Travel Tips: Your First Trip to Liverpool
By David Rice
You’ve decided to make the journey to Anfield and as you prepare to traverse the more than 4,000 miles that separates Tampa Bay from Liverpool, you’re probably wondering what’s next?
For the sake of this story, we’re going to assume that you already have your LFC Tampa Bay membership sorted. If you’re not from the Tampa Bay area, check to see if there is a local OLSC in your area whose ticket request process you can gain access to. Likewise we’ll assume you’ve got your Full or Light Official LFC membership complete with the card that your ticket will be placed on.
And since we’re assuming your membership is sorted, we’ll also assume that you’re receiving communications about who to contact and how to go about submitting your request, so we’ll focus on your travels for this piece to help ensure you have the best time possible.
The following is a collection of advice from members and seasoned travelers who have made the journey on several occasions.
Air Travel & Trains on Arrival
There are a number of airlines that can get you across the pond. If you leave from Orlando, there are flights that can get you to Manchester and Dublin, cities that connect to Liverpool by an hour-long train ride (Manchester) or short flight (Dublin). Of course, there is the drive or ride over to Orlando and the parking charges to consider.
For this reason, we highly recommend taking advantage of Tampa’s departures into London. This is now available via two airlines, British Airways and Norwegian. Both have reasonable coach fares and will land you at Gatwick, to the south of the city.
Keep in mind that customs at an airport of this size can be quite crazy. Carry a pen to fill out all your customs forms rather than waiting in line to use the pens at the form tables. Trust me, you’ll thank us when you see people on the verge of stabbing one another to get hold of a pen.
You’re about an hour train ride outside of central London. The Gatwick Express will take you to Victoria Station where you can connect to other forms of transportation that will get you anywhere in town reasonably quick. If you’re going to spend time in London, you’ll want to pick up an Oyster card to grab public transportation.
In the event you’re heading straight for Liverpool, you’ll have to transfer to a train leading to Euston station. There you can take a train from London to Liverpool.
The train from Euston to Liverpool’s Lime Street is between a 2.5–3 hour journey and puts you right at the edge of Liverpool City Centre.
Tampa International Airport has been targeting new international flights in the future, with Dublin and Manchester representing two of those targets, so do your research on which days flight are available and to where. Most are overnight flights, so we recommend getting as much sleep as you can on the flight so that you’re ready to hit the ground running once you land.
If the match you will be attending takes place on the weekend, it’s not unlikely that the match day will change due to TV broadcasts. Be sure that your flight gets you on the ground in time to make the train journey north and have you in the city by no later than Friday afternoon to ensure that you are there in time to get settled into your accommodations. In the case of a match being moved to Friday, this will ensure you are still in the city in time to make it to Anfield for the match.
Length of Stay
While Liverpool is lovely, it’s unlikely you’ll spend your entire trip in the city as there is so much of England and Europe to see. You may be wondering how much time you should dedicate to the city.
In general, I would recommend 3 full days in the city. Anything less, you may find yourself wishing you’d spent more time and will likely put yourself at risk of missing the match due to a fixture change. The three days should include the originally scheduled match day and the two days around it to give yourself your best shot at ensuring you don’t miss it and you can explore a bit.
It is possible to come in and out of the city and just stay in London, though this can be a bit difficult and doesn’t give you much time to appreciate Liverpool itself. If you decide to stay in London though, don’t pick a midweek match at Anfield for your trip. Midweek matches, as you know, take place in the evening and you will have no way back to London until the next morning.
What to Do in the City
Liverpool is a city that has been revived in recent years. It was named the Culture Capital of Europe in 2008 and offers a variety of dining experiences, night life and tours during the day to keep you busy.
Personally, I’m a sucker for cathedrals and the architecture that comes with them. Anywhere I travel, I make it a priority to see these buildings, but of all the cities I’ve been to, Liverpool boasts two of the most interesting cathedrals I’ve ever seen. I highly recommend visiting each as well as the Bombed-Out Church, a living reminder of the trauma British cities suffered during World War II. But don’t sweat it, it’s not as grim as it sounds. The grounds are now often used for special events.
And if it’s drinks and food you’re looking for, this part of the city has a rich restaurant and bar scene that offers just about anything you could want.
