So where to stay in Inverness? It mostly depends on whether you have a car and whether you’d rather wake up by the river or by Loch Ness. Here are my five picks for areas, with three hotels in each.

The Best Areas to Stay in Inverness

• City Centre - best area for first-time visitors and travellers without a car
• Ness Bank & Ness Islands - best area for couples and riverside walks
• West Bank - best area for castle views, spas and theatre
• Crown - best area for drivers and peace and quiet
• Drumnadrochit & Loch Ness - best base by Loch Ness

The first four areas are all within walking distance of Ness Bridge, so the difference comes down to atmosphere, parking and price. The fifth is the village by Loch Ness, for those of you who would rather have the loch than the town. The prices below come from a search for a weekend in May for two people. Inverness is expensive from May to September, when the town is full of touring visitors, so book early and expect lower prices in the winter months.

1. City Centre - best area for first-time visitors and travellers without a car

• Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre. From the railway station it’s a five-minute walk to High Street and ten minutes to the castle.
• Transport: The railway station and bus station are both on Academy Street, so trains to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Kyle of Lochalsh and buses to Loch Ness and Skye leave right on your doorstep.
• Time from Inverness Airport: About 20 minutes by taxi or on Stagecoach’s number 1 bus from the terminal to the bus station. The train from Inverness Airport Station takes only 11 minutes, but the station is a 20-minute walk from the terminal.
• Price level: £££ to ££££. The three hotels below cost around £285 to £550 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Safe during the day and in the evening. On Friday and Saturday nights it can get noisy around the pubs on Academy Street and Church Street, so pick a room away from the street.

City Centre is the part of Inverness on the east bank between the railway station and the river. High Street, with the Gothic Inverness Town House, is the main street, and right next to it is the covered Victorian Market, where a food hall with small eateries has taken over some of the old stalls. Church Street is the oldest part of the Old Town, with Abertarff House from the late 16th century, the Old High Church and the second-hand bookshop Leakey’s Bookshop in a former church.

Up on the hill above the river stands Inverness Castle, which has been converted into a new attraction. A ticket costs £20 online and £22 on the door, and it gets you into the two towers with views over the town, while the gardens are free. In the evenings, traditional Scottish folk music is played in several of the pubs on Church Street, including Hootananny.

See hotels in City Centre here.

I would stay here if you’re arriving without a car and want to do day trips. If you’re coming by train from Edinburgh, the journey takes about three and a half hours, and if you need a night in the capital along the way, my guide to where to stay in Edinburgh can help. The guided coach tours leave from the centre, for example a day trip to the Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle from £69. If you’d rather sleep on the island, read my guide to where to stay on the Isle of Skye.

The downside is parking. Most hotels in the centre have few or no spaces, and you’ll have to pay for a car park such as Rose Street. It’s also the most expensive area in town, even though several of the hotels are perfectly ordinary chain hotels.

Hotels in City Centre

River Ness Hotel - large four-star hotel on Church Street

River Ness Hotel is part of Radisson Individuals and sits on Church Street with the river on one side and the Old Town on the other. There’s a restaurant, bar and gym, breakfast features local specialities, and it scores highly on Booking.com with several thousand reviews. The hotel has no parking of its own, so if you’re driving, you’ll need to use the car park on Rose Street five minutes away.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely hotel, and the location and room were excellent in both size and comfort.”

See photos and book River Ness Hotel here.

AC Hotel by Marriott Inverness - modern riverside hotel with its own parking

AC Hotel is on Glebe Street at the northern end of Bank Street, so you can walk along the river into the centre in a few minutes. The rooms are modern with air conditioning and soundproofing, and there’s a restaurant, bar and gym. It’s one of the few hotels in the centre with its own parking, but spaces are limited and cost £10 per night, and breakfast is extra.

From one review: “Lovely hotel, great shower and comfortable bed.”

See photos and book AC Hotel by Marriott Inverness here.

B&B HOTEL Inverness - simple chain hotel 100 metres from the train

B&B HOTEL Inverness is on Academy Street, about 100 metres from the railway station and bus station, so it’s easy to come and go with a suitcase. The rooms are colourful and simple, there’s a bar, gym and 24-hour reception, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the centre. There’s no parking, and breakfast costs extra.

One guest highlights: “The comfortable beds and the cleanliness of the room.”

See photos and book B&B HOTEL Inverness here.

2. Ness Bank & Ness Islands - best area for couples and riverside walks

• Distance to the centre: From the hotels on Ness Bank, it’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to Ness Bridge and the High Street. Ness Islands are about 15 minutes’ walk further south.
• Getting around: You can do most things on foot along the river. The railway station is about 15 minutes’ walk away, so take a taxi if you have heavy luggage.
• Time from Inverness Airport: About 20 to 25 minutes by taxi, or bus number 1 to the centre followed by a ten-minute walk.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three places below cost roughly £105 to £400 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: A quiet residential area where you can safely stroll along the river in the evening. Save the walk across Ness Islands for daylight, though, as the paths run through dense woodland.

Ness Bank is the wide promenade on the east bank, starting just below the castle and running south along the river. It’s lined with Victorian terraced houses, many of which are now hotels and guesthouses looking across the water to the cathedral on the other side. It’s the most beautiful street in town to stay on, and you’re still only a few minutes from the pubs in the centre.

Follow the river further south and you reach Ness Islands, a string of small wooded islands in the middle of the river, linked by Victorian footbridges. It’s the best walk in town, and you can do a loop out across the islands and back along the west bank in under an hour. A quarter of an hour’s drive south-west is Dochgarroch Lock on the Caledonian Canal, where Jacobite’s shortest boat trips start from £21 and sail through the canal and out onto Loch Ness in 50 minutes.

See hotels on Ness Bank here.

I’d choose Ness Bank if you’re a couple who want river views and to walk to dinner without staying in the thick of the weekend noise. Several of the hotels have free parking, so the area also works well if you’re driving around the Highlands and only need a single night in town.

The downside is that many of the buildings are old, so rooms can be small, stairs steep and the décor a little tired. Ask for a river-view room when you book, as the cheapest rooms often face the back.

Hotels on Ness Bank & near Ness Islands

The Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel - boutique hotel with a restaurant and cocktail bar by the river

The Glenmoriston Townhouse sits on Ness Bank and has an award-winning restaurant, a cocktail bar and rooms, some of which look out over the river. Parking is free, and it’s a 5-minute walk to Ness Bridge. Some guests find the smallest rooms cramped and in need of updating, and breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent place in a great location.”

See photos and book The Glenmoriston Townhouse here.

Glen Mhor Hotel - Victorian terraced houses with their own brewery

Glen Mhor Hotel is made up of several Victorian terraced houses on Ness Bank, and some of the rooms overlook the river. The hotel has its own small brewery and distillery, Uile-bheist, plus a restaurant and bar. Parking costs £12 per night, and several guests mention that maintenance and cleaning aren’t always up to scratch.

From one review: “Lovely hotel in a fantastic location.”

See photos and book Glen Mhor Hotel here.

Rossal House Apartments - apartments with kitchens close to Ness Islands

Rossal House is on Island Bank Road in an older house with a garden and terrace, a few minutes’ walk from Ness Islands and just under two kilometres from the castle. The apartments have kitchenettes, so you can make your own breakfast, and there’s free parking. It was by far the cheapest of the three, but a few guests have noted that the cleaning wasn’t perfect everywhere.

One guest highlights: “Very happy with my stay and would love to come back.”

See photos and book Rossal House Apartments here.

3. West Bank - best area for castle views, spa and theatre

• Distance to the centre: Just across the river. From Huntly Street it’s a 5-minute walk over Ness Bridge or the Greig Street footbridge to the High Street.
• Transport: You can walk to everything in the centre. The railway station is a 10 to 15-minute walk away, and a little further from the hotels at the southern end of Ness Walk.
• Time from Inverness Airport: Around 20 to 25 minutes by taxi, or bus number 1 to the centre followed by a 10-minute walk across the bridge.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three hotels below cost around £110 to £510 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Quiet and safe. There are few people on Ness Walk in the evening, but the streets along the river are well lit.

West Bank is the western bank of the river opposite the castle, and this is where you get the classic view of Inverness with the red castle above the water. Huntly Street is lined with churches and guesthouses, while Ness Walk further south is a quiet, tree-lined avenue of large Victorian houses, home to some of the city’s best hotels. In the middle of the area stands the red sandstone Inverness Cathedral, and right next door is Eden Court, the city’s theatre and cinema, with everything from concerts to pantomime.

Carry on south and you reach Bught Park and Inverness Botanic Gardens, with glasshouses full of tropical plants, and from here you can walk back across the Ness Islands to the east bank. The area is also handy if you’re driving, as you can get onto the A82 towards Loch Ness without going through the centre.

See hotels in West Bank here.

I’d stay here if you want the best of both worlds: views of the castle and peace and quiet at night, but only five minutes from the pubs. It’s also where you’ll find a hotel with an indoor pool right by the river, which makes the area my top pick for families and for anyone who fancies a spa after a long day’s driving.

The downside is that there are hardly any shops and only a few restaurants on this side of the river, so you’ll need to cross the bridge for dinner. Parking at the hotels on Ness Walk is limited, and in some places it costs extra.

Hotels in West Bank

Ness Walk - the city’s five-star hotel in quiet surroundings

Ness Walk is a five-star hotel in a Victorian building on the quiet avenue of the same name, around a ten-minute walk from Ness Bridge. There’s a restaurant and garden, the rooms have air conditioning, and its Booking.com score is the highest in this entire guide. Parking is limited and costs £20 per night, which guests often complain about.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A wonderful stay at a truly first-class hotel with wonderful staff.”

See photos and book Ness Walk here.

Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa - pool and spa directly opposite the castle

Inverness Palace Hotel sits on Ness Walk directly opposite the castle, and from some of the rooms you can see both the castle and the river. The hotel has an indoor pool, a spa with a steam room, a gym and a restaurant, as well as family rooms. Parking is free, but spaces are few, so arrive early in the afternoon if you’re driving.

From one review: “Great spa facilities, which we love using.”

See photos and book Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa here.

Armadale Guest House - budget guesthouse two minutes from the footbridge

Armadale Guest House is on Greig Street on the west bank, a two-minute walk from the footbridge into the centre. The rooms are small and simple, there’s free on-street parking, and a continental breakfast is available at extra cost. It was the cheapest of the three, but some guests mention that they could hear other guests through the walls.

One guest highlights: “Lovely cosy room. Fantastic value for money.”

See photos and book Armadale Guest House here.

4. Crown - best area for drivers and peace and quiet

• Distance to the centre: Around a 10 to 15-minute walk downhill to High Street, and a little longer back up again.
• Transport: Best by car. You’re out on the A9 and A96 towards the airport, Culloden and the Black Isle in a few minutes, without driving through the centre.
• Time from Inverness Airport: Around 15 to 20 minutes by car or taxi along the A96.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three hotels below cost around £180 to £520 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: One of the city’s safest and quietest neighbourhoods. The streets are steep, so bring sturdy shoes if it has been raining.

Crown is the residential area on the hill east and south of the centre, just behind the castle. The streets are wide and lined with large 19th-century grey stone villas and terraced houses, and many of them are now small hotels and B&Bs with parking right outside the door. There isn’t much to see in the neighbourhood itself, but from Castle Street and Culduthel Road you can walk straight down to the castle and High Street.

The big advantage is the location for drivers. From here it’s around 8 kilometres out to the Culloden battlefield, where the Jacobites lost the last battle in 1746, and the prehistoric burial cairns at Clava Cairns are right next door. To the north, you drive over the Kessock Bridge to the Black Isle and on to the North Coast 500, the 516-mile route around the north of Scotland that most people start and finish in Inverness. If you haven’t brought your own car, you can pick up a hire car via Booking.com at the airport or in town.

See hotels in Crown here.

I’d stay here if you’re on a road trip and want free parking, a good night’s sleep and a quick route out of town the next morning. If you’re heading west afterwards, I’ve gathered the best bases in my guide to where to stay in the Scottish Highlands, and in my guide to a road trip with Glencoe and the Isle of Skye you’ll find a route that also takes in Loch Ness and Inverness.

The downside is the hill. The walk down into town is easy, but the way back up after an evening at the pub is steep, and there are no restaurants in the neighbourhood itself apart from the hotels’ own. Without a car, Crown is less practical than the centre.

Hotels in Crown

Rocpool Reserve Hotel - luxury hotel with hot tubs on the balcony

Rocpool Reserve is on Culduthel Road, a few minutes’ walk from the castle, and is a five-star boutique hotel with a lounge menu for hotel guests and help booking tables in town. Some of the rooms have their own balcony with an outdoor hot tub, and parking is free. Breakfast isn’t included, and a few guests felt their room was dark and too cluttered with furniture.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful decor, large and luxurious room, free drinks and snacks.”

See photos and book Rocpool Reserve Hotel here.

Heathmount Hotel - small hotel with a whisky bar and free parking

Heathmount Hotel is on Kingsmills Road in the middle of Crown and has a cosy bar serving Scotch whisky and cocktails, as well as a restaurant with Scottish dishes. Parking is free, but space is tight and it fills up quickly in the evening. Breakfast costs extra.

From one review: “An excellent, well-run hotel with friendly staff, a good bar and restaurant and only a 10 to 15-minute walk down to the centre.”

See photos and book Heathmount Hotel here.

Redcliffe Hotel - friendly family-run hotel close to the castle

Redcliffe Hotel is on Gordon Terrace in the lower part of Crown, a short walk from the castle and the river. There’s free parking, a garden with a terrace and a restaurant whose menu ranges from Thai curry to homemade burgers. It was the cheapest of the three, but several guests say the rooms are small and a little old-fashioned.

One guest highlights: “The staff are so friendly and wonderful.”

See photos and book Redcliffe Hotel here.

5. Drumnadrochit & Loch Ness - the best base by Loch Ness

• Distance to the centre: Around 25 kilometres south-west of Inverness along the A82, or half an hour’s drive.
• Transport: Citylink buses towards Fort William and Skye stop in Drumnadrochit and at Urquhart Castle and take around half an hour from Inverness, but there are only a few departures a day.
• Time from Inverness Airport: Around 45 to 50 minutes by car.
• Price level: ££ to £££. The three places below cost around £100 to £255 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: A quiet village where the biggest problem is the traffic on the A82. Walk at the side of the road with a torch or something reflective if you’re heading back from the pub after dark.

Drumnadrochit is the village on Urquhart Bay on the north side of Loch Ness, and it’s the best base if you want to see the loch rather than the city. A couple of kilometres to the south-east, the ruins of Urquhart Castle sit on a headland jutting out into the water. A ticket costs £14 online and £16 at the entrance, and in summer it’s open into the evening, so you can arrive once the coaches of day-trippers have left.

In the village itself, The Loch Ness Experience tells the story of the Nessie legend and costs £15 if you buy online. At Clansman Harbour north of the village, Jacobite boats head out onto the loch, and the Great Glen Way walking trail passes by on its way to Fort William. If you don’t have a car, you can also see the loch on a guided day trip to Loch Ness and the Highlands from Inverness from £55.

See hotels in Drumnadrochit here.

I’d stay here if you have a car and are only in the area for Loch Ness, or if you’re driving on along the A82 towards Fort Augustus and Fort William. Fort William is around an hour and a half further south-west, and you can read more in my travel guide to Fort William.

The downside is that the evenings are quiet and you’re reliant on a car or the few buses. The choice of restaurants is limited to the hotels and a couple of pubs, so book a table if you’re visiting in high season.

Hotels in Drumnadrochit & by Loch Ness

Loch Ness Inn - old inn with a pub close to Urquhart Castle

Loch Ness Inn is in Lewiston at the southern end of Drumnadrochit, close to the Great Glen Way and a short drive from Urquhart Castle. There’s a restaurant and a bar serving local beers, and parking is free. Breakfast costs £12 per adult, and the rooms in the adjoining bunkhouse are sold without breakfast, so check what you’re booking.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything! The room was lovely, the bed was comfortable, and everything was very clean with everything you needed.”

See photos and book Loch Ness Inn here.

Loch Ness Clansman Hotel - hotel right on the shore of Loch Ness

Loch Ness Clansman Hotel is at Brackla on the shore of Loch Ness, on the road between Inverness and Drumnadrochit, and the boats from Clansman Harbour leave just below. The restaurant and bar look out over the loch, some rooms have a balcony or terrace, and parking is free. The hotel sits right on the A82, and some guests mention that the rooms can be noisy.

From one review: “The location was fantastic, easy to find by car, and the staff were wonderful and friendly.”

See photos and book Loch Ness Clansman Hotel here.

Kilmichael House - small adults-only guesthouse

Kilmichael House is a small adults-only guesthouse on the edge of Drumnadrochit with free parking and a host that guests praise again and again. It’s usually the cheapest of the three. Check-in is within set times, so let them know if you’re arriving late.

One guest highlights: “Lovely host. Best stay ever! Wonderful location and beautiful surroundings.”

See photos and book Kilmichael House here.

Where not to stay in Inverness?

Watch out for hotels that have Inverness in their name but are actually by the airport at Dalcross or in the business parks at Inshes and Raigmore along the A9. They’re easy to drive to, but you’ll need a car or taxi every time you want to go into town, and the atmosphere is all roundabouts and supermarkets. Merkinch and Longman north of the railway station are working-class neighbourhoods and industry by the harbour, and there’s no reason to stay there as a visitor. And although Fort Augustus at the southern end of Loch Ness is charming, it’s too far away if you also want to see Inverness. In the centre, avoid rooms facing Academy Street if you’re a light sleeper, as the street is lively until late at weekends.

For a first trip without a car, I’d stay in the City Centre or on Ness Bank, so you can walk to the station, the buses and the guided tours. If you’re a couple, choose Ness Bank or West Bank with views of the river and the castle, and if you’re travelling with children, the pool on West Bank gives you the most for your money. If you’re on a road trip, Crown is the easiest place to park and get going again, while Drumnadrochit is for those who’d rather wake up by Loch Ness than in the city.

If you’re flying into Edinburgh rather than Inverness, my guide to getting from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre can help you on your way to the train north. If you’re starting your trip in Glasgow, I’ve also rounded up the best areas in my guide to where to stay in Glasgow.

The post Where to Stay in Inverness? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Distances are short, but the neighbourhoods feel very different in the evening, and that’s where your choice really makes a difference. Here are my five picks for the best areas, with three good hotels in each.

Where to Stay in Belfast: The Best Areas

• City Centre - best area for first-time visitors and shopping
• Cathedral Quarter - best area for pubs and nightlife
• Linen Quarter & Great Victoria Street - best area for trains, theatre and classic pubs
• Queen’s Quarter - best area for museums, parks and peace and quiet
• Titanic Quarter - best area for families and Titanic fans

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in March for two people, and they rise noticeably when there are big concerts, matches or festivals in town.

1. City Centre - best area for first-time visitors and shopping 🛍️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre, around City Hall, Donegall Square and the Victoria Square shopping centre.
• 🚌 Transport: You can walk to most places. Metro and Glider city buses run from the streets around City Hall, and Grand Central Station is about a 10-minute walk to the west.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 30 to 40 minutes on the Airport Express 300 from Belfast International Airport, where a single ticket costs £9.50. From George Best Belfast City Airport, the Airport Express 600 takes around 10 minutes.
• 💰 Price level: ££ to £££. The three hotels below cost around £145 to £200 per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and busy until late. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowded shopping streets, and expect partying and noise at weekends.

City Centre is the easiest choice for your first trip to Belfast. This is where you’ll find City Hall with its green copper dome in the middle of Donegall Square, and around it the shopping streets of Donegall Place and Royal Avenue, the Victoria Square shopping centre and many of the city’s restaurants. All the other areas in this guide are within a 20 to 25-minute walk, so you can walk back from almost anywhere.

City Hall is a good place to start. The building was completed in 1906, and on Belfast City Council’s page about City Hall you can check times for the guided tours and the exhibition on the city’s history. The grounds around the building include the Titanic Memorial Garden, with the names of those who died when the ship sank.

See hotels in City Centre here.

I’d look for a hotel south of City Hall around Donegall Square and Bedford Street if you want to be close to both the shops and the theatres in Linen Quarter. If you’d rather have the pubs of Cathedral Quarter on your doorstep in the evening, Castle Place and the streets north of Donegall Place make a better base. Titanic Quarter is on the other side of the River Lagan, around a 25-minute walk to the east, and Queen’s Quarter is about 20 minutes to the south.

The downside is that hotels in the centre aren’t the cheapest in the city, and some of the shopping streets go quiet once the shops close. In the evening, the action moves to Cathedral Quarter and Great Victoria Street, but both are only a few minutes away. For a short weekend break, it’s hard to find a more convenient place to stay.

Hotels in City Centre

Grand Central Hotel Belfast - five stars and views just behind City Hall

Grand Central is on Bedford Street, a few minutes’ walk from City Hall. It’s a five-star hotel with a restaurant and the Observatory bar high up in the building, where you can look out over the city. The rooms have air conditioning, and the location between the centre and Linen Quarter is hard to beat. It’s the most expensive of my three suggestions here, and some guests find that service in the bar gets slow when it’s busy.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff. Absolutely outstanding, helpful and lovely to chat to.”

See photos and book Grand Central Hotel here.

DoubleTree by Hilton Belfast City Ten Square - a safe bet right by City Hall

DoubleTree is on Donegall Square South right by City Hall and has Josper’s restaurant, The Loft bar and a gym. With over 5,000 reviews and a score of 8.9, it’s one of the safest choices in the centre, and you have both the shops and Linen Quarter just around the corner. A few guests do feel that the breakfast varies in quality, though.

From one review: “The staff were exceptionally friendly and very helpful, and the food was fantastic.”

See photos and book DoubleTree Ten Square here.

ibis Belfast City Centre - a simple, central choice on Castle Street

ibis is on Castle Street in the western part of the centre, a couple of minutes’ walk from Castle Place and the shopping streets. The rooms are simple and have air conditioning, and there’s a restaurant and bar on the ground floor. It’s the cheapest of the three, but some guests mention noise from nearby bars and music venues in the evening.

One guest sums it up: “Clean hotel in a great location. Friendly staff.”

See photos and book ibis Belfast City Centre here.

2. Cathedral Quarter - best area for pubs and nightlife 🍺

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The Cathedral Quarter lies just north of the city centre. It’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to City Hall.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk to most places. Buses run along Royal Avenue on the western edge of the quarter, and the Titanic Quarter is about a 20-minute walk across the river.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 35 to 45 minutes on the Airport Express 300 to the city centre, plus a short walk from there, or 10 to 15 minutes by taxi from Belfast City Airport.
• 💰 Price level: ££ to ££££. The three hotels below cost around £125 to £335 per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but noisy at weekends. The streets are busy until late, so ask for a room away from the street if you’re a light sleeper.

The Cathedral Quarter is my pick if the pubs and the evenings are a big part of why you’re going. This is Belfast’s old merchant district, with narrow cobbled streets and warehouses that are now packed with bars, beer gardens and restaurants. At its heart is St Anne’s Cathedral on Donegall Street, and the best-known alleyways are only a few minutes away.

Commercial Court is the narrow alley that’s home to the Duke of York pub, and on a Friday night this is where you’ll find the liveliest atmosphere, with live music and a crush at the bar. Hill Street and Waring Street have more restaurants, and the arts centre The MAC on St Anne’s Square puts on theatre, concerts and exhibitions. Belfast’s official tourism website Visit Belfast has a good overview of the pubs, music venues and festivals held in the quarter throughout the year.

See hotels in the Cathedral Quarter here.

The quarter is small, so you don’t need to pick a particular street. The Merchant is on Skipper Street right in the thick of it, Bullitt sits on the southern edge near Victoria Square, and the Ramada is right by the cathedral. You can eat well and go to the pub without taking a bus or taxi, and that’s a big part of the appeal.

The downside is the noise. Friday and Saturday nights go on late, and some streets fill up with stag and hen parties and large groups. If you’re travelling with children or like an early night, the Queen’s Quarter or the Titanic Quarter is a better choice. For a weekend with friends or a trip focused on music and Guinness, though, the Cathedral Quarter is hard to beat, and the pricey luxury hotels here are also the most atmospheric in the city.

Hotels in the Cathedral Quarter

The Merchant Hotel - five-star luxury in a former bank building

The Merchant is on Skipper Street in the former headquarters of Ulster Bank and is Belfast’s classic luxury hotel. There’s a spa with a hot tub, a rooftop gym and The Great Room restaurant in the old banking hall. It’s the most expensive hotel in this guide, and several guests mention that the cocktails and food in the restaurant are pricey.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was absolutely fantastic, and The Great Room was the best thing about it.”

See photos and book The Merchant Hotel here.

Bullitt Hotel - a youthful boutique hotel with three bars

Bullitt is on Church Lane on the southern edge of the Cathedral Quarter, close to Victoria Square, and has a restaurant and three bars. The rooms are modern with a fridge, and the whole place has a young, relaxed feel. As in the rest of the quarter, there can be street noise, especially at weekends.

From one review: “The best hotel I’ve stayed in for years, and the staff are top class.”

See photos and book Bullitt Hotel here.

Ramada by Wyndham Belfast - a practical base by St Anne’s Cathedral

The Ramada is on Talbot Street right next to St Anne’s Cathedral and has a restaurant and bar. It’s the cheapest of the three, and with more than 4,000 reviews and a score of 8.4, you get a lot for your money in a pricey area. Some guests do find the rooms get too warm, though.

One guest highlights: “The hotel was excellent in every way. Friendly staff, and we were able to check in early.”

See photos and book Ramada Belfast here.

3. Linen Quarter & Great Victoria Street - best area for trains, theatre and classic pubs 🎭

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The Linen Quarter lies just south and west of City Hall. From Great Victoria Street it’s about a 5-minute walk to Donegall Square.
• 🚆 Transport: Grand Central Station sits on the western edge of the area, with trains to Dublin and the rest of Northern Ireland, regional buses and airport buses.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Airport Express 600 from Belfast City Airport runs to Grand Central Station in around 10 minutes, and Airport Express 300 from Belfast International Airport takes about 30 to 40 minutes into the centre.
• 💰 Price level: £ to £££. The three hotels below cost roughly £110 to £235 per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and lively. Great Victoria Street and Dublin Road can be noisy at night at weekends.

The Linen Quarter is my pick if you’re arriving by train or bus, or if you’re going to the theatre. The name dates back to the days when Belfast was the world’s leading linen city, and many of the big warehouses from the linen trade now house offices, bars and restaurants. City Hall actually stands on the site of the old White Linen Hall, and Great Victoria Street is the area’s main street.

