Liverpool Travel Guide: What NOT to Do
Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re discussing what NOT to do on your trip to Liverpool. From the architecture to the people, it’s a great city! Don’t believe the stereotypes or the negative reviews of Liverpool! While many travel blogs will tell you all the fun things to do in Liverpool, we want to be sure you know about the things you should NOT do when you plan a trip to Liverpool.
Don’t Skip A Liverpool Beatles Tour
Of course, Liverpool is most famous for being the home of the Beatles. And while there are many more attractions in Liverpool besides the Beatles attractions, the Liverpool Beatles Tours are fantastic. You’ll get to see where they grew up and where they all came together, as well as some venues they played in their early days. The Beatles Story is a great museum to check out, and many of the tours leave from here. Do this at the beginning of your trip, and you’ll get a good sense of the layout of the city as well.
Don’t Miss Out on The Other Attractions in Liverpool
Once you’ve gotten your fill of the Beatles history and memorabilia, there are still plenty of things to do in Liverpool. I met up with Liverpool local Shebs from ShebsTheWanderer and talked about some of his favorite things to do in Liverpool.
- Royal Albert Docks is an area that has been revitalized from commercial docks to an entertainment district. You’ll definitely spend some time here, as there are also some great museums at the docks.
- Tate Liverpool is an excellent art museum
- The Merseyside Maritime Museum tells the maritime history of Liverpool
- The International Slavery Museum contains four galleries about the British slave trade.
- Pierhead is another Liverpool destination worth exploring. In addition to museums and attractions, you can take a ferry from here. There are many different boat tours to choose from, as well as a simple ferry across the river.
- The Baltic Market is Liverpool’s first street food market. While I didn’t run into any Baltic citizens there, it is a great spot to grab a drink or a bite to eat.
- The World Museum is Liverpool’s Natural History Museum
- Outside of London, the Walker Art Gallery has one of the largest art collections in England, with pieces dating back to the 13th century.
- The Palm House at Sefton Park is a beautiful glass garden dome, often used for weddings and special events.
- The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre is a hidden gem of Liverpool. Tour the underground tunnels and chambers and take a guess at why they were built.
- Of all the things to do in Liverpool, you really should experience the Liverpool nightlife scene. There are tons of bars, clubs, pubs, and things to do at night.
- Another classic Liverpool experience is attending a football match. People come to Liverpool from all over the world to see a match! If your schedule doesn’t align, they also do stadium tours when there are no matches scheduled.
A lot of these Liverpool attractions, including many museums, are free! This makes Liverpool a very affordable travel destination. I spent a fraction of what I would spend on a vacation to London.
Don’t Skip the Day Trips from Liverpool
Liverpool has an excellent train system, making exploring some day trips from Liverpool easy. Some of the best day trips from Liverpool include:
- Chester is about 35 minutes from Liverpool by train. It’s a quaint town, and people come from all over the UK to visit the Chester Zoo.
- New Brighton is a seaside resort just 30 minutes from Liverpool
- Blackpool is another seaside resort, sometimes called the “Vegas of England” and is about one hour from Liverpool
- Southport sits on the Irish Sea coast and is about one hour from Liverpool
- If you want to visit another country, there is a ferry to Bangor. It takes about four hours from Liverpool.
- Manchester is just 45 minutes away if you really need to see Manchester United play!
These destinations, and the transportation there and back, are also very affordable.
Don’t Use Liverpool Central
If you’re getting to Liverpool by train, you don’t want Liverpool Central. The naming is a bit confusing, but the main train station is the Liverpool Lime Street Station. If you try to find a ticket to Liverpool Central, you’re going to have a hard time finding anything.
Don’t Confuse Red and Blue
In Liverpool, there are two choices for football: red or blue. Red is Liverpool FC, and Blue is Everton; surprisingly, the rivalry is pretty friendly. But if you’re wearing blue or red, you might get ribbed a bit by the locals for your team choice. It’s all in good fun and just part of the Scouser humor.
No matter what, don’t wear your Manchester United jersey! If you do, prepare to be heckled!
Don’t Worry About Safety
Liverpool has a reputation for being unsafe, and it may have been in the past, but I think it’s overblown. Of course, you should always use the same common travel sense that we recommend for any destination. But I did not feel particularly worried about my safety in Liverpool.
Don’t Call it John Lennon Airport
The airport in Liverpool is the Liverpool John Lennon Airport, but locals refer to it as the Speke Airport, which is the name of the town it’s located in. You wouldn’t be wrong calling it John Lennon, but you won’t stick out like a tourist as much if you use the local name for it.
Don’t Have a Thin Skin
The locals in Liverpool have a wicked sense of humor, and they like to joke around a lot. They might even give you nicknames based on your physical appearance or your name. I received several nicknames referencing my husky physique, and it was all in good fun. Outside of Australia, I’ve never been called “mate” so much in my whole life; the Liverpool locals are really endearing, even if it’s sometimes in a sarcastic way.
