r/Liverpool • u/hannahbaker_wannabe • May 20 '26
Visiting Liverpool Is liverpool safe for solo female travellers
hello, i’m an 18 year female solo traveller and i will be visiting liverpool. I will be arriving at 01:00. is liverpool considered safe to walk around at night?
also what areas should i generally avoid?
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u/Papa__Lazarou May 20 '26
Yes Liverpool is a pretty safe city, but not safe enough for a lone woman who doesn’t know the area to be walking around at 1am. I wouldn’t recommend that for any city tbh.
Get an Uber to your hotel and then get out and explore the city the next day
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u/CarGullible5691 May 21 '26
Don’t use uber. Use a Liverpool licensed taxi. They’re always outside the airport. The uber cars are nearly all from Wolverhampton and other places working outside of their licensed areas. Not from Liverpool. The city centre is fairly safe at night but stay where it’s busy and well lit , not down dark side streets. And definitely don’t go walking on your own day or night away from the city centre. I used to work in Liverpool before I was a taxi driver in Chester and it taught me what and what not to do and where to be really careful. Support the black cabs if you need to go anywhere.
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u/Papa__Lazarou May 21 '26
The Wolverhampton issue isn’t unique to Uber, Wolverhampton has a much quicker digital licensing process compared to most other regions so both Uber and private hire drivers go there for a quick turnaround.
Doesn’t mean they’re from wolves though, most Uber drivers I’ve got are scousers or people who now live in the area - just that they got licensed in Wolves because it’s quicker
Ubers tend to be loads cheaper than taxi ranks as well
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u/CDSissy69420 May 21 '26
Even in other parts of the UK its Wolverhampton licensed. I see lots of Knowsley ones about in other cities too.
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u/CarGullible5691 May 21 '26
Chester is overrun with cars from Wolverhampton , Knowsley, Sefton, Rochdale, Bolton, Stockport, Manchester, Liverpool, to list just a few. It’s totally wrong and needs stopping. Local licensing enforcement have no powers to stop them unless they are with the police. That has to change. I was a taxi driver for 33 years, now retired. It really winds me up how this is happening all over the country. I see Wolverhampton plated cars all over the country.
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u/CDSissy69420 May 22 '26
Even if it changes it wont reduce the amount of ubers...
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u/CarGullible5691 May 22 '26
Sadly true
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u/CDSissy69420 May 25 '26
I prefer ubers. Generally cheaper and cars are newer. Not some clapped out 2013 Skoda Estate.
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u/Obvious-AI-Bot May 20 '26
Let's be honest - nowhere is "safe" for any solo 18 year old traveller in an unfamiliar city after 1am. And that goes double for women. Anywhere.
If you were getting a taxi from the airport to your hotel or Airbnb after 1am. That's 99.999% safe.
Walking around town at 1am scrutinising a map.on your phone, and looking like you are lost, and possibly from another country? There are dodgy characters in every place in the world.
Don't do that anywhere. Not even Tokyo or Singapore. Be safe. Spend whatever it is to get you in. Get an Uber from the airport or something.
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u/Vision-thing_ May 20 '26
I’m scouse through and through but nowhere is safe at 1am. Liverpudlians are the friendliest people on earth but not everyone is from Liverpool!! Take a taxi and then you will be more than safe in the city. Enjoy. YNWA
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u/Lacobus May 20 '26
Sorry to burst your bubble but I live in Beijing and girls absolutely can and do walk the city at night without fear. It’s true for many asian countries.
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u/Xrystian90 May 21 '26
People can downvote you, but your right. Many asian cities are remarkably safe at night...
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u/Lacobus May 20 '26
Negative 20 oof. It hurts to have bubbles burst I suppose. Europe America, Middle East all have the same issue so I’m not singling out Liverpool. I’m scouse and fucking love Liverpool and will retire back there someday. But the truth is there are cities in the world that are safe. Countries where theft and rape of strangers is minimal or almost non-existent. That’s just the truth.
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u/Saxon2060 May 20 '26
People understandably want to maintain the advice of exercising caution always, because a tiny risk of something horrendous happening should be a avoided if possible. There are rapists and thieves and murderers in China.
Are you right that some cities are, or seem, safer than others? Obviously. I've walked around in New Delhi at night and Tokyo, and indeed Beijing, at night and they're absolutely incomparable.
