Liverpool is a great modern northern city with very lively and friendly people, and providing you don’t hail from Manchester (the two towns share a fierce rivalry, particularly in football and music) you will find many lively scousers who are very chatty and happy to talk.

Liverpudlians – or scousers – have a very distinctive accent that sets them apart from the rest of the UK. They are very proud of their city and love their football (the city is home to Everton and Liverpool, who are two of England’s biggest clubs). If you’re around on a Saturday be sure to pop along to a match where you’ll be treated to a great day out.

Liverpool can be very awkward to drive in, though parking isn’t a problem. If you’re thinking about hiring a car make sure you are a pretty confident driver. Some of the roads are very busy and not particularly well laid out. The city has an airport which if you are flying in would usually be the place to pick up a hire car.

There are lots of hotels and some of the most popular places to visit are Beatles themed, as the famous British band from the 60s hailed from the city. The Cavern pub is one of the most famous pubs in Britain, where the Beatles played in their early years.

While the city has a somewhat undeserved reputation for crime and the British police are pretty quick to react to trouble there are a few areas to avoid. Be sure make a mental note of them before setting out around the city.