Queen Square Bus Station is one of the two main bus stations in Liverpool city centre, alongside…read morethe Liverpool One Bus Station, obviously as in its' name the Queens Square Bus Station is located in Queens Square which is close to St John's and Liverpool Lime Street Station, unlike the Liverpool One bus station, it mainly serves the Merseyside area, albeit some services do run a little further such as to Preston via Southport, albeit the latter service is much quicker to get the train to one of those cities. The layout and setup of Queens Square Bus Station is quite different, it mainly involves around 13 glass bus stands with different numbers, each serving different services, the bus stands are clearly labelled hower this approach has two big drawbacks - It's harder to tell which bus goes where without area knowledge, a map or some sort - It is harder to get in-between stands, some are far away from each other when multiple buses from multiple stands serve different areas, for example on a match-day there's 3 different areas of Queens Square in which you can get a bus to Goodison Park, home of Everton Football Club, or two on any regular day. - The stands are in order however when it splits it's then hard to find further stands, and as you cross the road it loses that order. There are generally staff around the bus station area, but it's been pretty hit and miss on numerous occasions whether they were actively going to help, or just stand there picking up their salary not caring about customers, for example recently there was a confusion with the bus diverting earlier than expected, with no one there to explain if the bus would actually be going where it should, especially on a busy matchday service this should be better - although Stagecoach Buses do share responsibility for this. I did like the live bus times on each individual stand, but then again you have to go to each individual stand to see them, having one main board perhaps in the information area would be so much better showing common destinations, what bus to get and from what platform, which makes it easier than risking going to one bus stand when a bus going to the same place would arrive sooner from the other, similar to what they have in Newcastle Upon-Tyne. Overall, this is the better bus station in Liverpool for more local and regional journeys and the area is a good, central location close to shops (St John's), hotels (Marriott) and numerous restaurants, and basically as you are in the city centre, you're near so much more than the businesses which run alongside the bus-station, nowhere near perfect and with numerous improvements but this is pretty much my go-to place when needing to travel around Liverpool outside of the city centre, and it isn't a bad place to go so it does warrant a solid three-star rating.

Situated in Queen Square, is where most of the public get off from the bus to access the city…read morecentre. The bus station is modern with spacious accessible bus shelters with each bus shelter incorporating bus timetables and information screens. The site of the bus station is on a long and rather steep incline but well designed and easy to understand. A pelican controlled crossing and tactile guidance pathway is provided for easy crossing from one side to the other. There are also induction loops and a help point in each shelter should you require any emergency assistance. If you require any further information or want to purchase save-away ride tickets, there is a travel centre nearby where you can gain access to complete bus timetables as well as other related tourist travel information. Staffs are friendly and can provide general details.

This coach station is spiffy! Admittedly, the old one was right across the road from Lime Street…read morestation, but this one is purpose built on what was derelict ground from the 1960s, and its lovely. Its a few years old, so all the teething problems have been sorted, and its running well. It links to towns and cities all over the country of course, and its very easy to get into the centre. Which means, of course, that its not in the centre - it can't be, the centre is too old and too complex, and just too big for that. This is well laid out with modern facilities, and its a pleasure to use.

So National Express decided to save themselves 150k in running costs a year, sell off their land to…read morebuild more 'much needed' student accommodation so they can leave their fare paying passages out in the cold and rain with neither staff nor security after 5.30. So that's the old and vulnerable suitably looked after national express, well done what a pleasant experience it is too. A winter's night with wind whipping up from the Mersey is torturous. I commuted daily for decades using your old Norton Street Station, warm and comfortable when having to put up with the countless regular lengthy delays which was necessary believe me. I and many more once daily uses have decided the welfare of your customers is not paramount for your company and have opted for Lime street and a more personable experience all round. You should be competing with trains and leading the way not scrambling for a race to the bottom and lining yourself up with the likes of Megabus. Short term financial gain, long term decline. Farewell it was nice knowing you!

Why no phone number? Have tried to get in touch to check ticket prices from Bootle bus station to…read moreLiverpool Airport as need to travel before 9.30am. I am a pensioner and could not use my pass before this time.

