Liverpool or York??

[mamamila]

Which is a better palce to spend 2 months this summer? We're a family of four, 1 16year old boy and 9month baby and dp has never been to england, he loved edinburgh though.
We usually live in Tanzania on the beach and want to live in a place with lots to do and enjoy the outdoors. We also need to do a lot of clothes shopping etc! and won't have a car unless we hire.
appreciate opinions on either place.
i'd like to go to 'classes' with the baby, signing/yoga/swimming/salsa! anything really

I'd go with York but then I haven't been to Liverpool. On second thoughts however, Liverpool is closer to Manchester, the Lakes, Chester and the South so is probably a better base if you wanted to tour around.

I think you'd be able to do all those things at either city.

But York is more central to the rest of the country, although they both have good transport networks.

From York you are 2 hours away from London by train, and less than 3 hours away from Edinburgh by train - you're close to the East coast and touristy places like the Yorkshire Moors, Dales and Wolds.

It really does depend on where else you want to visit if you want to do Wales and the Lakes then Liverpool would be a better base but if you want to do LOndon and Edinburgh York would be nearer.

You can also go to york from Liverpool and vice versa in 2 1/2 hours on the train so you can see both regardless of where you stay.

York is a good base - you can get into the Moors and the Dales (eg you can catch train to Malton, short bus trip to Pickering and catch the steam train into the Moors for the day). York has a good shopping centre - but its a short train ride to Leeds where there is even Harvey Nicks now and lots of other good shops. York is smaller so probably easier to get around on public transport or even bicycle. And its on a really good line to London - some people even commute from York to London () - and good links northwards eg to Newcastle for a bit of a change of scenery.

Liverpool is nearer Manchester - but it takes longer to get from it to eg London...

I'm sure that Liverpool also has a lot going for it, but I would be going for York, particularly if you don't have a car all of the time.

thanks for fast replies
i've never been to either, as you probably guessed.
what's york like? is it a biggish city? is there a lot going on?
my son isn't keen on liverpool (just scared from news stories) so york would be favourite. but i got a bit excited reading about meryseyside and the coast and the idea of taking a ferry over to ireland. and it's the euro city of culture this year..

hmm, i can't make decisions at best of times..

york also seems to have more available short lets, i didn't know about links to london that's good too.

anybody know nearest airport?

Liverpool has the Beatles and football stuff if your son/you are into that

it is the Euro city of culture (ha!) so there will be lots on

but you would have to listen to the local accent...

Liverpool has its own airport (John Lennon) - York's would be Leeds-Bradford I think

York is a smaller city, good for walking round, and much older than Liverpool.

I'd go for York personally. It is a big city, but very

Seriously, I live close to York in Harrogate. York is a fab city and very multi cultural. Wandering around you hear people from all different nationalities chatting away. It is a bit like covent garden in London - lots of street entertainers, the minster is stunning, the castle walls, ghost walks, boat trips on teh river, the viking centre, DIG, railway museum, fab shops. There is an industrial estate nearby (Clifton Moor) again good shops, bowling alley, cinema and big waterworld swimming pool.

Hire a car and you are in the dales in 20 minutes - beautiful scenary, gorgeous villages and lovley little pubs for lazy lunches.

Bloody boss waled it and interupted me hence half finished sentance!

Very easy to walk around I meant!

Leeds Bradford is nearest to York, although Durham Tees Valley and Doncaster not too far either.

More to see I think in York
National Railway Museum
Yorvik Centre
Cstle Museum
Dungeons
Brilliant shops,not just high street usual
Sea not too far on East Coast
North Yorkshire moors
Castle Howard(Brideshead Revisited)
Eden Camp(Excellent Wartime theme museum)

Liverpool
Maritime Museum
Docklands
Ferry acoss the Mersey!!
Beaches at Hoylake,Crosby(Anthony Gormley's statues ) Formby
Speke Hall and Croxteth Hall,both excellent
Boat museum at Ellesmere Port,plus Aquarium.
North Wales and Lakes nearby
Manchester with more Museums and shops an hour away.

ooh, thanks for all this info,

i think i'm leaning towards york. it sounds lovely. teenage son will be happy too, as a lot of his friends are in that area

i guess i was a bit worried that maybe york would be too 'olde england/not multicultural'. my dp doesn't mind being the only african in the village at all but i didn't have a clear idea that york was a cool kind of place we could all enjoy

if anyone living in york with a baby i'd love to know about groups/classes etc

God I love York its fab

Mama G I am stalking you, want to nag mumsnet about this polls

mamamila, definitely York, it is a lovely historical place, loads to do like Silent Terror has listed, Liverpool worth a visit for a couple of days its currently Capital of Culture 2008 so lots of things going on.

York has loads of really good pubs too.

Pab I know, I've already replied

mamamila - get in touch with the NCT in York - it's really good and you'll hear about classes from the people you meet there - when are you coming though? An awful lot of activities stop when the schools break up towards the end of July and don't start again till September.

York is much prettier.