This is where you’ll find the Grand Opera House from 1895, with musicals, theatre and comedy for most of the year. Diagonally opposite is The Crown Liquor Saloon, one of Belfast’s most beautiful Victorian pubs, with little dark-wood snugs and gas lamps, and it’s worth a visit even if you’re staying elsewhere. On Bedford Street you’ll find the Ulster Hall concert venue, one of the city’s classic stages.

See hotels in the Linen Quarter here.

The big advantage is Grand Central Station, the largest integrated transport hub on the whole island of Ireland. From here the Enterprise train runs to Dublin in about two hours, and you can check timetables and tickets with Translink. If you’re heading south, you can read my guide to where to stay in Dublin, and if you’re planning a tour of the whole island, I’ve also written about where to stay in Ireland.

The downside is that it’s a mixed area with office blocks and busy roads. Around Shaftesbury Square at the end of Great Victoria Street, things can also get rowdy late at night at weekends. So I’d choose a hotel at the northern end of the street near the Grand Opera House, where you’re closest to both the station and City Hall.

Hotels in the Linen Quarter & Great Victoria Street

The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast - five-star neighbour of the Grand Opera House

The Fitzwilliam is on Great Victoria Street right next to the Grand Opera House and is a five-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, gym and valet parking. With a score of 9.0 it’s the highest-rated hotel in this guide, and the rooms in particular get lots of praise. A few guests do find that breakfast gets chaotic when it’s busy.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room was of an absolutely exceptional standard, and the service was fantastic.”

See photos and book The Fitzwilliam here.

Europa Hotel - the historic hotel by Grand Central Station

The Europa is Belfast’s best-known hotel and during The Troubles became known as one of the most bombed hotels in Europe. Today it’s a large four-star hotel with a restaurant, bar and spacious rooms right by Grand Central Station and opposite The Crown. Several guests feel that food and drink at the hotel are expensive.

Another guest writes: “It was the staff who made the holiday. They were so helpful, cheerful and friendly.”

See photos and book Europa Hotel here.

Travelodge Belfast - cheap and central on Brunswick Street

Travelodge is on Brunswick Street, a few minutes’ walk from both City Hall and Great Victoria Street. It’s a simple chain hotel without a restaurant or many facilities, but the price is usually among the lowest in the whole guide. The rooms and bathrooms are small, and its score of 7.7 is lower than the other two.

From one review: “Super central location and friendly staff.”

See photos and book Travelodge Belfast here.

4. Queen’s Quarter - best area for museums, parks and peace and quiet 🌳

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 1.5 km south of City Hall, which is roughly a 20-minute walk along Botanic Avenue or University Road.
• 🚌 Transport: Metro buses run along Malone Road and Lisburn Road into the centre, and Botanic Station on Botanic Avenue has local trains.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 15 minutes by taxi from Belfast City Airport, or 45 to 55 minutes from Belfast International Airport on the Airport Express 300 to the centre, then a bus or taxi onwards.
• 💰 Price level: ££ to £££. The three hotels below cost around £110 to £160 per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Quiet and safe, with lots of students. Botanic Avenue can be lively at weekends and around the start of term.

Queen’s Quarter is my top pick if you’d rather stay somewhere green and peaceful than in the middle of the nightlife. The area is named after Queen’s University, and the university’s red-brick Lanyon Building is one of the most striking sights in Belfast. Around it you’ll find cafés, bookshops and small restaurants, and the area feels more like part of the local city than a tourist district.

Right next to the university are the Botanic Gardens with the Victorian Palm House glasshouse and the Tropical Ravine, and at the edge of the park you’ll find the Ulster Museum, which is free to enter and closed on Mondays. The museum covers everything from dinosaurs to art, plus a thorough exhibition on Northern Ireland’s recent history, so it’s a good way to spend a rainy day. The park and museum are easy to combine in half a day, and afterwards you can walk straight down Botanic Avenue for lunch.

See hotels in Queen’s Quarter here.

Botanic Avenue is the area’s main eating street, with lots of cheap restaurants and student bars, while Lisburn Road further west has more shops, delis and wine bars. The hotels below are on and around Malone Road, the quietest part of the area, with large Victorian houses and tree-lined pavements.

The downside is the distance to Cathedral Quarter and Titanic Quarter. You can easily walk to City Hall in 20 minutes, but Titanic Belfast is more than half an hour away on foot, so plan on a bus or taxi. On the other hand, you often get a bit more hotel for your money than in the centre, and it’s a good choice for a longer trip where you don’t need to be in the heart of the city every evening.

Hotels in Queen’s Quarter

The Harrison Chambers of Distinction - a quirky adults-only boutique hotel

The Harrison is on Malone Road in a Victorian townhouse and is adults only. The décor is quirky and full of detail, there’s a bar, and you can park for free on site. The hotel is some way from the centre, which several guests mention, so expect a 25-minute walk or a short taxi ride to City Hall.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic hotel with fantastic rooms.”

See photos and book The Harrison here.

The Malone Hotel - a classic hotel with a pub in the quiet part of the area

The Malone is on Eglantine Avenue just off Malone Road and has a restaurant, a pub and air-conditioned rooms. It’s a large, well-known hotel with almost 4,000 reviews and a score of 8.3. On-site parking costs extra, and some guests find the restaurant service can be slow.

Another guest highlights: “The whole hotel is excellent, and the staff are so helpful and friendly.”

See photos and book The Malone Hotel here.

ibis Belfast Queens Quarter - a budget choice close to Botanic Avenue

The ibis is on University Street between Botanic Avenue and the university, so restaurants and the Botanic Gardens are just a few minutes away. There’s a restaurant and a lobby bar that’s open 24 hours, and the rooms have air conditioning. It was the cheapest hotel in this guide when I searched, but guests are less impressed with the evening meals.

From one review: “The hotel was clean, and the staff were really friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book ibis Queens Quarter here.

5. Titanic Quarter - best area for families and Titanic fans 🚢

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 2 km east of City Hall on the other side of the River Lagan, which is a 20 to 25-minute walk.
• 🚌 Transport: The Glider bus route G2 runs between the centre and the Titanic Quarter, and Titanic Quarter Station has local trains.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 10 minutes by taxi from Belfast City Airport, which is close by. See buses and trains on Belfast City Airport’s public transport page. From Belfast International Airport it takes 45 to 60 minutes on the Airport Express 300, then a bus or taxi onwards from the centre.
• 💰 Price level: ££ to £££. The three hotels below cost around £110 to £180 per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Calm and safe. The area is modern and open, but there aren’t many people along the quays late in the evening.

The Titanic Quarter is the old shipyard area where Harland & Wolff built the Titanic, and today it’s Belfast’s newest district. It’s my pick for families and for anyone coming mainly for the city’s maritime history. The hotels are modern, there’s plenty of space, and the big sights are right on your doorstep.

The main attraction is Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest Titanic exhibition. An adult ticket costs £24.95, and it also gets you onto SS Nomadic, the Titanic’s old tender, which is moored in Hamilton Dock right next door. A little further out you can see the Thompson Graving Dock, the dry dock where the Titanic sat before she sailed. Along the water runs the Maritime Mile, which links the Titanic Quarter with the waterfront by the Albert Memorial Clock and the Cathedral Quarter, and it makes a lovely walk into town.

See hotels in the Titanic Quarter here.

For children, there’s the W5 science centre in the Odyssey complex by the river, which also has a large arena for concerts and ice hockey. Belfast City Airport is only a few kilometres away, which is handy if you land late or fly early. If you’re coming by car, both Titanic Hotel and Residence Inn have parking, which is easier than the narrow streets in the centre.

The downside is that it’s further to the pubs and restaurants in the centre, and there isn’t much going on in the area in the evening. For a short weekend focused on pubs, I’d rather stay in the Cathedral Quarter and walk over here one morning. But if you have children with you, or the Titanic is the whole reason for your trip, it’s a lovely quiet place to wake up.

Hotels in the Titanic Quarter

Titanic Hotel Belfast - stay in the shipyard’s old headquarters

Titanic Hotel is on Queen’s Road in Harland & Wolff’s former headquarters, where the draughtsmen worked on the Titanic and her sister ships. The old drawing office, Drawing Office Two, is now used for things like afternoon tea, and Titanic Belfast is just across the road. It’s the most expensive of the three, and some guests mention that service in the restaurant can be slow.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “I can’t stress enough what a wonderful hotel this is. I’ll be back!”

See photos and book Titanic Hotel here.

Residence Inn by Marriott Belfast Titanic Quarter - apartments with kitchens by Titanic Belfast

Residence Inn is on Olympic Way by Titanic Belfast and has studios and apartments with kitchenettes, a gym and a bar. It works well for families and longer stays, when it’s nice to make your own breakfast. Parking costs extra, which surprises some guests.

From one review: “We were upgraded to a suite, which was lovely.”

See photos and book Residence Inn Titanic Quarter here.

Aloft by Marriott Belfast Titanic Quarter - a modern, good-value choice

Aloft is right next to Residence Inn on Olympic Way and has a restaurant, bar and gym. The décor is modern and colourful, and the price makes it the budget option by Titanic Belfast. A few guests would like more food options in the bar.

One guest sums it up: “Good hotel in a perfect location.”

See photos and book Aloft Belfast here.

Where not to stay in Belfast?

Watch out for hotels that have Belfast in their name but are actually at Belfast International Airport. The airport is about 30 km north-west of the city, and you’ll need a bus or taxi for everything. An airport hotel only makes sense around a very early departure.

I also wouldn’t choose a cheap apartment in West Belfast around Falls Road and Shankill Road on a first visit. These neighbourhoods are fascinating to visit in daylight, ideally on a tour of the political murals, but they’re a long way from the centre in the evening. If you’re travelling around 11 and 12 July, when large bonfires are lit and marches are held in several neighbourhoods, you should stay in the centre or the Queen’s Quarter and keep an eye on the local news.

City Centre is my best all-round pick for a first trip to Belfast. You’ll be central, with shops and restaurants close by, and you can walk to the Cathedral Quarter, the Linen Quarter and the Titanic Quarter. The Cathedral Quarter is the obvious alternative if pubs and live music are your priority.

The Linen Quarter is best if you’re arriving by train from Dublin or going to the theatre. The Queen’s Quarter suits you if you want somewhere quiet near museums and parks, and the Titanic Quarter is strongest for families and anyone coming mainly for the Titanic.

If you have an extra day, take a day trip to the Giant’s Causeway, the hexagonal basalt columns on the north coast about 100 km from Belfast and Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site. The coast is open from dawn to dusk, and with the National Trust the visitor centre costs £16 for adults. The easiest option without a car is a full-day tour from Belfast to the Giant’s Causeway, and if you’d rather drive the coast road yourself, you can hire a car via Booking.com.

If you’re continuing to Scotland, the ferries sail from Belfast to Cairnryan, and you can read my guide to where to stay in Glasgow. If you land in Dublin instead, the guide from Dublin Airport to the city centre will help you on your way, as buses run directly from the airport to Belfast.

The post Where to Stay in Belfast? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

If you land late, are travelling as a group with lots of luggage, or are staying in the West End or Southside, a taxi or an Uber can be worth the money. Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and stops, and I’ll also explain how to get into the city from Glasgow Prestwick Airport further south. All prices are given in British pounds.

Quick overview: Glasgow Airport to city centre

• Glasgow Airport Express 500: no more than £2 for a single ticket thanks to the Scottish fare cap, 15 to 25 minutes to Central Station, Queen Street and Buchanan Bus Station, up to every 10 minutes and around the clock.
• Bus 77: the same low fare, a slower journey via Renfrew, Govan and Partick to the West End and Buchanan Bus Station, from early morning until late evening.
• Bus 757 and train via Paisley: a short bus ride to Paisley Gilmour Street and from there a train to Glasgow Central in about 11 minutes, from £2.45 for the train.
• Taxi: around £30 to £40 to the centre on the meter, 15 to 25 minutes without traffic.
• Uber: an UberX is typically around £28 to the centre, and pick-up is from the zones by the car park.
• Private transfer: from around £26 per person, with the driver waiting in the arrivals hall.
• Hire car: the rental companies are right by the terminal, and the M8 motorway takes you into the city or on towards Loch Lomond and the Highlands.
• Glasgow Prestwick (PIK): its own railway station by the terminal and two trains an hour to Glasgow Central in 45 to 55 minutes.

How to find the transport at the airport

Glasgow Airport has one terminal building with a smaller section called T2 at one end, so you can’t get lost. Once you’ve come through baggage reclaim and customs, you’ll be in the arrivals hall on the ground floor, and from here you walk straight out onto the forecourt in front of the terminal. The buses stop at the stances just outside the building: the Airport Express 500 leaves from stance 1, while bus 77 leaves from stance 6. There are signs everywhere and the stances are numbered, so finding the right one is easy.

The taxi rank is also just outside the terminal, while Uber picks up in zones A, B and C by the car park opposite the building. The car hire companies have their desks just outside the main terminal near domestic arrivals, and a few are at T2. If someone is collecting you by car, they can wait in the short-stay pick-up area in the multi-storey car park in front of the terminal, or for free for up to an hour in the long-stay car park, from where a free shuttle bus runs to the terminal.

1. Glasgow Airport Express 500 to Central, Queen Street and Buchanan

Glasgow Airport Express, route 500, is the official airport bus. It’s run by First Glasgow with modern electric buses that have free Wi-Fi, charging at the seats and room for suitcases. The bus leaves from stop 1 just outside the terminal, takes the M8 motorway towards the city and reaches the centre in around 15 minutes when traffic is flowing. From the airport it stops on Bothwell Street near Central Station, at Queen Street Station, on North Hanover Street and finally at Buchanan Bus Station, which you reach after about 25 minutes. Allow a little longer at rush hour.

The best thing about the bus is the timetable. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as often as every 10 minutes during the day and less frequently at night, so it’s a genuine option even if your flight lands after midnight. You’ll find the timetable, the stops and any diversions due to roadworks at First Glasgow.

Fares and tickets

Glasgow and the rest of the Strathclyde region are part of the Scottish bus fare cap scheme for single tickets, and First Glasgow says this also applies to the airport bus. That means a single on the 500 costs no more than £2, while without the cap it costs £11. Return tickets aren’t covered by the cap, so a return at £17.50 is poor value while the scheme is running, and you’re better off buying two singles. You can read about the scheme at Transport Scotland, and I’d always check the fare in the First Bus app before you travel.

You can buy your ticket in the First Bus app, online or from the driver, who accepts both cash and contactless payment by card or phone. If there are several of you, each person needs their own ticket. Children and young people under 22 with a Scottish travel card travel free, but this only applies to Scottish residents, so as a visitor you’ll pay the standard fare.

Where should you get off?

Bothwell Street by Central Station: The first stop in the centre and the right one if you’re staying around Central Station, Argyle Street or the western part of the City Centre. From the stop it’s a couple of minutes’ walk to the station entrance on Gordon Street. Many of the city’s mid-range hotels are here, and you can, for example, check prices at Motel One Glasgow, which is on Oswald Street right by the station.

Queen Street Station: The stop at the city’s other main railway station, where trains to Edinburgh and the Highlands depart. George Square is right next door, and from here it’s a few minutes’ walk to Merchant City with its restaurants and bars. If you’d like to stay in that area, you can see hotels in Merchant City here.

Buchanan Bus Station: The final stop at the northern end of Buchanan Street, where long-distance coaches to the rest of Scotland depart. Buchanan Street Subway station is a few minutes’ walk away, and from there you can carry on to the West End if you don’t want to take bus 77. If you’re unsure which part of the city suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Glasgow, where I go through the areas and hotels.

2. Bus 77 to Partick and the West End

Bus 77 is First Glasgow’s regular local route between the airport and the city centre, and it leaves from stop 6 outside the terminal. Unlike the airport bus, it doesn’t use the motorway but runs through Renfrew, past Braehead shopping centre and the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Govan, before crossing the river to Partick and continuing past Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Charing Cross to Buchanan Bus Station. The journey therefore takes considerably longer than on the 500, and you should allow at least 45 minutes to the West End.

On the other hand, the bus is brilliant if you’re staying in the West End or Finnieston, as it stops at Partick and Kelvingrove, where the 500 doesn’t go at all. It’s also covered by the fare cap, so a single costs the same as on the airport bus, and it runs roughly every 15 minutes during the day and less often in the evening, from early morning until late evening. If you land in the middle of the night, it’s the 500 or a taxi. If you’re staying among the cafés and parks of the West End, you can see hotels in the West End here.

Here’s my honest verdict: bus 77 isn’t for you if you’re heading to the City Centre, as you’ll sit on the bus twice as long for the same fare. But if you’re not in a hurry and you’re going to the West End, you’ll save both a change and a taxi. If you want to know what to see once you’ve arrived, I’ve gathered the best things to see in Glasgow in a separate guide.

3. Bus 757 and train via Paisley Gilmour Street

Glasgow Airport has no railway station, but the nearest one, Paisley Gilmour Street, is just over a mile and a half from the terminal. From here ScotRail runs up to a couple of trains every 15 minutes to Glasgow Central, taking around 11 minutes, and there are also trains towards Ayr, Largs and Gourock on the coast. A ticket to Glasgow Central costs from £2.45 each way when you buy a return, and you can buy it from the machines at the station or in the ScotRail app. Train times and fares are at ScotRail.

To get from the airport to the station, take McGill’s bus 757, which runs between Clydebank and Paisley and stops at the terminal. Take it in the direction of Paisley and allow 10 to 15 minutes to the station. The bus runs roughly every half hour during the day and less often in the evening, from just before 6am until late evening, and it’s also covered by the £2 fare cap. The route and stops are at McGill’s.

To be honest, this option is only worth it in a few cases. For getting from Glasgow Airport to the city centre, the Airport Express 500 is both quicker and easier, because you avoid the change. The train via Paisley makes sense if you’re heading on towards the Ayrshire coast, Largs or Gourock, if you’re staying in Paisley, or if the roads into the city are heavily congested and you’d rather sit on a train than a bus.

4. Taxi from Glasgow Airport

The taxi rank is just outside the terminal, and the airport’s own white taxis, around 180 cars, are waiting around the clock, so there’s no need to book in advance. In the evening and when several flights land at once, though, there can be a bit of a queue. The taxis are metered, and there’s no official fixed fare to the city centre. You can read more on Glasgow Airport’s taxi page.

Expect to pay around £30 to £40 to the City Centre and Merchant City, and a bit more to the far end of the West End or Southside. The journey takes 15 to 25 minutes when there’s no traffic on the M8. Treat these as rough prices, as fares are adjusted regularly. Most taxis take cards, but ask before you get in.

A taxi makes sense if you land late and you’re tired, if you have a lot of luggage, or if you’re heading somewhere far from the bus stops. But with the fare cap on the bus, the difference is big: four people can ride the 500 for £8 in total. For one person going to the city centre, a taxi is pure luxury.

5. Uber from Glasgow Airport

Uber operates from Glasgow Airport, and pick-ups are from zones A, B and C in the car park area opposite the terminal. When you come out of the arrivals hall, leave the building, walk straight ahead towards the car park and follow the signs to the zones; the app will tell you which zone your car is waiting in. Uber gives average prices of around £28 for an UberX to the city centre and around £41 for a larger UberXL, but the price follows demand. You can see the details at Uber.

The advantage is that you know the price before you set off, and you don’t have to explain the address. Price-wise, Uber is usually a little cheaper than a taxi, but more expensive when lots of flights land at once. Wait until you have your luggage before booking, as the walk to the pick-up zone takes a few minutes and the driver isn’t allowed to wait long.

6. Private transfer

A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who waits in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign and drives you straight to your hotel’s door. In Glasgow, it’s honestly not necessary for most people, as the airport is so close to the city that both the bus and taxis do the job perfectly well. Prices start at around £26 per person, so it makes most sense if you want the price sorted before you leave home, if you have children and need a child seat, or if you’re a larger group needing a minibus.

Book a private transfer from Glasgow Airport here.

Remember to enter your flight number when booking so the driver can keep track of any delays, and check how many people and suitcases the price covers. The transfer must be booked at least 10 hours in advance, so it’s not something you can arrange in the arrivals hall.

7. Car hire from Glasgow Airport

Glasgow Airport is one of the best places to pick up a car for a road trip around Scotland. Avis, Dollar Thrifty, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt all have desks at the airport, and most are just outside the main terminal near domestic arrivals, while a few are based at T2. You’ll find the overview on the airport’s car hire page. The easiest way to compare prices is via car hire at Booking.com.

The airport sits right next to the M8 motorway, so you’re in the city in 15 to 20 minutes, and via the Erskine Bridge and the A82 you can reach Loch Lomond in under an hour. From there the road continues to Glencoe, Fort William and the Isle of Skye, and I’ve written about a road trip to the Highlands with Glencoe and the Isle of Skye if you’d like some inspiration. If you’re staying in several places along the way, you can also read my guide to where to stay in Scotland.

In Glasgow itself, however, a car is mostly a hindrance. The city centre has a Low Emission Zone where non-compliant vehicles are fined £60, and the fine doubles for repeat offences, so check that your hire car meets the rules and read more at Glasgow City Council. Parking in the centre is expensive, and most hotels have no free parking. My recommendation is therefore to take the bus into the city and only pick up the car at the airport on the day you head out into the countryside.

From Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) to the city centre

Glasgow Prestwick is the city’s second airport, located at Prestwick in Ayrshire, about 50 kilometres south-west of Glasgow, so even though the name says Glasgow, it’s a completely different journey. On the plus side, the airport has its own railway station, Prestwick International Airport, connected to the terminal by a covered walkway. From here, ScotRail runs two trains an hour to Glasgow Central, and the journey takes 45 to 55 minutes. Trains run from around 6am until just after midnight, and on Sundays from around 9am to 11pm, so check the timetable if you land late, or early on a Sunday.

There’s no ticket office at the station, so you buy your ticket online, in the ScotRail app or from the conductor on the train. ScotRail quotes fares from around £6.20 each way when you buy a return, and the airport says air passengers can get half price on the standard fare by showing their flight confirmation to the conductor, so have it ready. Alternatively, Stagecoach’s express bus X77 runs between Ayr and Buchanan Bus Station, stopping on the A79 outside the airport, and takes around 45 minutes to Glasgow. Taxis wait just outside the terminal, but the ride to Glasgow is long and expensive. All the options are listed at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

Getting back to the airport

To get to Glasgow Airport, take the Airport Express 500 from Buchanan Bus Station, where it leaves from stance 46, or from one of the stops in the city centre. The route to the airport isn’t quite the same as the one coming in, and it’s sometimes diverted because of roadworks in the centre, so check your nearest stop in the First Bus app the evening before. Because the bus runs around the clock, it’s also a good option for early morning flights, but allow extra time during the morning rush hour, when the M8 is often packed.

A taxi or an Uber from the city centre costs roughly the same as on the way in, and both can be booked for a specific time. If someone is driving you, they can drop you off in the short-stay drop-off area in the car park in front of the terminal for £7 for up to 15 minutes, or for free for up to an hour in the long-stay car park, from where a shuttle bus runs to the terminal. If you’re returning a hire car, follow the signs for car rental return and fill up the tank beforehand, otherwise the rental company will add a fee.

Glasgow Airport isn’t big, but on mornings during the holidays there can be long queues at security, so be there 2 hours before departure. If you’re flying home from Prestwick, remember that the train only runs twice an hour and starts later on Sundays, and plan accordingly.

Which option should you choose?

Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re staying:

City Centre and Central Station: Take the Airport Express 500 to Bothwell Street by Central Station for no more than £2. You’ll be there in about 15 minutes and can walk to most hotels in the centre.

Merchant City and George Square: Take the 500 bus to Queen Street Station or North Hanover Street, then it’s a few minutes’ walk from there.

West End and Finnieston: Take the 77 bus to Partick or Kelvingrove if you’re not in a hurry. Otherwise, take the 500 to Buchanan Bus Station and continue on the Subway, or grab a taxi for around £30 to £40 if there are several of you with luggage.

Southside: Here I’d take a taxi or an Uber, as there’s no direct bus from the airport, and by bus you’ll have to change in the city centre.

If you land at night: The Airport Express 500 runs around the clock, so it’s still the cheapest option. Taxis also wait at the terminal, and Uber runs all night.

Heading on to Edinburgh: Take the 500 to Queen Street Station, where trains to Edinburgh Waverley run several times an hour. If you’re landing in Edinburgh instead, I have a guide to getting from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre, and for accommodation, a guide to where to stay in Edinburgh.

Touring Scotland: Pick up your hire car at the airport, either when you land or on the day you leave the city, so you avoid driving and parking in the centre.

Practical tips for getting from Glasgow Airport to the city centre

Buy single tickets for the bus. The fare cap only applies to single tickets, so a return or a day ticket on the airport bus costs more than two single journeys. Check the price in the First Bus app before you travel, as the scheme is a political decision that could change.

Have your card ready. The driver on the 500 takes contactless payment, so there’s no need to have cash on you before you land.

Check which airport you’re landing at. Many low-cost routes fly to Glasgow Prestwick rather than Glasgow Airport, and the two airports are about an hour’s journey apart. If your ticket says PIK, it’s the train from Prestwick you’ll need.

Don’t get into just any car. Use the taxi rank outside the terminal or a car you’ve booked yourself in the app, and don’t accept offers from drivers who approach you in the arrivals hall.

Expect rain. The bus stops and taxi rank are outdoors, and the weather in Glasgow changes quickly, so keep a jacket in your hand luggage. If you’re heading on to the Highlands, you can read my guide to where to stay on the Isle of Skye before you get behind the wheel.

The post Glasgow Airport to the City Centre – Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Precisely because the distances look short, many people are tempted to try to see it all. I wouldn’t. Choose two to four bases instead, and stay at least two nights in each. Here are my suggestions for eleven places to stay in England, with three good hotels in different price ranges for each one.

Where to Stay in England: The Best Areas

• London - best city for first-time visitors, museums and big-city life
• Brighton - best town for the beach, the pier and an easy trip from London
• Oxford - best city for university atmosphere and historic colleges
• Cotswolds - best area for villages of honey-coloured stone
• Bath - best city for Roman baths and Georgian architecture
• Cornwall - best area for beaches, cliffs and fishing towns
• Peak District - best area for walking and stately homes
• Manchester - best city for football, music and nightlife
• Liverpool - best city for The Beatles and the waterfront
• Lake District - best area for lakes, fells and boat trips
• York - best city for medieval history, city walls and the Minster

The order runs from south to north: first London and the classic destinations in southern England, then Cornwall in the far west, and finally the North of England with the Peak District, Manchester, Liverpool, the Lake District and York. For each place you get a map, the nearest airport and three hotels: the luxury hotel first, then a mid-range option and finally a cheaper alternative. Prices are in pounds sterling. Journey times are estimates unless I mention the source, so always check the timetable before you book.

