Budget Travel: Liverpool, UK

by Annie Scott on


Summary: Liverpool. It’s not London, and that’s why it’s not nearly as expensive. But with the old-timey glamor of Albert Dock, a history rich with music, maritime lore, and football (soccer) glory, and a proximity to Chester and Port Sunlight Village, Liverpool is no second rate vacation destination. It’s a first rate European city and an exciting place to visit!

Getting in: The John Lennon International Airport is where it’s at. If you can’t get straight there from where you live, find a trip to Amsterdam, then EasyJet it over to Liverpool. It may take you out of your way, but the savings will likely be worth it, and taking a train from London with all your luggage is a major pain after a long flight. Plus, a layover in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport can be a pretty good time! Check out the facilities/amenities here.

Where to stay: Gadling recommends that you stay at the Britannia Adelphi Hotel. This places you just uphill from all the best shopping and dining, near the train station (which you’ll need if you want to take day trips), and walkable to Albert Dock and the city’s cathedrals. The prices are reasonable and the rooms are lovely. There’s also a Marriott nearby if you are looking to cash in points.

What to see: Liverpool’s blue collar roots are well disguised in the trendy City Centre area. We recommend a walk down Bold Street to get you started with shopping, especially the trendy Karen Millen shop. While you’re there, you can eat a very cheap, delicious, healthy vegetarian meal at the exquisitely painted Egg Cafe (and gallery).

Ready for a pint? Head up to the Philharmonic Pub for a classy, relaxed atmosphere, and, if you can, catch whatever’s playing that night at The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall across the street! Note: The locals don’t say the “H” in Phil*H*armonic, and they will make fun of you if you do — that, or have no idea what you are talking about.

Now you’re on Hope Street. You might notice that at either end of the street, there is a giant cathedral. Visit both! The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (Roman Catholic) looks a bit like a spaceship, or like it might impale any falling angels, but is quite lovely inside. The Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican) is even grander, and definitely worth a tour (you can see all of Liverpool from the top), or at least a stroll through the lovely, probably-haunted graveyard. Hope Street also runs into Mount Street at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts where you can catch — or pick up fliers for — all kinds of local music, theater, dance, and more. LIPA was started in 1996 by Sir Paul McCartney and has been spitting out West End stars and more ever since!

If you’re a soccer fan, don’t miss a tour of the Liverpool Football Club museum and stadium. Ask at your hotel for transportation arrangements.

And naturally, if you’re a Beatles fan, don’t miss the Magical Mystery Tour! The tour is run by primary school classmates of The Beatles, and is funny, informative, and a great way to see a lot of Liverpool. It ends at the infamous Cavern Club, which is still alive and well.

Another great way to see Liverpool is the Yellow Duck Marine Tour. The guides on the duck boats are hysterical, and they take you around Albert Dock, where you can also visit a lot of Liverpool’s chicest clubs, the Tate Liverpool, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, or just get your caricature drawn for a couple of pounds.

Lastly, if you want to get that posh British feeling, take a day trip to Chester. You can get there by train in about 45 minutes and spend the whole day eating crumpets, perusing parfumeries, and walking the wall that covers the entire perimeter of the city. Better still, stop in Port Sunlight Village on your way down. The village itself looks like something you might see in miniature form in a store-front display around Christmas, and it is home to The Lady Lever Art Gallery — a gallery you can totally do in a couple of hours which happens to be my personal favorite throughout the entire world. Don’t miss the basement full of Masonic artifacts.

A trip to Liverpool is worth your time, and, especially in comparison to London, really easy on your wallet!

South African flight crews know how to get high

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you’re having trouble staying awake or just like to party, book your next flight on South African Airways. The UK Border Agency arrested 15 SAA crew members – nine men and six women – at Heathrow Airport. Why are they now guests of the Queen? This crew was caught trying to slip 11 lbs of cocaine into the country.

The episode is just another example of poor timing. The drugs are estimated to have a street value of ???250,000. If nose candy is pegged to the U.S. dollar, it would have been worth almost twice as much six months ago.

Last month, another 15 SAA crew members were busted at Heathrow for hauling cocaine and cannabis into England. They were a bit more ambitious, with a haul with an estimated value of ???310,000. The outcome, however, was the same. BBC News calls it a separate incident, but it smells like a pattern to me … and my nasal passages are clean.

