by When it comes to seaside destinations, Blackpool is certainly one of the nation’s favourites. It has everything you could want from a coastal resort: piers (three to be exact), a world-famous tower, huge beaches, arcades… the list goes on.
A train ticket to Blackpool from Manchester can cost around £14 for an adult, which quickly adds up when there are a few of you traveling on a day out. But there is a cheaper way to visit Blackpool that takes the same amount of time.
National Express offers coach tickets from Manchester to Blackpool from as little as £4 one way. With an average journey time of one hour and twenty minutes, it’s no longer than the train (depending on traffic) and you’re only a minute away from the tower itself.
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The cheapest is a ‘restricted’ basic fare of £4, although it means you can’t make any changes to your ticket. For an extra quid you can bag a ‘standard’ ticket which gives some flexibility (for example you can change your booking) and if you fork over £10 you can get a fully flexible ticket (which has option to receive a full refund). up to 24 hours before your trip).
The downside is that there is a £1.50 booking fee, but it still means a total fare of £5.50, cheaper than the train. Another disadvantage of the coach is that there are fewer services during the day, so you have to be a bit more open to them when traveling – which is how I ended up on the 7.40am service National Express to Blackpool. sunny weekday morning.
My journey began at Manchester Coach Station on Chorlton Street, which was delightfully clean and quiet; it felt quite calm compared to the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Station (who can imagine it’s rammed at the weekend).
I disembarked the Blackpool coach with my fellow passengers and we all settled down for the 80 minute journey to the coast. I will admit that I have more experience traveling by train than by coach, but I was very impressed with what the coach had to offer.
The leather seats were comfortable with practical footrests (why can’t we have these on trains?) and I was delighted with a small TV screen above the front windscreen, which gave you live footage from the start of the bus as it is. he made his way through the streets of the city. Not exactly in-flight entertainment but it was fun to watch from time to time.
One downside of traveling so early was how quiet the coach was. There were only three of us on board so we almost had the place to ourselves. Pair this with the fact that the coach doesn’t stop anywhere along the way and you have a relaxing experience.
We soon left the urban sprawl of Greater Manchester and headed down the M61. One thing that bugged me throughout the trip was the height of the windows – which started at about my shoulder – so I couldn’t comfortably look out and take in the scenery. Oh well, you can’t have everything.
Before long, parks gave way to buildings. We reached the outer suburbs of Blackpool, and I began to see Blackpool’s iconic tower in the distance. We arrived 15 minutes late due to traffic, but the coach dropped us off at Central Coach station, just behind the Coral Island Arcade, in the heart of the action.
It was only 9.15am and with the day stretching out ahead of me, I decided to check out some of Blackpool’s ‘hidden gems’. Here’s what I found out.
Have breakfast at one of the best cafes in Linndubh
After my early start I was ravenous and a hearty breakfast was exactly what I wanted. Wanting to get full English, I went to Compass Café on Birley Street, just behind the front.
His fry ups have earned an average google rating of 4.8 out of five stars and customers rave about his breakfast menu. The cafe is famous for serving breakfast in a frying pan – although I opted for the more modest classic breakfast instead.
The service was super quick and you can easily swap out anything you don’t like – I had hash browns instead of beans. Breakfast was tasty and satisfying, although it’s very much a traditional breakfast spot, rather than a fancy brunch establishment, so keep that in mind. But it did the job and I was left feeling full and motivated for my adventures.
Visit an old cinema that is an antique Aladdin’s cave
Blackpool has its fair share of gems off the beach. One of them is the Regent Cinema, located on the corner of Regent Road and Church Street, just a short walk from the beach. It is an old cinema from the 1920s and has been converted into an antiques store which is a full store of delights.
Inside are rabbit stalls, selling vintage clothing, pop culture memorabilia, furniture, books, glassware and more. There are three floors to explore with a small tea room on the first floor, and the attic space is full of second hand goods.
The best part is that it is still a working cinema, with a huge screen on the wall above the stalls and the original seats are still in place in the ‘dress circle’, which overlooks the antique stalls below. Films are shown on selected Friday nights, offering a unique film experience. Although there were no exhibitions during my visit, it was still fun rummaging through all the second-hand goods, you could easily spend hours there sniffing out a bargain.
