Day Trips from Liverpool: Chester to Formby
Most of Liverpool’s best excursions leave from the city centre on Merseyrail, so you need no car. Here is how far each place is and what to expect. Fares are in GBP.
Journey times from the city centre
| Destination | Line | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|
| Crosby | Northern | 20 minutes |
| New Brighton | Wirral | 20 minutes |
| Chester | Wirral | 45 minutes |
| Southport | Northern | 45 minutes |
Formby (Freshfield station) and Port Sunlight are also on the network, and West Kirby is the Wirral Line stop for Hilbre Island.
A Merseyrail Day Saver is about GBP 5 to GBP 6.50, depending on how many zones you buy. It is not valid on weekday mornings between 06:31 and 09:29. Day Saver cover for Chester is unconfirmed, so check the ticket area at merseyrail.org before you travel.
Chester
Chester suits a full day. It has Roman walls, the Rows and a cathedral. Chester Zoo is a separate, bigger outing, with online adult tickets of GBP 34 to GBP 38. Merseyrail sometimes runs 2-for-1 deals on selected dates.
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a planned village on the Wirral. The Lady Lever Art Gallery is free, but listings differ on whether it opens daily or Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00 and 17:00, so check first. Charges at the Port Sunlight Museum are unconfirmed.
Southport
Lord Street is the reason to go to Southport. Southport Pier has been closed since December 2022, and a GBP 20 million restoration was approved in March 2026. Any reopening dates are estimates, so do not plan around them.
Formby and its red squirrels
The National Trust runs the dunes and pinewoods at Formby. Walking in costs nothing, and parking is about GBP 7.50 to GBP 9 for non-members. Red squirrels live there but sightings are never guaranteed. The Victoria Road entrance and car park may be closed or redeveloped. The beach has no regular lifeguard cover outside summer zones, with rip currents and steep sandbanks, so do not swim.
Crosby Beach
This is the home of Gormley’s Another Place figures. Sefton Council says it is not a bathing beach and flags it red permanently. The tide is fast and the mud is soft and deep. Stay within 50 m of the promenade and never walk out to the far figures. If you become stuck, stay still and call 999, asking for the Coastguard.
Hilbre Island
You can only walk across at low tide from the Dee Lane slipway in West Kirby. The incoming tide cuts off the way back. Study the tide tables on the noticeboard and go with plenty of time in hand.
Tips
- Aintree, home of the Grand National, hosts the 2027 festival from 8 to 10 April, with the big race on Saturday 10 April.
- With journey times of 20 minutes, Crosby and New Brighton fit easily into a half day.
Read more: Liverpool attraction tours and outdoor activities .
Confirm times and prices at: Merseyrail Day Saver , Sefton water safety , Southport Pier . Browse organised excursions on GetYourGuide .