The most recent perps were given bail and instructed to return to court on March 23. The only question that remains is how much more cocaine they’ll have to “import” to cover their legal fees.

[Via BBC News]


Only these women have caused more problems than SAA’s pilots!

The Very Best Foreign National Parks

by Kraig Becker on

The Coalition of National Park Services Retirees (yeah, I didn’t know they existed either) put out a press release yesterday listing the organizations favorite national parks from around the globe. The list was compiled by the more than 700 members of the CNPSR, who voted on their favorite places to visit while traveling abroad. Each of those members is a former employee of the U.S. National Park Service, and the members have an average of nearly 30 years of experience each, giving them a broad understanding of what makes a great park. Amongst their numbers are former rangers, park directors and deputy directors, regional directors and more.

The ten top parks according to the CNPSR is as follows:

1. TONGARIRO N. P., New Zealand
2. KAKADU N. P., Northern Territory, Australia
3. SNOWDONIA N. P., Wales, Great Britain
4. KRUGER N. P., South Africa
5. TIKAL N. P., Guatemala
6. IGUAZU N. P., Argentina
7. SAGARMANTHA N. P., Nepal
8. MADAIN SALEY NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK, Saudi Arabia
9. PLITVICE LAKES N.P., Croatia
10. HORTOBAGY N.P., Hungary
The actual story goes into more detail as to which each of the parks was selected, and what makes them stand out in the crowd. For instance, Tongarirro in New Zealand is a World Heritage Site with three volcanos, one of which is active. The park also lets visitors get up close to the Maori culture, with many members of the tribe still living within the park itself. By contrast, Kruger National Park in South Africa, is listed as one of the best places on the planet to view wildlife, with hundreds of different species on display.

Overall, a great list, and some good suggestions on places you can visit while traveling abroad. It’s nice to see some of the lesser known parks make the list, like Plitvice Lakes in Croatia. These kinds of lists sure don’t help the personal life list however, as every time they are released, I add two or three new things to my agenda.

Irishman Runs Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, in Six Days

by Kraig Becker on

Irish endurance runner Richard Donovan completed an impressive series of runs a few days back when he completed his seventh marathon in just six days. Even more impressive than that however, is that each of those marathons was run on a different continent.

The World Marathon Challenge got underway on January 31st when Donvan ran a marathon in Antarctica, covering the 26.2 miles n 4 hours, 39 minutes, 29 seconds in temperatures hovering around 0º Fahrenheit. Upon completing that race, he immediately hopped on a plane and flew to Cape Town, for his second run on the same day. From there, it was on to Dubai, where the temperatures soared dramatically, but Richard completed his third marathon in two days on the 1st of February.

The next destination was London, where the city was experiencing its worst snowfall in years, but Donvan pushed through, and logged his 26.2 miles, at three in the morning no less, before jetting off to Toronto, for yet another marathon. He completed the South American leg of his challenge by running a marathon in Santiago, Chile. The last of his runs took place in Sydney, Australia on Thursday, February 5th.

All told, Richard completed his journey in just 5 days, 10 hours, and 8 minutes, collecting 26,719 frequent flyer miles in the process. According to this story from the Independent, his only opportunities to eat and rest were aboard the airplanes he was flyng on, which caused him to battle sleep deprivation and jet lag the entire was as well.

What were Richard’s motivations for undertaking the World Marathon Challenge? To raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in Darfur, and to raise funds for the Irish charity GOAL.

International Value Destinations

by Kraig Becker on

USAToday has put together an interesting list of 10 great international places to go for a value on your vacation. These places were specifically picked to allow us to get more bang for our buck when traveling abroad this year, something that seems to be on every traveler’s mind at the moment.

The list of locations really does span the globe, and there is something for everyone on the list. Want to head to the beach on your break? Then Bermuda is the recommended spot. Want something a bit more adventurous? Give LIma, Peru a go. And for a destination that is still a bit off the beaten path, they recommend Vietnam, where you can stretch your dollar a long way, without skimping on the amenities.

The list offers up some great ideas for international travel in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Each of the destinations has a link to a local tourism website where you can find more information about where to stay and what to do, and with a little creative planning it seems that you won’t have to skip that international vacation this year after all.