Getting to Liverpool for the football

Liverpool is a domestic trip, so there is no flight to plan: from most of the UK you arrive by train into Lime Street, in the city centre, then it is about 2 miles out to Anfield on the 917 express bus, roughly 15 minutes. Away fans sit in the Anfield Road Stand, blocks AL6-AL9, with an allocation of around 3,000.

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

Liverpool is not a fly-to city for UK fans: Lime Street is a mainline terminus on the West Coast Main Line, so nobody flies in from Manchester or London. The real choice is train versus coach: the train is quicker but dearer, the National Express coach is slower but the cheapest way there. Coaches drop at Liverpool ONE bus station, trains at Lime Street, and both are a short hop from Anfield on the 917 or 26 bus. Costs below are estimates and vary with how far ahead you book.

Arriving: airport and main station

Most away fans arrive by train into Liverpool Lime Street, the main mainline terminus, right in the city centre and on the Liverpool-Manchester line. It is the natural base for a matchday. (source)

If you do fly in, Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) is roughly 7 miles south of the city centre. The 500 Airport Flyer bus runs to the centre, via the Liverpool ONE and Lime Street area, in about 35 minutes, roughly every half hour, with luggage space and free Wi-Fi.

There is no rail station at the airport itself. The nearest is Liverpool South Parkway, about 3 miles away and reached by the 80A/86A bus. From there frequent Merseyrail City Line trains run to Lime Street in roughly 10-15 minutes.

From the city out to the ground

Anfield is about 2 miles from Lime Street. The 917 express shuttle runs from Commutation Row in the city centre and reaches the ground in around 15 minutes, at about £4 return. The club also lists the 26 (from Liverpool ONE bus station) and the 17 (from Queen Square) as direct services.

By rail, Sandhills and Kirkdale on the Merseyrail Northern Line are each under a 30-minute walk from Anfield, and on matchdays fans link from Sandhills to the ground by shuttle bus. Walking from Lime Street to Anfield takes roughly 30-40 minutes along signposted routes. A taxi from Lime Street is roughly £8.

Away fans at Anfield are in the Anfield Road Stand (blocks AL6-AL9), entering via turnstiles Q and R and approaching from the 97 Avenue direction, with no access from Arkles Lane. The rebuilt Anfield Road Stand tucks the away seats in behind the goal, which makes for a good view and atmosphere.

If you are in town for Everton instead, they now play at the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which opened for the 2025-26 season on the waterfront. Merseyrail is recommended (Sandhills, Bank Hall or Moorfields) with matchday shuttle buses; capacity is about 52,769 with an away allocation of around 3,500 in the North East corner. Driving is strongly discouraged.

Getting around Liverpool

Merseyrail is the local metro-style network, with around 67 stations across Merseyside. You can pay by Tap & Go with a contactless bank card, phone or watch, tapping in and out at gates or platform validators.

A Merseyrail Day Saver gives unlimited off-peak travel, with adult fares from £4.80 for one area up to £6.40 for all areas and under-18s at half price. Day Savers are not valid 06.31-09.29 on weekdays but are valid all day at weekends. Note the match ticket does not cover any of this: local transport is always paid separately.

City-centre distances are short and walkable. Buses to Anfield leave from Liverpool ONE bus station, Queen Square and Commutation Row, all within the central core near Lime Street.

Where to stay

Base yourself in the city centre near Lime Street or the waterfront rather than out by the ground. Anfield is a residential area with little for visitors, while the centre puts you within walking distance of the station, the bars, the museums and the Anfield buses. The Ropewalks, Albert Dock and Lime Street areas all work well, and you travel out to the game together on matchday.

Where to drink

The recognised away pub at Anfield is The Arkles (77 Anfield Road, L4 0TJ), a Greene King house about a 6-minute walk from the ground. It fills up fast on matchdays, so arrive early.

Most pubs right by the ground, including The Sandon, The Albert, The Park and Taggy's, are strongly home-fan venues and may require proof of a home ticket on big matchdays. Best avoided in away colours.

More mixed options near the ground are The Flat Iron (288 Walton Breck Road) and the Thomas Frost Wetherspoons (177 Walton Road), both cheaper and less partisan.

In the centre, most away fans drink around Concert Square, Mathew Street, Bold Street and the Lime Street area before heading up. A pint in Liverpool runs roughly £4.50 to £6 depending on the venue, with Wetherspoons and the student bars at the cheaper end.

Where to eat

The local dish is Scouse, a slow-cooked lamb (or beef) stew with potatoes, carrots and onions, served with crusty bread and pickled red cabbage or beetroot. It is worth trying at least once. (source)

• Homebaked Bakery (Oakfield Road, right by Anfield) is a community bakery famous among fans for its homemade scouse pies. Quick, cheap and on the doorstep.
• Maggie May's (Bold Street) does one of the best-known bowls of scouse in the city, with bread, butter and pickled cabbage. Sit-down cafe prices.
• Ma Boyle's Alehouse (Tower Gardens) is an old pub near the Parish Church serving classic and blind (meat-free) scouse in a bowl or a pie.
• Bold Street generally is the city's best food strip, from budget bakeries to sit-down restaurants across most cuisines.
• Liverpool ONE and the Albert Dock have plenty of chain and mid-range options if you want something quick before the game.