The first choice is whether you want a single base or to travel around. For a long weekend, London is enough, and the city can easily fill a whole week. If you have more time, combine places that lie in the same direction. Oxford, the Cotswolds and Bath are all west of London, and from Manchester it’s a short hop to Liverpool, the Peak District and the Lake District. I wouldn’t try to fit all eleven places into one trip. Cornwall and York are at opposite ends of the country, and just the journey from London to St Ives takes most of a day.

The train is the easiest way to travel between cities. The main lines each run from their own station in London: Paddington for Oxford, Bath and Cornwall, Euston for Manchester, Liverpool and the Lake District, King’s Cross for York and Victoria for Brighton. Tickets are usually cheapest when you buy them well in advance for a specific departure.

A car makes most sense in the Cotswolds, Cornwall, the Peak District and the Lake District, where many villages and footpaths are a long way from the railway. You can hire a car in England here. Country roads are often narrow, with stone walls or tall hedges on both sides. In the big cities I wouldn’t have a car, as parking is expensive and in central London you have to pay the Congestion Charge.

Many visitors from abroad, including EU and US citizens, need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, known as an ETA, before travelling to the UK. You apply for it on the UK government’s ETA page, and every traveller needs their own, including children. Watch out for websites that imitate the official one and charge a higher fee.

There are more British destinations on the site than there’s room for here. Bristol hasn’t got its own section, but the city is a short train ride from Bath, and I’ve written a whole guide on where to stay in Bristol. This guide covers England only. If you’re heading on to Scotland, I’ve written separate guides on where to stay in the Scottish Highlands and where to stay in Edinburgh.

1. London - best city for first-time visitors, museums and big-city life 💂

• 📍 Distance to the centre: London has many centres. The map shows King’s Cross St Pancras, and the three hotels are no more than 500 metres from the station. By Tube, you’ll be in Covent Garden in about 15 minutes. This is an estimate.
• 🚇 Transport: The Tube, buses and trains. You can pay with a contactless card or your phone directly at the ticket barriers, so you don’t need to buy a ticket for every journey.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: From Gatwick and Luton, Thameslink runs direct to St Pancras, and from Heathrow the Piccadilly line runs direct to King’s Cross St Pancras. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. This is an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £122 to £380 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May. London is among the most expensive places in this guide.
• 👮 Safety: London is generally safe. Watch out for pickpockets on the Tube and at the major sights, and keep a firm grip on your phone when you’re using it in the street.

For most people, London is the gateway to England, and the city can easily fill an entire holiday. This is where you’ll find the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum, all with free entry to the permanent collections, and there are musicals in the West End every evening. On a first trip, I’d give the city three to four nights before moving on. You’ll find what to see in my guide to things to do in London.

I’ve chosen three hotels around King’s Cross and St Pancras, because it’s the practical choice if you’re working out where to stay in England on a tour of the country. Trains to York leave from King’s Cross, the Eurostar to Paris and Brussels leaves from St Pancras, and Euston, where trains to Manchester and Liverpool depart, is less than a kilometre away. If you’d rather stay in Covent Garden, on the South Bank or in Notting Hill, I’ve written a full guide to where to stay in London, with eight areas to choose from.

See hotels in London here.

London has several airports, and your choice makes a big difference to how long it takes to get into the city. I’ve written guides to getting into town from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. From Gatwick and Luton, Thameslink runs direct to St Pancras, so those two airports work well with a hotel in this area.

Expect small rooms in London, especially in the cheaper categories. Many hotels in the area are in old terraced houses without a lift, so if you have heavy luggage, check for a lift before you book.

Hotels in London

Kaya Great Northern Hotel - five-star hotel inside King’s Cross Station itself

Kaya Great Northern Hotel is in the station building at King’s Cross, so you can walk from the platform to reception in a couple of minutes. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a lift, and the rooms range from small Couchette rooms of 14 square metres to the largest at 22.

This is my pick if you want to stay somewhere stylish with the trains to York and Edinburgh right outside the door. The price is high for the size of the rooms, and guests mention that the rooms are compact and that the service can be inconsistent.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful and truly exceptional hotel in a fantastic location.”

See photos and book Kaya Great Northern Hotel here.

The House of Toby - four-star hotel with a bar on a side street east of the stations

The House of Toby is on Swinton Street, just under 500 metres from King’s Cross St Pancras. There’s a bar and a 24-hour reception, but no restaurant and no lift. The rooms range from small double rooms of 12 square metres to triple rooms of 26.

It suits you if you want to stay close to the stations without paying five-star prices. Breakfast costs extra, and guests mention that the rooms are small and that you can hear the neighbours.

One guest on Booking.com sums it up nicely: “Lovely, friendly hotel in a good location.”

See photos and book The House of Toby here.

Keystone House - simple hotel with small rooms right by the stations

Keystone House is on Caledonian Road, less than 300 metres from King’s Cross St Pancras, and it’s the cheapest of my three suggestions. There’s a bar, but no restaurant, no breakfast and no lift.

The rooms are very small, and some have no window, so read the room description carefully. Guests also mention noise. The hotel suits you if you’re out all day and just need somewhere to sleep close to the train.

One guest highlights the price on Booking.com: “Very budget-friendly hotel in an excellent location if you need King’s Cross or St Pancras.”

See photos and book Keystone House here.

2. Brighton - best for the beach, the pier and an easy trip from London 🎡

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The seafront, The Lanes and Brighton Palace Pier are all close together. The hotels are on the seafront, between around 600 metres and 1.2 km from the pier.
• 🚶 Transport: You can get around the town on foot. From Brighton Station it’s about a quarter of an hour’s walk down to the beach. That’s an estimate.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: According to the airport, the train from Gatwick to Brighton takes around 30 minutes.
• 💰 Price level: Around £110 to £252 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: Generally a safe town. At weekends the centre can be noisy at night, so ask for a room away from the street if you’re a light sleeper.

Brighton is England’s best-known seaside town and a good contrast to the big city. There’s a long pebble beach, Brighton Palace Pier with its rides and amusement arcades, and the oriental-inspired Royal Pavilion right in the middle of town. The narrow lanes of The Lanes and North Laine are packed with small shops, cafés and pubs.

Brighton works both for a few days by the sea after London and as a weekend break in its own right. According to the town’s tourist office, the train takes 52 minutes from London Victoria and 58 minutes from London Bridge, so you can also come down on a day trip. Still, I’d stay at least one night, as the atmosphere on the seafront is at its best in the evening.

See hotels in Brighton here.

I’ve picked hotels on the seafront in the central part of town, so you can walk to both the beach and the lanes. If you’d rather stay in Kemptown, in North Laine or in neighbouring Hove, take a look at my guide to where to stay in Brighton, where I go through five areas.

The water is cold for most of the year, and the beach is made of pebbles rather than sand, so bring water shoes if you want to go in. From Brighton you can also take a trip to the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters east of town.

Hotels in Brighton

Hotel Du Vin & Bistro Brighton - boutique hotel with a bistro on the edge of The Lanes

Hotel Du Vin & Bistro Brighton is on Ship Street, around 100 metres from the beach and just over 500 metres from the pier. The hotel has a bistro, a bar and a lift, and the rooms range from 16 to 29 square metres.

This is my pick if you want a central base with a touch of luxury and everything within walking distance. Breakfast costs extra, and there’s no parking at the hotel, only public car parks nearby. One guest mentions limescale and mould in the grouting in the bathroom.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel’s location was perfect for our visit to Brighton.”

See photos and book Hotel Du Vin & Bistro Brighton here.

Hotel Pelirocco - themed hotel with a rock ‘n’ roll vibe on Regency Square

Hotel Pelirocco is on Regency Square, just under 200 metres from the beach and around 1.2 km from the pier. Every room has its own theme, and there’s a bar and a lift. Breakfast is included in the price, but there’s no restaurant.

Choose this one if you want a hotel with personality. The smallest double rooms are 11 square metres, so go for one of the 20-square-metre rooms if there are two of you with suitcases. There’s no parking at the hotel, and guests mention that some rooms are worn.

One enthusiastic guest writes on Booking.com: “The best hotel in Brighton! We really enjoyed our stay, and all the staff are so friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Hotel Pelirocco here.

West Beach Hotel Brighton - simple hotel on the seafront with sea-view rooms

West Beach Hotel is on Kings Road along the seafront, just under 150 metres from the beach and around 1.2 km from the pier. There’s a lift and a snack bar, but no restaurant, and breakfast costs extra. The standard rooms are 20 square metres, and there are also dormitories.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and a good choice if you want to stay by the sea for less. Book a Superior room if you want a sea view. Guests say the façade looks tired and that parking nearby is expensive.

On the staff and the price, one guest writes on Booking.com: “Super friendly staff, a good bed and a lovely location must make it the best-value hotel in Brighton.”

See photos and book West Beach Hotel Brighton here.

3. Oxford - best city for university atmosphere and historic colleges 🎓

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows the Radcliffe Camera in the heart of the university quarter. The hotels are between roughly 400 and 900 metres away.
• 🚶 Transport: You can get around the centre on foot. From Oxford Station, it’s about a 15-minute walk to the Radcliffe Camera. That’s an estimate.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Oxford has no major airport. A direct coach runs from Heathrow to Oxford, and the journey takes around an hour and a half. That’s an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Roughly £199 to £643 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May. Oxford is expensive, and there are few cheap hotels in the centre.
• 👮 Safety: A safe city. Watch out for the cyclists, who are everywhere in the narrow streets.

Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and its old colleges in honey-coloured stone sit side by side in the centre. The round library building of the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library and Christ Church College are the famous sights, and several of these places have served as backdrops in the Harry Potter films.

Oxford is close to London. According to the train company GWR, the train from Paddington takes around an hour, and the fastest services get there in 52 minutes. That’s why many people visit Oxford as a day trip, but I would stay here for a night or two. In the evening, once the day-trippers have gone home, you have the streets more to yourself, and the city makes a good base for the Cotswolds.

See hotels in Oxford here.

Cambridge is Oxford’s old rival and just as beautiful. It hasn’t got its own section in this guide because it lies in the opposite direction, north of London. The train from King’s Cross takes about an hour, which is an estimate, so Cambridge works well as a day trip while you’re staying in London. If you only have time for one of the two university cities, I would choose Oxford on a tour heading west, and Cambridge if you’re staying in London.

You don’t need a car in Oxford. The centre is difficult to drive in, and parking is expensive. If you’re arriving in a hire car from the Cotswolds, leave it at one of the park and ride sites outside the city and take the bus in.

Hotels in Oxford

The Randolph Hotel Oxford - five-star classic opposite the Ashmolean Museum

The Randolph Hotel is on Beaumont Street opposite the Ashmolean Museum, about 400 metres from the Radcliffe Camera. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, spa and lift, and rooms range from 21 square metres to suites of 36.

It’s Oxford’s best-known hotel and my pick if price isn’t your main concern, because it’s high. Parking is valet only and costs £48 per night, and guests mention that the cleaning of the rooms can be inconsistent.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The central location is perfect for a visit to Oxford. The rooms are comfortable and well equipped.”

See photos and book The Randolph Hotel Oxford here.

Malmaison Oxford - hotel in a former prison by Oxford Castle

Malmaison Oxford is set in the old prison by Oxford Castle, about 600 metres from both the Radcliffe Camera and the station. The standard rooms are in the former cells and measure 20 square metres, and there’s a brasserie, two bars and a lift.

It’s the most unusual of my three suggestions and a good choice if you want an experience beyond just a place to sleep. Parking is limited, must be booked in advance and costs £34 per night. Guests also mention that some rooms are noisy.

One guest highlights the terrace on Booking.com: “Great location and lovely staff. Breakfast was good, and the cocktails on the terrace were really good.”

See photos and book Malmaison Oxford here.

Royal Oxford Hotel - simple hotel a few minutes’ walk from the station

Royal Oxford Hotel is on Park End Street, about 200 metres from Oxford Station and just under a kilometre from the Radcliffe Camera. All rooms are 14 square metres, and there’s a café but no restaurant or bar.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and the practical choice if you’re arriving and leaving by train. There’s no lift, so you’ll have to carry your luggage up the stairs. Breakfast costs extra, and the nearest public car park costs about £10 a day.

One guest writes about their stay on Booking.com: “The location is close to the centre and the station. It’s an old, traditional building that has been nicely modernised.”

See photos and book Royal Oxford Hotel here.

4. The Cotswolds - best area for honey-coloured stone villages 🏡

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The Cotswolds is a large rural area with no single centre. The map shows Bourton-on-the-Water, where two of the hotels are. The third is in Stow-on-the-Wold, just over five kilometres to the north.
• 🚗 Transport: A car is by far the easiest option. Buses between the villages are infrequent, and the railway only reaches the edge of the area, including Moreton-in-Marsh.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: From Heathrow it’s just under two hours by car to Bourton-on-the-Water. That’s an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £150 to £240 per night for the three places below when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: A very safe area. The roads are narrow and winding, so drive carefully, especially after dark.

The Cotswolds is the England many people picture: villages of honey-coloured limestone, low stone bridges over little rivers and green hills dotted with sheep. The area is protected as the Cotswolds National Landscape and covers almost 800 square miles, or just over 2,000 square kilometres, from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in the north to Wiltshire and Bath in the south.

Bourton-on-the-Water is the best-known village and a practical base. The River Windrush flows through the village beneath low stone bridges, and there are plenty of places to eat. The downside is the day-trippers, who fill the streets in the middle of the day during the summer season, but if you stay here, you get the quiet mornings and evenings. Stow-on-the-Wold sits on a hilltop a little to the north and makes a good base, with pubs and inns around the market square.

See hotels in the Cotswolds here.

Two nights is the minimum, and three is better. That gives you time to drive between the villages of Lower Slaughter, Broadway, Chipping Campden and Burford and to walk some of the paths linking them. I’ve covered seven towns in my guide to where to stay in the Cotswolds if you’d like to choose a different base.

The Cotswolds lies between Oxford and Bath, so it fits neatly into a road trip heading west. If you’re arriving by train, you can pick up a hire car in Oxford and drive on through the villages to Bath.

Hotels in the Cotswolds

The Old Stocks Inn - inn with a restaurant and garden on the market square in Stow-on-the-Wold

The Old Stocks Inn is on the market square in the middle of Stow-on-the-Wold and is an inn in an old stone building with a restaurant, bar and garden. Breakfast is included, and there are a few parking spaces at the inn on a first-come, first-served basis.

This is my luxury pick in the Cotswolds if you’d rather have a cosy inn than a big hotel. The rooms are small, and guests mention that it can be hard to get a parking space. On the other hand, you have the restaurant and the town’s pubs right on your doorstep.

One guest describes the atmosphere on Booking.com: “The room was so cosy, and the atmosphere at the place was incredibly welcoming. It felt like a home away from home!”

See photos and book The Old Stocks Inn here.

The Dial House - boutique hotel with a garden and bar in the centre of Bourton-on-the-Water

The Dial House is on the High Street in the centre of Bourton-on-the-Water. It has a restaurant, bar, garden and free parking, and the rooms range from 20 to 32 square metres.

Choose it if you want to stay in the heart of the village and have plenty of space. Breakfast isn’t always included when you book through anyone other than the hotel itself, so check your booking. One guest found the room basic.

One guest highlights both the breakfast and the garden on Booking.com: “Breakfast was lovely, the surroundings peaceful, the room had quirky décor, there was a lovely outdoor bar, and it’s right in the middle of the village, so the location is perfect.”

See photos and book The Dial House here.

The Mousetrap Inn - inn with draught beer and free parking in Bourton-on-the-Water

The Mousetrap Inn is an inn in Bourton-on-the-Water, a few minutes’ walk from the centre. Breakfast is included, there’s a restaurant and bar, and you can park for free as long as there’s space. Rooms range from 10-square-metre economy rooms to 18-square-metre King rooms.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and a good choice if you want to eat and drink well without having to drive for it. Parking spaces are limited, and one guest felt some of the rooms lacked charm.

One guest writes about the inn on Booking.com: “It’s a very cosy inn, the staff are very friendly and really good at what they do! They have good draught beer, and the food is top notch.”

See photos and book The Mousetrap Inn here.

5. Bath - best city for Roman baths and Georgian architecture ♨️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The Roman Baths are right in the middle of the city, and the three hotels are no more than about 200 metres away.
• 🚶 Transport: You can get around the centre on foot. From Bath Spa Station it’s a 5-10 minute walk to the hotels.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: The nearest airport is Bristol (BRS). Allow about an hour by bus or car. That’s an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £125 to £364 per night for the three hotels below when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: A very safe city. Bath is built on hills, so expect some climbing if you walk up to the Royal Crescent.

Bath is one of the most beautiful cities in England. The whole city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its Roman baths and its Georgian architecture in pale limestone, with terraces such as the Royal Crescent and The Circus. In the middle of the city are the Roman Baths, where the hot spring water still bubbles up.

You can also bathe in the warm water yourself. Thermae Bath Spa has a rooftop pool with views over the city, and one of the hotels below has its own spa using water from the springs.

See hotels in Bath here.

According to the rail operator GWR, the train from London Paddington takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, so Bath is easy to combine with London. I’d give the city two nights. Bath is also a good base for the southern Cotswolds, where the village of Castle Combe is just under half an hour’s drive away. Bristol is a short train ride to the west.

I’ve picked three hotels close to the Roman Baths, so you can walk everywhere. If you’d rather stay by the Royal Crescent, by the river or a little outside the centre with parking, read my guide to where to stay in Bath, where I go through six areas. If you’re coming by car, expect expensive parking in the centre, and use one of the city’s park and ride sites instead.

Hotels in Bath

The Gainsborough Bath Spa - five-star spa hotel with water from the city’s hot springs

The Gainsborough Bath Spa is on Beau Street, just over 100 metres from the Roman Baths. What makes it special is the spa, where guests bathe in the city’s naturally hot spring water, and a one-hour bathing session is included in your stay. Rooms range from 25 to 35 square metres.

This is my pick if you want to treat yourself. Breakfast costs extra, £25 for continental and £40 for full English, and parking in a public car park costs about £14 a day. Guests mention worn details in some rooms and noise from outside.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is perfectly located right next to the Roman Baths. The room was very spacious and very clean and offered a high level of comfort.”

See photos and book The Gainsborough Bath Spa here.

Abbey Hotel Bath - four-star hotel with a restaurant on North Parade

Abbey Hotel Bath is on North Parade, less than 150 metres from the Roman Baths and just under 400 metres from the station. There’s a restaurant, a bar and a lift, and rooms range from 15 square metres up to family rooms of 34.

It’s a good choice for couples and families who want to stay centrally without paying spa prices. Breakfast is included in some rates, so check when you book. There’s no parking at the hotel, and guests mention that the smallest rooms are small.

A happy guest writes on Booking.com: “We had a wonderful stay at The Abbey Hotel! The location is perfect, in the middle of Bath and just a short walk from all the main sights.”

See photos and book Abbey Hotel Bath here.

The Z Hotel Bath - modern hotel with very small rooms in the middle of the city

The Z Hotel Bath is on Saw Close, about 200 metres from the Roman Baths, and is the cheapest of my three suggestions. There’s a bar, a café and a lift, but no restaurant, and breakfast costs extra.

Rooms are 9-13 square metres, and several have no window, so read the description before you book. Guests mention that there’s very little space for luggage. It suits you if you want to stay cheaply in the middle of the city and will be out all day.

One guest puts it simply on Booking.com: “The hotel has a great location in the middle of the city close to the Roman Baths, shops and bars.”

See photos and book The Z Hotel Bath here.

6. Cornwall - best area for beaches, cliffs and fishing villages 🏄

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows the harbour in St Ives. The hotels are between roughly 600 metres and two kilometres away, the furthest by the beach at Carbis Bay.
• 🚆 Transport: The St Ives Bay Line branch line runs from St Erth on the main line to St Ives. A car is handy for the rest of Cornwall, but parking in St Ives is difficult.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY) is the closest. Allow just under an hour by car to St Ives. This is an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £136 to £500 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: A very safe area. Ideally swim at lifeguarded beaches and stay between the red and yellow flags.

Cornwall is England’s south-western corner, with cliffs, sandy beaches and small fishing villages. St Ives is the town I would choose if you only want one base. It has several sandy beaches right by the centre and a well-known art scene with Tate St Ives, and the narrow streets around the harbour are full of cafés and galleries. At low tide the harbour itself turns into a beach, with the fishing boats resting on the sand.

Cornwall is a long way from London. According to GWR, the fastest trains from Paddington to Penzance take just over five hours, and for St Ives you change at St Erth onto the St Ives Bay Line branch line, which runs along the beaches at Hayle and Carbis Bay. Allow five to six hours in total. This is an estimate. So give Cornwall at least three nights to make the journey worthwhile.

See hotels in St Ives here.

The South West Coast Path runs along the coast, and the old mining areas of Cornwall and West Devon are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. If you would rather stay somewhere else in Cornwall, I have covered six towns in my guide to where to stay in Cornwall.

Devon hasn’t got its own section. The county lies between Cornwall and the rest of England, so if you are driving, you can add a night on the coast or in Dartmoor National Park on the way.

Hotels in Cornwall

Carbis Bay and Spa Hotel - resort with its own beach, spa and pool in Carbis Bay

Carbis Bay and Spa Hotel sits right on the beach at Carbis Bay, about a 20-minute walk from the harbour in St Ives. There is an outdoor pool, a spa with a sauna, a restaurant and free parking, and guests can use the beach by the hotel.

This is my luxury pick in Cornwall, especially for a beach and spa holiday. The price is among the highest in the area, and breakfast is not included. One guest was confused about where the room was and about the booking details.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “I can highly recommend this hotel and spa. We used the beach that belongs to the hotel.”

See photos and book Carbis Bay and Spa Hotel here.

Harbour Hotel & Spa St Ives - four-star spa hotel with an indoor pool above Porthminster Beach

Harbour Hotel & Spa St Ives is on The Terrace above Porthminster Beach, about 200 metres from the station and a five-minute walk from the harbour. There is an indoor pool, a hot tub, a sauna and treatments, and the continental breakfast is included.

It’s a good choice if you want to be within walking distance of the harbour and have a pool for when the weather lets you down. The standard rooms are small, about 11 square metres, so go for a sea-view room at 16. Parking costs £10 a day, and guests mention that some rooms near the spa are warm and noisy.

About the staff, one guest writes on Booking.com: “What a fantastic hotel. It’s well equipped and comfortable, but it’s the staff who make it so special.”

See photos and book Harbour Hotel & Spa St Ives here.

Tregenna Castle Resort - castle hotel with two pools and a golf course above the town

Tregenna Castle Resort stands in large grounds on the hill above St Ives, just over 700 metres from the station and about a kilometre from the harbour. There is an indoor pool, an outdoor pool in summer, a tennis court, a nine-hole golf course and free parking.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and a good choice for families who want space and things to do. The rooms without a sea view are small, about 13 square metres, so choose a Superior room with a sea view. Breakfast costs extra, and guests mention that it’s a steep walk up the hill from town.

One guest writes after their stay on Booking.com: “We had an excellent stay and will definitely come back. Great for a romantic trip.”

See photos and book Tregenna Castle Resort here.

7. Peak District - best area for hiking and stately homes 🥾

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows Bakewell in the middle of the national park. One hotel is right in the town and another is a little to the north by the Monsal Trail, while the most expensive one is in Baslow by Chatsworth, about five kilometres away.
• 🚗 Transport: A car is the easiest option. The Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield stops at Edale, Hope and Hathersage in the northern part of the park, but there is no station in Bakewell.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: From Manchester Airport it’s about 1 hour and 10 minutes by car to Bakewell. This is an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £143 to £297 per night for the three places below when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: A very safe area. The weather changes quickly on the high ground, so bring waterproofs and proper footwear for your walks.

In 1951 the Peak District became Britain’s first national park, and it lies between Manchester and Sheffield. To the north is the Dark Peak with heather, moorland bogs and dark gritstone edges, and to the south is the White Peak with limestone dales, rivers and small villages.

Bakewell is the most practical base if you only want one address. The town sits in the middle of the park, and from here it’s a short trip to the stately home Chatsworth House, the green dales and the Monsal Trail, a walking and cycling path along an old railway line with tunnels and viaducts. The town is also known for its Bakewell pudding.

See hotels in Bakewell here.

The Peak District is easy to combine with Manchester. If you have a car, you can explore the park on day trips from the city, but I would stay here for at least two nights so you can go walking in the morning before the day-trippers arrive. If you would rather stay in Castleton, Buxton, Matlock Bath or Ashbourne, I’ve covered six towns in my guide to where to stay in the Peak District.

At weekends and during school holidays Bakewell gets busy, and the car parks in the centre fill up quickly. Arrive early if you’re driving into town to shop or eat.

Hotels in the Peak District

The Cavendish Hotel at Chatsworth - country house with an award-winning restaurant by Chatsworth

The Cavendish Hotel at Chatsworth is in Baslow on the edge of the Chatsworth estate, about five kilometres north-east of Bakewell. The restaurant has two AA Rosettes, and there’s a bar, a garden and free parking.

This is my luxury pick in the Peak District if you want to stay close to Chatsworth House and eat well. The rooms aren’t big, at 14-19 square metres, and breakfast costs extra, which one guest felt wasn’t clear when booking. Another guest found it hard to control the heating in their room.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is beautiful and comfortable. The staff are very friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book The Cavendish Hotel at Chatsworth here.

The Rutland Arms Hotel - historic coaching inn on the square in the centre of Bakewell

The Rutland Arms Hotel is on the square in the centre of Bakewell, and breakfast is included in the price. There’s a restaurant, a bar and free parking, and the rooms range from 16 to 22 square metres.

Choose this one if you want to be able to walk to the shops, pubs and river in the evening. There are only a few parking spaces at the hotel, and one guest mentions a weak shower.

One guest highlights the location on Booking.com: “Everything about the hotel was excellent. The location is perfect for exploring Bakewell and the surrounding area.”

See photos and book The Rutland Arms Hotel here.

Hassop Station rooms on the Monsal Trail - rooms at the old station on the Monsal Trail

Hassop Station rooms on the Monsal Trail are at the former station right by the trail, just north of Bakewell. There’s a café and restaurant, free parking and double rooms of 19-20 square metres. Some of the rooms have a private bathroom outside the room itself.

