Spend spring break exploring somewhere new 🚆

Good news – it’s April, and time for a well-earned break! While Guild and University events slow down a little during the break, this month’s Sustainable Halls article will outline some of the ways you can create your own adventures in and around Liverpool, or even farther afield.

We’ll also give you some tips on how to get around Liverpool on a day-to-day basis, which will be especially useful if you’ll be moving out of halls and into a house next year. Let's start with some day trip inspiration before we get onto thinking about your new commute to campus come September.

🚆Spring Break – sustainable days out!

If you’re staying in Liverpool over the break, why not take some time out of your studies to explore somewhere new? Here are a few of our suggestions of where you can go by train and by bus!

Rail

The Merseyrail service gives you great access to many places around Merseyside for a low cost. Here are a few destinations you can visit to make the most of the warm April weather.

-          Formby: A beautiful beach and breath-taking forest make Formby an excellent place for a day out. Just grab a Day Saver ticket and hop on a Merseyrail train from Liverpool Central Station to Southport. If you get off at Freshfield, the beach is a 30-minute walk away!

-          Crosby: A few stops before Formby is Crosby, another town famed for its beach. You might recognise it for its famous art installation – strike a pose with one of Anthony Gormley’s Another Place statues!

-          West Kirby – For a classic British day at the seaside, look no further than West Kirby. If you time it right, you can even cross the seabed to reach Hilbre Island, a site of special scientific interest!

-          Chester – Finally, if a city break is more your flavour, take a day out to Chester! From the zoo to museums, there’s plenty to do in this historic town.

Bus

-          Calderstones Park – this park is home to several landmarks, including the eponymous Calderstones (Liverpool’s oldest monument), the Allerton Oak (the 2019 English ‘tree of the year’), and even a botanic garden! You can easily get here on the number 75, 76 or 78 bus.

-          Croxteth Country Park – This 500-acre estate is the site of Croxteth Hall, a 16th Century manor house. Come and enjoy the grounds and take a look around another of Liverpool’s botanic gardens! The number 18 bus will drop you nearby, and it’s a short walk from there to the park.

-          Rice Lane City Farm – this urban farm is located on 24 acres of field and woodland. For an up-close experience with the farm animals, or just a gentle walk through the grounds, hop on the route 21 bus and spend a day here.

Getting to University next year

Moving out of halls and into a house with your friends is always an exciting prospect. Unfortunately, gone are the days of rolling out of bed 5 minutes before a lecture begins!

You might not be able to get to classes as fast, but there are plenty of cheap and easy ways to get around. Here are our recommendations for getting where you need to go.

Walking

It might not be the quickest way of getting around, but there’s no better budget-friendly way of getting to uni. Living in Kensington, walking is pretty much a no-brainer, but even out in Smithdown, you can get to uni in less than 40 minutes by walking. For great exercise and low cost, walking is the way to go. 

Bus

The bus is the first port of call for most people when it comes to getting to uni, especially if you live in Smithdown. The 699 can halve the time it takes to get to uni and back, and with a discounted bus pass available at the Guild shop, you can see why the bus is so popular.

The bus pass isn’t just for the 699; your discounted bus pass can be used on any Arriva service in the Liverpool City Region, so why not use it for a weekend trip a little farther afield (we’ve got some suggestions below!).

Bike

While buses can get you to uni with little stress, there’s no freedom like riding a bike. With the Guild’s LivCycle bike hire scheme, you can hire a bike for a year for nearly a quarter the price of the bus pass! This is the perfect time to take up cycling, especially if you’ve never ridden in a city before. With plenty of secure bike storage on campus and free support from the LivCycle team throughout your hire period, you’ll have a smooth and speedy commute come rain or shine.

If you’re a student in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences in year 3 or above, the free Medipedal scheme might also be of interest to you. These free bikes are especially handy if you’re out and about on placements!

To access secure storage on campus, you’ll need to send an application form to Campus Support Services. More information about this can be found here.

Voi hire

You’ve probably seen Voi scooters zipping about in the city, and maybe you’ve even tried one out, but they can be a great way of getting to many destinations. Both electric scooters and bicycles are available to use, and they’re a cheap way of getting around on an ad hoc basis. All you need is a driving license and a Voi account, and you’re good to go!

What about driving?

We know there’s a strong temptation to bring your car along when you move out into a house. You might want to use it to move your belongings in and out, to transport sports equipment, or just for day-to-day activities. However, cars are costly, polluting, and parking in a city is always a headache. When considering whether you want to bring your car to university, consider the following:

1.      How often will I use it? If you’ll only be using your car a few times a week, would another method of transport be cheaper?

2.      What do I actually need it for? If you only want it for journeys to the shops, would a trip on the bus, a bike, or even walking be possible?

3.      Can I car share? Speak to your housemates, members of your sports team or society, or even other people you know who will be living nearby. If you can squeeze into one car and share the costs, you’ll save money and keep the roads clearer.

Enjoy the break!

We hope this article has given you some travel inspiration! If you have any questions about sustainable transport in the city, please contact LGsustainability@liverpool.ac.uk.