If you’re considering a city break in the UK, but don’t know where to choose, then look no further than Liverpool; home of the Beatles, 2 Premiership football teams, a rich maritime history, and quite literally packed to bursting with culture, trendy bars, chic eateries and tourist attractions.
If you do happen to be a fan of the Beatles, then you’ve come to the right place, as I’ll be detailing my top Liverpool tourist attractions below which include a couple of their favourite haunts.
If you are considering a UK city break it’s a good idea to take out a travel insurance policy, even if it’s essentially a staycation, as you’ll still be covered for loss of luggage, cancellations and theft.
If you like the sound of Liverpool then read on for my top suggested attractions:
The Cavern
What tour of Liverpool could be complete without visiting the Cavern, the club that helped the Beatles to launch their career in the 60′s? The club still plays host to young musical talent with dreams of making it big and, with a variety of regular performances, you should be able to coincide your visit with one if you do a little research.
If you want to take your Beatles obsession one step further, why not head off on a ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ which will take you to the places the band made famous in their songs, such as Penny Lane and Strawberry Field, along with the childhood homes of the band members John, Paul, Ringo and George.
Albert Dock
One of the most popular attractions in Liverpool – and a free one at that – the Albert Dock was once a thriving port and, thanks to to a sympathetic restoration project in the 1980′s, you can still experience it in all its original glory. You’ll also find that the docks incorporate two hotels, many shops and a variety of other attractions to keep you busy.
Aside from the wonderful Tate Liverpool Art Gallery and a brilliant Maritime Museum, you’ll also find that the Dock is home to the Beatles Story where you can find out everything you need to know about the Beatles and their meteoric rise to fame and chart success – you can even sip coffee in the ‘Cavern-style’ Starbucks located here.
Whilst you’re at the Docks, make sure you take a trip on the fabulous ‘Yellow Duckmarine’ which is an amphibious bus that will take you to see some of Liverpool’s top attractions. You’ll then get a dramatic end to your tour when the bus drives down the slipway into the docks for a final cruise around them.
The Grapes Pub
Once the favourite haunt of a young Paul McCartney and his famous cohorts, the Grapes Pub was where the band used to spend their nights before heading over to Matthew Street to perform at the Cavern.
Still open all these years later and still serving a good pint of Ale along with some great British pub grub like the Sunday Roast and a tasty Steak and Ale Pie.
If you count yourself as a big Beatles fan then you have to add the pub to your itinerary whilst you’re in Liverpool. There’s tons of Beatles memorabilia and you can even sit on their favourite bench and get your picture taken.
The Grand National (Aintree Racecourse)
If you can, make sure your trip coincides with the 12th, 13th and 14th of April (2012) so you can witness the world’s most famous steeple chase. The Grand National has been taking place at Aintree Racecourse since 1839 and it’s still as exciting as ever.
Aside from having a flutter or two on the horses – you might even pick the winning horse – you’ll get to see some weird and wonderful hats, interesting outfits and have an all round fun day, definitely worth experiencing if you get the chance…