This is the cheapest of my three suggestions and an obvious choice if you want to walk or cycle the Monsal Trail. Breakfast isn’t included in the price. Guests mention that contact with the property feels impersonal and that there’s a little traffic noise in some rooms.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “Fantastic place. I can definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the Peak District.”

See photos and book Hassop Station rooms on the Monsal Trail here.

8. Manchester - best city for football, music and nightlife ⚽

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows the town hall on Albert Square. All three hotels are less than 700 metres from there.
• 🚋 Transport: The Metrolink tram and buses. The centre is so compact that you can walk to most places.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: The train from Manchester Airport to Piccadilly Station takes around 15-20 minutes. This is an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £105 to £344 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: The centre is safe. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds around the stations and in the nightlife at weekends.

Manchester is the big city of the North of England and the place for football, music and nightlife. It’s home to Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium, and the city has produced bands such as Oasis, The Smiths and Joy Division. The Northern Quarter is full of bars, record shops and street art, while the canals and warehouses of Castlefield tell the story of the city’s industrial past.

Manchester is also a good base for exploring the North of England. The train from London Euston takes about two hours, and from here it’s under an hour by train to Liverpool and about an hour and a half to York. The Peak District is right on the city’s doorstep, and there are direct trains to Windermere in the Lake District.

See hotels in Manchester here.

I’ve chosen hotels in the central part of the city, so you can walk to the Northern Quarter, Deansgate and the stations. If you’d like to choose between more neighbourhoods, read my guide to where to stay in Manchester, and in my guide to things to do in Manchester you’ll find everything you shouldn’t miss. I’ve covered getting in from the airport in my guide from Manchester Airport to the city centre.

Book well ahead if you’re going to a match or a concert. On match days and during big concerts, hotel prices rise across the whole city.

Hotels in Manchester

The Lowry Hotel Manchester - five-star hotel with a spa on the River Irwell

The Lowry Hotel sits on the River Irwell on the Salford side, less than a kilometre from both the town hall and Victoria Station. There’s a restaurant, bar, spa and gym, and the rooms are large, from 35 square metres upwards.

This is my luxury pick in Manchester and a good choice for couples who want space. Breakfast costs extra, and parking is £32 per night. Some guests feel the price is high for the facilities and that the furnishings feel cheap.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A lovely stay on a Sunday deal, which was really good value for money. Large, comfortable room and just a few minutes’ walk into the centre.”

See photos and book The Lowry Hotel Manchester here.

Motel One Manchester-Royal Exchange - design hotel with a bar in the heart of the shopping district

Motel One Manchester-Royal Exchange is on Cross Street in the middle of the shopping district, around 350 metres from the town hall. There’s a bar and a lift, and all rooms are 16 square metres.

It’s a good choice if you want to stay centrally in a modern, simple hotel. Breakfast costs extra, and parking is around £25 a day. Guests mention that the rooms are smaller than expected and have little space for luggage.

One guest praises the breakfast on Booking.com: “The hotel was centrally located with easy access to Manchester city centre. Breakfast was very good with fresh, high-quality food.”

See photos and book Motel One Manchester-Royal Exchange here.

Abel Heywood Boutique Hotel - boutique hotel with a restaurant and bar in the Northern Quarter

Abel Heywood Boutique Hotel is on Turner Street in the Northern Quarter, less than 600 metres from Victoria Station and around 800 metres from Piccadilly. There’s a restaurant and bar on the ground floor, and rooms range from 12 square metres up to a 40-square-metre suite.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and an obvious choice if you want to stay right in the middle of the nightlife. Breakfast costs extra. Guests mention noise from neighbouring rooms and pillows that aren’t up to scratch.

One guest writes about their stay on Booking.com: “We really enjoyed our stay at the hotel! The location was perfect: close to the sights and surrounded by lots of cool bars and restaurants.”

See photos and book Abel Heywood Boutique Hotel here.

9. Liverpool - best city for The Beatles and the waterfront 🎸

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows Royal Albert Dock on the waterfront. Two of the hotels are about a kilometre from there, while Titanic Hotel is at Stanley Dock, about 2.5 km to the north.
• 🚶 Transport: You can get around the centre and the waterfront on foot. Lime Street Station is in the eastern part of the centre.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Buses run from Liverpool John Lennon Airport into the centre, and the journey takes about half an hour. That’s an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £74 to £157 per night for the three hotels below when I searched for a weekday in May. Liverpool is the cheapest place in this guide.
• 👮 Safety: The centre is safe. Keep an eye on your bag in crowds and at night in the nightlife area around Concert Square and Seel Street.

Liverpool is the city for you if you love music, football or port cities. The Beatles started out here, and The Cavern Club is in the Cavern Quarter, while The Beatles Story museum is at Royal Albert Dock. The waterfront, with the Royal Liver Building, the museums and the old warehouses at Albert Dock, is the most striking part of the city.

The city is easy to reach. According to Avanti West Coast, the fastest trains between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street take 2 hours and 11 minutes, and from Manchester it’s under an hour by train. Mersey Ferries sail across the River Mersey from Pier Head.

See hotels in Liverpool here.

Two nights is enough for the Beatles museums, the waterfront and a trip to Anfield. You’ll find what to see in my guide to things to do in Liverpool, and if you want to choose between several neighbourhoods, read my guide to where to stay in Liverpool.

If you’re staying in Manchester, you can easily do Liverpool as a day trip, but I’d stay here for at least one night. The hotels are cheaper than in many other English cities, and the evenings by the docks and in the Ropewalks area are a big part of the experience.

Hotels in Liverpool

Titanic Hotel Liverpool - hotel with a spa in an old warehouse at Stanley Dock

Titanic Hotel Liverpool is in a converted warehouse at Stanley Dock, about 2.5 km north of the centre. The rooms are very large, from 56 square metres, and there’s a restaurant, a rum bar, a spa and parking for £8 a day.

This is my luxury pick in Liverpool, and the price is fair for what you get. On the other hand, you’ll need a taxi or a fair walk to get into the centre, and guests mention that there are few places to eat nearby. Breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “What’s not to like? The rooms are amazing and the spa is so relaxing.”

See photos and book Titanic Hotel Liverpool here.

Hard Days Night Hotel Liverpool - Beatles hotel right by The Cavern Club

Hard Days Night Hotel is on North John Street, just around the corner from The Cavern Club and about 800 metres from Albert Dock. The hotel has a Beatles theme, and there’s a restaurant, two bars and a lift. Rooms range from 24 to 42 square metres.

It’s the obvious choice for Beatles fans. Breakfast costs £13 per person, and parking in a nearby car park costs around £13 a day. Guests mention noise, as the hotel is right in the middle of the nightlife, and that there are few plug sockets in the rooms.

An enthusiastic guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic hotel in the heart of Liverpool! Super friendly staff and beautiful rooms!”

See photos and book Hard Days Night Hotel Liverpool here.

The Resident Liverpool - modern hotel with kitchenettes in the rooms in Ropewalks

The Resident Liverpool is on Seel Street in the Ropewalks area, about a kilometre from Albert Dock and less than a kilometre from Lime Street. All rooms have a kitchenette and range from 16 to 40 square metres.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and a good choice if you want to stay in the middle of the city and do a bit of your own cooking. There’s no restaurant or bar, and breakfast isn’t included in the price. Guests mention that some rooms are small.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “A comfortable, friendly and beautiful hotel right in the heart of Liverpool.”

See photos and book The Resident Liverpool here.

10. Lake District - best area for lakes, fells and boat trips ⛵

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows Ambleside at the northern end of Windermere. The hotels are in the middle of town or up to about a kilometre away at Waterhead, where the boats dock.
• 🚌 Transport: Buses and boats on Windermere. Trains run to Windermere Station, and from there you take the bus or a taxi on to Ambleside.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: From Manchester Airport it’s roughly two hours by car to Ambleside. That’s an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £145 to £365 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: A very safe area. The weather on the fells changes quickly, so check the forecast before you head up high.

The Lake District is England’s largest national park and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. It’s home to Windermere, which at 17 kilometres is England’s longest lake, and Scafell Pike, which at 978 metres is the country’s highest mountain. The area is famous from Beatrix Potter’s books and the poet William Wordsworth, and there are walks for every level.

I recommend Ambleside as your base, because the town sits right in the middle of the area at the northern end of Windermere. From here it’s a short trip to Grasmere, the Langdale valley and the boats on the lake, and the town has plenty of pubs, restaurants and outdoor gear shops. Windermere and Bowness further south are bigger and more touristy.

See hotels in Ambleside here.

If you’re coming by train on the main line between London and Glasgow, you change at Oxenholme for the branch line to Windermere, and Northern also runs direct trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Windermere. From the station it’s about eight kilometres to Ambleside. Driving yourself is a good option, but expect narrow roads and full car parks during the summer holidays. If you’d rather stay in Bowness, Keswick, Grasmere or Coniston, I’ve covered five places in my guide to where to stay in the Lake District.

Stay at least three nights. That gives you a day on the lake, a day on the fells and a spare day in case it rains, which it often does in the Lake District.

Hotels in the Lake District

Rothay Manor Hotel - country house with garden and restaurant between the town and the lake

Rothay Manor Hotel sits in its own garden on the southern edge of Ambleside, a five-minute walk from the centre and about 400 metres from Waterhead. Breakfast is included, and there’s a restaurant, a bar and free parking. Rooms range from 24 square metres up to a 33-square-metre suite with its own hot tub.

This is my luxury pick in the Lake District and a good choice for a romantic break. There’s no lift, and guests mention that the hotel faces a busy road.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A fantastic hotel in beautiful surroundings, close to both the town and Windermere, with absolutely wonderful staff who take care of every need.”

See photos and book Rothay Manor Hotel here.

Ambleside Salutation Hotel & Spa - four-star hotel with an indoor pool in the middle of town

Ambleside Salutation Hotel & Spa is right in the centre of Ambleside. There’s an indoor pool, sauna, hot tub, restaurant and bar, breakfast is included and parking is free. Rooms range from 18 to 38 square metres.

This is my suggestion for families and for rainy days, when the pool makes a big difference. Guests mention traffic noise and a slightly tired-looking exterior.

One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “An excellent place to stay. Great location with easy access to Windermere.”

See photos and book Ambleside Salutation Hotel & Spa here.

The Windermere Rooms at The Wateredge Inn - lakeside hotel in Waterhead

The Windermere Rooms at The Wateredge Inn is on the lakeshore at Waterhead, a two-minute walk from the boats and about a kilometre from the centre of Ambleside. Breakfast is included, there’s a restaurant, a bar and free parking, and most rooms are 25-30 square metres.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and the obvious choice if you want to stay by the water. Guests mention problems at check-in, and that some rooms get warm because there’s no fan.

One guest writes about their room on Booking.com: “Fantastic location on the shore of the lake. Really spacious, clean and modern room with a great shower.”

See photos and book The Windermere Rooms at The Wateredge Inn here.

11. York - best city for medieval history, city walls and the Minster 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The map shows York Minster in the middle of the city. The hotels are between around 600 metres and a kilometre from there.
• 🚶 Transport: You can get around the centre on foot, and York Station is just outside the city walls.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: The nearest airport is Leeds Bradford. The city’s tourist office recommends the 757 bus to Leeds Station and then a train to York. Allow around an hour and a half. That’s an estimate.
• 💰 Price level: Around £155 to £289 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: A safe city. The streets in the centre are packed at weekends, so keep a firm hold of your bag.

York is the city in England where the Middle Ages feel most alive. You can walk along the city walls for much of the way round the centre, The Shambles is a narrow street of crooked timber-framed houses, and towering over it all is the Gothic cathedral, York Minster. The city was founded by the Romans and later became the Viking town of Jorvik.

According to the city’s tourist office, the train from King’s Cross in London takes around 1 hour and 50 minutes, and from Manchester it takes about an hour and a half. That makes York a good way to finish a tour of the north or a stop on the way to Scotland, as trains from London carry on from here to Edinburgh.

See hotels in York here.

Give York two nights. That way you’ll have time for the Minster, the city walls, the Jorvik Viking Centre and an evening in one of the old pubs. I’ve chosen hotels near the station and inside the city walls, but if you’d rather stay in a quieter neighbourhood or a guesthouse with parking, you can read my guide to where to stay in York, where I go through six areas.

Hotel prices in York often rise at weekends, so compare them with weekdays if you can shift your trip.

Hotels in York

The Grand, York - five-star hotel with a spa and pool by the station

The Grand, York is housed in the former headquarters of the North Eastern Railway, around 300 metres from the station and just over 600 metres from York Minster. It has a spa, an indoor pool, a restaurant and a bar, and the rooms are large, from 33 square metres.

This is my luxury pick in York. Breakfast is only included in some rates, and the pool costs extra. Parking in a nearby public car park costs around £40 a day. Guests mention a small breakfast room and old-fashioned bath and shower combinations.

A regular guest writes on Booking.com: “The Grand is always our first choice when we stay in York.”

See photos and book The Grand, York here.

Hotel Indigo York - four-star hotel on Walmgate inside the city walls

Hotel Indigo York is on Walmgate in the eastern part of the centre, just under a kilometre from York Minster and around 1.7 km from the station. All rooms are 20 square metres, and there’s a restaurant, a bar and a lift.

It’s a good choice if you want to stay inside the city walls and walk everywhere. Parking costs £14 per night on a first-come, first-served basis, and guests mention that it can be hard to get a space and that the rooms are small.

One guest praises the staff on Booking.com: “The staff were very helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The location was excellent and central in York.”

See photos and book Hotel Indigo York here.

The Bar Convent Guest House - guesthouse in an old convent just outside the city walls

The Bar Convent is on Blossom Street, around 300 metres from the station and a kilometre from York Minster. It’s a guesthouse in a convent, and breakfast in the café is included in the price. The double rooms are 14-19 square metres.

It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions and an unusually good choice if you’re travelling alone, as it has proper single rooms. There’s a lift, but some rooms can only be reached via a narrow staircase, and one guest found their room got too warm.

A guest writes on Booking.com: “It’s one of the few hotels with a proper single room. It’s close to the railway station, has a good breakfast and very friendly staff.”

See photos and book The Bar Convent Guest House here.

Where not to stay in England?

I wouldn’t stay in London for the whole trip and do everything else as day trips. Oxford, Brighton and Cambridge are easily done in a day, and Bath and York can work as a long day, but Cornwall and the Lake District are so far away that you’ll spend most of your time on the train. Nor would I book a cheap hotel far out in London’s suburbs to save money, because you’ll pay the difference back in time and tickets every day.

In the countryside, I wouldn’t stay far from a town without a car. Buses in the Cotswolds, the Peak District and the Lake District are infrequent, especially in the evening and in winter. And I wouldn’t take a car into central London, where parking is expensive and you have to pay the Congestion Charge.

If you have a week, I’d do four nights in London and three in Bath or York. With ten days, you can do a tour west taking in London, Oxford, the Cotswolds and Bath. With two weeks, you can start in London and Bath and then take the train north to Manchester, the Lake District and York.

If you’re travelling with children, Brighton, Cornwall and the Lake District are the obvious choices, and if you’re mainly after big cities, London, Manchester and Liverpool are easy to combine by train. The countryside is at its best from May to September, when the days are long. Book early if you’re travelling during the English school summer holidays, as Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Lake District will be full of holidaymakers.

If your trip continues north after York or the Lake District, Scotland is just across the border. You can also read my guide to where to stay in Glasgow.

The post Where to Stay in England? The 11 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Choosing where to stay comes down to what you want right outside your door: the harbour, the old streets, Georgian calm, the trains or the nightlife. Here are my five picks for areas, with three hotels in each.

Where to Stay in Bristol: The Best Areas

• Harbourside - best area for first-time visitors
• Old Town & St Nicholas Market - best area for pubs, food and shopping
• Clifton Village - best area for couples and romance
• Redcliffe & Temple Meads - best area for trains and day trips
• Stokes Croft & Gloucester Road - best area for street art and nightlife

Below, I go through the areas one at a time with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each, from the most expensive to the cheapest. The prices come from a search for two people on a weekday in May, so expect higher rates at weekends, during the summer holidays and during the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, which fills the city every August.

1. Harbourside - best area for first-time visitors ⚓

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying at the heart of the city. From Millennium Square it’s about a 10-minute walk to St Nicholas Market and 25 minutes to Temple Meads.
• 🚢 Transport: You can walk almost everywhere, and the yellow Bristol Ferry Boats sail between the quays, SS Great Britain and Temple Meads.
• ✈️ Time from Bristol Airport: About 30 minutes on the Airport Flyer to Temple Meads, then a 20 to 25-minute walk or a ride on the harbour ferry, or about 25 to 30 minutes by taxi.
• 💰 Price level: Around £70 to £210 per night for the three places below when I searched on a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and full of life during the day and evening. On Friday and Saturday nights there can be groups of partygoers along the quays, so choose a room away from the bars if you’re a light sleeper.

Harbourside is the area around the Floating Harbour, the old port that’s now a long stretch of quayside with museums, restaurants and boats. Here you’ll find the M Shed museum, which is free to enter and covers the city’s history, and the Arnolfini arts centre in an old tea warehouse. A little to the west lies SS Great Britain, one of the world’s first ocean-going iron steamships, and according to Bristol Dockyards an adult ticket costs £22 online and gives you free return visits for a year.

On the south side of the harbour is Wapping Wharf, where small restaurants and cafés are housed in old shipping containers, and behind it Spike Island with its artists’ studios. In the evening, Bristol sits out on the quays with a beer or a cider, and if you want the history too, you can take a guided tour along the harbour from around £14. The Bristol Ferry Boats run all year round, and you pay on board.

See hotels at Harbourside here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Bristol or if you only have a weekend. The main sights are within walking distance, the cathedral is right by College Green, and the Old Town is just a few minutes away across the bridges.

The downside is that there aren’t many hotels right on the water, and the big chain hotels dominate. Many of the cheap deals are flats at Wapping Wharf and Cumberland Road, and they’re further from the centre than the map makes them look. In summer, the quays are also packed with day-trippers.

Hotels at Harbourside

Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel - classic four-star hotel by the cathedral

The Marriott Royal sits on College Green right next to the cathedral and a few minutes’ walk from the harbour and Millennium Square. It’s the city’s classic grand hotel in a historic building, and you can choose between deluxe rooms, junior suites and a Royal Suite, with a breakfast buffet and a gym. It was the most expensive of my three suggestions here, and several guests find the parking at £17 per night pricey.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful hotel, the staff are excellent, and the room was beautiful and made good use of the space.”

See photos and book Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel here.

Leonardo Royal Hotel Bristol - four-star hotel right on the harbour

The Leonardo Royal, formerly The Bristol Hotel, is on Prince Street right on the quayside and a few minutes from M Shed and the Arnolfini. There’s a restaurant, bar and gym, and rooms range from standard to suites. Parking in the adjacent car park costs £16 to £19 per night, and some guests find the standard rooms rather small.

From one review: “Fantastic hotel and location, very clean and friendly staff.”

See photos and book Leonardo Royal Hotel Bristol here.

YHA Bristol - hostel with private rooms in an old warehouse

YHA Bristol is on Narrow Quay in a converted harbourside warehouse, right by the Arnolfini. As well as dorms, there are private rooms for three to six people, plus a café with a breakfast buffet, a bar and a shared kitchen, and it was by far the cheapest of the three. If you go for a dorm, expect less privacy, which several guests mention.

One guest highlights: “Great location, excellent rooms, good facilities, lovely communal areas and wonderful staff.”

See photos and book YHA Bristol here.

2. Old Town & St Nicholas Market - best area for pubs, food and shopping 🏛️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the historic centre. From St Nicholas Market it’s a 5-minute walk to the harbour and 10 minutes to the shopping areas of Broadmead and Cabot Circus.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk everywhere. City buses stop on Baldwin Street and at The Centre, and the bus station on Marlborough Street is 10 minutes to the north.
• ✈️ Time from Bristol Airport: Around 30 to 35 minutes on the Airport Flyer to the bus station on Marlborough Street plus a 10-minute walk, or around 25 to 30 minutes by taxi.
• 💰 Price level: Around £73 to £276 per night for the three places below when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe during the day and in the evening. Around The Centre and Broadmead there are lots of drunk people late at weekends, but it’s rarely unpleasant.

Old Town is Bristol’s medieval core between the harbour and Castle Park, and it’s home to St Nicholas Market in the old 18th-century Corn Exchange. The market has covered arcades with stalls, second-hand books and records, and a whole street of small food stalls where you can have lunch for a few pounds. Out on Corn Street stand four bronze pillars, “the nails”, where merchants once paid in cash, which is where the expression “to pay on the nail” comes from.

A few minutes to the south is cobbled King Street, with old pubs such as the 17th-century Llandoger Trow and the Bristol Old Vic theatre, and to the north the old Christmas Steps lead up towards Colston Street. If you want to hear about pirates, the slave trade and Banksy all in one go, you can take the walking tour from Blackbeard to Banksy from around £14, which has thousands of great reviews.

See hotels in Old Town here.

I’d stay here if you want the pubs and food just round the corner and can’t be bothered with buses. You’ve got the harbour on one side and the shops in Broadmead and Cabot Circus on the other, and most of the sights are within a 15-minute walk. In the evening the pubs on King Street and Corn Street are packed, and you’re never far from your bed.

The downside is that the area empties out on weekday evenings once the offices close, and the market is closed on Sundays. Many of the hotels are in old bank and office buildings with a bit of street noise, so ask for a room facing the courtyard. There’s almost no parking, so come without a car.

Hotels in Old Town

Hotel du Vin Bristol - boutique hotel in an 18th-century sugar refinery

Hotel du Vin is in The Sugar House on Narrow Lewins Mead, an old sugar refinery close to Christmas Steps and around a 10-minute walk from Cabot Circus. Rooms range from classic to suites, there’s a restaurant and bar, and it was the most expensive hotel of all in this guide. There are only a few parking spaces at £20 per night, which several guests complain about.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Very original, clean, great location, and the room has loads of character.”

See photos and book Hotel du Vin Bristol here.

Clayton Hotel Bristol City - large modern hotel with almost 12,000 reviews

Clayton Hotel is on Broad Street in the middle of Old Town, a couple of minutes from St Nicholas Market and around a nine-minute walk from Cabot Circus. It’s a modern four-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, gym and family rooms, and its score stays high despite the large number of guests. Parking is in a multi-storey car park on Nelson Street at a discount, and some guests feel the staff could be more attentive.

From one review: “Modern and clean, the room was spacious, and the breakfast was fantastic.”

See photos and book Clayton Hotel Bristol City here.

The Bristol Wing - budget hostel with private rooms and a high score

The Bristol Wing is on Bridewell Street on the northern edge of Old Town, a few minutes’ walk from Christmas Steps and Broadmead. As well as dorms, there are private rooms and family rooms for up to four people, plus a shared kitchen, a lift and a 24-hour reception. The facilities are basic, and several guests mention that the shower can lack pressure and heat.

One guest highlights: “Clean and tidy room. Very central.”

See photos and book The Bristol Wing here.

3. Clifton Village - best area for couples and romance 🌉

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 2 kilometres west of the centre. It’s a 25 to 30-minute walk down to the harbour, but the way back is up a steep hill.
• 🚌 Transport: City buses run from the centre and Temple Meads up to Clifton, and a taxi from the harbour takes about 10 minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Bristol Airport: About 25 to 30 minutes by taxi, or about an hour on the Airport Flyer to Temple Meads followed by a bus or taxi up to Clifton.
• 💰 Price level: Roughly £106 to £336 per night for the three hotels below, when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe. Clifton is one of Bristol’s nicest neighbourhoods, with quiet streets and lots of families and students.

Clifton Village is the part of Bristol that looks most like Bath, with long terraces of pale-stone Georgian houses, curving streets such as Royal York Crescent and little squares lined with cafés and wine bars. In the middle of the neighbourhood is Clifton Arcade, a Victorian shopping arcade from 1878 filled with small independent shops, and around it you’ll find delis, bakeries and pubs with garden chairs out on the pavement.

The neighbourhood comes to an abrupt end at the Avon Gorge, where Clifton Suspension Bridge hangs high above the river. The bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1864, and you can walk across it for free to Leigh Woods on the other side. There’s a small visitor centre by the bridge, and according to the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust admission is always free and it’s open every day from 10am to 5pm. Right next door is Clifton Observatory with views over the gorge, and down by the water are the colourful houses of Cliftonwood and Hotwells.

See hotels in Clifton Village here.

I’d stay here if you’re a couple who want peace and quiet, beautiful streets and a good dinner without having to catch a bus home. It’s also the right choice if you’ve been to Bristol before and simply want to enjoy the city rather than see everything.

The downside is the hills. The walk up from the harbour via Jacob’s Wells Road or Park Street is steep, and with a suitcase you’ll want a taxi. It’s also a long way to Temple Meads, so it’s not the best choice if you have an early morning train.

Hotels in Clifton Village

Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin - the hotel looking straight out at the suspension bridge

Avon Gorge Hotel sits on Sion Hill right above the gorge, a few minutes’ walk from Clifton Suspension Bridge and Clifton Arcade. Many of the rooms have views over the gorge and the bridge, and there’s a restaurant, a bar and a terrace overlooking the gorge. It was the most expensive of the three, and there are only a few parking spaces at £12 per day.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location, staff and breakfast!”

See photos and book Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin here.

The Rodney Hotel - Georgian townhouse in the heart of Clifton Village

The Rodney Hotel is on Rodney Place in a terrace of Georgian houses in the middle of Clifton Village, a couple of minutes’ walk from Clifton Arcade and 10 minutes from the bridge. It’s a smaller hotel with a restaurant, bar and garden, and the rooms range from singles to doubles and twins. There are only seven parking spaces at £8 per night, on a first come, first served basis.

From one review: “Good location, parking, room size, staff.”

See photos and book The Rodney Hotel here.

The Washington - budget hotel in lower Clifton

The Washington is on St Paul’s Road in the lower part of Clifton, about 15 minutes’ walk from Clifton Village and the same distance down to Park Street and the harbour. There are family rooms, a breakfast with English and continental options and limited parking at £12 per night, and the price was the lowest of the three. The décor is worn, and some guests have complained about the cleaning.

One guest highlights: “Good location. The staff are very friendly.”

See photos and book The Washington here.

