Just across the road from the Albert dock, or in the opposite direction, from the main shopping…read morecentre, this is a modern bus station which is accessible to everyone. There are raised kerbs to enable level boarding at all ten bays, and automatic sliding glass doors beside the departure points. There are plenty of places where you can sit to wait beside the bus shelters but it can be a bit draughty. The Travel Centre for your tickets or information is open from 9.00am to 5.30pm Mondays to Saturdays and 10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays. (I found the man in there quite helpful) There are toilets, including a parent and baby facility and disabled toilet (radar key required in the evenings which is available from staff) The bus station is staffed 24 hours a day and there are CCTV Security Cameras.

Liverpool one bus station might seem a strange thing to right a review about but I was sufficiently…read moreimpressed by its facilities to give it a mention. I have been to bus stations in other cities such as Birmingham and have often found them to be graffiti covered and quite dirty and generally a little bit rough. This place seems to be an exception to the rule it is extremely well run and well kept and in general is a pleasurable place to be. There is a host of information on boards all over the bus station and the buses run regularly and efficiently. This is a well run establishment and I have no complaints as it has always been efficient and helped me on my way as a new comer to the city of Liverpool.

This little hub has a mere four bus stops, and connects the little Wirral village of Heswall to the…read morerest of the wide world. It's adorable, and conveniently located on Telegraph Road which is lined with shops, cafes, restaurants, and more. Take a right out of the station and walk up just a little way and you will come to a Costa, a pizza place, and a small book shop, Linghams (which also has a café inside!) Who could ask for anything more? Or, if you want the library, take a left and walk down. The fire station is also there in case you start a fire on the way (ha ha), and the police station only a little further down beyond those.

This is a cute little bus depot, with just four stops connecting the folks of Heswall with the rest…read moreof the Wirral Peninsula. You can get as far as Chester as you depart from to the left of this station, and as far as Liverpool if you depart from the right. The buses are frequent and clean, and the drivers.. Well they're miserable, like all bus drivers! There is a great little cafe connected to the bus station called Gill's Cafe, it's cheap, great quality and incredibly friendly. Aside from the cafe, there's a charity shop and a pub. So if you miss the bus you can go and buy a tatty old book a then go for a pint to peruse your newfound novella! The station is very safe as it's in a big open space in the centre of Heswall, just five minutes away from the local police station! It's one of the best kept stations that I've seen on the Wirral!

New Islington Metrolink is a fairly modern Metrolink location, just outside the city centre, being…read moreonly a few minutes away via the Metrolink (just one stop) from Piccadilly Station, it's also two stops away from the Etihad Stadium, but it is worth noting that it's probably best to avoid this station on a match-day at the Etihad, because the trams are so packed coming into the station to the point I'd even say they shouldn't stop here (People are queuing for long periods at time at the two stations before until the trams get packed). It is located on two lines, which is quite common for most Metrolink stops which aren't directly in the city centre, on both lines whether it's the light blue line between Eccles and Ashton, or the orange line between Media City UK and the Etihad, the next stops are Piccadilly or Holt Town. Both lines follow basically the same route, with the blue line following the same route as orange, just carrying on a little further in both directions. It's also situated looking towards some modern apartments, so on a nice clear sunny day, it gives you a nicer view than most Metrolink stations. Not too much away, but provides easy access to the city centre being just a stop or two away, and it is far from the ugliest station on the Metrolink network. 3*

Great location in the New Islington area of Ancoats. Above all this stop is within the City Zone…read moremeaning that (currently at time of writing) a single ticket costs £1.20 or a return (round trip) costs only £1.50 anywhere withjn the city zones. Bargain! Trams are every 12 minutes!

Merseyrail is a local train operator serving all of Merseyside including the Wirral. They have…read morethree lines all of which give you convenient spots to arrive at the main points of destination. It is not exactly like the London Underground although there are some underground passages. Trains run very frequently, usually every 15-20 minutes so you would not expect to wait longer than 20 minutes for a train. Tickets are also priced quite reasonably and you can purchase saveaways where you'll save pounds if you travel regularly. Some of the bigger stations have an indoor seating area and newsagents where you can buy drinks and snacks, so this can be ideal for travellers in a rush. I normally get the bus more often but every time I use Merseyrail, I've had no problems and always reached my destination earlier than expected.

Merseyrail is brilliant as l well remember the days when it used to be pot luck whether or not your…read moretrain would turn up or not. Been a few different operators since then and now it's very reliable.