Walk around one of the UK’s most popular parks
Blackpool may be famous for its beaches, promenade and tower, but it’s also home to one of the best parks in the UK. In 2019, Stanley Park was voted the best park in the UK and in 2022 it was named the best park in England.
Covering an area of 390-acres, Stanley Park has beautiful Italianate gardens, a boating lake and a gorgeous Art Deco cafe. Although going to a park by the sea may seem odd, it’s a great choice for the seaside crowds on a sunny day, and in my case, a relief from the chilly April wind blowing off the Irish Sea. It’s about a 30 minute walk from the front, or a short bus ride, and definitely worth the effort to get there if you can.
Walk through a chocolate box village
In a corner of Stanley Park, behind a rickety wall topped with barbed wire, lies another of Blackpool’s hidden gems: a model village. Dubbed ‘the biggest little village in Lancashire’, it’s a beautifully landscaped 2.5 acre garden full of wonderful scenes of everyday life, from weddings in a church to people browsing the shops, all illustrated in detail.
It is a great pleasure to explore. When you arrive you are given a quiz to do which guides you around the village while you fill in the answers. There are also some surprises including a magnificent castle, a village jail, a fairy valley, a waterfall and even a UFO.
Tickets cost £10.50 for adults and £8.50 for children, which can be steep but is well worth it and you can explore the village at your leisure. Afterwards grab an ice cream from Anita’s Ice Cream Parlour, located at the entrance.
Lose yourself in the magical ballroom
Heading back to the seashore, I couldn’t stop at one of the biggest attractions in the Blackpool. The Blackpool Tower has several attractions, but the Ballroom is probably the most awe-inspiring of them all. Nothing can prepare you for the breathtaking beauty of the living room when you step through the double doors.
There are tables and chairs on the dance floor where you can sit with refreshments and watch dancers take to the floor while the famous Wurlitzer organ plays. You can even turn on the sprung dance floor yourself.
I decided to leave it to the regulars and watched couples twirl around the dance floor to the likes of Abba’s Money Money Money, it was a surreal experience. You really felt like it was life inside the 19th century ballroom, only the noisy arcades outside; The ballroom is a bubble of old-fashioned glamor that transports you to another world. There is an option to book afternoon tea, but if you want to keep things more affordable, you can just pay the £11.50 entry ticket and buy a drink at the bar when you arrive (or go without if you prefer ).
Ditch fish and chips for a £1 burger
Feeling peckish, it was time to eat a bite. Of course, when you’re by the sea, fish and chips are the first thing that springs to mind, but Blackpool has something more exciting to offer when it comes to cheap and fast fare. A stone’s throw from Central Pier on Dale Street is Higgitt’s Las Vegas Arcade and £1 Burger Bar, where you can pick up a burger from – you guessed it – 100 pence.
The spot has achieved legendary status over the years with owner Chris Higgit starring in clips on YouTube, so I had to check it out. Considering it was a weekday evening there was no queue, so I walked straight away and ordered my burger, handing over my pound coin (it’s cash only). The £1 buys you a patty with onions, sandwiches in a soft bun and a sauce of your choice. For an extra 50p you can get a slice of cheese.
This is clearly not a gourmet experience, but it is cheap, cheerful and fills a hole. It’s also four quid less than a burger would cost you on the pier, which won’t bother you.
Sip on a sundown over the sea
After strolling along the Central Quay, frolicking in the arcades and looking at the Blackpool Tower in the evening sun, I walked across the sand to the North Quay. Built in the 1860s, it is the longest and oldest of all the piers; it is also quiet, without tours and only a few arcades.
At the end of the pier is the Joe Longthorne Theater on the right and Bloom Bar on the left. With a huge beer garden, sheltered from the cold sea breeze, Bloom Bar is the perfect place for a drink or two after a day in the Blackpool. With parasols and views across the sea, on a sunny evening it really does feel like you’re on holiday – and what more could you want from a day out by the sea?
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