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Crowned European Capital of Culture in 2008, the port city of Liverpool is a thriving cultural hub. Whatever takes your fancy, Liverpool has it in abundance. The city’s docks, whilst historically bringing commerce essential to the city’s economical development, also invited a kind of cultural diversity that has only grown as time has gone on. Whilst Liverpool is well known around the world as the home of the Beatles and two of Europe’s most famous football teams, its rich historical background is almost overlooked.Liverpool has been a thriving port for almost 300 years. At one time 40% of the world’s trade was passing through its docks.Like many Northern industrial cities, the 1970s brought sharp decline to Liverpool’s economy and the city’s docks became largely obsolete. Despite this, Liverpool has battled hard to return to its former glory and the docks are now a hive of activity, home to trendy bars, restaurants, shops and galleries.
Beneath Liverpool’s gritty reputation, you’ll find a city bursting with music, literature, arts and academia.
There are plenty of Liverpool Tourist attractions throughout the City to enjoy and Liverpool has a great night life too. Attractions Liverpool boasts are not limited to the Albert Dock and The Beatles Museum and there is plenty to see and do in Liverpool for all the family.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which lies seven miles to the southeast of the city centre, is the tenth busiest airport in the UK. Named after one of the city’s most famous residents, assassinated musician and peace activist John Lennon, the airport serves Liverpool, Merseyside and the North West.Liverpool John Lennon was one of Europe’s fastest growing airports from 1997 to 2007 having increased its passenger numbers from 689,468 to 5.47 million in just a decade.The historic terminal building, which can be seen on old footage of crowds of screaming girls form the Beatlesmania era, is no longer a functional part of the airport and is now the Grade II listed Crowne Plaza hotel, sensitively renovated to keep the Art Deco facade.The airport was renamed Liverpool John Lennon airport in 2002 and a 7ft tall statue of the Beatles star was installed in the check-in hall in honour of its most famous resident.
Destinations and airlines
Liverpool John Lennon Airport hosts regular scheduled flights to Europe, the Near East and North Africa as well as domestic services. It has always been popular with holidaymakers as an alternative to Manchester Airport, its busiest neighbour.
A visit to Liverpool John Lennon Airport can take you to a range of destinations including Ibiza, Madrid or Amsterdam, for a summer holiday or city break. The airport makes home to budget airlines, including EasyJet, Flybe and Ryanair.
In 2006 Liverpool John Lennon also chartered flights to Canada and the United States, but, despite their popularity, numerous problems led to them being abandoned the next year.
Airport facilities
The airport benefits from a small but carefully selected range of shops, which should provide everything you need, from that forgotten hairbrush at Boots to currency exchange with Travelex, which allows you to order your currency online and pick it up at the airport.
The food on offer ranges from the fast food chains to the Estuary Kitchen and Grill, where you can charge phones and laptops whilst you eat – great for a frequent traveller or business person.
It offers special assistance services for disabled people, along with a blue badge replacement scheme, to allow passengers to take their blue badge abroad. Business travellers can benefit from chauffeur services, fast-track through security and of course an executive lounge.
Transport links
Liverpool John Lennon Airport benefits from a range of transport links from buses and coaches to trains. The airport is also accessible to cyclists, offering a bicycle lock up on site.
Coaches travel to and from Manchester at £8 one way or £12 return departing from Shudehill Interchange in Manchester city centre.
From Liverpool, buses run very regularly from the city centre or South Parkway train station, the airport’s nearest train station, just 10 minutes away. Services from the city centre are the Airlink 500, 86A, 82A and 80A. To travel from South Parkway Station, catch the 501 or 80A. The 81A travels from Bootle and the 89 travels from St Helens.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport offers a range of cheap airport parking providers, all selling great value, secure parking deals for on-site and park and ride services.The best way to secure the cheapest parking deal for your dates of travel is to use our airport parking price comparison engine to search and compare offers. Every vendor included in our search results has been vetted prior to inclusion to ensure they meet our strict security and customer service standards.If Meet and Greet airport parking is more your thing, why not visit the website of Stress Free Parking.com where you’ll find the top Meet and Greet parking deals at all the UK’s major airports?
Trendy boutique hotels are Liverpool’s best kept secret. The Hard Day’s Night Hotel, the world’s only Beatles inspired hotel is popular with tourists eager to explore the Beatles home city. Surrounded by famous Beatles landmarks and located in what is known as the “Beatles Quarter”, this four-star hotel is a real treat for fab four fans.
Other superb examples of Liverpool’s boutique hotels are 62 Castle St and Hope Street Hotel both offer a soothing stay from £85.
base2stay hotel is an excellent mid-range hotel in the very centre on Liverpool. It was rated the best hotel in Liverpool by over 400 reviewers on TripAdvisor. Prices start from £49.
If you’re counting the pennies, there are still many options, including Hatters Hostel and Everton Hostel, round the corner from the airport.
Liverpool’s food is one of the main forms of cultural expression and the unique restaurants and cafes reflect the diversity of the city.
For example, Alma De Cuba, an ultra stylish restaurant and venue is a former 18th century Catholic church, which was once attended by Mother Theresa. Talk about your contradictions. The carnival atmosphere of the Alma De Cuba adds to the eclectic menu – a mix of tapas, East Asian food and good hearty British cooking.