4. Redcliffe & Temple Meads - best area for trains and day trips 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 1 kilometre south-east of the Old Town. It’s a 15-minute walk to St Nicholas Market and 10 minutes to the harbour.
• 🚆 Transport: Temple Meads is the city’s main railway station, with trains to London, Bath, Cardiff and the rest of South West England. The harbour ferry leaves from behind the station and runs into the centre.
• ✈️ Time from Bristol Airport: About 30 minutes on the Airport Flyer, which stops right by the station, and a single ticket costs £9.
• 💰 Price level: Around £104 to £212 per night for the three hotels below when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: Fine during the day. In the evening it’s quiet around the station and the big office buildings, and there may be homeless people in the pedestrian underpasses, so walk back along the main streets.

Temple Meads was built by Brunel as the terminus of the Great Western Railway and opened in 1840, and the old station building with its towers and pointed windows is one of the finest pieces of architecture in the city. North of the station, Temple Quarter has grown up with new offices and hotels, and to the west lies Redcliffe with St Mary Redcliffe, a huge Gothic parish church with a spire you can see from most of the city. If you’d like to hear the story behind it, you can take a guided tour of St Mary Redcliffe for around £6.

The trains are the reason to stay here. With GWR you’re in Bath in about 15 minutes, and it’s so close that many people pop over for half a day. If you’d rather stay in Bath, I’ve written about where to stay in Bath. The train to London Paddington takes about an hour and a half, so you can easily combine Bristol with a couple of days in the capital, and then you can read my guide on where to stay in London.

See hotels near Temple Meads here.

I’d stay here if you’re arriving by train, going on day trips, or landing late and taking the Airport Flyer. If you land at Heathrow instead, take the train into Paddington and change to GWR for Bristol, and you can see how to get onwards in my guide from Heathrow Airport to the city centre.

The downside is the atmosphere. The area is practical but not cosy, and the hotels are large chain hotels aimed at business travellers. On the other hand, prices are often lower than by the harbour, and there’s always a room available when the rest of the city is sold out.

Hotels near Temple Meads

Leonardo Hotel Bristol City - modern four-star hotel with a score of 9

Leonardo Hotel Bristol City is on Temple Way, about a seven-minute walk from Temple Meads and 10 minutes from Cabot Circus. It’s a modern hotel with a restaurant, bar, gym and bike parking, the breakfast has plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, and its score is the highest of the three. There’s no water or snacks in the room, and parking in a nearby multi-storey car park costs £14.50 per day.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful hotel! Very clean. The staff were very helpful and polite.”

See photos and book Leonardo Hotel Bristol City here.

DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre - four-star hotel by St Mary Redcliffe

DoubleTree is on Redcliffe Way right by St Mary Redcliffe church, about a five-minute walk from Temple Meads and 10 minutes from the harbour. There’s a restaurant, a gym and on-site parking at £15 per day, which is rare this central. Some guests have found that their room wasn’t cleaned until late in the afternoon.

From a review: “Good location for Temple Meads station and close enough to walk into the centre.”

See photos and book DoubleTree by Hilton here.

ibis Bristol Temple Meads - budget chain hotel five minutes from the platforms

ibis Bristol Temple Meads is on Avon Street, about a five-minute walk from the station and by the River Avon. It’s a simple, modern hotel with a bar, restaurant and breakfast buffet, and its price was the lowest of the three. There’s no on-site parking, so you’ll pay around £20 per day in a nearby multi-storey car park.

One guest highlights: “Lovely modern hotel close to Temple Meads.”

See photos and book ibis Bristol Temple Meads here.

5. Stokes Croft & Gloucester Road - best area for street art and nightlife 🎨

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 1 kilometre north of the Old Town. From Stokes Croft it’s a 15-minute walk to St Nicholas Market, and Gloucester Road carries on for a couple of kilometres to the north.
• 🚌 Transport: City buses run up and down Stokes Croft and Gloucester Road, and Cabot Circus and the bus station are 5 to 10 minutes from the hotels.
• ✈️ Time from Bristol Airport: About 30 to 35 minutes on the Airport Flyer to the bus station on Marlborough Street plus a 5 to 10-minute walk, or about 30 minutes by taxi.
• 💰 Price level: Around £128 to £165 per night for the three hotels below when I searched for a weekday in May.
• 👮 Safety: Lively and mostly safe, but Stokes Croft and St Pauls can feel rough late at night, and drugs are dealt on a few corners. Stick to the well-lit main streets.

Stokes Croft is Bristol’s alternative neighbourhood, and Visit Bristol calls it the city’s cultural quarter. The façades are covered in murals and graffiti, and on Stokes Croft you’ll find Banksy’s early work Mild Mild West, featuring a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at the police. In the evening there are music venues, cocktail bars and clubs, and at weekends the place stays lively until late into the night.

Head north and Stokes Croft becomes Cheltenham Road and then Gloucester Road, which according to the tourist office is one of the longest streets of independent shops in Europe. There are charity shops, record shops, bakeries and greengrocers’ stalls, and the pubs are full of locals. If you want to understand why Bristol became the street art city, you can join the street art tour with John Nation, one of the pioneers of the city’s graffiti scene, from around £15.50.

See hotels near Stokes Croft here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling to go out, listen to live music and eat cheaply, and if you’d rather see how Bristol lives than how it looks on the postcards. The three hotels below are at the southern end between Stokes Croft and Cabot Circus, so shopping and the Old Town are close by. By day you can hunt for new murals in the side streets, and in the evening there are gigs at the small venues.

The downside is that there are hardly any hotels on Stokes Croft and Gloucester Road themselves, only flats and rooms above the pubs. The area is also noisy at weekends, and some of the side streets in St Pauls aren’t pleasant to walk alone at night.

Hotels near Stokes Croft

Artist Residence Bristol - design hotel in a Georgian house on Portland Square

Artist Residence is on Portland Square, a Georgian square in St Pauls, about a five-minute walk from both Stokes Croft and Cabot Circus. The hotel is decorated with art and vintage furniture, and there’s a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, garden and games room. There’s no parking, and the nearest car park at Cabot Circus costs around £18 a day.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely relaxed atmosphere at the hotel. The rooms were very comfortable and clean.”

See photos and book Artist Residence Bristol here.

Moxy Bristol - quirky design hotel with a bar in reception

Moxy Bristol is on Newfoundland Street, about a four-minute walk from Cabot Circus and 10 minutes from Stokes Croft. You check in at the bar, there’s a gym, games room and family rooms, and its score is one of the highest in the area after almost 5,000 reviews. The hotel has no parking of its own, and even with a discount at the car park opposite, several guests find it expensive.

From a review: “I absolutely loved the hotel. It was quirky and spotlessly clean, and the staff were very friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Moxy Bristol here.

Hampton by Hilton Bristol City Centre - simple hotel with free breakfast and air conditioning

Hampton by Hilton is on Bond Street by Cabot Circus, about a 10-minute walk from Stokes Croft and the same distance from St Nicholas Market. The rooms have air conditioning and breakfast is included, which makes it good value, and the price was slightly below the Moxy when I searched. There’s no on-site parking, and the Cabot Circus car park costs around £20 a day.

One guest highlights: “The location, lovely staff, very clean, nice breakfast, great bed, shower and air conditioning.”

See photos and book Hampton by Hilton here.

Where not to stay in Bristol?

I’d avoid the cheap chain hotels by the motorways on the outskirts, such as at Cribbs Causeway, Aztec West and Bristol Parkway north of the city. The prices look tempting, but you’ll spend 30 to 45 minutes on a bus or in a taxi each way, and your evenings in town get cut short. Also be careful with the cheapest rooms in Old Market and east towards Easton, where the streets can feel unsafe at night.

Airport hotels only make sense if you have an early morning flight, as the airport is out in the countryside south of the city. And remember that Bristol is hilly: a flat with a view in Totterdown, Kingsdown or Cliftonwood can be lovely, but check how steep the walk home is.

If it’s your first trip to Bristol, I’d stay at Harbourside, and if you want pubs, the market and shopping right round the corner, the Old Town is the safe choice. If you’re travelling as a couple and want peace and pretty streets, go for Clifton Village, and if you’ll mainly be taking day trips by train, stay near Temple Meads. If you’re into street art, music and nightlife, Stokes Croft is your place.

From the airport, the easiest option is the Airport Flyer from Bristol Airport, which runs around the clock to Temple Meads and the bus station in the centre. If you want to see more of England, the Cotswolds are just under an hour’s drive to the north-east, and here you can read about where to stay in the Cotswolds. To the south-west, Cornwall awaits with beaches and fishing villages, and I also have a guide to where to stay in Cornwall. For the villages and the coast, a hire car from Bristol is the easiest option, but in the city itself a car is mostly more trouble than it’s worth.

The post Where to Stay in Bristol? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

I’ve picked out 18 experiences I would prioritise, from the Royal Albert Dock, the Cavern Club and Anfield to the cathedrals, the wartime bunker beneath the city and the iron men on Crosby Beach. All prices are in pounds sterling. Several of the free museums close a couple of days a week, so plan around the days of the week. At the end you’ll find my practical tips on trains, ferries and tickets.

1. Royal Albert Dock

The Royal Albert Dock is where most people start, and it’s easy to see why. The red-brick warehouses with their sturdy iron columns were designed by the engineer Jesse Hartley and opened in 1846 as the first warehouses in Britain built entirely without combustible wood. Today they house restaurants, bars, shops and museums, and from the quayside you look across the basins to the Pump House and the Royal Liver Building. It’s free to wander around.

Tate Liverpool’s building at the dock has been closed for a major redevelopment, and in the meantime the gallery is showing its exhibitions for free at RIBA North on Mann Island, so check Tate’s website before you go. The Merseyside Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum have also been closed for a lengthy refurbishment. From Liverpool ONE and James Street Station it’s about a five-minute walk down here.

Come early in the morning if you want to photograph the dock without the crowds. If you’d like to stay right by the water, Holiday Inn Express Liverpool-Albert Dock is inside one of the old warehouse buildings, and in my guide to where to stay in Liverpool you’ll find more hotels on the waterfront.

Book an amphibious tour with a splashdown in the Royal Albert Dock here.

2. The Beatles Story

The Beatles Story sits in the vaults beneath one of the warehouses at the Albert Dock and is the world’s largest permanent exhibition about the band. You follow John, Paul, George and Ringo from their childhood in Liverpool, via Hamburg and their early days at the Cavern Club, to Beatlemania, Abbey Road and their solo careers. Along the way you walk through a replica of the Cavern Club, sit in a plane from the US tour and finish in an all-white room with the piano on which John Lennon wrote Imagine.

An adult ticket costs £20, and an audio guide in 12 languages is included in the price. The museum is normally open every day from 9am, and on Saturdays it stays open an hour longer than on weekdays. You can’t pay cash on the door, so it’s best to book online and choose a time slot.

Allow an hour and a half to two hours, and take the audio guide, because that’s what tells the story. Arrive early in the day at weekends and during the school holidays, when the corridors fill up quickly.

Book tickets for The Beatles Story here.

3. The Cavern Club and Mathew Street

On narrow Mathew Street in the Cavern Quarter, The Beatles played around 300 times in the cellar that made them famous. The original Cavern Club was demolished in 1973, but it was rebuilt almost on the same spot using many of the old bricks, and the atmosphere under the low vaulted ceilings is still great. There’s live music every day, and on the street you’ll find the John Lennon statue, the Wall of Fame with the names of bands who have played here, and several Beatles-themed pubs.

The club opens every day at 11am, entry costs £6, and a pass for the whole day and evening costs £8.50. It’s card only, children under 12 get in free, and 12 to 17-year-olds can stay until 8pm with an adult. From Moorfields and Liverpool Central it’s just a few minutes’ walk.

Come in the afternoon if you want a spot close to the stage, as there are long queues on weekend evenings. If you’d like to stay right in the Beatles quarter, the Hard Days Night Hotel is just around the corner.

Book a guided Beatles walking tour here.

4. Magical Mystery Tour, Penny Lane and Strawberry Field

Many of the places that inspired Beatles songs are in the suburbs south of the centre, and the easiest way to see them is on a bus tour. The Magical Mystery Tour runs in a brightly painted bus resembling the one from the film, and in around two hours you pass George Harrison’s birthplace, Ringo Starr’s childhood home, the houses where John Lennon and Paul McCartney grew up, the Penny Lane street sign and the red gates at Strawberry Field. The guide tells the stories behind the songs, and Beatles music plays the whole way.

The tour starts at Anchor Courtyard by the Albert Dock and ends at the Cavern Club, with entry included in the ticket. An adult ticket typically costs around £30. You see the houses from the outside, but Lennon’s and McCartney’s childhood homes can also be visited inside on special National Trust tours.

Book well ahead in summer, when departures often sell out. If the Magical Mystery Tour is full, other companies run similar bus tours for less.

Book a Beatles bus tour to Penny Lane and Strawberry Field here.

5. Pier Head, the Three Graces and RLB360

At Pier Head stand the three buildings that are Liverpool’s landmark, the Three Graces. The Royal Liver Building from 1911 was one of the world’s first large reinforced-concrete buildings, and on top of its two clocks perch the copper Liver Birds. Legend has it that one looks out to sea for the sailors and the other looks over the city. Next to it are the Cunard Building and the domed Port of Liverpool Building, and on the square in front the four Beatles stroll in bronze.

RLB360 takes you up one of the clock towers with views over the whole city and the River Mersey. An adult ticket costs £16, the tour takes around 70 minutes, and you have to climb 124 steps yourself above the 10th floor. Children under five aren’t allowed. James Street Station is a five-minute walk away.

Take the ferry across to the Wirral side if you want all three buildings in one shot. The classic skyline photo is best taken from Seacombe in the late afternoon.

Book the tour up the Royal Liver Building here.

6. Museum of Liverpool

The Museum of Liverpool is the white, modern building on Mann Island between Pier Head and the Albert Dock, and it’s the best place to get to grips with the city. The exhibitions tell Liverpool’s story from the first settlements, through the port’s heyday and emigration to America, to the music, the football and the humour. You can sit inside a carriage from the Liverpool Overhead Railway, the elevated line that once ran along the docks, and take in the huge windows looking out over the river. There’s also a great area for the youngest children.

Admission is free, and the museum is usually open from 10am to 5pm, but National Museums Liverpool has at times kept some of its museums closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check the opening days before you go. It’s a two-minute walk from the Albert Dock and Pier Head.

Head up to the large panoramic windows on the first floor, where you get one of the best free views of the river and Pier Head. Allow at least an hour and a half for the museum.

7. Western Approaches

Beneath the Derby House office building behind the Town Hall lies one of Liverpool’s best-kept secrets. This is where the Battle of the Atlantic was directed during the Second World War, as the Allies fought the German U-boats to keep Britain’s supply lines open. The bunker has more than 100 rooms, and the vast map room, with its charts of the Atlantic, telephones and boards, looks as though the staff have only just gone home. You’ll also see the teleprinter room, the officers’ offices and the tiny sleeping quarters.

The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm with last entry at 5pm, and an adult day ticket costs £16.50. The entrance is on Rumford Street by Exchange Flags, and it’s a five-minute walk from Moorfields Station.

Allow an hour and a half and read the signs in the map room, because it’s the stories of the convoys that bring the place to life. It’s a good choice on a rainy day, and there’s rarely a queue.

8. Anfield and the stadium tour

Anfield has been Liverpool FC’s home ground since 1892, and even on non-match days the atmosphere around the stadium is something special. On the stadium tour you walk through the home dressing room, touch the famous This is Anfield sign and head out through the players’ tunnel to the dugouts by the pitch. The museum displays the club’s trophies, from the European Cup finals to the latest titles. Outside stand the Shankly Gates, the statues of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley and the memorial to the 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

An adult ticket for the stadium tour and museum costs £26 when you book in advance, and it’s more expensive on the door. The tour takes around an hour and a half, and tours are limited on match days. The stadium is about four kilometres north-east of the city centre, and buses from Queen Square take around 20 minutes.

Wander the streets behind the stadium, where the gable ends are covered in huge murals of club legends. If you have more time, Stanley Park and Goodison Park are right next door.

Book the Anfield stadium tour here.

9. Everton: Hill Dickinson Stadium and Goodison Park

Everton played for more than 130 years at Goodison Park on the other side of Stanley Park, but in 2025 moved to the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, right on the River Mersey. The new stadium holds around 52,800 spectators, and its brickwork and the old dock walls help it blend in among the warehouses. On the tour you’ll see the dressing room, the players’ tunnel, the pitch and the press room, and from the large South Stand there are views over the river and the city.

Everton offers tours of both the Hill Dickinson Stadium and Goodison Park, where the club’s women’s team now plays. The tour of the new stadium takes around an hour and a half and costs about £26, while the Goodison Park tour costs around £20. It’s a 15-minute walk from Sandhills Station to the new stadium.

Afterwards, walk south along the quayside to Stanley Dock, where the old tobacco warehouse is one of the largest brick buildings in the world. One of the warehouses is home to Titanic Hotel Liverpool, which is ideal for a football weekend with Everton.

Book a guided tour of the Hill Dickinson Stadium here.

10. St George’s Hall

When you step out of Lime Street Station, the first thing you see is St George’s Hall. The neoclassical building with its long colonnades opened in 1854 and housed both a concert hall and the city’s law courts. Inside, the Great Hall, with its vaulted ceiling and huge organ, is one of the finest rooms in England, and beneath the wooden floor lies a floor of more than 30,000 Minton tiles, which is only uncovered a few times a year. In the old courtrooms and the cells in the basement you can see where the convicted waited.

The visitor centre is normally open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5pm, but the building itself can only be seen on guided tours on selected dates, as it’s still used for weddings and events. Check the hall’s programme for tours and prices. It’s a four-minute walk from Lime Street.

Walk round the back of the building to St John’s Gardens, where it’s peaceful and there are benches looking out at the columns. In December, the city’s Christmas market fills the square in front.

11. Walker Art Gallery and World Museum

On William Brown Street, opposite St George’s Hall, is the city’s cultural quarter, with three free institutions side by side. The Walker Art Gallery has one of the best art collections outside London, with paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Turner, a large collection of Pre-Raphaelites and David Hockney’s Peter Getting Out of Nick’s Pool. Next door, the World Museum has dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies, an aquarium and a planetarium, and it’s one of the best places in the city with children.

Both museums are free to enter and are usually open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm, while the planetarium charges a small fee. Between them is the Central Library with the circular Picton Reading Room, which you can also pop in and see for free. Lime Street Station is a five-minute walk away.

Come on a weekday if you want to enjoy the Walker Art Gallery in peace, as the World Museum is packed with families at weekends. Take the lift to the top floor of the library, where a roof terrace looks out over the cultural quarter.

12. Liverpool Cathedral and Metropolitan Cathedral

Liverpool has two cathedrals, one at each end of Hope Street, and they are about as different as two churches can be. The Anglican Liverpool Cathedral, built in red sandstone, is the largest cathedral in Britain and was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed the red telephone box. Construction ran from 1904 to 1978, and the interior is so vast that you have to see it to believe it. The Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral from 1967 is circular and has a tower of stained glass, which has earned it the nickname Paddy’s Wigwam.

Liverpool Cathedral is free to visit, and the tower costs £8, with two lifts and 108 steps to the top. The Metropolitan Cathedral is free too, and beneath it lies the crypt of the enormous cathedral that Edwin Lutyens never got to build. From Liverpool Central, you can walk to either in 15 minutes.

Walk along Hope Street between the two and look out for the artwork of stacked suitcases on the pavement. If you’d like to stay in the quiet Georgian Quarter, Hope Street Hotel sits right between the two cathedrals.

Book a ghost tour along Hope Street to the cathedral here.

13. Bold Street and St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

Bold Street runs uphill from Liverpool Central, and it’s the city’s best street for cafés, small restaurants, vintage shops and record shops. At the very top stands St Luke’s Church, which was hit by an incendiary bomb during the major air raid in May 1941. The church burnt out, but the walls and tower survived, and today the roofless ruin is a memorial to the bombing of the city. In the garden stands the statue All Together Now, depicting the Christmas truce of 1914, with a British and a German soldier shaking hands.

It’s free to walk up Bold Street and see the ruin from the outside. The garden is often open during the day, while concerts, markets and film nights inside the church require a ticket, so check the programme. From Liverpool Central, it’s a five-minute walk.

Have breakfast or lunch on Bold Street, where some of the city’s best cafés are packed close together. The street is close to the Adagio at Liverpool Central, which you can read about in my review of Aparthotel Adagio Liverpool City.

14. Baltic Triangle

South of the centre, between Chinatown and the docks, lies the Baltic Triangle, an old warehouse and industrial district that creative businesses have taken over. The gable walls are covered in street art, and the former workshops now house bars, breweries, music venues and the large Baltic Market in Cains Brewery Village, where food stalls sell everything from pizza and tacos to Korean and Vietnamese dishes. The area is quiet during the day, but from Friday afternoon it fills up with people heading out.

It’s free to wander around, and you only pay for food and drinks. The food market isn’t open every day of the week, so check the days, and many bars don’t open until late afternoon. From Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE, it’s a 15-minute walk.

Walk along Jamaica Street and Greenland Street to see the biggest murals, and finish with dinner at Baltic Market. Come between Thursday and Saturday if you want to experience the area at its liveliest.

15. A Trip on the Mersey Ferry

Ferries have crossed the Mersey for more than 800 years, and the song Ferry Cross the Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers made them famous around the world. Today, the River Explorer Cruise is the best way to see the waterfront. The trip starts at Pier Head, sails across to Seacombe and Woodside on the Wirral side and back again, while a commentary tells you about the port, the war and the music. From the water, you see the Three Graces, Albert Dock and the cathedrals lined up.

The River Explorer Cruise takes 50 minutes and costs £14 for adults, and it sails every day all year round. On weekday mornings and afternoons, the ferry also runs as a commuter service, where a single ticket is cheaper. From James Street Station, it’s a five-minute walk down to the terminal.

Stand on deck rather than sitting inside, and bring a jacket, as it’s almost always windy on the river. Go on a clear day in the late afternoon, when the light falls on the buildings.

Book your Mersey Ferry cruise here.

16. Sefton Park and Palm House

Sefton Park in the south of the city is Liverpool’s largest park and was laid out in 1872 with lakes, waterfalls, bridges and large lawns. In the middle of the park stands the Palm House, an octagonal glass and iron glasshouse from 1896 with palms and plants from all over the world. Around the glasshouse stand statues of famous explorers and botanists, including Charles Darwin, Captain Cook and Christopher Columbus. In summer, the park is full of picnics, and it hosts concerts and festivals.

Entry to both the park and the Palm House is free, and the Palm House is usually open from 10am to 5pm. The glasshouse occasionally closes for private events, so check the website before you head out. Take Merseyrail from Liverpool Central to Aigburth in 15 minutes, then walk to the park in about 15 minutes.

Combine your visit with Lark Lane right next to the park, which has pubs, cafés and small restaurants. It’s a good place for lunch if you need a break from the city centre.

17. Crosby Beach and Another Place

North of Liverpool, 100 cast-iron men stand on the beach gazing out to sea. The artwork Another Place by Antony Gormley is spread over three kilometres of coastline and almost a kilometre out into the water, and every figure is a cast of the artist’s own body. When the tide comes in, they disappear one by one beneath the waves, and when it goes out, they stand there covered in rust, barnacles and mussels. It’s one of the most atmospheric experiences around Liverpool, and it’s rarely crowded.

It’s free and open around the clock. Take Merseyrail towards Southport to Blundellsands & Crosby, from where it’s a ten-minute walk to the beach, and stay within 50 metres of the promenade, as there is soft mud and the tide comes in quickly. The journey from the centre takes about 20 minutes.

Check the tide tables and come when the tide is going out, so you can see the most figures. Walk north along the beach to Hall Road Station and take the train back from there.

18. Day trip to Chester

Less than an hour from Liverpool lies Chester, one of England’s best-preserved historic cities. The Roman and medieval city walls run all the way round the centre, and you can walk the roughly three kilometres along the top of them. Inside the city you’ll find The Rows, streets of half-timbered buildings with two tiers of shops and covered galleries, and above the Eastgate stands the ornate clock from 1899. Chester Cathedral, Britain’s largest Roman amphitheatre and the River Dee with its rowing boats are also well worth seeing.

Walking the city walls and seeing the amphitheatre is free. Merseyrail’s Wirral line runs from Liverpool Central and James Street to Chester roughly every 15 minutes during the day, and the journey takes around 45 minutes. From Chester Station it’s a ten-minute walk into the centre.

Start at Eastgate, walk the walls anticlockwise and come down by the cathedral. Catch the train after the morning rush hour, when there’s more room, and have lunch in one of the cafés in The Rows.

Practical travel tips for Liverpool

The city centre is compact, and you can walk between Lime Street, the Cavern Quarter, Albert Dock and Hope Street in 15 to 20 minutes. For Crosby, Sefton Park and Chester, take Merseyrail, which runs in a tunnel beneath the centre with stations at Lime Street, Central, Moorfields and James Street. A Saveaway day ticket costs £5.10 for two zones and £6.80 for all zones, and is valid on trains, buses and the ferry between Liverpool and the Wirral after 9.30am on weekdays and all day at weekends.

From Liverpool John Lennon Airport, the 500 bus runs to the city centre, but many people also fly into Manchester, where there are direct trains from the airport to Lime Street. See all the options in my guide to getting from Manchester Airport to the city centre. Hotel prices rise sharply when Liverpool or Everton are playing at home and when there are big concerts, so check the fixture list before you book. You can see all hotels in Liverpool on Booking.com, and in my guide to where to stay in Liverpool, I go through the best areas.

Manchester is just 35 to 50 minutes away by train from Lime Street, so the two cities are easy to combine. I’ve written about the trip in a city break in Manchester and Liverpool, and if you’d like to spend a few nights in the neighbouring city, you can read my guide to where to stay in Manchester and the best things to do in Manchester.

It rains a lot, and the wind off the sea can be cold, so bring a waterproof jacket and save the free museums for the wet days. May to September gives you the longest days by the waterfront, while the last week of August is Beatleweek, when the city is packed with concerts and fans. Plan around the days of the week, as several of the national museums have been closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The post Things to Do in Liverpool: The Beatles, Anfield and 16 Other Reasons to Go appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are the 18 things I would prioritise, from Kelvingrove, the cathedral and the Necropolis to the West End, street art, football, whisky and day trips to Loch Lomond and Edinburgh. All prices are in pounds sterling. Several places are closed or open later on certain days of the week, so check the times before you make your plan. At the bottom I’ve gathered practical tips on the Subway, trains and tickets.

1. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Kelvingrove is Glasgow’s most visited museum, and the red sandstone building from 1901 is almost a sight in its own right. Inside, the collection mixes art and natural history in a way that makes it fun for children and adults alike. A Spitfire hangs from the ceiling in one gallery and an elephant stands in another, while the great central hall is home to Sophie Cave’s installation of more than 50 floating heads with different facial expressions. The most famous work is Salvador Dalí’s painting Christ of St John of the Cross, and there’s also an entire section devoted to Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style.

Admission is free, and the museum is open every day from 10am to 5pm, though not until 11am on Fridays and Sundays. From Kelvinhall Subway station it’s about a ten-minute walk.

Catch the free organ recital in the central hall, which usually takes place at 1pm, and at 3pm on Sundays. Afterwards, take a stroll through Kelvingrove Park, where you can look up at the university tower.

2. Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis

Glasgow Cathedral is the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland to have survived the Reformation almost intact. The Gothic church was built between the 12th and 15th centuries over the tomb of the city’s patron saint, St Mungo, and the tomb still lies in the dark lower church with its low vaults. Behind the cathedral, you cross the Bridge of Sighs and climb the hill to the Necropolis, the Victorian cemetery with several thousand monuments, mausoleums and obelisks. At the top stands the monument to the reformer John Knox, and from here you get one of the best views over the city.

Entry to the cathedral is free, and from April to September it’s open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5pm and on Sundays from 1pm to 5pm, while in winter it closes at 4pm. The Necropolis is free and open every day during daylight hours. Opposite the cathedral is Provand’s Lordship from 1471, the city’s oldest house, which is also free. From George Square it’s about a 15-minute walk along High Street.

Head up to the Necropolis in the late afternoon, when the light falls across the city, and wear good shoes, as the paths are steep and can be slippery in the rain.

Book a guided tour of the Necropolis here.

3. Riverside Museum and The Tall Ship

The Riverside Museum on the River Clyde is Glasgow’s transport museum, and the building with its jagged zinc roof was designed by Zaha Hadid. The museum opened in 2011 and was named European Museum of the Year in 2013. Inside you’ll find trams, steam locomotives, old buses, motorbikes and cars from Scotland’s own car factories, and one wall is filled with model ships from the yards that once made Glasgow the shipbuilding capital of the world. You can also walk down a recreated street from old Glasgow, complete with shops, a pub and a Subway station.

Outside the museum lies The Tall Ship, the sailing ship Glenlee, which was built in Port Glasgow in 1896 and has sailed around the world several times. You can go aboard and see the cargo hold, the cabins and the galley. Both the museum and the ship are free, and the museum has the same opening hours as Kelvingrove. From Partick Subway station it’s about a ten-minute walk.

Combine the Riverside Museum with Kelvingrove on the same day, as they’re only a 20-minute walk apart, and the museum café looks straight out over the river.

4. The Burrell Collection in Pollok Country Park

The Burrell Collection is one of the largest art collections ever assembled by one man. In 1944 the shipowner Sir William Burrell gave more than 9,000 objects to the city, and the museum sits in a bright building of glass and sandstone out in the woods of Pollok Country Park. You’ll find Chinese ceramics, medieval stained glass, tapestries, arms and armour, ancient finds from Egypt and paintings by Degas and Cézanne, among others. After a long renovation the museum reopened in 2022, and the large windows make the woodland feel almost like part of the exhibition.

Admission is free, and it’s open every day from 10am to 5pm, though not until 11am on Fridays and Sundays. The train from Glasgow Central to Pollokshaws West takes about ten minutes, and from there it’s a five-minute walk to the park entrance. A free electric bus runs through the park to the museum.

Set aside half a day and carry on to the stately home Pollok House and the fields of shaggy Highland cattle, which are also part of the park.

5. George Square and the City Chambers

George Square is Glasgow’s main square and a good place to start exploring the city. The square is filled with statues of figures including Robert Burns, James Watt and Sir Walter Scott, whose column stands in the middle, and in front of the City Chambers stands the memorial to those who fell in the First World War. The entire east side of the square is taken up by the City Chambers, the city’s council headquarters from 1888. The façade is grand, but it’s inside that the building really shows how wealthy Glasgow was in the Victorian era, with Italian marble staircases, a mosaic ceiling and a banqueting hall decorated with murals.

It’s free to wander around the square, and the City Chambers offers free guided tours on weekdays, usually at 10.30am and 2.30pm. Tours can be cancelled when there are meetings or events in the building, so ask at reception. Queen Street Station is right by the square, and Buchanan Street Subway station is a few minutes away.

If you want to stay right in the thick of it, Native Glasgow occupies a former shipping office on St Vincent Place, a minute’s walk from the square.

Book a walking tour of Glasgow city centre here.

6. Merchant City and the Gallery of Modern Art

Merchant City, east of George Square, is the district where the tobacco merchants built their mansions in the 18th century. Their fortunes came from plantations in America worked by enslaved people, and street names such as Virginia Street are still a reminder of the trade. Today the warehouses and banks have been turned into restaurants, cocktail bars and shops, and at Glasgow Cross the Tolbooth Steeple from 1626 still stands as a remnant of the old town hall.

On the edge of the district is the Gallery of Modern Art, GoMA, housed in tobacco merchant William Cunninghame’s mansion from 1778 on Royal Exchange Square. The museum hosts changing exhibitions of modern art, and admission is free. Out front stands the equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington, which almost always has a traffic cone on its head. The city has tried to remove it many times, but it always comes back, and today the cone has become one of Glasgow’s symbols.

Come in the evening, when the restaurants fill the streets. Merchant City is also one of the areas I recommend in my guide to where to stay in Glasgow.

7. City Centre Mural Trail

Glasgow has some of the largest murals in Britain, and the city has gathered around 25 of them into a free route through the centre, the City Centre Mural Trail. On High Street near the cathedral, the artist Smug has painted St Mungo as a modern man with a robin in his hand, and on Mitchell Street a giant girl holds a magnifying glass in the piece Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The comedian Billy Connolly, who was born in the city, has been given three portraits, and several of the other works are tucked away in back streets and alleys you would otherwise never walk down.

It’s free, and you can walk the trail whenever you like. Pick up the map from VisitScotland or on the city’s tourism website, and allow two to three hours if you want to see it all. Most of the murals are between Central Station, Buchanan Street and High Street.

Split the trail up, doing the western part around Mitchell Street one day and High Street with the cathedral the next. For a street art weekend, Motel One Glasgow is an affordable option by Central Station, a few minutes from the first murals.

8. The Mackintosh Trail: The Lighthouse, Willow and Glasgow School of Art

The architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh left his mark on Glasgow around 1900, and you can follow in his footsteps on a short walk through the centre. The Lighthouse in Mitchell Lane was his first public commission, a newspaper building from 1895, and today it is Scotland’s centre for design and architecture, with an exhibition about Mackintosh. Admission is free, it’s open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 5pm and on Sundays from noon, and from the viewing platform on the sixth floor you can look out over the whole city.

On Sauchiehall Street you’ll find Mackintosh at the Willow, the tearoom he designed for Kate Cranston in 1903. It’s free to eat in the tearoom, while the exhibition costs £6.50. A little further up the hill on Renfrew Street stands Glasgow School of Art, whose Mackintosh building was destroyed by fires in 2014 and 2018, and the school is working to rebuild it. Opposite is the school’s modern Reid Building.

Book a seat in the Salon de Luxe at the Willow well in advance if you want to see the finest room, as access is only at set times.

9. University of Glasgow and the Hunterian Museum

The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451 and is one of the oldest universities in the English-speaking world. The main building on Gilmorehill in the West End was designed by George Gilbert Scott in 1870, and with its tower, two quadrangles and vaulted cloisters beneath the building, it looks like something out of Harry Potter. The cloisters are free to walk through and one of the most photographed spots in the city.

Inside the main building is the Hunterian Museum, Scotland’s oldest public museum, with fossils, coins, Roman finds from the Antonine Wall and the physician William Hunter’s collections. Admission is free, and the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Across University Avenue is the Hunterian Art Gallery, with paintings by James McNeill Whistler, and The Mackintosh House, where Mackintosh’s own home has been recreated inside. This requires a ticket. Hillhead Subway station is a ten-minute walk away.

Note that the museum is closed on Mondays. Walk down through Kelvingrove Park afterwards, and you’ll have Kelvingrove Art Gallery right in front of you.

10. Ashton Lane and Byres Road

Ashton Lane is a small cobbled lane just behind Hillhead Station in the West End, and this is where students and locals meet for a pint in the evening. Fairy lights are strung above the lane, and the old stable buildings house pubs, restaurants, a small cinema and Ubiquitous Chip, which has been serving Scottish food since 1971. Right next to it is Byres Road, the West End’s main street with cafés, delis, vintage shops and bookshops, and several other little lanes branch off it, such as Ruthven Lane with its second-hand shops and places to eat.

It’s free to wander around, and most bars stay open until midnight or later. Hillhead Subway station is on Byres Road, and the journey from the centre takes about ten minutes.

Come on a Friday or Saturday evening if you want to see the lane at its liveliest. If you’d like to eat your way through the area with a guide, you can join a food tour with haggis, whisky and cranachan.

Book a West End food tour here.

11. Botanic Gardens and the Kibble Palace

Glasgow Botanic Gardens, at the end of Byres Road, is the West End’s green escape, with lawns, flower beds, an arboretum and paths down to the River Kelvin. The gardens were founded in 1817, and the best-known feature is the Kibble Palace, a large glasshouse of white-painted iron and glass. It originally stood in businessman John Kibble’s garden by Loch Long and was shipped here and reassembled in 1873. Inside are tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand and marble statues among the palms, and the other glasshouses hold orchids, cacti and tropical plants.

Entry is free. The gardens open at 7am and close at dusk, while the glasshouses have shorter opening hours, from 10am until late afternoon. Hillhead Subway station is a five-minute walk away.

Save the Kibble Palace for a rainy day, when it’s lovely to wander around in the warmth under the glass. If you’d like to stay in one of the city’s finest hotels right by the gardens, One Devonshire Gardens a Hotel Du Vin occupies a row of Victorian terraced houses a 15-minute walk along Great Western Road.

12. Glasgow Green and the People’s Palace

Glasgow Green, along the River Clyde, is the city’s oldest park, and the area has been Glasgow’s shared green space since the 15th century. This is where you’ll find the Doulton Fountain from 1888, the largest terracotta fountain in the world, with Queen Victoria at the top and figures from across the British Empire below. Behind the fountain is the People’s Palace, the city’s museum about the lives of ordinary Glaswegians, along with the Winter Gardens glasshouse. A little further away stands the Templeton Building, a former carpet factory built as a copy of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, which now houses a brewery with a beer garden.

The park is free and open around the clock. The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens are closed for an extended period due to a major renovation, so check the Glasgow Life website before you count on getting inside. From Merchant City, it’s about a ten-minute walk down to the park.

Combine your visit with Barras Market just north of the park, and finish with a beer at the brewery in the Templeton Building.

13. Barras Market and the Barrowland

The Barras on Gallowgate in the East End is Glasgow’s old flea market, started by Margaret and James McIver, who rented out barrows in the 1920s. You’ll find stalls selling second-hand goods, tools, records, clothes, old signs and just about everything else, and several of the old market halls have now been turned into street food kitchens, bars and small design shops. It isn’t neat and polished, and quite a few of the stalls mostly sell cheap junk, but it’s an honest picture of the old working-class city. Above the market glows the neon sign of the Barrowland Ballroom, one of the UK’s best-loved concert venues, where everyone from local bands to global stars has played.

The market is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm, and it’s free to wander around. From Glasgow Cross, it’s a five-minute walk.

Bring cash for the small stalls, and check the Barrowland’s gig listings if you’re in town for an evening.

14. Clydeside Distillery

You don’t have to head to the Highlands to visit a whisky distillery. Clydeside Distillery is housed in the old pumphouse at Queen’s Dock from 1877, which once operated the harbour’s swing bridge, and it was the first single malt distillery in Glasgow for more than a hundred years. On the tour, you’ll hear about the shipyards and the old docks, see the copper stills and fermentation vessels in the glass-walled room overlooking the river, and finish by tasting three different whiskies.

The standard tour takes about an hour and costs £19.50, while the whisky and chocolate tour costs £39. The distillery is on Stobcross Road between the SEC and the Riverside Museum, and it’s about a ten-minute walk from Exhibition Centre Station.

Book well ahead for weekends, as the tours are small and often sell out. If you’d like to see a classic Highland-style distillery, Glengoyne is half an hour’s drive north of the city.

Book the tour and whisky tasting at Clydeside Distillery here.

15. Football at Celtic Park and Ibrox

Football is a big deal in Glasgow, and the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers, known as the Old Firm, is one of the most famous in the world. Celtic Park in Parkhead in the East End, with around 60,000 seats, is Scotland’s largest club stadium, and on the stadium tour you’ll see the dressing room, walk out through the players’ tunnel and hear about the club’s European Cup win in 1967. Ibrox in Govan, south of the river, is Rangers’ home ground, and the main stand with its red-brick façade was designed by Archibald Leitch in 1928. Here, the tour shows you the trophy room, the dressing room and a seat in the dugout.

The Celtic Park tour costs around £17 to £18, and the Ibrox tour starts at around £27. To get to Celtic Park, take the train to Dalmarnock and walk for about ten minutes, while Ibrox has its own Subway station.

There are no tours on match days, so check the fixtures before you book. Tickets for the matches themselves are hard to get without a membership, so the stadium tour is often the easiest option.

Book the Ibrox stadium tour here or the Celtic Park stadium tour with dinner here.

16. A Concert at the OVO Hydro and SEC

Glasgow is one of the UK’s best cities for live music, and the big names play the OVO Hydro by the River Clyde. The round arena opened in 2013, holds up to 14,000 people and is one of the busiest concert arenas in the world. Right next door is the Clyde Auditorium, which locals call The Armadillo because of its scaled roof, and the old Finnieston Crane, a reminder of the days when locomotives were hoisted aboard ships here. Together they make up the SEC, the city’s big concert and exhibition complex.

Ticket prices depend entirely on the concert. Exhibition Centre Station is right by the complex, and the train from Glasgow Central gets you there in a few minutes. Before the show, you can eat in Finnieston, where Argyle Street has some of the city’s best restaurants and bars.

Book your hotel early, as prices rise when there are big concerts on. If you’d like to walk back after the encore, Radisson RED Glasgow is at Finnieston Quay, with a rooftop bar and views over the Hydro.

17. Day Trip to Loch Lomond

Less than an hour from Glasgow lies Loch Lomond, the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area, surrounded by mountains and small islands. The loch is part of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Scotland’s first national park. In Balloch at the southern end, you can take a boat trip on the loch or walk along the shore at Loch Lomond Shores. The village of Luss on the western shore has little stone cottages and a beach, and from Balmaha on the eastern side you can walk up Conic Hill for one of the best views over the loch.

The train from Glasgow Queen Street reaches Balloch in under an hour, and the boats leave from the pier close to the station. If you want to get to Luss and on towards the Highlands at your own pace, it’s easiest to hire a car in Glasgow.

If the scenery wins you over, you can read my guide to where to stay in the Scottish Highlands and my guide to where to stay on the Isle of Skye.

Book a day trip to Loch Lomond, The Trossachs and Stirling Castle here.

18. Day Trip to Edinburgh

Edinburgh lies only around 70 kilometres to the east, and Scotland’s capital is the obvious day trip from Glasgow. The city is smaller and more classically beautiful, with the castle on its rock, the Royal Mile running down through the Old Town, the streets of the New Town and the views from Calton Hill. Many travellers combine the two cities on the same trip because they complement each other so well: Glasgow with its music, museums and shipbuilding history, and Edinburgh with its castle and medieval streets.

Trains from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley run several times an hour, and the journey takes about 50 minutes. Waverley sits right between the Old Town and the New Town, so you can walk straight up to the castle. I’ve gathered the best things to do in Edinburgh in a separate guide.

Buy a standard off-peak return so you’re not tied to a specific train. If you’d rather stay a couple of nights, have a look at my guide to where to stay in Edinburgh.

Practical Travel Tips for Glasgow

The city centre is easy to explore on foot, and for the West End, Riverside and Ibrox you can take the Subway. It opened in 1896 and is one of the oldest underground railways in the world. It runs in a loop around the centre with 15 stations, and locals call it the Clockwork Orange because of its orange trains. A single ticket costs £1.80 with contactless payment, and a day ticket costs £3.40. For the Burrell Collection, Loch Lomond and Edinburgh, take the train from Glasgow Central or Queen Street.

Hotel prices go up when there are big concerts at the Hydro or home matches, so book well in advance. For a first visit, I recommend staying in the City Centre, Merchant City or the West End, and I’ve compared the areas in my guide to where to stay in Glasgow. You can also see all hotels in Glasgow on Booking.com. If you’re flying into Edinburgh, I’ve covered the options in my guide to getting from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre, and from there trains and buses continue on to Glasgow.

It rains a lot in Glasgow, so bring an umbrella and a waterproof jacket, and save the museums for the wet days. May to September brings the longest days, while in December the city centre is decorated with Christmas lights and has a Christmas market. Plan around the days of the week, as the Hunterian Museum is closed on Mondays, the Barras is only open at weekends, and the council-run museums don’t open until 11am on Fridays and Sundays. If you want to get your bearings on your first day, the sightseeing buses stop at most of the places in this guide to things to do in Glasgow.

Book a ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus in Glasgow here.

The post Things to Do in Glasgow – 18 Experiences, and Most Don’t Cost a Penny appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here are the 18 things I would prioritise, from the stadium tours at Old Trafford and the Etihad to the libraries, the museums, the Northern Quarter and day trips to the Peak District and Liverpool. Prices are given in pounds sterling. Several of the museums close one or two days a week, so check the opening days before you make your plans. At the bottom I’ve gathered practical tips on trams, free buses and tickets.

1. Old Trafford: the stadium tour and museum

Manchester United’s home ground is known as the Theatre of Dreams, and even if you’re not a fan, the stadium tour is one of the city’s most popular experiences. You sit in the stands, walk through the dressing room and out of the players’ tunnel to the dugouts by the pitch, and finish in the press room. The museum tells the club’s story from its founding in 1878 and has a room dedicated to the Munich air disaster of 1958. Outside stand the statues of Sir Matt Busby, Sir Alex Ferguson and the trio of Best, Law and Charlton.

The tour takes around 70 minutes, the museum is included in the ticket, and it’s open daily from 9.30am, but never on home match days. An adult ticket typically costs around £35 to £40. Take the tram to the Old Trafford stop by the cricket ground and walk for about 15 minutes from there.

Book well ahead for weekends and school holidays, and check the fixture list before you fix the day. If football is the whole point of your trip, Hotel Football sits directly opposite the stadium with views of the stands.

2. Etihad Stadium and the Manchester City tour

East of the city centre lies the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City have played since 2003. The stadium was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and with its tall towers and the cables holding up the roof, it’s easy to spot from the motorway. On the tour you see the dressing room with a sound and light show, walk down the glass players’ tunnel, sit in the manager’s seat by the pitch and try out the press room. The tour ends in the Tunnel Club, where the most expensive tickets give you a view straight in at the players.

The tour takes about 75 minutes, and tickets start at around £32, though the price depends on the day and time. On match days there are fewer tours or none at all. The tram runs from Piccadilly to the Etihad Campus stop in a few minutes, and from there you cross the bridge to the stadium.

Do the tour early in the day if you also want to fit in Old Trafford, as the two stadiums are at opposite ends of the city, and allow an hour of travel between them.

Book the Etihad Stadium tour here.

3. National Football Museum

England’s national football museum is housed in Urbis, the slanting glass building by Cathedral Gardens just north of the main shopping streets. The museum moved from Preston to Manchester in 2012, and across four floors you follow the game from the first rules in the 19th century to the 1966 World Cup win and today’s Premier League. There are shirts, trophies and balls from famous matches, and on one of the floors you can try taking penalties and receiving passes yourself.

An adult ticket costs around £15 and is slightly cheaper online than on the door. Tickets bought directly from the museum are valid for 12 months from your first visit, so you can come back if you don’t manage to see everything. The museum is usually open from 10am to 5pm but may close on a couple of weekdays outside the holidays. Victoria Station and the Exchange Square tram stop are a few minutes’ walk away.

Set aside at least two hours, and combine your visit with Manchester Cathedral, just across the square.

Book tickets for the National Football Museum here.

4. Manchester Cathedral and Chetham’s Library

Manchester Cathedral is one of the few medieval buildings to have survived the industrial city. The 15th-century Gothic church only became a cathedral in 1847, and inside, the highlight is the carved choir stalls with figures of animals and mythical creatures. The church was hit by bombs during the Second World War and again by the IRA bomb in 1996, and several of the modern stained-glass windows were installed after the damage. In the basement beneath the visitor centre you can see Hanging Bridge, a medieval bridge that was excavated again.

Visiting the cathedral is free, but there’s a suggested donation of £5, and it’s open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 4pm and Sunday from 12pm to 4pm. Right next door is Chetham’s Library from 1653, considered the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. This is where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels sat reading by the window. The library can only be visited at certain times and closes for periods, so check its website before you go.

If you want to stay right by the cathedral, The Lowry Hotel is on the other side of the River Irwell. It’s one of the city’s most expensive hotels.

Book a walking tour of Manchester’s history here.

5. The Northern Quarter and street art

The Northern Quarter, between Piccadilly Gardens and Ancoats, is the part of town where Manchester feels most like itself. The old textile warehouses now house record shops, vintage shops, cafés and bars, and the gable ends are covered in murals that change regularly. Look out for the worker bee, the city’s symbol from the industrial era, which you’ll find painted on walls and bollards. Afflecks on Tib Street has been an alternative department store with small stalls over several floors since the 1980s, and Piccadilly Records is on Oldham Street.

Wandering around is free, and the shops are usually open from late morning until late afternoon, while the bars stay open well into the night. From Piccadilly Station it’s a ten-minute walk, and the free bus 2 runs through the area.

Walk around Stevenson Square and along Thomas Street to see the newest murals. The area is also one of those I recommend in my guide to where to stay in Manchester, and in the evening you can find somewhere to sit in my guide to the best pubs in Manchester.

Book a walking tour of Manchester’s music history here.

6. Ancoats and Mackie Mayor

Ancoats, just east of the Northern Quarter, is regarded as the world’s first industrial suburb. The cotton mills of Murrays’ Mills and Royal Mills, dating from around 1800, line the Rochdale Canal, and today the old factories have been turned into flats, bakeries, coffee shops and some of the city’s best restaurants. The area is a great example of how Manchester has reused its industrial past rather than tearing it down, and it’s one of the places where locals themselves go out to eat.

Mackie Mayor occupies the old meat hall of Smithfield Market from 1858 and is now a food hall with long communal tables beneath the iron framework and stalls selling pizza, coffee, cheese and much more. It’s free to go in, and you only pay for the food. It’s about a ten-minute walk from Piccadilly Gardens, and further east you’ll find the marina at New Islington.

Come for a late lunch on a weekday if you want a seat at the tables, as it’s often packed at weekends. Afterwards, walk back to the centre along the canal rather than via the main roads.

7. Chinatown

Manchester’s Chinatown is one of the largest in the UK and sits in the streets between Mosley Street and Portland Street, a few minutes from Piccadilly Gardens. In the middle of Faulkner Street stands the large Chinese arch from 1987, with red pillars and a roof of green and gold tiles, surrounded by dim sum restaurants, bakeries, karaoke bars and Asian supermarkets. The area began to grow after the Second World War, when many people arrived from Hong Kong, and today it also has Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese places.

It’s free to wander around, and most restaurants are open from lunchtime until late in the evening. The tram stops at Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter’s Square, and the free bus 1 runs along Portland Street. At Chinese New Year the streets are filled with lanterns, dragons and food stalls.

Have dim sum at lunchtime, when many restaurants offer cheaper menus than in the evening. The Gay Village around Canal Street is just on the other side of Princess Street if you want to carry on the evening by the canal.

8. Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester Art Gallery on Mosley Street is housed in a columned neoclassical building designed by Charles Barry in the 1820s, linked to a modern extension. The collection is best known for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings, including John William Waterhouse’s Hylas and the Nymphs and Ford Madox Brown’s large painting Work. Also look out for Adolphe Valette’s misty views of Manchester. The French painter taught L.S. Lowry, and his hazy streets show the city as it looked during the industrial era.

Admission is free. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm and closed on Mondays, and parts of the building may be closed at times for repairs. It’s a two-minute walk from St Peter’s Square, and the free bus 1 stops nearby.

Head straight up to the Pre-Raphaelite rooms if you only have an hour, and take a break in the ground-floor café. The gallery is one of the best places to shelter on a rainy day in the city centre.

9. Central Library and St Peter’s Square

The round Central Library on St Peter’s Square was built in the 1930s to designs by E. Vincent Harris and is inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. Go up to the Wolfson Reading Room beneath the dome, where it’s completely silent and light falls over the long reading tables. On the square in front stands the statue of the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, who was born in Manchester, and a memorial to the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, when cavalry charged into a peaceful demonstration for the right to vote.

The library is free and open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and closed on Sundays. The Town Hall behind the library is Alfred Waterhouse’s Gothic masterpiece from 1877, but it has been closed for several years for a major restoration, so check whether it has reopened. St Peter’s Square is the city’s biggest tram stop.

Afterwards, walk along Peter Street past The Edwardian, the former Free Trade Hall. This is where the Sex Pistols played in 1976 to a small crowd, which included several of the musicians who later formed Joy Division and The Smiths.

10. John Rylands Library

John Rylands Library on Deansgate looks more like a cathedral than a library. Enriqueta Rylands had it built in memory of her husband, the cotton magnate John Rylands, and it opened in 1900 as a neo-Gothic building in red sandstone with vaulted ceilings and stained glass. The historic reading room, with its statues, floor-to-ceiling books and lamps on the desks, is the reason to come. The library is now part of the University of Manchester and holds, among other things, one of the oldest known fragments of the New Testament.

Admission is free without booking, and the library is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.40pm. It’s a five-minute walk from St Peter’s Square, and the free bus 1 runs along Deansgate.

Note that the library is closed Sunday to Tuesday, so plan your visit for one of the days it’s open. Arrive right at opening time if you want the reading room almost to yourself and to take photos without people in them.

11. Spinningfields and People’s History Museum

Between Deansgate and the River Irwell lies Spinningfields, the city’s modern business district with office towers, restaurants, roof terraces and the green lawn known as The Lawn, where people sit in the sun in summer. By the river stands the Civil Justice Centre, the angular building locals call the filing cabinet, and right next door is the People’s History Museum, Britain’s national museum of democracy.

