want to do a lot of day-trip traveling. I've even thought of inquiring about Blue Badge guide service for US Air Force history in East Anglia, but that will have to wait for another trip. Too much rushing about for this trip.

Thanks for confirming that the hospitality package is probably the safest way to proceed. Given the price of tickets, I'd hate for my sons to say "we got a great deal" only to be turned away at the stadium entrance!

Thanks for explaining all the different types of matches before and after Easter. Your comment "Games in the Championship in particular, the level below the Premier League, would be an excellent alternative choice" strikes me as a wonderful suggestion. I'm planning on talking with our sons as an alternative to Liverpool, or even a possibility in addition to Liverpool. In the US, minor league baseball games are often more fun and pleasant than the major league games.

Your comments have prompted one major discussion. Regarding the Liverpool match on/around April 11th, our sons are looking into whether they can take time off from work on April 13th. One is confident; the other son and his wife are going to inquire. Such a move would give them flexibility.

Thanks again for your help. Your comments and suggestions are invaluable.
Curt

If there is anything much left to see at the Peterborough airfield you could do that on your way to Liverpool, as there is an hourly Peterborough to Liverpool train direct (that is not via London). So you could go to Peterborough in the morning, have a day visit then take an early evening train to Liverpool, which goes through the heart of the Peak District.

It's a 4 hour journey.

Book that journey through Scotrail (I know you are going nowhere near Scotland) and you should get that journey for under £30 each.

It's 30 minutes faster, and sometimes even cheaper, to go via Leeds on LNER then the Leeds to Liverpool transpennine train. That can be under £20 standard class, or £60 1st class (1st class includes a meal on each train).

Curt,

Coming back to you on the possibility of taking in a game in the Championship as an alternative or in addition to the Liverpool game. As you have said that you will be in London for most of the trip, these are the 4 games in the Championship over the Easter weekend in London. At the moment the games are all listed as at 3pm, but some of them will change for live TV coverage. There won't be as much change and the most likely change is to move games to 12.30pm on the same day.

Good Friday 3/4/25
Charlton Athletic v Bristol City
Queens Park Rangers v Watford
Easter Monday 6/4/25
Millwall v Norwich City
Watford v Charlton Athletic

All of these should be easy to get into just by buying regular tickets from the club. Maybe the QPR v Watford game might be tighter as it's a local derby and QPR's ground is small.

Finally, if you plan to be outside London over that weekend, there will be some alternative options elsewhere in England.

Hi,
Thanks so much for the continued replies. Having never used the Rick Steve's forums before, I'm quite impressed! You all are wonderful for your helpfulness and information.

I've tucked away the info about Peterborough as well as the various travel options. To be honest, I'm hoping to "settle" our primary desires regarding the football match(es) before I tackle that part. Although I'll be walking the C2C alone toward the end of April, there is approximately a week and a half of time to fill. It makes sense to visit Peterborough and vicinity then, but plenty of questions. How long will one son stay? How long will my wife Mary want to travel? What are her preferences? (We've been married for 38 years so I've learned to ask some of the right questions!).

John, thanks for the detailed schedule. I like "All of these should be easy to get into just by buying regular tickets from the club"! I'm going to pass that along to the sons. Sounds like there are options!

Thanks again for everything.
Curt

Of the Championship games I’ve listed I would choose the game at Charlton. I like the ground, it has a good atmosphere and it’s big enough to be sure of getting tickets. It’s right next to Greenwich as well so you can easily combine the game with a visit there, which I think is a great day out anyway. You could also let the boys go to the game while you carry on looking round Greenwich.

With respect to Winterborne Whitechurch you may be surprised to know that is a viable day trip from London, although I would suggest a night in Dorchester to make it a bit easier
Dorchester South station is 2 hours 30 minutes by hourly train from London Waterloo. There is a bus, #CR8 every two hours for the 30 minute journey to the village, with some extra journeys on the CR9. The bus fare is £3 each each way.

Hi,
Sorry for the delay, I've been out-of-pocket. Thanks for the later replies. While we will finalize our plans next week when the kids visit us for Christmas, it looks as though three of us will spend Sunday night in Liverpool, just in case the game is changed to Sunday (and to enjoy Liverpool). Unfortunately, the other son/wife can't get the extra day off.

Also thanks for mentioning the bus from London to Winterbourne Whitechurch/ Dorchester. Some of my cousins, my wife, and I actually stayed in Dorchester to visit the area last fall. Since I met them in Dorchester after walking the SWCP, I travelled there from Portsmouth. I didn't realize that getting to Dorchester was that easy.

Thanks again everybody.
Curt