Bootle Bus Station is situated round the back of Bootle Strand Shopping Centre. It is accessible…read morefrom inside the centre as well as the outside. The information posters and timetables are clearly displayed throughout the station and it is easy to find the correct stop to catch your bus from as they are all clearly numbered. The station is kept clean and tidy. There are rubbish bins throughout.

The toilets were locked and there's no staff in sight. No food available. The signage for the next…read morecoachs is very poor and located across a main road from where you actually get on the coach. Note: im reviewing where National Express has moved to which is the paradise street bus station.

I love National Express because I just have a passion for travel by road that every time I go away…read more(within UK or Europe) I choose coach rather than any other form of transport. Obviously coaches take longer to reach their destination but for me, a personal favourite. If you do choose coach, National Express is the way to go as they serve most major cities in the UK and also to some parts of Europe at affordable prices (much cheaper than the train). National Express have a great, user-friendly website where you can easily purchase e-tickets or even have the ticket sent to your mobile for a small additional fee. This form of ticketing is very convenient and hassle free than having to visit the station. If you ever have to visit the station to buy your ticket, it is equally as straightforward with many friendly staff serving at the reception that know exactly every detail you require first-hand. If you'd rather not wait or don't have specific enquiries, there are electronic self-service ticket machines so you can buy your ticket at the touch of a button.

Stagecoach Bus Merseyside is arguably the largest bus operator in the Merseyside region which…read moreincludes Lancashire, Cheshire, North Wales, Wirral - some bus routes even go between these boroughs including the X2 which connects Liverpool to Preston, via Southport, at 2 hours and 16 minutes this is one of the largest bus journeys's I've come across, this, by comparison, is about the same length of time as a train into London and enough to get the train from Liverpool to Preston and back, with time to spare via Transpennine Express or even the slow Northern train! It amazes me how Stagecoach Bus in Merseyside hasn't been reviewed since July 2010, which is nearly ten whole years. In that time, so much has changed and it seems Stagecoach have got worse, perhaps that is through the complacency of being ahead in the region for too long with little competition. Due to how big Stagecoach is, if you're planning to use public transport around Liverpool you're pretty much going to have to use either Merseyrail or this. They do run train services to Anfield on a match-day, however because of traffic around the ground and the fact the bus has a further route to go after the stadium, they are forced to divert however despite having signs around Queens Square Bus Station and telling the bus driver where I was going, no one told me about the diversion and even other match-goers on the bus didn't seem to know, this was after a long wait for the bus which seemed to suffer delays as well to make it even worse (luckily I didn't miss kick-off!) Buses are typical Stagecoach across the UK, not too modern in most regards. Despite the growth of Arriva in Liverpool, Stagecoach are still the main players and it really does seem that from service, time-keeping and overall condition of buses they are taking that too granted, yet still anything beats First Manchester which caused me trouble for a great number of years closer to home and I do think they make their routes a little clearer than other operators, even if they don't factor diversions into it. 2*

Since my last review, I now have a negative comment about Stagecoach much to my annoyance and shall…read moretherefore drop not 1 but 2 stars in its rating. More recently if you take the 21 route or any other Stagecoach bus that travels along London Road, the driver tends to change driver which could sometimes mean a 10 minute wait which is obviously not good if you're in a hurry to get somewhere. If you're lucky, the switch of driver will take place instantly but on one occasion, I had to wait nearly 15 minutes with other disgruntled passengers because the driver did not turn up, so I had to watch the original driver take a cigarette break whilst I was waiting to get to work on time but ended up late all because of poor service and an arrogant driver who did not even apologise to anybody. Other fed up passengers actually got off and waited for another bus and when that occurred, the driver immediately got back on and started driving; I not only felt sorry for those passengers but thought this was rude and felt as though he was playing games. I requested if he could let me off at the traffic lights as I was already late for work but he simply replied "no" with no apology and without realising that he kept everyone waiting longer than expected. I applaud the group of girls who pressed the stop button several times as they got off. It was obvious that most people were annoyed by the driver's actions. Even though it may not be entirely the driver's fault, Stagecoach should sort out their poor timing when switching drivers (very much unlike them); this took me by surprise. I aim to lodge a formal complaint if this happens more than once and I will suggest others also do so if they experience the same.