What to do

If you are making a day or two of it, Liverpool packs a lot into a walkable centre:

• Royal Albert Dock, a UNESCO-listed Victorian dock complex on the waterfront, home to bars, restaurants and several of the museums below.
• The Beatles Story, the world's largest permanent Beatles exhibition, on the Albert Dock. (source)
• The Cavern Club on Mathew Street, where the Beatles played their early shows, still a live music venue today.
• Museum of Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum (with the International Slavery Museum), all free to enter on the waterfront.
• Tate Liverpool and the Walker Art Gallery for modern and classical art respectively.
• Liverpool Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Britain, and the strikingly modern Metropolitan Cathedral a short walk up Hope Street.
• A stadium tour at Anfield if you want to see the ground properly on a non-matchday, including the Kop and the This Is Anfield tunnel.

Money and safety

Liverpool is contactless-friendly. Merseyrail, buses and pubs take cards and phones, and Merseyrail Tap & Go removes the need to buy tickets in advance. Carrying a little cash is still useful for smaller pubs and matchday food stalls.

The city centre is busy and safe by day and evening. The immediate Anfield area is heavily home-fan territory, so away supporters are advised to keep colours discreet outside the ground, travel in groups and stick to the away pub or the city centre. (source)

LFC warns that tragedy chanting, discriminatory language and inappropriate gestures can break the law and lead to a football banning order. Away bags are limited to A5 size, and at full time away fans are directed to turn left on leaving.

Common questions

How do you get to Anfield from the airport?

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is about 7 miles south of the centre. Take the 500 Airport Flyer bus into town, about 35 minutes, then the 917 express bus from Commutation Row out to Anfield, about 15 minutes. There is no rail line straight from the airport to the ground, so it is two hops via the city centre.

Which airport should I fly to for Anfield?

For UK fans, none: Liverpool is a train trip, not a flight. Lime Street is on the West Coast Main Line, direct from London Euston in about 2h 10 and 45 minutes from Manchester. If you must fly, Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) has limited domestic routes; Manchester (MAN) is the larger hub, about 45 minutes by train to Lime Street.

Where do away fans sit at Anfield?

In the Anfield Road Stand, blocks AL6-AL9, entering via turnstiles Q and R and approaching from the 97 Avenue direction. There is no access from Arkles Lane, and at full time away fans are directed to turn left on leaving. The rebuilt stand tucks the seats in behind the goal.

What is the away allocation at Anfield?

Around 3,000 tickets in the Anfield Road Stand for a Premier League fixture, with a small number of general-admission accessible spaces on top. Cup ties can be allocated differently. The full ground holds 61,276 after the Anfield Road Stand rebuild was completed in 2025.

What time should I arrive at Anfield?

Give yourself plenty of time. The 917 and 26/27 buses fill up on matchdays and the roads around the ground close, so aim to be on a bus from the centre at least an hour and a half before kick-off. The away pub fills early too, so if you want a drink near the ground get there sooner rather than later.

Can you drink inside the ground?

Yes, there are concourse bars inside the Anfield Road Stand serving beer and soft drinks, though as at all English grounds you cannot take alcohol to your seat or drink in view of the pitch. Expect queues at half-time. Many fans prefer to drink in the city centre first and travel out closer to kick-off.

How much is a pint in Liverpool?

Roughly £4.50 to £6 for a pint of lager, depending on the venue. Wetherspoons such as the Thomas Frost and the student bars around Concert Square sit at the cheaper end; waterfront and cocktail bars run higher. Ground concourse prices are broadly in line with the pubs.

Is Liverpool safe for away fans?

The city centre is busy and safe day and night, and Liverpool is a friendly football city. The care point is the immediate Anfield area, which is strongly home territory: keep colours covered outside the ground, avoid the home pubs by the stadium, travel in a group and base your drinking in the centre or at The Arkles. Standard big-match common sense, nothing unusual.

Where are the away-friendly areas to drink?

The Arkles is the recognised away pub by the ground, and The Flat Iron and the Thomas Frost Wetherspoons nearby are more mixed. In the centre, Concert Square, Mathew Street, Bold Street and the Lime Street area are all welcoming and where most travelling fans gather before heading up to Anfield together.

Does the match ticket include free local transport?

No. Unlike some European clubs, an Anfield ticket does not cover buses or trains. You pay for travel separately: the 917 express is about £4 return, the 26/27 around £2 single, and a Merseyrail Day Saver runs £4.80 to £6.40. Tap & Go contactless works across Merseyrail.

How far is Anfield from the city centre?

About 2 miles from Lime Street, so 15 minutes on the 917 express bus, 30-40 minutes on foot, or roughly £8 in a taxi. It is close enough that you can base yourself entirely in the centre and still get to the ground easily, which is what most away fans do.

Where should I stay in Liverpool?

Stay in the city centre near Lime Street or the waterfront, not out by the ground. Anfield is residential with little for visitors, whereas the centre puts you next to the station, the bars, the museums and the Anfield buses. The Ropewalks, Albert Dock and Lime Street areas all work, and you travel out to the game together on matchday.

What is there to do beyond the match?

Plenty within a walkable centre: the Royal Albert Dock, The Beatles Story, the Cavern Club, the free Museum of Liverpool and Maritime Museum, Tate Liverpool, the Walker Art Gallery and both cathedrals up Hope Street. An Anfield stadium tour on a non-matchday is worth it if you want to see the Kop and the tunnel properly.