Getting to Liverpool

If you’ve recently accepted an offer to come and study in Liverpool, chances are you’ll be starting to think about many aspects of preparing for that next step. One element of that will be how you get here, whether you’re coming from nearby in the North West, or from across the world.

How to get to Liverpool

The good news is that getting here is easy. Less than a three-hour direct train journey from London, Liverpool is well connected and served by multiple modes of transport. So, if you want to live and study here, getting here is straightforward.

Flying to Liverpool

Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport is located just 8 miles from Liverpool city centre. The airport offers flights to and from various places in Europe, including Spain, France, Bulgaria and Iceland. You can find a flight to Liverpool on the Liverpool John Lennon Airport website.

How to get to and from Liverpool Airport

The 500 bus runs every 30 minutes from the airport to Liverpool city centre. The service takes you directly to Brownlow Hill – home to our central campus – in just over half an hour. Other routes that will take you to Liverpool city centre include 80A, 82A and 86A. All services run regularly throughout the day.

Find out more about getting to and from Liverpool John Lennon Airport by public transport. You can also use the Merseytravel Journey Planner to plan your onward journey from the airport.

If your country or city is not served by Liverpool John Lennon Airport, there are other options to get here by air. Manchester Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport, Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport are all well-connected to Liverpool city centre and serve a wide variety of locations globally.

Train to Liverpool

Getting to Liverpool by train is easy thanks to the city’s extensive rail networks. This is ideal if you’re planning to travel to and from Liverpool, or if you just want to explore the UK. Local and national services run regularly throughout the day.

Merseyrail services

A Merseyrail Day Saver ticket allows you to travel by train to any area on the Merseyrail network. Prices start from only £4.55. Merseyrail services operate every 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday. Train timetables vary on Sundays. You can get to most places on the network in under an hour. 

Use the Merseyrail Journey Planner to plan your train journey.

Average train journey times

27 minutes from New Brighton to Liverpool Central
34 minutes from West Kirby to Liverpool Central
40 minutes from Ellesmere Port to Liverpool Central
43 minutes from Chester to Liverpool Central
45 minutes from Southport to Liverpool Central.

Services from Liverpool Lime Street

Liverpool Lime Street is just a 10-minute walk from our central campus. Trains to Liverpool Lime Street typically depart twice per hour from Monday to Friday. Train timetables vary on Sundays.

You can use the National Rail Journey Planner to compare prices and journey times.

Fastest train journey estimates

The length of your journey will depend on the route of your chosen train service.

One hour from Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street
One hour, 31 minutes from Leeds to Liverpool Lime Street
One hour, 40 minutes from Sheffield to Liverpool Lime Street
Two hours, 30 minutes from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street
Three hours, 30 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley to Liverpool Lime Street
Three hours, 35 minutes from Cardiff Central to Liverpool Lime Street.

Driving to Liverpool

Driving to Liverpool is straightforward, as the city is connected to the rest of the country by several motorways. The M6 runs through Liverpool, connecting us with the Midlands and the border of Scotland.

From the M6, you can take the M62, M57 or M56 direct to Liverpool city centre. The postcode for our main campus is L3 5TR.

Getting to Liverpool city centre from the M62

At the end of the motorway, continue straight ahead onto Edge Lane (A5080 then A5047) and follow signs for Liverpool city centre and the University.

Getting to Liverpool city centre from the M57

Take the exit onto (A580) and follow the signs for Liverpool centre and the University.

Getting to Liverpool city centre from the M56

Take the exit onto M53. When you exit the Kingsway Tunnel, follow the signs for Liverpool centre and the University.

Car parking in Liverpool

There are plenty of parking options in Liverpool. The public multi-storey car park on Mount Pleasant is the largest parking facility near our central campus. Visit Liverpool City Council Parking for a list of city centre car parks and parking costs.

Greenbank Student Village has a small number of car parking spaces for students. These are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking costs £155 per year.

Coach or bus to Liverpool

Travelling by coach or bus is a cost-effective way to get to Liverpool. It’s ideal if want to visit other areas on a budget.

Travelling by coach to Liverpool

Travelling by coach to Liverpool is a great way to get to the city from across the country.

National Express offers coach services across the UK. This includes services to Liverpool from Manchester Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport, Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport, as well as most major cities.

You can choose your journey and book your coach on the National Express website. Make sure you select the correct airport terminal when you book if you’re arriving by air.

Fastest coach journey estimates

Manchester Airport to Brownlow Hill (average fastest journey: 50 minutes)
Leeds Bradford Airport to Brownlow Hill (average fastest journey: 3 hours 50 minutes)
Gatwick Airport to Liverpool ONE Bus Station (average fastest journey: 7 hours 20 minutes)
Heathrow Airport to Liverpool ONE Bus Station (average fastest journey: 5 hours 55 minutes).

Travelling by bus to Liverpool

You can travel to Liverpool by bus from Southport and Formby, St. Helens and the Wirral, among other local places. One of the biggest benefits of bus travel is that it’s a cheap way to explore our city and the surrounding areas. Buses run regularly throughout the day. Use the Merseytravel journey planner to plan your journey to Liverpool.

Liverpool has two main city centre bus terminals at Liverpool ONE and Queen Square. Both terminals have Merseytravel information centres, where helpful staff can provide travel advice.

Other ways to get to Liverpool

As a port city, Liverpool is also easily accessible by water from a range of places. You can board the ferry to Liverpool from both the Isle of Man and Belfast.

Travelling by ferry to Liverpool

If you choose to travel by ferry from the Isle of Man, you’ll arrive at Liverpool Pier Head. It’s a 35-minute walk from Liverpool Pier Head to our central campus on Brownlow Hill.

If you’re travelling by ferry from Belfast to Liverpool, you’ll arrive at 12 Quays Terminal, Birkenhead. From here, you'll have access to motorway, rail and bus links that take you directly to Liverpool city centre. Or you can take the direct cross-river ferry to Liverpool’s Pier Head.

Average ferry journey times

Two hours, 25 minutes from the Isle of Man to Liverpool
Eight hours from Belfast to Liverpool.

Liverpool also welcomes ships from further afield. Find out more on the Cruise Liverpool website.

Travelling by ferry from Liverpool

Mersey Ferries offers a fantastic way to see Liverpool’s waterfront. Ferries leave from the Pier Head and take passengers on a guided tour of Liverpool and the Wirral. Ferries depart Liverpool Gerry Marsden Terminal (Pier Head), on the hour and Seacombe Ferry Terminal, Wirral, at twenty past the hour.

Visit the Mersey Ferries website for more information.

International students travelling to Liverpool

To help our international students travel to Liverpool and their student accommodation, the University operates a meet and greet coach service from Manchester Airport. The service operates four days in advance of Welcome Week.