Birkenhead Bus Station is actually one of the best things about Birkenhead! For a start, it gets…read moreyou out of there as soon as you like, secondly it's nice to look at as it's a huge glass frame, thirdly it's warm, and finally it's secure so you won't get mugged here. I remember when it first got built and people would marvel at its sheer beauty.. Well that's a lie, people would just bicker and sigh that their buses were late, much as they still do today. But it's a great sheltered space with bus routes leading over to Liverpool and all over the Wirral as far as New Brighton, Heswall and West Kirby. They have two help desks in case you're not too sure what bus to take, or you need a bus pass or a TRIO or Saveaway. They also have a machine that vends cans of pop, and one with hot drinks. What more could you want?

It's not too bad as bus stations go. But all the announcements are proceeded with a very loud…read moredoorbell. Incredibly cheap and quite a shock if you're not deaf. Spend any length of time waiting there and you will end up with post traumatic stress. It's actually quite close to Conway Park station. However for buses; considering it's the nearly the last stop before Liverpool there's actually a large gap between Liverpool buses if you don't have the right ticket. Merseytravel couldn't even sort out a shared ticket arrangement whilst the rail tunnel is closed. It really should do better in terms of providing a shuttle link between Birkenhead and Liverpool.. considering this link is completely covered by a Merseytravel Monopoly (Tolls, ferries, buses, train .. all ultimately accountable and paid to Merseytravel). There's no cycle way in the Birkenhead tunnel's lower deck for example. It terms of some buses it's built in the wrong place... most notably peak time 471,472 bypass the bus station and go straight to Liverpool. The ding-dong doorbell announcements say it all ... an expensive project .. but couldn't be bothered going the extra mile.

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.

Liverpool One Bus Station is right behind the Hilton Hotel close to both the One Shopping Centre…read moreand Albert Dock, it is probably the worst of the two bus stations within the city centre, compared to the other Bus Station which is still within walking distance of the one, with the added benefit of being close to Lime Street Station, in Queens Square. It is an outside bus station but the stands do have shelters which might not offer much protection in heavy rain or wind, but it's the same sort of idea around Queens Square. There were very few staff around the station, even on a busy day such as before kick-off at the Manchester City - Liverpool game at Anfield (meanwhile there were staff around Queens Square), making it hard to get any sort of information which considering how badly the buses were being delayed, it really would have helped! Each stand has full real-time departure boards but not all of them seemed to be working fully, I'd even say it wasn't clear or easy enough to see what stand goes where, which should be laid out better. Compared to the bus station at Queens Square, this one is really run down and not fit to serve the city centre of a large city especially one built to serve and name after the country's 9th largest shopping centre. I really hope it does get an improvement soon with more services coming from it, as it seems since the late 2000s (and 2011) when this station got a large amount of good, positive reviews it has continued to go on a downward slope.

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.

Really great ride...for a quick turn and burn on the Mersey Ferry's Snowdrop…read more We hopped on the ferry from the Gerry Marsden Pier (Liverpool side) and hopped on and off (but you don't have to) Seacombe (Wirral side). Since we skipped the 50min tour (we were already on a bus tour two days prior), we made it a quick out and back via the commuter ferry times. Going before 9a.m. (or after 5:30 p.m.) will save you in cash and time. The staff both on shore and aboard were extremely helpful and nice. They made the trip seamless, and it's probably 10min one way (10min back). It's too short for seasickness, so it's twice as good. It was an iconic trip (even as brief as it was), and you can do it on the cheap, and TIP: Pay on the other side! Recommend the commuter ferry!

We booked a River Explorer Cruise and it well as planned The Cruise was amazing Nice and kins Staff…read moreGot On At the Wirral Side (Seacombe) and got off later at Pier Head

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!