Last year, we enjoyed a great trip using Liverpool as our home base. If that city isn't already on a list for a future TV episode, I'd strongly recommend adding it. It's a city on the rise with a unique "Scouser" personality. It boasts incredible architecture, rich history, delicious food and drink, friendly and personable locals, and a great launchpad to explore the nearby region. I hope our experience may help shape plans for others in this community. The impetus for the trip was to watch a football match (soccer game), but we crammed so much more into the week. Here is a list of what we were able to accomplish in a week using Liverpool as a home base.
Arrival: We flew overnight into Manchester and then took a train directly from the Manchester airport to Liverpool Lime Street station. We arrived in the city well ahead of our check-in time, so we stashed our bags securely at the train station (look for the "Left Luggage" sign in the center of the station) and then had an incredible breakfast at the Wetherspoon restaurant attached to the station. We enjoyed that space so much that we planned breakfast there again on our departure day. We walked around the surrounding area for a few hours, then came back to the station for our bags, and caught a taxi that took us from the train station to our lodging.
Museums: We walked through the Walker Art Gallery and were pleasantly surprised at how much is there. The building itself is beautiful, and don't miss popping into the library next door. We also visited the Museum of Liverpool which provided a fascinating tour through the City's history and development. If we'd had more time, we would have visited the World Museum, the International Slavery Museum, the Liverpool Tate, and the Maritime Museum.
About town: We were there in late November, so the Christmas markets were happening in the historic and picturesque St. George's Quarter. We also did some shopping in the Liverpool One area, strolled past restaurants of the world on Bold Street, explored the historic docklands that are now being repurposed as shops and dining, and even bought some local treats and teas in the nearby Tesco (I do love a chocolate digestive biscuit). The city center is very pedestrian-friendly, and cabs, trains, and buses effectively move people anywhere beyond walking distance.
Restaurants/Pubs: everything we ate in the city was incredible. We especially enjoyed fish/chips at Yanni's, Indian food at Mowgli, and "scouse" at Ma Egerton's pub (no trip is complete without a bowl of scouse!). We also explored the Baltic Fleet pub as it was close to our lodging- it's a beautiful old building.
Cathedral: Liverpool's cathedral is an incredible visit. We went in the afternoon and stayed for evensong. The scale of the building is beyond impressive. It's a real testament to the spirit of the city. Tours are offered to climb up into the higher parts of the cathedral; we were content to stay at ground level. There's also a cafe which serves its own "scouse."
Beatles! - We opted for the Fab Four cab tour, and we loved it! Our party had a private guide to tour us around the city, see the lads' childhood homes and many places that shaped them and their music. We traveled all over the city on a half-day tour. Our guide really brought the story of that group to life for us.
Day trips: Liverpool is a great place to explore the surrounding region. Daily flights and ferries run from the city to the nearby Isle of Man, so we spent a day there with a private guide who picked us up from the airport and drove us all around the tiny island nation, showing us incredible history and nature. We took two day-long BusyBus trips to the Lake District and into Northern Wales / Snowdonia. We also hopped a train ride out to the enchanting town of Chester. These four areas were so distinct from one another, and we never had to change hotel rooms.
Safe travels, friends.