It’s all happening in Liverpool. If you’re a music fan, it’s the place of legends. Whether you want to retrace the steps of the Beatles, reminisce about how Finland was robbed when Liverpool hosted Eurovision, or just take a ferry across the Mersey, then we’ve got you covered. Here are our top picks for cha-cha-cheap train tickets to Liverpool.

What’s the cheapest way from Manchester?

There might be a great deal of rivalry between the two cities, but there’s nothing wrong with a change of scenery! If you want cheap tickets to Liverpool from Manchester, then you’ll probably find them to be with Northern. A day return is £13.20 if you’re travelling after 09:29 on weekdays (anytime weekends and Bank Holidays).

If there’s two of you travelling, you can buy a Duo ticket from the Railsmartr website. It’s £19.80 for two people, and it’s valid after 09:29. When you come back, you can travel at any time apart from 16:01 to 17:59 on weekdays. Both of these tickets are only for Northern trains, but we’ll offer them automatically if you select groups of two adults and it’s the cheapest option.

Just making a one way trip? Let’s take a look at what’s on offer when we book a week in advance:

The slow train from Manchester Oxford Road (look out for the snail symbols) which is run by Northern is the absolute cheapest. Sometimes, these fares are available right up until the train leaves, so it’s always worth checking online, even if you’re on your way to the station.

Can I get cheap train tickets to Liverpool from London?

Direct trains from London are all run by Avanti West Coast, so cheap train tickets to Liverpool might be a little harder to find. Here’s what’s on offer if you book a month in advance:

As you can see, the cheapest tickets are on the direct service from London Euston. However, did you know that London Northwestern Railway runs a train to Crewe? It takes a little longer, but it’s a fair bit cheaper:

So, that’s £10.20. From here, it’s £13.80 for a single from Crewe to Liverpool, valid on any train after 9am on weekdays (any time weekends and Bank Holidays). That gives us a total of £24.00. Just make sure that you leave at least 10 minutes between trains at Crewe.

If you’re making a day return trip, it’s £13.90 for a day return (valid after 9am weekdays, any time weekends and Bank Holidays). The return is £22.00 if you’re coming back on a different day (up to a month later).

If you do it this way, it’ll typically take up to an hour longer, but you’ll save a packet.

Are there cheap train tickets to Liverpool from Glasgow?

One option for cheap train tickets to Liverpool from Glasgow is to take one of the direct trains operated by TransPennine Express. They don’t run too often, though!

The direct train leaves at 12:04 on Mondays to Fridays (12:08 on Saturdays). You can return from Liverpool at 08:12 and 16:12 Monday to Saturday.

Alternatively, you can travel on an Avanti West Coast service down to Wigan North Western and change to Northern.

Let’s see what the fares are like a month in advance:

In this case, it’s actually cheaper to avoid the direct train. However, it can vary a lot. You might find that it’s cheaper to change in one direction and take the direct train in the other. We’ll always show you the cheapest fare for each train.

Is there anything else I should know?

Thinking of taking a trip soon? You can book it all with Railsmartr. We’ll be sure to show you the slower and cheaper options, so you can get the best value fare for your journey.

Changed your mind? Need to travel on a different day? No problem at all. You can change or refund your ticket (if it’s refundable) without any extra fees.

^{_{All fares stated on this page are for ONE adult with no Railcard discount and were correct at 12:00 01/06/23. They’re subject to change at any time and Railsmartr are not responsible for any loss or disappointment incurred as a result of the information provided.}}