Liverpool Life and Travel Tips

(Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK)

Based in Merseyside and serving as both a city and a metropolitan borough, Liverpool was once considered to be a part of Lancashire. Life in this city has seen many changes over the past few decades, with the local economy being very much dominated by the service industry.

In the past, Liverpool was known for its harbour and factories, with its port remaining amongst the UK's most significant and handling more than 30 million tonnes of cargo annually. The leisure industry has been somewhat boosted by the arrival of the Echo Arena, as well as the Liverpool One complex, both of which opened in 2008, with the latter being anchored by retail giants such as John Lewis and Debenhams.

In 2004, some parts of the city centre were awarded prestigious World Heritage Site status and continue to boast countless listed buildings. These include the various landmarks within the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, such as the Albert Dock and the Pier Head, as well as the Commercial Quarter of Castle Street, the Cultural Quarter of William Brown Street, and the conservation areas of both Duke Street and Stanley Dock.

Tourist Information

There are several extremely helpful tourist information offices based throughout central Liverpool, with outlets located in Queen Square and on the Albert Dock development.

Tourist Information Centre
Address: Queen Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1RG, England
Tel: +44 (0)151 709 5111
Operated by friendly staff and located alongside the plentiful stores of the St. John's Shopping Centre, this is the city's principal Tourist Information Centre. Neighbouring places of interest include the Playhouse, the Marriott Hotel and the National Conservation Centre.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:30, Sunday - 10:30 to 16:30

Safety

Liverpool has fairly low levels of crime, although, as with all large and busy cities, it is always worth trying to blend in and not look like you are sightseeing or lost. Try to look like you know where you are going and be careful with any valuables, including mobile phones. Handbags or cameras are best worn across your shoulder.

Places of Worship

Liverpool is a vast and diverse city, home to many different cultures and religions. Located on Upper Duke Street, the Anglican Cathedral serves as both the city's seat of the bishop and the cathedral of the Diocese, while the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Christ the King on Hope Street is noticeably more modern in its appearance, being the seat of the Archbishop of the city.

Pharmacies and Chemists

Liverpool pharmacies and chemists are generally open from at least 09:00 until around 18:00, and a number of the city's larger supermarkets come with in-store chemists. Of note, these often have a pharmacy counter for dispensing prescriptions. Always popular are the branches of Boots the Chemist, including those based at the Lime Street Station and within the New Mersey Shopping Park on Speke Road.

Tipping

When staying in the Merseyside area, tipping is generally quite discretionary. Liverpool taxi drivers are usually tipped around 10% or thereabouts - although this is by no means essential. Some passengers simply choose to round up the fare to the nearest pound or two.

Local restaurants tend to include some service charges and these are always clearly printed on the dining menus. Otherwise, a tip of around 10% is usually expected when the food and standard of service has been good. Hotel staff, such as luggage handlers, happily accept a tip of one or two pounds.

Smoking

Smoking in Liverpool is not as fashionable as it once was and all public buildings and modes of transport now restrict smoking. Public houses and wine bars used to welcome customers who wished to relax with a drink and smoke. However, the arrival of the 2007 anti-smoking law means that these venues have become completely smoke-free. Those wishing to smoke in one of Liverpool's many pubs will now need to do so outside, although some venues will politely ask you to smoke away from doors and windows.