Car Rental Liverpool

Introduction

After the disappearance of world trade from its port, for years Liverpool was a gray, dreary city with the only highlight being the local FC's triumphs. This has changed radically. Both the local FC (negatively) and the city (positively) have undergone a metamorphosis. In 2008, Liverpool held the European Capital of Culture title and they were very proud of this in this city on the River Mersey. They spent almost 1 billion (!) euros to renovate the center. And it must be said that they were very successful. Liverpool is a lively city with the historic Albert Dock as a tourist center, memories of the Beatles and interesting museums and art galleries.

Population

In the 1930's Liverpool still had a population of more than 800,000. After the Second World War this number dropped drastically. Nowadays, Liverpool has a population of nearly half a million.

Location

Liverpool is in the northwest of England, on the mouth of the River Mersey. The city center is on the eastern bank. This was the river after which the local pop group's music was named in the sixties (Merseybeat).

Economy

In the 19^th century, Liverpool was the most important port in the world. No less than forty percent of world trade passed through Liverpool's port. But, already before the War decay commenced. After the War Liverpool got stuck in a downward spiral: there was no employment in the harbor or its related industries and thousands of people left the city in search for a better future elsewhere. Liverpool is recovering slowly from this economic blow. The city focuses on service, both in the public and private sectors. Furthermore, there are several companies specialized in gaming (for instance Sony has a game development studio for Playstation games here). Tourism plays a significant role in the local economy. The industrial heritage has been restored and nowadays is an attractive backdrop for hotels, bars, restaurants and shops. And of course, Liverpool is the city of the Beatles, with a Beatles museum and the famous Cavern Club.

Airports

Talking about the Beatles: the local airport is named after John Lennon. The words Above us, only sky (from: Imagine) are on the roof of the terminal. The airport is located fifteen kilometers southeast of the city center. John Lennon Airport is easily accessible by rental car. You can choose from three motorways: M53 (exit 5), M56 (exit 12) or M62 which joins the A561 to the airport.

Public Transport

Liverpool has good public transport. There are two bus terminals: Paradise Street Interchange (southern routes) and Queen Square (northern and eastern routes). Furthermore, there are ferries on the Mersey: from Pier Head to Woodside in Birkenhead and to Seacombe in Wallasey.

Traffic and Parking

Although Liverpool is a rather busy city, you can easily drive around in a rental car. It is certainly not as busy as London! Finding a parking space can be difficult, but there are many parking facilities in and around the center. The city operates more than ten parking facilities. The largest is Mount Pleasant, with more than 1400 spaces.

Hotels

Liverpool has a wide range of accommodations. You could go to a simple guesthouse or bed and breakfast, but there are also excellent middle class hotels and a few four star hotels (Liverpool doesn't have a five star hotel) If you're going to visit Liverpool in high season (summer), we recommend booking your hotel room well in advance.

External Sources

For more information about Liverpool we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Liverpool
• Official website Liverpool
• Tourist Information Liverpool (multilingual)