Don’t Forget: The Locals are Scousers
A person from Liverpool is not a Liverpooler or Liverpoolean; they are called Scousers. Formally, they are called Liverpudlians, and this applies to all of the surrounding areas of Liverpool, whereas Scousers refers to a specific area of Liverpool. Scouse is actually a local stew made from beef that you should definitely try when you visit Liverpool. The best place to try it is at the Liverpool Cathedral. One bowl won’t make you a Scouser, though!
Whatever you call them, the locals of Liverpool are awesome! Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance when you are traveling. They might even approach you if you look like you need some help! Even before I visited, I received so much great advice from our fans and viewers in Liverpool!
Don’t Piss Off the Scousers!
Even though the Liverpudlians are very nice, there are a few things you could do to inadvertently piss them off.
- Don’t compare Liverpool and Manchester; see “Don’t Confuse Red and Blue” above for an explanation!
- Don’t make jokes about crime in Liverpool; there may have been some issues in the past, but this stereotype of Liverpool is undeserved.
- It should go without saying, but don’t bad-mouth Liverpool. They’re very proud of their city and don’t take that lightly.
- Don’t bring up “the Sun” newspaper. There’s some bad blood there.
- Don’t attempt a Scouser accent. They won’t appreciate it.
- Don’t assume they all love the Beatles. They’ve had Beatles music on repeat their entire lives, so they probably prefer listening to anything else.
Don’t Miss Out on Liverpool Cuisine
Obviously, when visiting Liverpool, the first food you have to try is Scouse. See where the locals get their nickname! With some bread on the side, you can’t go wrong! The restaurant inside the Liverpool Cathedral is actually a really good place to have scouse.
Other things to eat in Liverpool include:
- Pub grub! Pub culture is strong in Liverpool, so the pub food is really good. Everything from bangers and mash, steak & ale pie, toad-in-a-hole, black pudding, and burgers!
- Liverpool actually had the first Chinatown in Europe! You can still get really good Chinese and international food in Liverpool.
- Gravy on chips seems to be a Northern England kind of thing. The curry gravy on chips was really good!
- Seafood is super fresh in Liverpool. Potted shrimp or fish and chips are both really good here.
- A Liverpool Bun Loaf looks like a fruitcake but has a different consistency. It’s a good snack to have with tea.
- A Wet Nelly is like a bread pudding. It can be hard to find, so if you see it on the menu, give it a try!
- Among the many desserts in Liverpool, the Liverpool Tarts are quite good. It’s a pastry crust with a fruit filling.
- For souvenirs, get the Everton Mints. It’s a minty hard candy with toffee in the center.
The Baltic Triangle and the Baltic Market are both great areas for foodies. There are lots of options along Bold Street as well. If you’re out by the docks, there are lots of restaurants there, too. Finding a place to eat in Liverpool is not difficult; choosing between all of them is.
Liverpool is an international port town; you can get a really good version of many different cuisines in Liverpool, so don’t be afraid to branch out and try some Mediterranean or Indian food.
Don’t Forget About the “Other” Cathedral
There are actually two cathedrals in Liverpool. There’s the Gothic Liverpool Cathedral, which is an Anglican church. (This is where you get the good Scouse!) The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral in Liverpool, affectionately known as “Paddy’s Wigwam.” By visiting both Liverpool cathedrals, you’ll learn a lot about the city’s history.
Don’t Be Surprised if You Feel an Irish Vibe in Liverpool
A lot of Irish emigrated to Liverpool during the potato famine of the 1840s. It’s estimated that up to 50% of Liverpool’s population has some Irish ancestry, so there’s a definite Irish vibe in the city.
Because of the mixed ancestry of Liverpool, the accent can sometimes be difficult to understand. Not all the time, but there are definitely times when I had to really concentrate to understand them.
Don’t Count on Nice Weather in Liverpool
You might get nice weather in Liverpool, but you’d better be prepared for every possible weather at any time of year. The seaside location means wet or windy weather can appear out of nowhere. So, always be prepared with a rain jacket and some layers you can add or remove as needed.
Five Things You’ll Love & Hate About Visiting England
Don’t Forget Good Walking Shoes
As with any destination in Europe, good walking shoes are essential! Liverpool is very easy to explore on foot, but only if your feet are comfortable. You will most likely do a lot of walking in Liverpool. If you forget good shoes, the public transportation in Liverpool is pretty good, too.
5 Rules for Choosing the Best Shoes for Travel in Europe
Don’t Be Surprised by All the Statues
There are a lot of statues in Liverpool. And not all of them are Beatles statues. There’s Superlambanana, Queen Victoria, Eleanor Rigby, and more! I think Liverpool has one of the highest concentrations of statues of any city in England. It’s fun to just walk around and check out all the Liverpool statues and learn more about the city.
Grab Some Wolters World Travel Gear!
I really loved my time in Liverpool. The sights of Liverpool are fun to visit, but it’s the locals that make this a fantastic travel destination. Even Hollywood has noticed the accessibility and affordability of Liverpool, as it’s been featured in many movies, like Batman. You can spend two weeks in Liverpool for what you’d spend in five days in London.
Need more travel tips for visiting the UK? Check out these blog posts!