Being your first trip over, you should take in the Anfield experience by doing a stadium tour on a non-matchday. You’ll get a feel for how far the stadium is outside the city center, a better understanding of what the surrounding neighborhoods are like and can get all your shopping at the club store out of the way so you’re not carrying around bags of freshly purchased gear on matchday.
Also, the non-matchday tours get you into the locker room and provide an opportunity to see more of the stadium than the matchday tours. If you’re going all that way, you might as well sit in your favorite player’s seat in the changing room and grab a selfie with his kit in the background.
And if you’re really in town for the football, don’t hesitate to check the lower league schedule. Tranmere Rovers is just across the Mersey and offers you a cheap ticket to see lower league football that can be quite entertaining if you give it a chance.
Be sure to check the local events calendars. Social media, the local news outlets and a good old-fashioned Google search can give you a decent idea of what to expect during your trip. Sometimes, a unique festival or concert adds a bit of the cultural flavor you need to keep the trip interesting.
There’s plenty of other things to do, be it a Beatles tour, a walk along the docks or just wandering the city on foot and seeing what you see. It’s not a typical English town, but rather more of a European city in many ways, so experience it as such. Be friendly and genuine with the people, and you’ll most likely get the same thing back.
Matchday
There are a lot of ways you can approach matchday and it largely depends on what time your kickoff is. But my advice…. get up to the area around the stadium early. If you’re like me and you’d like to imbibe a bit before kickoff, you’ll want to get into the pubs a few hours beforehand. The crowds get dense fast around Anfield and before you know it, there’s a line at every bar within a 10-block radius.
Head up at least three hours before kickoff and get your juices flowing with a stroll through Stanley Park. Nothing will give you perspective on the Merseyside derby and just how closely we reside with Everton like the walk from Goodison to Anfield. It’s not something you’ll be able to do for much longer given the Blues intention to move to the docks, so take advantage while you can.
This also gives you a chance to take any photos in front of iconic landmarks you might want to get a picture in front of.
Additionally, leaving that early will ensure that you can use a car service such as Uber or Delta Car to drop you at the stadium. As of the time of this writing, there is no train stop serving north Liverpool, meaning your public transport options are limited to overcrowded buses, taxis and walking. While each can serve their purpose, a car to the ground is the simplest way to go.
Once you’re there take in all the atmosphere you can. Take in the pubs around the ground, the neighborhoods and the stalls that sell Liverpool merchandise you may not find at home. A scarf from one of these local vendors is a nice way to remember the day.
You’ll want to head into the match at least 20–30 minutes before kickoff to ensure you get to your seat in time for the last of warmups and naturally, your first You’ll Never Walk Alone in the ground. This brings us to an important point.
If you are lucky enough to stand on the Kop, DO NOT BE A TOURIST! We all know the effect the Kop can have on a match and if you are there, you are responsible for being part of it. Learn the songs and don’t be afraid to sing them. You’re a lot more likely to get funny looks for taking tons of selfies and crowd shots while standing silently than you are for belting out Fields of Anfield Road in a funny accent.
Getting out of the ground is another matter altogether. Unlike the staggered arrivals, when Anfield empties out and all 54,000 fans start looking for transport back into town, getting a car, bus or anything that moves faster than your own two feet can be quite the challenge. It’s best to either plan on making the walk back to town, or simply hang out for a few hours until the bulk of the crowd clears out and you can hail a cab or call a car.
Departures
You may wish to spend some time in the city and naturally, we encourage this. Understanding the city is and its people is an important part of understanding what this club is really all about.
If you plan on leaving and finding your next adventure, the question is really where do you want to go next? From Liverpool’s John Lennon airport, you can get to a number of European and UK destinations with a direct flight. Manchester airport is just an hour away and offers an even wider variety of destinations. Between the two, there are few places you’ll need to travel back to London to get to.
If you’re looking to stay local, keep in mind that the city is a just a short journey away from Wales and some of its attractions, be it ancient castles or beautiful views at Snowdonia National Park.
Whatever you choose to do after your Anfield experience, we hope it helps you make the most of your journey across the pond. We’re proud to be able to offer you the opportunity to experience not just Liverpool Football Club, but the city itself and we hope to hear about your experiences on Merseyside.
