Liverpool has been named the UK’s best large city for a break, with the ‘lively’ and ‘buzzy’ town beating London, Manchester and Cardiff for the number one spot.
Liverpool scored 84% in a survey by consumer body Which?, with visitors underscoring a wide range of cultural and historical attractions beyond the Beatles.
The city scored five stars in the cultural sights and tourist attractions and four stars for food and drink, shopping, accommodation, lack of crowds and value for money. One respondent said: “It’s got everything you could possibly want. Great for eating places, great for sights and famous places and very friendly people.”
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Liverpool beat capital cities Belfast (77%), London (76%), Cardiff (72%) and close neighbour Manchester (71%) by some margin to be named UK’s best large city for a break.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Whether you’re after vibrant nightlife, world class museums or a first-rate dining experience, our survey shows that the UK has a wealth of fantastic cities just waiting to be explored.
“Liverpool stood out among the UK’s large cities for its fantastic cultural scene and buzzing atmosphere, beating London and the UK’s other capital cities to take first place.
“For those seeking a more laid-back destination, Somerset is the place to be, with both Bath and Wells scoring highly, and each offering a wealth of historical and cultural sights.”
Taking joint second place in the large cities category are Edinburgh and York, with tied city scores of 83%.
The “stunning” Scottish capital is “bursting with cultural activities” according to visitors, who scored it a full five stars for cultural sights and tourist attractions. Edinburgh received four stars for food and drink, shopping, ease of getting around, and overall value for money.
York also took five stars in the cultural sights and tourist attractions category, with some of its most well-known attractions including York Minster, the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Viking Centre. The city also scored four stars for shopping, accommodation, ease of getting around, value for money and food and drink.
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Among medium-sized cities, Bath was the top scorer, receiving a city score of 82%. With a five star rating for cultural sights and tourist attractions, one visitor described Bath as “one of the top sites in the UK, indeed Europe,” for its architecture and points of historical interest, which include the well preserved Roman baths and the Georgian houses of the Royal Crescent. The city also scored four stars for food and drink, accommodation and shopping, and three stars for value for money.
Wells, Somerset was the highest scoring location in the survey overall, with a city score of 86%, and took first place in the small cities category. It scored four stars for its range of cultural sights and tourist attractions which include the Cathedral, Bishop’s Palace and Vicar’s Close.
At the opposite end of the tables, Derby (56%), Leicester (58%) and Swansea (58%) were the lowest rated large cities. In the small and medium sized categories, Bournemouth, Torquay and Fort William in Scotland also fared poorly with joint scores of 58%.
The consumer body surveyed almost 4,000 members about their experiences of visiting UK cities and towns in the last two years.
All were scored out of five stars on a range of criteria including accommodation, food and drink, cultural sights and tourist attractions, ease of getting around, lack of crowds, and value for money. An overall city score was calculated based on visitors’ overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend.
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