The museum tells the story of the fight for the vote and workers’ rights, from the Peterloo Massacre and the Chartists to the suffragettes and the trade unions, and it has the world’s largest collection of trade union banners. Admission is free, most visitors give a donation of around £10, and the museum is open from 10am to 5pm every day except Tuesday. It’s a five-minute walk from John Rylands Library.

The museum is a good place to understand why Manchester became the city of radical ideas. Carry on across the river to the Salford side, where you can see Spinningfields and the cathedral from the opposite bank.

12. Science and Industry Museum

The Science and Industry Museum sits on Liverpool Road in Castlefield, where the world’s first inter-city railway, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, opened in 1830. The old station is the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world, and the warehouse next door was built the same year. In the Power Hall you’ll find steam engines and locomotives that are still run during demonstrations, while the exhibitions on textiles, computers and inventions show how the city helped change the world. The Experiment gallery is packed with things children can try for themselves.

Entry is free and the museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm, but some special exhibitions may charge, and some buildings are closed during a lengthy restoration. It’s a good idea to book a free ticket in advance. Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop is five minutes away.

Check the museum’s list of open galleries before you go so you know what’s open, then head straight on to the canals in Castlefield afterwards.

13. Castlefield and the canals

Castlefield is where Manchester began. The Romans built the fort of Mamucium here around AD 79, and part of the wall and gateway has been reconstructed. In 1761 the Bridgewater Canal opened, often called the first canal of the Industrial Revolution, and today the canal basin is surrounded by red-brick warehouses, old railway viaducts and iron bridges. In summer people sit by the water outside the pubs, and Castlefield Bowl hosts open-air concerts.

It’s free to wander around. On the old railway bridge, Castlefield Viaduct, the National Trust has created a garden in the sky that has been open to visitors at certain times, so check the National Trust’s website before you head up. Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop sits just above the area, and it’s a 15-minute walk from St Peter’s Square.

Take a stroll along the canal in the late afternoon, when the light catches the brickwork, and finish with a pint by the water. If you’d like to see the canals and the river from the water, you can take a boat out towards Salford Quays and past Old Trafford.

Book a cruise on the river and the Manchester Ship Canal here.

14. Salford Quays with The Lowry and IWM North

Salford Quays was once the docks for the Manchester Ship Canal, which from 1894 turned Manchester into a port city far inland. Today it’s home to arts venues, offices and MediaCityUK with the BBC and ITV, where Coronation Street is filmed. The Lowry is a steel-and-glass theatre and arts centre named after the painter L.S. Lowry, and its gallery shows his pictures of factories and matchstick figures in the streets of Salford. Across the footbridge stands IWM North, the war museum designed by Daniel Libeskind as a world shattered into pieces.

The Lowry’s galleries and IWM North are both free, and both are usually open from late morning until 5pm. The tram runs from the city centre to the MediaCityUK and Harbour City stops in about 25 minutes. Old Trafford is on the other side of the canal, just a 15-minute walk away.

Combine Salford Quays with the stadium tour at Old Trafford on the same day. If you’d like to stay out here, Holiday Inn Manchester MediaCityUK is right in the middle of MediaCityUK by the water.

Book a guided tour of MediaCityUK and Salford Quays here.

15. The Whitworth and Manchester Museum

South of the centre along Oxford Road lie the university quarter and two of the city’s best free museums. The Whitworth is an art gallery in Whitworth Park that opened in 1889 and gained a large glass extension facing the park in 2015. The collection is particularly strong on textiles, wallpaper and prints, but there’s also modern art, and the windows make the park part of the exhibition. A couple of hundred metres to the north is Manchester Museum, with dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies and natural history.

The Whitworth is free to enter and open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm, until 9pm on Thursdays, and closed on Mondays. Buses along Oxford Road run every few minutes from St Peter’s Square and take about ten minutes, but you can also walk there in 25 minutes.

Come on a Thursday evening, when it’s quieter and there are often events in the gallery. Have lunch in the café, which sits among the treetops with views over the park.

16. Heaton Park

Heaton Park, north of the centre, is one of the largest municipal parks in Europe, with lawns, woodland, a boating lake and an old tramway. In the middle of the park stands Heaton Hall, a neoclassical mansion from the 1770s designed by James Wyatt, and on the hill behind it is a small temple from where you can see the Manchester skyline. The park is also known for big concerts, and Oasis have played to thousands of fans on the grass here.

The park is free to enter and open daily from morning until dusk. You can only go inside Heaton Hall on selected days, so check the council’s website if you want to look inside. The Bury tram runs from Victoria to the Heaton Park stop in about 20 minutes, and from there you walk straight into the park.

Bring a picnic and walk up to the temple on a clear day. With children, you can combine the visit with the playgrounds, the animal farm and the treetop obstacle courses.

17. Day trip to the Peak District

Less than an hour from Manchester, the Peak District begins: Britain’s first national park, established in 1951. Here you’ll find moorland, drystone walls, limestone dales and small villages with pubs and tearooms. From Edale you can walk up Kinder Scout, where a mass trespass in 1932 helped secure ordinary people’s right to roam the countryside. From Castleton you can climb Mam Tor for views over the Hope Valley, and beneath the village are several caves you can visit.

Entry to the national park is free. Trains from Piccadilly on the Hope Valley line reach Edale and Hope in under an hour, and from Hope a bus continues to Castleton. If you want to explore at your own pace and visit Bakewell and the stately home of Chatsworth, the easiest option is to hire a car in Manchester.

Bring good shoes and waterproofs, as the weather changes quickly on the tops. If you’d rather not find your own way, a guided tour can take you to Castleton, Bakewell and the caves in a single day.

Book a guided day trip to the Peak District here.

18. Day Trip to Liverpool

Liverpool is only 50 kilometres to the west, and it’s the obvious day trip if you want more music and football. On the waterfront stand the three grand buildings known as The Three Graces, along with Royal Albert Dock and its old warehouses, where you’ll find The Beatles Story, Tate Liverpool and several free museums. In the city centre is Mathew Street with the Cavern Club, and on the other side of the city is Anfield, where Liverpool FC play.

Trains from Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria run to Liverpool Lime Street several times an hour, and the journey takes around 35 to 50 minutes. From Lime Street it’s a 15-minute walk down to the docks. I’ve written about how to combine the two cities in my article on a city break in Manchester and Liverpool.

Buy a standard return ticket so you’re not tied to a specific train home. If you’d rather stay a couple of nights, have a read of my guide to where to stay in Liverpool.

Book a Beatles bus tour around Liverpool here.

Practical Travel Tips for Manchester

The city centre is small enough to explore on foot, and otherwise you can get by with the Metrolink trams, the buses and the free buses. Free buses 1 and 2 run in a loop from Piccadilly Station, route 1 via Deansgate and King Street and route 2 via Market Street, Shudehill and Oldham Street, roughly every ten minutes during the day. A standard bus journey costs around £2. A day ticket for the tram costs £4.30 for zones 1 and 2, which covers Old Trafford, the Etihad and Salford Quays. Buy your ticket from the machine on the platform or in the Bee Network app before you board.

If you fly into the airport, the train to Piccadilly is the quickest way into the city, and I’ve gathered all the options in my guide to getting from Manchester Airport to the city centre. Hotel prices rise sharply when United or City are playing at home and when there are big concerts, so check the fixture list before you book. You can see all hotels in Manchester on Booking.com.

It rains a lot in Manchester, so pack an umbrella and save the free museums for the wet days. May to September brings the longest days and outdoor life along the canals, while the Christmas markets in the city centre make November and December especially cosy. Plan around the days of the week, as John Rylands Library is closed Sunday to Tuesday, Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth on Mondays, and the People’s History Museum on Tuesdays.

The post Things to Do in Manchester – The 18 Best Sights & Experiences in the City of Football and Music appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The national park is split into two very different halves, though, and the towns are spread out. So where should you stay in the Peak District if you want to spend your time on the trails rather than in the car? Below you’ll find six towns, each with its own strengths, and three places to stay in each.

Where to Stay in the Peak District: The Best Towns

• Bakewell - best town for first-time visitors and Chatsworth
• Castleton - best town for walking and caves
• Hathersage - best town for train travellers and gritstone edges
• Buxton - best town for spas, culture and rainy days
• Matlock Bath - best town for families
• Ashbourne - best town for Dovedale and cycling

I start with Bakewell in the middle of the national park, then head north to the Hope Valley and finish in the southern towns of Buxton, Matlock Bath and Ashbourne. To the north lies the Dark Peak, with heather, peat bogs and dark gritstone crags, while the White Peak in the south is made up of limestone dales with rivers and small villages. If you stay in the half where you most want to walk, you’ll save yourself hours.

A car makes everything much easier. The buses run between the towns but rarely out to the dales and car parks where the walks start, so I would hire a car via Booking.com at Manchester Airport. That said, you can easily manage without a car by using the train. The Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield stops at Edale, Hope and Hathersage, and another line runs from Manchester to Buxton. My guide to getting from Manchester Airport will help you with the first leg. The prices below come from a search for a weekend in May for two people.

1. Bakewell - best town for first-time visitors and Chatsworth

• Location: In the heart of the White Peak on the River Wye. Chatsworth House is about 6 km north-east of town and Haddon Hall about 3 km to the south.
• Transport: There’s no railway station in Bakewell. The TransPeak bus runs between Buxton, Bakewell, Matlock and Derby, but it’s far easier to get around by car.
• Time from Manchester Airport: About 1 hour and 10 minutes by car via Buxton.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three places below ranged from about £138 to £383 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Very safe. The biggest problem is the traffic and the packed car parks on summer weekends and on Monday market day.

Bakewell is the largest town within the national park itself, and it’s the base I’d choose if you’re wondering where to stay in the Peak District for the first time. The town is built from grey limestone around the River Wye, which you cross on a five-arched medieval bridge. The streets are lined with tearooms, pubs, delis and bakeries selling the town’s famous Bakewell pudding, and on Mondays there’s a market from early morning.

The big draw is Chatsworth House, the Duke of Devonshire’s country seat, set in a vast park by the River Derwent. A ticket to the house and garden costs from about £26 to £35 depending on the day, and you can check the prices on Chatsworth’s own website. Parking costs extra. Haddon Hall, a medieval manor house, lies a few kilometres south of town, and the Monsal Trail starts just outside Bakewell. It’s a former railway line that’s now a walking and cycling path through tunnels and over the viaduct at Monsal Head.

See hotels in Bakewell here.

I’d stay in Bakewell if it’s your first trip to the Peak District and you want stately homes, dales and cosy evenings all in one. The town is central, so Castleton, Buxton and Matlock Bath are 20 to 30 minutes away by car. That makes it the best base if you only want one address for the whole trip.

The downside is that Bakewell is one of the busiest towns in the national park. At weekends and during the school holidays the streets are full of day-trippers, and the car parks in the centre fill up quickly. Stay here, though, and you get the quiet mornings by the river before the coaches arrive.

Hotels in Bakewell and Baslow

The Cavendish Hotel at Chatsworth - four-star country hotel on the edge of the Chatsworth estate

The Cavendish is in the village of Baslow, about 6 km from Bakewell, and belongs to the Chatsworth estate. There are two restaurants, a bar, a garden and free parking, and from the hotel you can walk through the park to Chatsworth House. Breakfast costs about £20 per person extra, and a couple of guests found the heating in their room hard to control.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely view from the room and a beautiful walk through the park to Chatsworth House.”

See photos and book The Cavendish Hotel here.

Bagshaw Hall - guesthouse on the hill just above the centre

Bagshaw Hall is on Bagshaw Hill, about 250 metres from the centre, and has a garden, terrace, lounge and free parking, which is worth its weight in gold in Bakewell. Breakfast isn’t included, but the town’s cafés are just around the corner. One guest mentions noise from the room above.

From one review: “Fantastic location, very clean and lovely, comfortable beds.”

See photos and book Bagshaw Hall here.

The Red Lion - budget pub with rooms right on the square

The Red Lion is on The Square in the middle of Bakewell, with a restaurant and bar on the ground floor. It was the cheapest of my three picks in town, but there’s no breakfast and no on-site parking, so you’ll need to use one of the public car parks a few minutes’ walk away.

One guest highlights: “The location and a lovely pub.”

See photos and book The Red Lion here.

2. Castleton - best village for walking and caves

• Location: At the western end of the Hope Valley at the foot of Mam Tor. The village of Hope is about 3 km to the east, and Edale lies on the other side of the hill.
• Transport: The nearest railway station is Hope on the Hope Valley line, and from there it’s about a 3 km walk along the river into Castleton. There are also buses from Sheffield.
• Time from Manchester Airport: About 1 hour by car via Chapel-en-le-Frith.
• Price level: ££ to £££. The three places below cost around £80 to £156 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Very safe. In summer and at weekends it gets crowded and parking is difficult, and the road through Winnats Pass is narrow and steep.

Castleton is the village for you if you want to set off on walks straight from the front door. The stone cottages shelter beneath the ruins of Peveril Castle, a Norman castle perched high on the crag, and all around the village rise Mam Tor, Lose Hill and the gorge of Winnats Pass. In the evening walkers gather in the old pubs, and there are more of them than you’d expect in such a small village.

Mam Tor is 517 metres high and is known as the Shivering Mountain because of its many landslides. From the summit you can walk the roughly 3 km Great Ridge to Lose Hill, with views over both the Hope Valley and Edale, and Visit Peak District describes the walk and the parking at Mam Nick. Beneath the hills are four caves you can visit. At Speedwell Cavern you travel by boat through an old mine tunnel, and an adult ticket costs £23.50 online.

See hotels in Castleton here.

I’d stay in Castleton if walking is the main purpose of your trip, or if you’re travelling with children who think caves are the best thing in the world. Edale, where the Pennine Way starts and the paths up onto Kinder Scout begin, is only a short drive away over the hill. If you’re combining your trip with a few days in the city, you can read about where to stay in Manchester.

The downside is the crowds. Castleton is one of the most popular days out in the whole of the Peak District, so on sunny weekends the car parks fill up early in the morning. There are no proper luxury hotels in the village either. On the other hand, the inns are cosy and prices are reasonable.

Hotels in Castleton

The Castle by Innkeeper’s Collection - four-star inn in the middle of the village

The Castle is on Castle Street in the centre of Castleton, with a restaurant, bar and garden. It was the most expensive of my three suggestions in the village, and breakfast is included. There’s free parking, but spaces are limited, and one guest felt the paintwork could do with a refresh.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The breakfast was fantastic, and the staff were really friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book The Castle here.

Dunscar Farm Bed & Breakfast - farm B&B just outside the village

Dunscar Farm is on Buxton Road, about a 15-minute walk from the centre of Castleton, and has the highest rating of my three suggestions. Breakfast is included, and there’s a garden and free parking, but no restaurant, so you’ll walk into the village for dinner. A couple of guests wished breakfast was served over a longer period.

From a review: “The breakfast was superb, the food was high quality, and the service was very friendly!”

See photos and book Dunscar Farm here.

Ye Olde Nags Head - budget-friendly old inn in the heart of Castleton

Ye Olde Nags Head is on Cross Street in the centre, with a restaurant and bar, and was by far the cheapest of my suggestions. Breakfast is included, and there’s free parking. However, several guests mention that the rooms are small and a little old-fashioned.

One guest highlights: “The room was very nice, and the bed was very comfortable.”

See photos and book Ye Olde Nags Head here.

3. Hathersage - best town for train travellers and gritstone edges

• Location: In the eastern part of the Hope Valley on the River Derwent, about 8 km east of Castleton and about 14 km south-west of Sheffield.
• Transport: Hathersage has its own station on the Hope Valley line. The train to Sheffield takes about 20 minutes, and Manchester Piccadilly is just under an hour away.
• Time from Manchester Airport: About 1 hour and 10 minutes by car.
• Price level: £££. The three places below cost roughly £159 to £277 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Very safe. The main road through the village can be busy, so ask for a room away from the street if you’re a light sleeper.

Hathersage is the place I’d choose if you’re coming without a car. The station is just a few minutes’ walk from the main street, and you can hop on the train to Hope and Edale or into Sheffield without worrying about parking. It’s bigger than Castleton, with pubs, cafés, outdoor gear shops and a supermarket.

Stanage Edge rises above the village. It’s a long gritstone edge that’s popular with climbers and was used in the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice. In the churchyard at St Michael’s lies the grave said to belong to Little John from the Robin Hood stories, and North Lees Hall just outside the village inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre. After a long walk, you can go for a swim in the village’s heated outdoor pool, which is open in both summer and winter.

See hotels in Hathersage here.

I’d stay in Hathersage if you’re travelling by train, if you want to climb or walk along the edges, or if you’re combining the Peak District with a city break. Sheffield is only 20 minutes away, and from there the train continues to York in about an hour. If you fancy a medieval city afterwards, you can read about where to stay in York.

The downside is that Hathersage sits on the eastern edge of the national park. It’s a long way to Dovedale and Matlock Bath, and the village itself is more practical than pretty. If you want the classic picture-postcard village, Castleton or Bakewell are better choices, and there isn’t much going on in the evenings beyond the pubs.

Hotels in Hathersage

The George - four-star hotel on the main street

The George is on Main Road in the middle of Hathersage, with a restaurant, bar, garden and terrace, and breakfast is included. It was the most expensive of my suggestions in the Hope Valley, and some guests say it’s almost impossible to find a space in the car park at busy times.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely hotel, very cosy and comfortable. Delicious food. Plenty to choose from.”

See photos and book The George here.

The Little John Hathersage - dog-friendly pub with rooms near the station

The Little John is on Station Road, about a five-minute walk from the station, and has a restaurant, bar and free parking. Breakfast is included, and there are double rooms, family rooms and a two-bedroom house. One guest mentions a damp smell in the room and paper cups instead of proper mugs.

From a review: “Fantastic location and staff, very dog-friendly, the bed was comfortable, the shower was great, and we got a hearty full English breakfast.”

See photos and book The Little John here.

Base Camp Hathersage, YHA Partner - modern hostel with private rooms and a shared kitchen

Base Camp Hathersage is a YHA partner hostel on Castleton Road with both dorms and private rooms, a shared kitchen and a lounge. There’s no restaurant, but you can get a breakfast box. A private room for two wasn’t much cheaper than The Little John when I searched, so the hostel makes most sense if you’re travelling solo or want to cook for yourself. One guest found the beds very hard.

One guest highlights: “Beautiful hostel, clean and modern with really lovely bathrooms! The location is fantastic too.”

See photos and book Base Camp Hathersage here.

4. Buxton - best town for spas, culture and rainy days

• Location: Just outside the western boundary of the national park, around 20 km west of Bakewell. From Pavilion Gardens it’s a few minutes’ walk to The Crescent and the station.
• Transport: The train from Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton takes about an hour and runs every half hour, according to the train operator Northern. The station is right in the centre of town.
• Time from Manchester Airport: About 45 minutes by car. By train, you’ll usually change at Manchester Piccadilly.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three places below cost roughly £103 to £266 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Safe. Buxton is a proper town with everyday town life, so the biggest hassles are the traffic and parking in the centre.

Buxton is a Georgian spa town built around the warm springs that the Romans also used. The grand crescent-shaped building, The Crescent, stands in the middle of town and is now a five-star spa hotel with thermal baths. Right next door are the Pavilion Gardens from 1871, with around 9 hectares of gardens, a boating lake, playgrounds and a miniature railway, and at St Ann’s Well you can fill your water bottle with spring water.

The town is also the cultural hub of the national park. Buxton Opera House was designed by the theatre architect Frank Matcham and has a full programme all year round, and in summer the town hosts a festival of music, opera and literature. Just south of the centre you can head down into Poole’s Cavern, a natural limestone cave, and up to the Solomon’s Temple viewing tower in the woods above.

See hotels in Buxton here.

I’d stay in Buxton if you’re arriving by train from Manchester, if the forecast looks wet, or if you want to combine walks with spa time and good restaurants. The town has more places to eat and more shops than any village in the national park, and you’re quickly out in the White Peak and on the Monsal Trail. With the train, you can also spend a day in Manchester without having to drive.

The downside is that Buxton isn’t inside the national park itself and feels more like a town than the countryside. It’s 20 to 30 minutes by car to both Bakewell and Castleton, so you’ll drive a bit more each day than from a village in the heart of the dales. The town is also high up, and the weather can be cooler and wetter than in the dales further east.

Hotels in Buxton

Buxton Crescent - five-star spa hotel in the town’s most famous building

Buxton Crescent is in The Crescent by the Pavilion Gardens, about 300 metres from the station. The hotel has a spa with indoor and outdoor pools and a thermal bath, a restaurant, a bar and a gym, and breakfast is included. There’s no free parking, only paid valet parking, and several guests find it expensive.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The spa was lovely and the rooms are beautifully decorated.”

See photos and book Buxton Crescent here.

Roseleigh - adults-only Victorian guesthouse

Roseleigh is on Broad Walk, about 400 metres from the Pavilion Gardens, in an adults-only Victorian house. Breakfast is included and served between 8 and 10am, and its Booking.com score is the highest of my three picks in Buxton. Parking is free but on a first-come, first-served basis, which makes some guests nervous.

From one review: “Beautiful Victorian house with every comfort you could think of and a very good breakfast.”

See photos and book Roseleigh here.

9 Green Lane Bed and Breakfast - budget B&B with free parking

9 Green Lane is a small B&B in a residential area south of the centre, about 1 km from the station, with free parking and breakfast included. It was the cheapest of my picks in Buxton. Some guests find the rooms smaller than expected.

One guest highlights: “Breakfast was beautifully presented and very tasty.”

See photos and book 9 Green Lane here.

5. Matlock Bath - best town for families

• Location: In a narrow limestone gorge on the River Derwent on the south-eastern edge of the Peak District, around 3 km south of Matlock and 16 km south-east of Bakewell.
• Transport: Matlock Bath has its own station on the line from Derby, and the train takes around half an hour. The station sits by the river, a few minutes’ walk from the cable car.
• Time from Manchester Airport: Around 1.5 hours by car. East Midlands Airport is closer, at around 45 minutes by car.
• Price level: ££ to £££. The three places below cost around £90 to £148 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Safe. On sunny weekends lots of bikers and day-trippers turn up, and the main street can be noisy in the afternoon.

Matlock Bath is the Peak District’s little seaside resort without the sea. The North Parade promenade runs along the river with fish and chip shops, ice cream parlours, amusement arcades and pubs, and at weekends motorbikes line up in long rows along the pavement. It’s a bit kitsch, and that’s exactly why families with children love it. The houses climb up the steep slopes on both sides of the road, and many of them look down over the river.

The biggest draw is the Heights of Abraham, where a cable car carries you across the river and up to a wooded hilltop with views, play areas and guided tours of two caves. It’s open from spring until early November. Just south of the village lies Cromford, where Richard Arkwright built his first water-powered cotton mill in 1771, and the valley with its mills is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Derwent Valley Mills. From the High Tor cliff you can look down into the gorge, and Riber Castle stands on the hill above the village.

See hotels in Matlock Bath here.

I’d stay in Matlock Bath if you’re travelling with children, if you’re flying into East Midlands Airport, or if you’d like to combine the Peak District with some industrial history. Chatsworth and Bakewell are around 20 minutes away by car, so you can easily reach the big White Peak sights from here.

The downside is that Matlock Bath isn’t inside the national park, and the main street is a busy road. On sunny Sundays it’s packed with cars and motorbikes, and in the evening there’s far less going on than in Bakewell or Buxton once the day-trippers have gone home. It’s not the right place for a quiet weekend for two.

Hotels in Matlock Bath

New Bath Hotel & Spa, a member of Radisson Individuals - spa hotel with an outdoor pool at the southern end of the village

New Bath Hotel & Spa is on New Bath Road at the southern end of Matlock Bath, with a restaurant, bar, spa, garden, tennis court and an outdoor pool. Parking is free, but breakfast isn’t included in the price. One guest found items left by the previous guest in the room, so the cleaning isn’t always top-notch.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful building, perfect location, lovely breakfast and friendly staff.”

See photos and book New Bath Hotel & Spa here.

The Gables Bed & Breakfast - adults-only B&B on the hillside above the valley

The Gables is in Starkholmes on the hillside above Matlock Bath, around 2 km from the station, and has the highest rating of all the places in this guide. Breakfast is included and is praised in many reviews, and there’s free parking. The road up is steep, so you should plan on driving, and one guest felt the bathroom could have been cleaner.

From a review: “The breakfast was absolutely exceptional!”

See photos and book The Gables here.

High Tor Hotel - budget hotel close to the cable car

High Tor Hotel is on Dale Road at the northern end of Matlock Bath, around 500 metres from both the station and the cable car. There’s a restaurant, free parking and a 24-hour reception, but breakfast costs extra. One guest felt the dinner portions were small for the price.

One of the guests highlights: “A good hotel with friendly staff and excellent value for money.”

See photos and book High Tor Hotel here.

6. Ashbourne - best town for Dovedale and cycling

• Location: On the southern edge of the national park. Dovedale and the stepping stones across the River Dove are about 8 km north-west of the town.
• Transport: There’s no railway station, so a car is by far the easiest option. The Tissington Trail, a cycle path along an old railway line, starts in the town.
• Time from Manchester Airport: About 1 hour and 20 minutes by car via Leek. From East Midlands Airport it’s about 40 minutes.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three places below cost roughly £86 to £332 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Very safe. The biggest problem is parking at Dovedale, which fills up early at weekends and during the school holidays.

Ashbourne is an old market town with steep streets, Georgian houses and a church with a tall spire, and it’s known as the gateway to the Peak District. The town sits just outside the national park, but it’s only a short drive to the southern part of the White Peak, where the River Dove winds through a narrow limestone valley. There are pubs, tearooms and a couple of good bakeries, but the evenings are quiet.

Dovedale is the best-known valley in the area. From the car park it’s a short walk to the famous stepping stones across the river at the foot of Thorpe Cloud, and if you carry on up the valley, you’ll pass rock formations and small caves. The National Trust has a 2.4 km route from Ilam Park to the stepping stones and warns that the car parks can be full as early as nine o’clock at weekends. The Tissington Trail is great for a bike ride of about 21 km from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay, and you can hire bikes in the town.

See hotels in Ashbourne here.

I’d stay in Ashbourne if Dovedale and the southern dales are what you most want to see, or if you’re flying into East Midlands Airport. The town is also a good choice for families who want to cycle, because the Tissington Trail is flat and traffic-free.

