GUIDE TO BEST HOSTELS IN LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool, recent recipient of a European Culture award, has numerous free museums and art galleries, and theatres. It is famed for all things Beatles and for two top football teams, and hosts a free music festival. Its architecture is bold and impressive, so it is a good city to wander around. The docks have been renovated and have much of interest. It is not scenic, except for the fine view across the river if you take the Ferry 'cross the Mersey.
If you are entering or leaving Britain from either Liverpool airport (host to flights by Easyjet and Ryanair) or Manchester airport (numerous transatlantic flights), Liverpool is a good place to spend the night. Frequent buses run from Liverpool Airport, and there are hourly trains direct from Manchester airport.
Liverpool has several advantages over other cities: The city centre is compact and you can walk there from all the hostels; Meals and drinks are cheap; and there are many pubs and they stay open till 0200. It's well worth at least one night, and if you have a special interest you could readily spend several days here. But don't bother with the suburbs, they are grim.
Hostels
There are three hostels, all good in different ways, and all within walking distance of the City centre. Close by the docks is the sparkling purpose-built and expensive YHA hostel. The Embassie, in a quiet square near the University, is un-sparkling and far from purpose-built, but friendly and lower-priced. The new International Inn, next to the University and a little more central, is priced in between. The YHA price includes breakfast, while the other two offer free tea, coffee and toast.| INTERNATIONAL Inn (Liverpool) | |
| Address: 4 South Hunter Street
Tel: 0151-709-8135 |  |
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Email: info + AT + internationalinn.co.uk
Facilities: £15 (more at weekends and events) (2005). Fully equipped kitchen & good eating area, TV lounge w videos & pool table, spacious dorms with ensuite bathrooms, free tea/coffee & toast, internet £2/hr, laundry, bike storage, cafe adjacent, groups housed in separate area, friendly staff. UK Trail opinions: A pretty good hostel, the large kitchen/dining room is sociable but it has no windows and is rather stuffy. | |
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| LIVERPOOL YHA | |
| Address: 25 Tabley St, off Wapping
Tel: 0870-770-5924 |  |
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Email: liverpool + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: B&B £19 (2005). Good kitchen, dining room, games room, lounge with TV in reception area, spacious dorms with ensuite bathroom, very good breakfast, friendly staff. UK Trail opinions: Feels like a good budget motel, and no more sociable. The kitchen is good but not many people use it, and the reception lounge (with TV always on) does not encourage you to hang out and chat, so people go to their ensuite dorms with self-locking doors. Breakfast room has small tables so meeting people takes an effort.. | |
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| EMBASSIE INDEPENDENT Hostel (Liverpool) | |
| Address: 1 Falkner Square
Tel: 0151-7071089 |  |
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Facilities: £14.50 (2005), free tea/coffee & toast. Reception room w TV, TV lounge, basement games room/bar w TV, equipped kitchen, laundry and drying facilities, luggage storage, free map. UK Trail opinions: A casual feel, with old but serviceable furnishings in a fine old house in a quiet square. This hostel used to have a very sociable sitting room, but now there are 3 common rooms all with large TVs. The basement kitchen felt rather gloomy.. | |
MANCHESTER
There's nothing scenic about Manchester, with its robust solid buildings in the centre, grim suburbs, and lack of parks. That said, you can certainly find plenty to see, including several interesting (free!) museums. Soccer and cricket are strong here, and it is also a good place to hear a range of pop and modern music. Manchester airport is much pleasanter than London Heathrow, so you might consider landing here, and staying in Manchester for your first or last night (trains at all hours).
Hostels in Manchester
The hostel scene has improved. In the centre of Manchester are two good hostels. The YHA is located in a quiet oasis in a former canal area which has been imaginatively renovated. It is expensive, but includes a full breakfast. The Hatters, a new independent hostel, is in a listed building close to social activities; it is well-equipped and friendly and has strong security.
| MANCHESTER YHA | |
| Address: Potato Wharf, Castlefield
Tel: 0870-770-5950 | |
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Email: manchester + AT + yha.org.uk
Facilities: B&B £19.50 (2004) w full breakfast, good well-equipped but r gloomy kitchen, good eating/chatting area w view, TV lounge, quiet room w books, games room, helpful staff. | |
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| THE HATTERS Hostel (Manchester) | |
| Address: 50 Newton Street
Tel: 0161-236-9500 |  |
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Email: manchester + AT + hattersgroup.com
Facilities: Owner-run, 200 beds, £14-£17 w small breakfast, lounge w pool & TV, internet, equipped kitchen, baggage room w lockers, friendly staff, smoke-free, guest book. | |
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'Manchester Backpackers' and 'Joan's Place' are temporarily closed. 'Woodies Backpackers' has closed permanently. We have heard that Peppers hostel has closed.
If you look on websites which run the Hostelworld booking system, you will find many more entries for Manchester, but all of them are hotels or guest houses with high prices at least for single travellers. Barlows, which is referred to as a hostel, is a house in a quiet residential street with no indication that it is a hostel, and their publicity discourages single guests.