The Panoramic Restaurant is located on the 34th floor of the West Tower building, visible from almost anywhere in the city. The menu ranges from monkfish with squid spaghetti and chorizo to a roast beef Sunday dinner.
The Egg Cafe is a veggie and vegan cafe, perfect for a quick bite in cosy and arty surroundings. The staff are of the loud, proud variety, eager to get you to sample something you may not normally try. The cakes come highly recommended from forums full of Egg fans. Up a sneaky little side street, the Egg Cafe is hipster paradise.
If you’re going to visit a port city, it makes sense to make the most of the fresh seafood on offer. On the fish front, The London Carriage Works will not disappoint. With a substantial seafood menu, The London Carriage Works has won a number of industry awards, including two AA rosettes in 2010.
There are many ways to see the city but the most interesting has to be The Yellow Duckmarine at Albert Dock, a former WWII amphibious vehicle, which is now a 24-30 seat sightseeing tour vehicle. Tickets don’t come cheap at £29-£38 for a family of four, but The Yellow Duckmarine is the most memorable way to see the city, both by land and water. Tours depart daily all year round from 10.30am.If museums and galleries are more your scene, Liverpool will not let you down. The World Museum is great fun for kids because, let’s face it, you can’t go wrong with aquariums and animatronic dinosaurs. But the best news is that it’s free to visit, along with other attractions such as the Museum of Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. No trip is quite complete without a browse around the Tate Liverpool, which is also free. The Tate is well known in the UK and around the world for showcasing the edgier artists. If you’re more of a traditional art lover, don’t let the Tate’s reputation put you off, as the gallery houses works from as far back as the 1500s alongside its modern and contemporary pieces.For Beatles lovers, there’s the Beatles Story, an interactive history of the fab four, described as “atmospheric journey into the life, times, culture and music of the Beatles”. The museum tripled in size in 2008/2009 and now spans two sites, the original at Albert Dock and now the Mersey Ferries Terminal. Both are worth a visit for hardcore fans, but the gift shop is free to enter for those who just prefer to browse the memorabilia.
Liverpool ONE
The shops in Liverpool are what you’d expect from a major city, and more. The Liverpool ONE shopping centre is right in the heart of the city and is home to more than 160 high street and designer stores. Built in 2008, Liverpool ONE is the largest city centre regeneration project in Europe. Featuring a 14-screen cinema, 19 restaurants and many bars, the shopping centre is a day out in itself.
Metquarter
The Metquarter is Liverpool’s designer heaven, just a few minutes’ walk away from Liverpool ONE. A small shopping centre, with enough labels to kit out a WAG. It’s high fashion and beauty galore at the Metquarter - Kurt Geiger, Flannels and MAC all have stores here. Not forgetting the fellas, there’s Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger and shirts emporium T. M. Lewin.
Cavern Walks
Similar to Metquarter, the shops at Cavern Walks are designer boutiques. With the likes of Cricket, Vivienne Westwood and Weaver’s Door, where a whole range of menswear designers can be found, Cavern Walks is definitely worth a trip.
Bold Street
You can find everything you need on Bold Street, whether it’s furniture, world food or dance records. Mostly pedestrianised or closed to cars, it runs from the famous bombed out church, St Luke’s, to Clayton Square at the other. Bold street adds a friendly dimension to Liverpool’s shopping scene.
Lord Street
Although strictly speaking in Southport, Lord Street deserves a special mention as one of the greatest shopping streets of the Liverpool City Region. It measures exactly a mile in length and there is plenty to look out with water features, gardens and beautiful architecture. Lord Street is claimed to be the inspiration for the tree-lined Parisian streets, as Napoleon III lived just off Lord Street before becoming Emperor of the French in 1851. Southport is a classic British resort and its mile long boulevard is the best place to be with its covered arcades and walkways.
Liverpool is the place to be for music and performance. There must be something in the water here, because as well as producing The Beatles and performers Ken Dodd, Cilla Black and Alexei Sayle, the city is still producing top acts with current artists The Zutons, The Wombats and The Coral all hailing from Merseyside.The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) may go some way towards explaining this. The school produces regular shows and performances which are excellent value for money, starting at just £4.For bands and live music, there is an enormous amount of choice. For large and well known acts, head to the Liverpool Echo Arena or the Liverpool O2 Academy. These venues offer tickets on the door for certain performances but booking early is usually advised.For more intimate performances there are plenty of small clubs and venues. The Shipping Forecast is a great place to see local bands, similarly The Revolver in Birkenhead. Of course, there’s the famous Cavern Club where many a famous Liverpudlian has played, as well as odd gigs and performances dotted around pubs in the city.Liverpool’s musical roots are well documented, but there is nothing like experiencing the atmosphere for yourself.There are all shapes and sizes of bars in the city, from Heebie Jeebies, in Seel Street, for the Indie or alternative scene, to Mood, in Fleet Street, if you like R&B. For an evening with friends, check out Baby Blue, located below Blue Bar in Albert Dock, for comedy and a chilled out evening.Eberle Street is Liverpool’s gay quarter with bars and clubs open after hours. The most popular student nights are The Krazyhouse on a Thursday and Nation on Wednesday (September-June).
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