Hi! We are a family of 4 traveling to London this summer and planning a visit to Liverpool. The train fees seem expensive. Can anyone recommend traveling by bus either from Heathrow or from Central London?

You have looked at www.thetrainline.com and www.nationalrail.co.uk as they have advance tickets that can be very cheap. What prices are you refering to - bus on the other hand is usually cheaper and can take much longer on often packed to the gills buses. Full rail fare is steep but check out the discounted advance purchase fares. I just read Virgin has tickets as low as 7 quid.

You can't get any cheaper than Megabus - probably 2 or 3 pounds each:

http://www.megabus.com

You might want to review your strategy.

Apart from one overnight bus (www.nationalexpress.co.uk), there's no direct route of any sort to Liverpool from Heathrow. The only major intercontinental airports with easy and frequent access to Liverpool are Manchester (whose airport has more or less half-hourly trains directly into Liverpool), Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris CDG (which all have several daily cheapo flights).

Both National Express buses (which, unlike Megabus, are actually quite comfortable) and Virgin trains have huge variations between different fares. In both cases, you need to play with lots of options (including overnight stays and different travel dates) on their sites before dismissing them as expensive. Both offer family cards, which might well be worth your while acquiring, and an extraordinary range of other deals.

BUT it's practically impossible, starting in central London, to get to and from Liverpool in the same day without spending a fortune: there are really no decent weekday train fares getting you into Liverpool any earlier then 1200-1300, Sunday trains on this route take centuries and the bus just takes too long. It MIGHT, in the summer, be easier on Saturdays.

The good side of this, however, is that the road route is bespattered with any amount of pleasant detours, and hiring a car might well work out cheaper for a 2-3 day minitour than using public transport.

I was able to find a fare London to Liverpool on the 25th April @ 12:15 for £37.50 for 2 adults & 2 children. Add on £8 for the Tube fare to Euston (children are free) & that seems a bargain.

You might also consider a family railcard and/or travelling to Watford Junction by the Railair bus

Thanks for your responses. I went to the national rail web site and got a single saver quote for the four of us total 95.60 ( 2 adults @ 37.10 each & 2 children @10.70 each). Is this a good buy since I am inquiring for July? Also, how does it work with the family railcard? If I make my reservations for the train now, how does the family railcard discount apply? It sounds like I have to apply for it once I am at Euston. Also, can anyone recommend a place to stay fairly close to the Euston station for one night for the four of us that is under 100GBP, yet clean and safe?

Try a family room at the Travelodge Kings Cross. I think that's pretty close. But confirm before you believe me!
http://www.travelodge.co.uk

For a bit more, and a bit further, try the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury (I'd guess that's about 5 blocks).

The Novotel Euston allows two children free under 12, if it's like other Novotel hotels. Also try the Hilton Euston. And the Ibis Euston.

I've stayed at the Tavistock near Euston on a couple of trips. It's right down the street, a ten minute walk, and might be cheaper than the Ibis. Any questions on Liverpool itself? Let us know!

"Is this a good buy since I am inquiring for July?"

If it's for the last couple of weekends (including Friady & Monday)in July then it's unlikely that the fare will get significantly cheaper as it's the summer school holiday period in England

However at other times it's possible that by waiting until 4-6 weeks before hand that you might get a cheaper fare, thus my earlier post about £37.50 without a family railcard

Thanks for all of your responses.. you have been very helpful. A question about the family railcard and making reservations now. Sorry to sound redundant or ignorant, but if I book now via the internet for say the Virgin train line, do I say yes for a family railcard and then give the application to the station that day to receive the discount?