Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liverpool named UK’s best large city for a break by Which? survey

The northern city impressed visitors with its cultural sights, accommodation and value for money

Natalie Wilson
Tuesday 21 May 2024 09:54 EDT
Comments
Liverpool received an overall city rating of 84 per cent
Liverpool received an overall city rating of 84 per cent (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Liverpool has been named the best large city in the UK for a short break, according to a Which? survey.

In April 2024, the consumer champion surveyed a panel of 3,967 Which? customers about their experiences on UK city breaks they had visited for at least one night in the last two years.

Travellers were asked to score cities with a population of over 200,000 out of five stars on categories including accommodation, food and drink, tourist attractions and value for money.

The north west hometown of The Beatles topped the list of large cities with an overall score of 84 per cent and a full five stars for its cultural and historical attractions.

A Which? panellist said Liverpool has “everything you could possibly want” and hailed the great restaurants, sights and friendly people.

The “lively” city was closely followed in the rankings by Edinburgh and York – joint second with an 83 per cent rating – which were praised for their rich heritage and ease of getting around.

At the bottom of the Which? results, Derby was rated as the lowest-rated large city for a UK break.

With an overall score of just 56 per cent, Derby received just two stars for food and drink, accommodation and cultural sights.

Leicester and Swansea also fared badly in the survey taking a joint score of 58 per cent with multiple respondents reporting poor hotel stays and difficulty getting around.

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.”

As for smaller UK cities, Bath scored highly with 82 per cent in the medium category and Wells in Somerset was the highest-scoring location overall with a city score of 86 per cent.

Boland added: “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.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in