Shudehill Interchange is one of Manchester's transport hubs that is far less scummy than Victoria…read morestation and much less stressful than the bustling Piccadilly Station. You can catch the metro from Shudehill either as well as many local buses. It's also the Manchester stop for Megabuses which I love because the bus station is only five minutes away from my flat. Mega useful. Inside the bus station is a newsagents which sells confectionary and crisps and stuff for your journey, and generally the station is clean, light and well maintained. There's a few seats if you've got a long wait too. Ooh, also dead useful is that there is a cash machine just outside the main entrance. Dead handy if you're over in Trof or tv21 and need some more cash quickly.

Manchester Shudehill could certainly be a lot better especially for a major city, but it certainly…read moreisn't too bad either, with a good number of connections via bus, while also having Metrolink services and being a short walk away (or one stop on the Diamond Number 8 bus and/or Metrolink towards Bury) to Manchester Victoria Railway Station. The station's layout is easy to follow, although it is split into two bus stations, most of which do go from the main terminal. Buses from here serve most of Manchester including Bury, Bolton, Salford, Rochdale, Middleton and the MRI. National Express also run coaches from here going across the country. I would love to see digital bus timetables showing when the next bus is, which I've seen in other locations across England, which perhaps could list destinations and towns showing the next bus to go there, which means you can always get the next bus and know how long it'll take without the need for third-party mobile phone apps. The staff inside the station seem friendly, and although they do try to help it stay clean, it doesn't always stay that way, mainly down to members of the public openly making a mess including smoking (which is forbidden), or the occasional litter or pigeon problem. There is an ATM outside (Be careful as this is a common spot for homeless people), newsagents and a coffee shop (which never seems to be open) at Shudehill. 3*

Sure, it looks all futuristic and connects the city centre to the docks more efficiently than the…read moreold place ever did, but I doubt my nostalgia will ever be enhanced by this new interchange. The crummy old station was the kind of place that nostalgia is made of, in that you look back on it with fondness but if it were still around today you'd be hard pressed to find much redeemable about it. The slick new place will never be like that. Once you're there you want to get away as soon as possible and I don't care what anybody else says, you always feel like you're stood outside. Still, I suppose this aching desire to vacate means that vandals are unlikely to hang around too so it should be around for a long time.

Paradise Street Bus Station is located within the Liverpool ONE shopping area and many times I have…read morestaggered here, weighed down by bags, and sat to wait for my bus. The buses that run through here mainly serve the south of the city, but there are also a few services which go over the water and to the north of the city. The services which run from here are clearly displayed on noticeboards at each stop and it is easy to find out which bus to get from which stop, and if you have to go to another bus interchange to get the right bus. Each bus stop is clearly numbered and has a TV screen showing when the next bus is expected. There are usually attendants on duty who are happy to help you, but also ensure that kids do not hang around the bus station for the sake of it. There is also a travel centre open during the day where you can buy tickets, pick up timetables and get any information you need. The bus station is something of a wind tunnel, running down onto the waterfront. But each stop has an enclosed area where you can sit down and shelter from the cold.

Not the most welcoming first impression of Leigh, but it does what it needs to in a purely…read morefunctional way. This is one end of the line for the new guided busway which has reduced journey times from Leigh to Manchester to less than an hour. Information boards provide information of when the next V1 on the busway is due, though not for other services departing the bus station. A pay toilet is available and there is a kiosk selling season bus tickets. I think a handy addition for the guided busway would be ticket machines to enable tickets to be bought prior to boarding, as too much time is taken along the route as the driver is taking payments and issuing tickets, particularly at busy stops along the route like Leigh & Tyldesley.

Leigh Bus Station is a proper old school bus station, it's cold, old-fashioned and split into…read moremultiple parts. It does have a good number of services including the Vantage Buses, heading "fast" into Manchester via the guided busway, as well as services into many local towns including Bolton and Wigan (most services seem to go via one of these two), they even run a matchday bus into The University of Bolton Stadium, which gets you there in half an hour... when fans are allowed to attend at least. I did originally struggle to find my stand due to the bus station being made up of around 3/4 tiny buildings, there are signs around the bus station which says which bus goes from which stand, but I didn't think they are clear or noticeable, and they would have been so easy to miss, especially in the dark. There is a Travelshop and it is in a good location within the town centre, with a newsagent (WHSmith Cannings Local) nearby within Spinning Gate (shopping centre next to the bus station) It would be great to have seen a refurbished bus station in Leigh to go alongside the investment of the new guided busway, I actually find the stops along the guided busway to be cleaner, more modern and nicer overall. 2* - Basic bus station, still providing services in a good location, with limited seating inside.

This bus stop is located on James Street (obviously), very close to Liverpool One. I find it really…read morehandy for getting the bus back over to the Wirral where I live. It's also great if you want to get a bus to town and then get a train on from there, since it's right beside the James Street train station. Buses are very frequent here, and it's very close to shops and cafes in case you need something to eat or drink while you wait for the bus.