How to get around Blackpool

Whether you choose to take the bus, train, tram or head out on foot, getting around Blackpool is a cinch. With a cheap and easy-to-use public transport service, and plenty of options for getting from the airport to the city centre, you’re spoilt for choice.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) is 102 kilometres (63 miles) south of Blackpool. Whether you’re flying in from the UK or from abroad, there are several ways to get from the airport to your hotel or B&B.

From the airport you can catch the 500 or 86A bus, or take a taxi to Liverpool South Parkway Rail Station, situated three kilometres (two miles) away. Off-peak tickets to Blackpool North Station cost around £15.70 and require a change of train at Preston Station – the journey takes around two hours in total.

By road, it’s a one-hour and twenty minutes' drive along the M6 and M55 – you can hire a car at the airport or catch a taxi from one of the ranks outside the terminal building. If in doubt about getting around Blackpool using public transport, use the Merseytravel Journey Planner (also available as an app) to help plan your journey.

Though it currently doesn’t have any commercial air service, Blackpool International Airport (BLK) receives private charter and offers private flying lessons. The airport is conveniently placed on the city’s doorstop. Taxis are available outside the terminal and cost £10-15 for the five-kilometre (three-mile) trip into the centre of town.

Buses 7, 11 and 68 run straight from the airport to the town centre, while you can also catch one of the trams that run along the promenade. Tickets start from just £1, making this by far the cheapest of Blackpool’s transfer options.

Alternatively, Squires Gate train station is a five-minute walk from the airport. From here, you can catch a train to Blackpool Pleasure Beach from £1.60.

Blackpool’s compact town centre means getting around on foot is easy. The city’s Tramway zips down the promenade between Starr Gate and Fleetwood, providing easy access to popular attractions such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Tower, while a Blackpool1 ticket gives you unlimited use of the town’s trams and buses and is a smart investment if you plan to use public transport.

Check the Blackpool Transport website for maps of the city centre and the wider area.