A Request for Vacation Assistance

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Brinniel

A quick question:

I just found out recently that I will be spending a day and a half in Liverpool. Now I don't know very much about the city, so I was wondering if anyone could give me some suggestion on what I could do while there? Also, any recommendations on pubs or bars would be welcome.

I would also love to visit York in May, but according to my travel book the train ride seems rather expensive.

Plenty do in Liverpool! I know it well! The best pub everyone recommends is the Phil so I'm not about to break ranks and send you elsewhere! http://ultimatepubguide.com/pubs/inf...271&crawl_id=1
Though I used to know all the best dive nightclubs when i was a lot younger Liverpool is now home to very glitzy bars and clubs (like Cream) which are packed out with dressed up scousers ('going out' is a religion in Liverpool), footballers and WAGs.

Lots of good shopping to be had in town and around the renovated Albert Dock area. There's always a cheesy Beatles tour or two to go on. How about comparing the two cathedrals? 'Paddy's Wigwam' is the Catholic one, designed by the protestant Lutyens and the monumental Anglican one (biggest in Europe I think) is designed by the Catholic Gilbert Scott. There's also a fab museum (I wonder if they still have the piranha fish? I got done for tapping on the glass of the tank when I was a kid ), St George's Hall and the Walker Art Gallery.

Liverpool is also European Capital of Culture this year so there's bound to be something mad to see: http://www.liverpool08.com/ As if it wasn't mad enough already. You could always go looking for the 'Paradox' (see Mr Hookbill's blog) or search out the Tate Gallery, the Pier Head, the Mersey Ferry, Sefton Park, the Williamson Tunnels, the Mersey Tunnels, or Goodison Park ( we do not mention the other place).

Or if that's all too much, go north to the very agreeable Southport

As for getting to York, you need to keep checking & fiddling with your options on the national rail website to get cheap tickets - that's what I always do when I'm going to London (It's only £12 to get to York from here). http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Plenty do in Liverpool! I know it well! The best pub everyone recommends is the Phil so I'm not about to break ranks and send you elsewhere! http://ultimatepubguide.com/pubs/inf...271&crawl_id=1
Though I used to know all the best dive nightclubs when i was a lot younger Liverpool is now home to very glitzy bars and clubs (like Cream) which are packed out with dressed up scousers ('going out' is a religion in Liverpool), footballers and WAGs.

Lots of good shopping to be had in town and around the renovated Albert Dock area. There's always a cheesy Beatles tour or two to go on. How about comparing the two cathedrals? 'Paddy's Wigwam' is the Catholic one, designed by the protestant Lutyens and the monumental Anglican one (biggest in Europe I think) is designed by the Catholic Gilbert Scott. There's also a fab museum (I wonder if they still have the piranha fish? I got done for tapping on the glass of the tank when I was a kid ), St George's Hall and the Walker Art Gallery.

Liverpool is also European Capital of Culture this year so there's bound to be something mad to see: http://www.liverpool08.com/ As if it wasn't mad enough already. You could always go looking for the 'Paradox' (see Mr Hookbill's blog) or search out the Tate Gallery, the Pier Head, the Mersey Ferry, Sefton Park, the Williamson Tunnels, the Mersey Tunnels, or Goodison Park ( we do not mention the other place).

Or if that's all too much, go north to the very agreeable Southport

As for getting to York, you need to keep checking & fiddling with your options on the national rail website to get cheap tickets - that's what I always do when I'm going to London (It's only £12 to get to York from here). http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Personaly I found the Albert docks rather disapointing and the beatles museum is not really worth a visit, unless you know hardly anything about them. . .but in general I liked Liverpool. I found that the scousers where a quite likeable bunch, of course it helps that I support Liverpool F.C.

Of course you could visit Anfield Road


P.S. Did they not make a documentary about that "cream" place?

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

Personaly I found the Albert docks rather disapointing and the beatles museum is not really worth a visit, unless you know hardly anything about them. . .but in general I liked Liverpool. I found that the scousers where a quite likeable bunch, of course it helps that I support Liverpool F.C.

Of course you could visit Anfield Road


P.S. Did they not make a documentary about that "cream" place?

Albert Dock hasn't been the same since they got rid of Fred's weather map...

[Brinniel]

Originally Posted by Rune

the beatles museum is not really worth a visit, unless you know hardly anything about them

Well, the Beatles museum is the reason the people I'm going with chose Liverpool in the first place. Honestly, I'm not exactly a huge Beatles fan myself and part of me worries this is going to be just another tourist trap....and it sounds like there's a lot of better things to do in Liverpool anyway. But this is me trying to be flexible for the sake of my friends and perhaps in the process I'll learn something new about the Beatles...

Thanks for all the suggestions, Lal. I'll definitely have to check some of those places out...especially the Phil. Unfortunately, we'll be spending only one night in Liverpool now; we couldn't find a vacant hostel for the first night so we'll be spending that night in Manchester instead (which I'm sure will be fun as well), then take the bus to Liverpool the following day.

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

AHA! I thought I'd lost that address of the restaraunt I told you I'd give you (not the place near the catacombs and the McDonald's--I can't seem to find them online, and I never took their card--but the other one). But I found it in my travel notebook, so all is well. I did a little snooping around with Google and apparantly they're still there! They're not what you'd call fancy dining, I don't think, but as I said before, they make really good couscous, if that's something you're interested in. I'm not sure why, but in Paris, they seem to really like their Greek food.

Restaraunt Epsilon
66 Avenue des gobelins
75013 Paris.

There are a number of other restaraunts down that street, and as I recall, there's even another, crazier Greek place on that same street that will smash a plate over your head (apparantly it's good luck? I don't get it.) Some of my friends got lunch there our second day, while I was off doing something else, and they recommended it highly (the joy of watching one friend have a plate smashed on her head, then dancing with the waiter, and the good food all combined for a pretty entertaining lunch, I can imagine, and I'm still rather sorry I missed it, especially as I can't even remember now what I was doing at the time! ).

I also thought I'd suggest you bring an umbrella or two. I went there almost exactly two years ago, and it was very rainy...I can only assume their spring would be rainier than their winter.

[Brinniel]

Hello,

I have a quick question for any British Downers...

Does one need reservations for a train from London to Oxford? I'm leaving to Oxford on Friday and am slightly panicked as the website won't let me reserve that short of notice...

And is it fairly easy to hop on a train with a large load of luggage? I was planning to take a bus, but unfortunately there's a luggage limit. I'm traveling with three months worth of stuff, so I have a lot of luggage...

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Brinniel

Hello,

I have a quick question for any British Downers...

Does one need reservations for a train from London to Oxford? I'm leaving to Oxford on Friday and am slightly panicked as the website won't let me reserve that short of notice...

And is it fairly easy to hop on a train with a large load of luggage? I was planning to take a bus, but unfortunately there's a luggage limit. I'm traveling with three months worth of stuff, so I have a lot of luggage...

If you are travelling early evening it may be busy. At least you are starting from the Terminus. I advise arriving in plenty of time for your train since it may well be waiting a while, then you can either get it in the guards van or grab the luggage racks at the end of each carriage - and a nearby seat. Good luck ... .