The downside is that it’s a long way to the northern part of the national park. Castleton and Mam Tor are about an hour away by car, and several of the best places to stay are in the villages outside the town, so expect to do a bit of driving every day.

Hotels in Ashbourne

Wildhive Callow Hall - country house with a spa just outside town

Wildhive Callow Hall is set in an old country house near Mappleton just west of Ashbourne, with a restaurant, bar, spa, garden and free parking. It was the most expensive of my suggestions in the southern part of the national park, and breakfast costs extra. One guest felt the restaurant dishes were pricey for the portion sizes.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A lovely stay, the staff are fantastic, and both the house and the grounds around it are beautiful.”

See photos and book Wildhive Callow Hall here.

The Okeover Arms - four-star pub with rooms close to Dovedale

The Okeover Arms is in the village of Mappleton, about 2 km north-west of Ashbourne and a short distance from Dovedale. There’s a restaurant, bar, playground and free parking, and breakfast is included. One guest had a very small room and was bothered by noise from the pub below.

From a review: “An absolutely fantastic place to stay, the staff are very friendly and go out of their way for you, the food is to die for, and the rooms are very clean.”

See photos and book The Okeover Arms here.

The Royal Oak - affordable inn with good food in Mayfield

The Royal Oak is in the village of Mayfield, about 2.5 km west of Ashbourne, and has a restaurant, bar, garden and free parking. Breakfast is included, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions around Ashbourne. One guest writes that the carpets were dirty, although the room was otherwise good.

One of the guests highlights: “The friendly and professional staff, and the food was fantastic and good value for money.”

See photos and book The Royal Oak here.

Where not to stay in the Peak District?

I wouldn’t stay in Manchester or Sheffield and drive into the national park every day. It’s doable, but you’ll spend one to two hours in the car or on the train each day and see less of the landscape. Also be careful with the cheaper towns just outside the boundary, such as Chesterfield and Glossop. They look close on the map, but they’re not particularly pleasant in the evening, and you’ll still have to drive out to the trails every morning. Holiday cottages far down narrow lanes are lovely if you have a car, but without one it can be a long way to the nearest pub and bus. And don’t spend the whole week in Ashbourne if it’s Mam Tor and Kinder Scout you’re dreaming of, or in Castleton if it’s Dovedale.

If it’s your first trip to the Peak District and you have three or four nights, I’d stay in Bakewell and take day trips in every direction. If walking is your priority, choose Castleton, and if you’re arriving by train, Hathersage or Buxton is the right choice. Travelling with children, Matlock Bath is hard to beat, and Ashbourne is the base for Dovedale. If you have a week, split it with a few nights in the Hope Valley and the rest in the White Peak.

Many people combine the Peak District with a city break. Liverpool is less than an hour from Manchester by train, and in my guide to where to stay in Liverpool, you’ll find the best neighbourhoods. If you want to see more of the English countryside, I’ve also written guides on where to stay in the Lake District and where to stay in the Cotswolds.

The post Where to Stay in the Peak District? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The catch is that Skye is bigger than it looks on the map, and the roads are narrow. So where should you base yourself so you don’t spend your holiday in the car? Here are six towns and areas, each with its own strengths, and three places to stay in each.

Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye: The Best Towns

• Portree - best town for first-time visitors and travellers without a car
• Trotternish (Uig & Staffin) - best area for nature and photographers
• Dunvegan & Waternish - best area for castles, good food and peace and quiet
• Carbost & Minginish - best area for hikers and whisky lovers
• Broadford - best town for budget stays and short visits
• Sleat & Armadale - best area for luxury and the ferry from Mallaig

I go through the areas clockwise, from Portree heading north and west, and finally down towards the bridge and the ferry in the south. Before you choose, there are three things you need to know. First, accommodation on Skye is expensive and gets snapped up fast. There are few large hotels, so many of the best places are B&Bs and small guesthouses with just a handful of rooms, and from May to September the popular addresses are often sold out months in advance. Book as early as you can, and ideally choose a rate with free cancellation.

Second, a car is almost essential. Buses run between the larger towns, but they don’t reach the Fairy Pools, Neist Point or the Quiraing, so without a car you’re tied to Portree and guided tours. I’d hire a car via Booking.com at the airport and drive over. Third, everything takes longer than the map suggests, because many roads are single-track with passing places. The prices below come from searches for weekends in April and May for two people, and in summer they’re higher.

1. Portree - best town for first-timers and travellers without a car

• Distance to the centre: Portree is small. From the harbour it’s a five-minute walk up to Somerled Square, and the town’s hotels and B&Bs are no more than a 15 to 20-minute walk from the square.
• Transport: Buses stop on Somerled Square, and from here Citylink buses run to Inverness and Glasgow, while local buses travel around the island. The fastest bus from Inverness to Skye takes just over three hours.
• Time from Inverness Airport: Around 3 hours by car via the Skye Bridge. From Glasgow Airport it’s around 5 hours, and from Edinburgh Airport around 5.5 hours.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three places below were around £195 to £440 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Very safe. The biggest problem is traffic and parking in summer, when the town’s narrow streets are packed with cars and coaches.

Portree is Skye’s largest town and the only place on the island that feels like a proper town. The harbour with its colourful houses is the island’s most photographed sight, and from the viewpoint at the Apothecary’s Tower you can look out over the whole bay. Most of the island’s restaurants, pubs, supermarkets and shops are here, and that matters a lot when you come back after a long day in the rain and just want dinner without getting back in the car.

The town is also central. The Old Man of Storr is around 15 minutes to the north, Kilt Rock and the Quiraing are half an hour’s drive away, and Dunvegan and Carbost are 30 to 40 minutes away. That makes Portree the best base if you only want one address for the whole trip, and the obvious answer to where to stay on the Isle of Skye for most visitors. Use VisitScotland’s page on the Isle of Skye to get an overview of the rest of the island before you plan your day trips.

See hotels in Portree here.

I would stay in Portree if it’s your first trip to Skye, if you only have two or three nights, or if you’re coming without a car. Most guided tours start here, such as a day trip to the Fairy Pools, Talisker and Dunvegan Castle for around £65 per person, so you can see most of the island without driving yourself.

The downside is that Portree is where everyone else wants to stay too. In summer the town is full of tourists, prices are the highest on the island, and the good rooms go early. The hotels by the harbour and around the square rarely have their own parking. If my suggestions are sold out, you’ll find three other hotels in Portree in my guide to where to stay in the Scottish Highlands.

Hotels in Portree

Bracken Hide Hotel - four-star hotel with sea views and a sauna

Bracken Hide is on Struan Road on the western edge of Portree, around a 15-minute walk from the harbour, and has views over the water. There’s a restaurant, bar, sauna and free private parking, and breakfast is served in the hotel’s central main building. Some guests do feel, however, that the price is too high for the service, and that a few things are starting to look worn.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Absolutely everything. The hotel is even better in real life.”

See photos and book Bracken Hide here.

The Portree Hotel - central hotel with a restaurant and live music on the square

The Portree Hotel sits right on Somerled Square, where the buses stop, and it’s a couple of minutes’ walk down to the harbour. There are 24 rooms, a restaurant, a bar and live music at weekends. The hotel has no parking of its own, but there’s a short-stay car park opposite the hotel that is free overnight, and a larger free car park by the Community Centre five minutes away. Several guests mention old-fashioned décor and views of the car park.

From one review: “All in all a wonderful hotel with lovely staff, good facilities, a great location and truly exceptional food.”

See photos and book The Portree Hotel here.

Portree Youth Hostel - cheapest bed in town with a shared kitchen

Hostelling Scotland’s hostel is in the middle of Portree, close to the shops and the harbour, and has more than 1,200 reviews on Booking.com. There’s a shared kitchen, a lounge and family rooms, and breakfast can be ordered in advance. You can park in the public long-stay car park opposite, which is free from 8pm to 8am. The beds aren’t the most comfortable, according to some guests.

One guest highlights: “A fantastic kitchen with everything you needed, and a large, clean communal area where you can eat and meet other people.”

See photos and book Portree Youth Hostel here.

2. Trotternish (Uig & Staffin) - the best area for nature and photographers

• Distance to Portree: Staffin is about 30 minutes north of Portree along the east coast road, and Uig is about 25 minutes along the road to the west. A full loop around the peninsula is roughly 80 kilometres.
• Transport: A car is more or less essential. Local buses do run around the peninsula, but not often. From Uig, ferries sail to Harris and North Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
• Time from Inverness Airport: Around 3.5 hours by car.
• Price level: £ to ££££. The places below cost around £125 to £290 per night on a weekend in April, but in May Monkstadt was almost twice as much.
• Safety: Safe. The car parks at the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing fill up quickly, and the road over the Quiraing is narrow and steep, so take it slowly and use the passing places.

Trotternish is Skye’s northern peninsula, and it’s where most of the landscapes you’ve seen in photos are found. The Old Man of Storr is a rock pinnacle about 50 metres high on the slope above the road north of Portree, and the path up is steep but good. Further north, Kilt Rock drops straight into the sea with the Mealt Falls waterfall beside it, and at the Quiraing you walk along paths between rocky peaks and green slopes created by a huge landslip.

Uig on the west side is a small harbour village where the ferries to the Outer Hebrides dock, and just outside the village is the Fairy Glen with its small, cone-shaped hills. At the very northern tip, the ruins of Duntulm Castle stand on a cliff facing the sea. Staffin on the east side is a scattered village with views of the cliffs, and at An Corran beach you can find dinosaur footprints in the rocks at low tide.

See hotels in Uig and Trotternish here.

I’d stay here if you’re coming for the scenery and photography, and if you want to be at the Quiraing or the Old Man of Storr at sunrise, before the car parks fill up. Two nights are enough to see the whole peninsula at a relaxed pace, and it combines nicely with Portree or Dunvegan. If you’re heading on to the Outer Hebrides, Uig is also the natural place to spend the night before the ferry.

The downside is that places to eat are few and far between. There’s only a handful of restaurants and pubs on the whole peninsula, and some close outside the season, so book a table in advance or choose somewhere with a kitchen. Carbost and the Fairy Pools are a good hour away, so combine Trotternish with a base further south if you also want to hike in the Cuillin.

Hotels in Trotternish

Monkstadt 1745 Restaurant with Rooms - five-star country house with a restaurant north of Uig

Monkstadt 1745 is out in the countryside, about a five-minute drive north of Uig, and is officially five-star, with a restaurant, garden, free parking and rooms with walk-in showers. It scores 9.2 on Booking.com and is the most luxurious place on the peninsula. On the other hand, the price in May was among the highest on the whole island, and one guest was disappointed with the vegan breakfast.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A fantastic room and a beautiful location.”

See photos and book Monkstadt 1745 here.

Flodigarry Hotel - four-star hotel with sea views near Staffin

Flodigarry Hotel sits on the hillside at Flodigarry north of Staffin, about a ten-minute drive from the Quiraing, and looks out over the sea. There’s a restaurant, bar, terrace and free parking, and with a score of 9.5 it’s one of the highest-rated hotels on the island. Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape in 1746, lived for a time in a house that now belongs to the hotel. The attic rooms have low ceilings, so choose your room type carefully if you’re tall.

From a review: “Everything! In our opinion, this is pretty much the perfect hotel.”

See photos and book Flodigarry Hotel here.

Skye Accommodation - cheap rooms without breakfast in Uig

Skye Accommodation is in Idrigill in Uig, a few minutes’ drive from the ferry terminal and the Fairy Glen. It offers simple rooms without breakfast, including family rooms, plus a garden and free parking, and it was by far the cheapest of my three suggestions. It only scores 7.2 on Booking.com, and one guest warns that the restaurants in the area were closed or fully booked on a Friday evening, so plan your dinner.

One of the guests highlights: “The place was very clean and had a good location.”

See photos and book Skye Accommodation here.

3. Dunvegan & Waternish - best area for castles, good food and peace and quiet

• Distance to Portree: Around 35 minutes by car. Stein in Waternish is about 15 minutes north of Dunvegan, and Neist Point is about 30 minutes to the west.
• Getting around: There are local buses to Portree, but they’re infrequent, so a car is the only realistic option.
• Time from Inverness Airport: Around 3.5 hours by car.
• Price level: ££ to £££. The three places below cost around £145 to £220 per night on a weekend in April.
• Safety: Very safe. The roads to Neist Point and Waternish are single-track, and at Neist Point you should keep well back from the cliff edge when it’s windy.

Dunvegan is a small village on Loch Dunvegan in the north-west of Skye, and it’s best known for Dunvegan Castle. The castle has been the home of Clan MacLeod for around 800 years, and besides the castle itself you can stroll through the large gardens and take a short boat trip out to see the seals in the loch. According to the castle’s own website, a ticket to the castle and gardens costs £18, and the castle is only open from late March to mid-October.

From here you can also reach some of the island’s most dramatic spots. Neist Point, with its lighthouse on the far western tip of Skye, is one of the best places to watch the sunset, and north of the castle you can walk out to the Coral Beaches, where the beach is made up of white, crushed coralline algae. On the Waternish peninsula lies the village of Stein with an old inn by the water, and around Dunvegan and Colbost you’ll find some of the best-known restaurants on the island, including The Three Chimneys.

See hotels in Dunvegan here.

I’d stay in Dunvegan if you’ve been to Skye before, or if you want peace and quiet and long evenings looking out over the water. It’s also a good base for couples who like to eat well and don’t miss city life. The places to stay here are small B&Bs and apartments with high review scores, and prices are a little lower than in Portree.

The downside is that Dunvegan sits at one end of the island. It’s about an hour to the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr, and just over an hour to Broadford. There are few shops, so stock up in Portree before you drive out here, and remember that the castle is closed in winter. Book the restaurants well in advance, as they have few tables and are popular.

Hotels in Dunvegan & Waternish

Kilmuir Park - four-star adults-only B&B

Kilmuir Park is just outside Dunvegan, about 3 kilometres from the castle, and is an officially four-star, adults-only bed and breakfast. Breakfast is freshly cooked and served in a private dining room, and there’s a guest lounge and free parking. It scores 9.7 on Booking.com. Some guests mention that the car park is tight.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A fantastic view and a beautiful place.”

See photos and book Kilmuir Park here.

Roskhill House - guesthouse with a bar and one of the island’s highest scores

Roskhill House is in Roskhill, south of Dunvegan, about 6 kilometres from the castle, and scores 9.8 on Booking.com. There’s a bar, an EV charging point, free parking and a wide choice at breakfast, including vegan and gluten-free dishes. Some guests say the Wi-Fi could be better.

From one review: “The atmosphere is very welcoming.”

See photos and book Roskhill House here.

Babas rooms - budget adults-only apartment in the heart of the village

Babas rooms is on Kings Brae in Dunvegan itself, about 3 kilometres from the castle, and is an adults-only apartment with a kitchen, outdoor seating and free parking. It was the cheapest of my three suggestions, and its score of 9.6 is high. Some guests mention that the bathroom is shared with another room, so read the room description carefully.

One guest highlights: “Baba is very hospitable!”

See photos and book Babas rooms here.

4. Carbost & Minginish - best area for hikers and whisky lovers

• Distance to Portree: About 30 minutes via Sligachan. From Carbost it’s about 15 minutes to the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle.
• Transport: Local buses run via Sligachan, but they’re infrequent, so you’ll need a car. The road down through Glen Brittle to the Fairy Pools is narrow and single-track.
• Time from Inverness Airport: About 3 hours by car.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three places below cost around £160 to £400 per night when I searched.
• Safety: Safe in the villages. The Cuillin are the most demanding mountains in Britain, so only tackle the big routes if you’re experienced or with a guide, and check the forecast before you set off.

Minginish is the peninsula south-west of Portree, home to the black Cuillin mountains, which are the reason many hikers come to Skye. The little village of Carbost on Loch Harport is home to Talisker, the island’s oldest whisky distillery, and a tour with tasting costs from £22. Book well ahead in summer, as groups are small and fill up quickly.

Just a 15-minute drive away are the Fairy Pools, a series of clear blue pools and small waterfalls in the river at the foot of the Cuillin. The walk there and back from the car park takes around an hour to an hour and a half. Carry on down through Glen Brittle to the beach at the end of the glen, and stop at Sligachan on the way back, where the old stone bridge with the mountains behind it is one of the island’s classic photo spots.

See hotels in Carbost here.

I’d stay here if you’re planning to hike, or if you want to reach the Fairy Pools early in the morning before the tour coaches arrive. The area also suits you if you’d rather have whisky and nature than shops and restaurants. Ullinish near Struan sits roughly halfway between Carbost and Dunvegan, so you can reach both areas from there, and from Sligachan you’re in Portree in no time.

The downside is that the Fairy Pools are one of the most visited spots on the island. The car park is full by the middle of the day, and parking isn’t free. There’s only one small shop in Carbost and a couple of places to eat, so stock up in Portree or Broadford before you drive out here. Accommodation is limited and spread out, and some of the cheaper cabins require a minimum stay of several nights.

Hotels in Carbost & Minginish

Ullinish House - lovely B&B with a garden between Carbost and Dunvegan

Ullinish House is in Ullinish near Struan, about a 20-minute drive from both Carbost and Dunvegan. It’s a bed and breakfast with a garden, terrace, free parking and a continental breakfast with freshly baked pastries and cheese, and it scores 9.2 on Booking.com. On the other hand, some guests feel the rooms are small and the price high for what you get.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A beautiful house in a lovely location.”

See photos and book Ullinish House here.

Sligachan Hotel - classic hikers’ hotel at the foot of the Cuillin

Sligachan Hotel stands on its own at the junction of the roads to Portree, Broadford and Carbost, right by the old stone bridge and the paths into the Cuillin. There’s a restaurant, bar, playground and free parking, and dogs are welcome. Prices vary a lot: on a weekend in April it was one of the cheapest hotels in the area, but in May it cost over £500 per night. Some guests complain about noise from the other rooms.

From a review: “A fantastic location, nicely decorated room and friendly staff.”

See photos and book Sligachan Hotel here.

Croft Seven Cabins - budget cabins with kitchens near Carbost

Croft Seven Cabins is in Fernilea just north of Carbost, a few minutes’ drive from Talisker, and consists of small cabins with a fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, terrace and free parking. With a score of 9.8 it’s one of the highest-rated places on Skye, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions. The cabins are adults only, so they’re not suitable for families with children.

One guest highlights: “A fantastic cabin, well equipped with everything you need.”

See photos and book Croft Seven Cabins here.

5. Broadford - best town for a budget and short stays

• Distance to Portree: About 45 minutes by car. It’s about 15 minutes to the Skye Bridge and Kyleakin.
• Transport: Citylink buses from Inverness and Glasgow stop in Broadford. If you’re coming by train, ScotRail runs from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh in about 2.5 hours, and from there it’s about 15 minutes by car over the bridge.
• Time from Inverness Airport: About 2.5 hours by car. From Glasgow Airport it’s about 4.5 hours.
• Price level: £ to £££. The three places below cost around £110 to £295 per night on a weekend in May.
• Safety: Very safe. The main road runs through the town and cars often drive fast, so take care when walking along the road in the evening.

Broadford is Skye’s second-largest town and the first proper town you come to after driving over the Skye Bridge. It isn’t as charming as Portree, as the houses are spread out along the road and the bay, but it has a large supermarket, a petrol station, cafés and a few restaurants, which makes it very practical. From the bay you look across to the island of Scalpay, and behind the town rise the reddish Red Cuillin mountains.

The best thing about Broadford is the road to Elgol, one of the most beautiful drives on the island. It takes 30 to 40 minutes along a single-track road and ends at a small harbour with views of the Cuillin. From here the Bella Jane boat sails to Loch Coruisk, and a boat trip from Elgol to Loch Coruisk with seals costs from around £36.

See hotels in Broadford here.

I’d stay in Broadford if you’re arriving late on your first evening, if you only have a night or two on Skye as part of a longer road trip, or if your budget is tight. Some of the island’s cheapest accommodation is here, and you save time both getting on and off the island. If you’re coming from Glencoe and Fort William, have a read of my guide to a Scotland road trip with Glencoe and the Isle of Skye.

The downside is that Broadford is a long way from Trotternish and Dunvegan. It’s a good hour each way to the Quiraing, so if you stay here all week, you’ll be doing a lot of driving. The town isn’t especially cosy in the evening either. Kyleakin, on the other side of the bridge, is a small alternative with hostels and an inn by the harbour, but it’s even further from everything.

Hotels in Broadford

House of Juniper - The Manse - four-star hotel with a spa

House of Juniper is at Lower Harrapool in the eastern part of Broadford, and it’s the only place in town with a spa, sauna, steam room and hammam. There’s also a restaurant, bar, garden and free parking, and you can walk to the town’s places to eat. Some guests say the rooms are small, with limited space for luggage.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything was lovely. A great location, and it’s easy to walk into town and choose between different places to eat.”

See photos and book House of Juniper here.

Dunollie Hotel - large waterfront hotel with views from the restaurant

Dunollie sits right on the water in Broadford Bay and has over 2,300 reviews on Booking.com. There’s a restaurant overlooking the bay, a bar and a garden, and dogs are welcome. Parking is limited, so you’ll often have to use the public car park nearby, and the score of 7.5 shows that the standard doesn’t quite live up to the view.

From one review: “Fabulous view from the dining room.”

See photos and book Dunollie Hotel here.

Bayview Hostel - budget hostel with a shared kitchen

Bayview Hostel is in the building that used to be Broadford Youth Hostel, on a path a little way off the main road. There’s a shared kitchen, lounge, laundry, family rooms and free parking, and it was the cheapest accommodation in this entire guide. The rooms are small and basic, and one guest felt the price was high for what you get.

One guest highlights: “A lovely location with a beautiful walk along the path from the main road and easy access to the bus, coffee, fish and chips and the Co-op.”

See photos and book Bayview Hostel here.

6. Sleat & Armadale - best area for luxury and the ferry from Mallaig

• Distance to Portree: About 1 hour and 10 minutes by car from Armadale. Broadford is about 25 minutes away.
• Transport: The ferry from Mallaig to Armadale takes 45 minutes according to CalMac, and if you’re bringing a car, you should book the crossing in advance. Mallaig has a railway station with connections from Fort William.
• Time from Inverness Airport: About 3 hours by car via the Skye Bridge. From Glasgow, many people drive to Mallaig and take the ferry across.
• Price level: ££ to ££££. The three places below cost roughly £215 to £430 per night on a weekend in May.
• Safety: Very safe and quiet. The main road between Broadford and Armadale is good, but the side roads are single-track.

Sleat is the peninsula in the southern part of Skye, and it’s often called the garden of the island because it’s greener and more wooded than the rest of Skye. This is where you’ll find Armadale Castle, the old home of Clan Donald. Today the castle is a ruin surrounded by large gardens and the Museum of the Isles, which covers the history of the islands. A ticket costs around £14 in the summer season, and in winter there are shorter opening hours and lower prices, so check Armadale Castle’s website before you drive there.

Further north lies the little harbour of Isleornsay, where you look out towards a lighthouse on an island in the bay, and this is where you’ll find two of the most atmospheric hotels on Skye. At Teangue you’ll find the Torabhaig whisky distillery, and right out at the southern tip a walking path leads to the lighthouse at the Point of Sleat. It’s the quietest corner of Skye, and in the evening the main thing you’ll hear is the sea.

See hotels in Sleat here.

I’d stay in Sleat if you’re arriving on the ferry from Mallaig, for example after a train journey from Fort William, or if you want to treat yourself to a country house hotel by the water. If you need a night on the mainland first, I’ve also written a guide to Fort William. Sleat is also a good place to end your trip if you’re taking the ferry back.

The downside is that Sleat is a long way from the big sights in the north. The Quiraing and Neist Point are an hour and a half or more each way, so it’s better to stay here for a couple of nights at the start or end of your trip and then move on further north. Prices are high because the choice is small and dominated by country house hotels, and there are only a few shops.

Hotels in Sleat & Armadale

Duisdale House Hotel - four-star country house with hot tub and garden

Duisdale House is just north of Isleornsay on the road between Broadford and Armadale. It’s a four-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, garden, sun terrace, hot tub and free parking, and breakfast is included in the price. It was the most expensive of my suggestions in Sleat, and some guests feel the rooms are too small for two adults.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A beautiful hotel with clean and comfortable rooms, and the staff were absolutely fantastic.”

See photos and book Duisdale House here.

Hotel Eilean Iarmain - traditional harbour hotel in Isleornsay

Hotel Eilean Iarmain sits by the little harbour in Isleornsay with views across the bay towards the lighthouse. There’s a restaurant, bar and family rooms, dogs are welcome, and a full English breakfast is included. The price was close to Duisdale’s, so it’s not a cheap hotel, and one guest mentions that the sofa in the room was an uncomfortable sofa bed.

From a review: “A lovely traditional hotel in a fantastic location, with good food, super helpful staff and a comfortable room.”

See photos and book Hotel Eilean Iarmain here.

Seillean Trang - budget cottage with kitchen and sea views near Teangue

Seillean Trang is a cottage in Saasaig near Teangue, about a ten-minute drive from the ferry in Armadale. There’s a fully equipped kitchen, a garden, free parking, streaming services and sea views, and it was by far the cheapest of my three suggestions in Sleat. One guest had no hot water on the first day because of a problem with the water heater.

One of the guests highlights: “A lovely, spacious cottage with everything you need for a weekend away.”

See photos and book Seillean Trang here.

Where not to stay on the Isle of Skye?

I wouldn’t stay in Inverness or Fort William and drive back and forth to Skye. It’s two to three hours each way, and you’ll end up seeing more main road than island. Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland is fine for a single night if you arrive late by train, but from there it’s just as far to Trotternish as it is from Broadford. Also be careful with cheap holiday cottages far out along single-track roads if you’re arriving late or don’t have a car. Many require a stay of several nights, and it can be a half-hour drive to the nearest dinner. And don’t spend the whole week in Sleat if it’s the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr you’re dreaming of, because then you’ll be sitting in the car for three hours every day.

If it’s your first trip to Skye and you have three or four nights, I’d stay in Portree and take day trips in every direction. If you have a week, split it up: two nights in Portree or Trotternish, two nights in Carbost or Dunvegan and one night in Broadford or Sleat on the way in or out. If you’re travelling without a car, Portree is the only real choice, and if you’re a couple looking for peace and good food, Dunvegan and Sleat are hard to beat.

Many people fly into Edinburgh and drive up here. My guide to getting from Edinburgh Airport will help if you’re picking up your car there, and if you have a couple of days in the city before or after, you can read about where to stay in Edinburgh. Book your accommodation on Skye first, then plan the rest of your road trip around it.

The post Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.