Merseyside

Merseyside is a metropolitan county in the North West of England.

It consists of the city of Liverpool and the boroughs of Knowsley, Sefton and St.Helens on the east of the River Mersey, and the borough of Wirral, which is part of the peninsula of the same name, on the west of the River Mersey.

Towns

• 1 Liverpool — famed for its football teams, the Grand National horse race, music (including The Beatles), vibrant nightlife and its links with the arts and culture
• 2 Birkenhead — a rewarding afternoon trip from Liverpool
• 3 Bootle
• 4 Bromborough and Eastham, Wirral
• 5 Crosby
• 6 Formby
• 7 Heswall, Wirral
• 8 Newton-le-Willows
• 9 Port Sunlight – picturesque model village and Bebington, Wirral
• 10 St Helens
• 11 Southport
• 12 Wallasey and New Brighton, Wirral
• 13 West Kirby, Caldy, Hoylake and Meols, Wirral
• 14 Central North Wirral, covering Greasby, Frankby, Irby, Upton, Woodchurch, Moreton and Leasowe
• 15 Central Wirral, covering Barnston, Brimstage, Thornton Hough and Raby

Understand

Merseyside is one of the metropolitan counties of England, created in 1974. Before that, Wirral was wholly within Cheshire and the area north and east of the Mersey was part of Lancashire.

Get in

Liverpool Motorways

Isle of Man passenger ferry route map

By plane

• 1 Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL ^IATA) receives flights from Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Eire, the Canary Islands, continental Europe and the Mediterranean.

The nearest airport for flights from North America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East is Manchester Airport, which is about an hour away by car. Though, the major intercontinental routes are through Heathrow and Gatwick in London.

By road

The M62, M53, M57 and M58 motorways connect Merseyside to the national motorway network.

By coach

Long-distance coaches are provided by Flixbus, Megabus and National Express to Liverpool.

By train

Intercity services arrive at 2 Liverpool Lime Street station, Lime Street, Liverpool. Services from London take about two and a half hours, and services from Manchester take between 30 and 45 minutes.  

By ferry

• Belfast ferries arrive at the 3 Stena Lines terminal, Twelve Quays, Birkenhead. 
• The Isle of Man ferry arrives at Liverpool's Pier Head.

By ship

• 4 Liverpool Cruise Terminal, Pier Head. If you want to arrive in style.  

Get around

Rail map

By car and motorbike

Motorists should be aware that the two road tunnels, from Birkenhead and Wallasey to Liverpool, both have a toll for use. The toll booths are all situated on the Wirral side of the river.

By train and bus

Frequent and reliable Merseyrail services operate between many of Merseyside's stations. There is also an extensive bus network. Saveaway tickets are valid on all public transport in Merseyside. These can be purchased at any staffed railway or bus stations in Merseyside. An "all areas" ticket is best, particularly if intending to also travel to Chester and Ellesmere Port. The ticket costs about £5 per day, for off-peak use.

By bike

Passengers can take a bike on Merseyrail trains or the Mersey ferry at no extra charge. Cycling is not permitted through the Wallasey (Kingsway) road tunnel at all, and not permitted through Birkenhead (Queensway) road tunnel M-F 6AM-8PM, Sa 7AM-8PM, and Su 8AM-9PM. Cyclists will have to use the train or ferry to cross the river, during these times. If using the Queensway tunnel during the night, cyclists must also maintain a speed of at least 10 mph (16 km/h) uphill for about one mile, so a good fitness level is required.

See

• Manchester Ship Canal Cruise, Pier Head or Seacombe Ferry Terminal, ☏ +44 151 330-1000, groups@merseyferries.co.uk. 6-7 hours duration. Round trip to Salford from Merseyside on a Mersey Ferry. (updated Feb 2024)

Do

• Golf: the Royal Liverpool GC is based at Hoylake. It hosts the Open Golf tournament in July 2023.

Go next

• Cheshire
• Lancashire
• Isle of Man
• Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Dublin, Ireland
• North Wales