Trip from Liverpool to Chester

Thanks for the information, Emma, and the chart on the race days. You are right, shouldn't effect us since we don't plan to go on one of those days. Hope there won't be a strike but we will go with whatever happens. Thanks.

You'll want the all Zones saveaway ticket for 5 pound twenty.It's less expensive than a return ticket.

https://www.merseyrail.org/tickets-passes/daily-travel/saveaway.aspx

Chester is the last station on the Merseyrail suburban network (Wirral Line), there are no cheap Advance tickets because the journey is too short. In Liverpool city centre the stations are all undergound and the train goes under the river. James Street has the worst access. Beware that Wirral Line is actually a network with a choice of destinations after Birkenhead so make sure it is a Chester train as they all use the same tracks in Liverpool.

Sit on the left side as it leaves Liverpool, after it emerges from the tunnels beyond Birkenhead you get a good view of the Liverpool waterfront across the river.

The Saveaway isn't the cheapest option, in the link given see the line that says "if you are only planning to travel by train" - you can save another 20p.

Good tips about the strike risk (currently it's gone quiet) and Chester Races - personally I'd rather travel in a strike than on one of their race days!

Great information SteveB. Thanks. I'm thinking it's OK to buy a one-way ticket (Liverpool to Chester) and then when we decide to return to Liverpool, just buy our ticket back at that time. Right? I am so inexperienced with trains that I know my questions probably sound silly.

No Sharon, it is £7.45 return but £7.05 one way. Buy the ticket at the train station on the day. (It is only on longer distance trains that it pays to purchase in advance a one way ticket for a specific train). I did this route about 8 years ago and much of it is stop/ start at various commuter communities. You can always check fares from home at www.nationalrail.co.uk - but of course, you would have to allow for the time zone difference.

Throughout the country a Cheap Day Return - now in modern-speak an Off-Peak Return - but ask the booking office for a Cheap Day Return, they will know what you want - is only a few pence, often 5p, more than an Off-Peak Single.

Return = round-trip.

Forget all talk of Off Peak, cheap day and fares over £6 !!!! And of buying another ticket to get back.

The Merseyrail network is controlled by the local transport authority and for travel that doesn't go beyond it (Chester is last stop) their special fares apply after 09:30 (all day weekends).

Once the morning peak has gone quiet there are only two tickets you need to know about and they are day passes which will get you back when you are ready!

Saveaway, All Zones, £5.20. This covers the Merseyrail train network, buses within Merseyside and the ferry.
Daysaver, All Zones, £5.10 only covers the trains https://www.merseyrail.org/tickets-passes/daily-travel/day-saver.aspx

Note that the Merserytravel area doesn't actually cover Chester (which is in the old county of Cheshire) but they control the trains so allow their tickets to be used to the end. Use of their tickets on buses ends at the border!

Crossing the river one way on the ferry sounds like a good idea for only 10p extra BUT the schedules are hopless, you'd have to leave Chester quite early.

PS Daysaver and Saveaway like all area passes do not appear in a nationalrail enquiry for a point to point journey because they are not fixed to any specific station. This fault was supposed to have been corrected years ago!