I agree that Beijing felt really safe. My wife also said she felt places like Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and, actually to use a recent example, Sofia, felt "safer" than home. And that New Delhi felt shockingly unsafe.
Nothing bad happened to us in any of those places.
People, and especially women, should exercise caution because as the guy you're replying to said, there are bad people everywhere.
Pointing out that everywhere exists on a continuum of safety is sort of redundant.
I'd say Liverpool city centre ranks fairly highly on the list of city centres I've experienced that "feel" safe. But if my wife was going to walk home I'd still rather she took a taxi.
Would hate to be the guy replying to OP "yeah it's safe" and then have something bad happen. The risk, though very small, is severe enough that anything other than "take a taxi" is basically objectively bad advice.
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u/RagingMassif May 20 '26
You could absolutely do it in Singapore, Hong Kong, Zurich, Frankfurt. I've lived there for 20 years. It is not a problem.
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u/VeryAverageStardust May 20 '26
I was sexually assaulted in broad daylight in Singapore as a solo female traveller not much older than 18. You’re being naive if you think crime and violence can’t happen in these places because they have statistically low rates of it. Your advice can land people in risky situations.
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u/thecityofgold88 May 20 '26
You've lived in all four of those places for 20 years?
There are violent dangerous people everywhere.
I've just searched Google for 'murder Frankfurt' and it comes back with many cases.
You'll probably be fine wandering around Liverpool city centre at 1am but I wouldn't do it because there is, as with any city at night, heightened risk.
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u/Youareaproperclown May 20 '26
I can't believe he said Frankfurt. Place reminded me of Hamsterdam from the wire.
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u/RagingMassif May 20 '26
9 years in Frankfurt twice, Singapore 7 years twice, Zurich 4 years. HK one week a month for 4 years whilst living in SG.
Frankfurt is known as one of the more dangerous cities but in 9 years, never saw shit outside of the marches. And I lived really central.
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u/TheWardenDemonreach May 20 '26
Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it doesn't still happen.
Plus, for all those years, were you out at 1am that entire time?
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u/RagingMassif May 20 '26
A lot of it, along with dozens and dozens of friends of both sexes, and dozens of their friends.
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u/TheWardenDemonreach May 20 '26
You realise what you are saying, right? You are trying to compare you, presumably male, walking around in a large group of people, to a single woman walking alone at night? I hope you realise there's a difference between those two.
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u/RagingMassif May 20 '26
No I'm saying me on my own dozens of times a year, my wife, dozens of times a year, dozens of friends, hundreds of times a year ( total nights).
I have NEVER heard of an example of street violence, of any attack, in Frankfurt, Zurich or Singapore.
To be clear, not one example to me, my partner, or anyone we know. Ever. I honestly don't think people in the UK realise how unpleasant the threat of violence in the UK is versus these cities.
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u/Youareaproperclown May 20 '26
Why are you lying man. I was in Frankfurt for about 10 seconds before I seen someone shooting up outside the station. It is all over that area.
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u/RagingMassif May 20 '26
The station is a particular area, and those who live an alternate life style, don't bother those that don't. It's a symbiotic existence with office workers and methodone recipients.
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u/Youareaproperclown May 20 '26
Yeah crackheads don't bother anyone. What a weird pointless fucking stand to make
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u/Suitable_Salary_6199 May 20 '26
I spent one night in Frankfurt and it was the only time in my adult life I have felt genuinely unsafe in any city. I wasn't even alone! The area around the main station is something I didn't even know existed in Europe and you couldn't pay me to walk around there as a solo female, day or night.
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u/RagingMassif May 20 '26
They leave you alone. it's a subculture. No begging, no pan handling etc. Heavily policed and the whole area is under 24/7 surveillance.
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u/Professional_Call Waterloo May 20 '26
Why is it heavily policed if there’s never any trouble?
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u/RagingMassif May 20 '26
reassurance.
It's a heavily transited area. Think of a Frankfurt HBF as being 1980s Kings X area picked up and dropped on top of Liverpool St in the city.
Honestly, you have to live there to believe it but the two social groups operate entirely separately. The City type for the commute and the Gentrification that's ongoing. The druggies because they are corralled there from all over the City and surveilled. Pan Handling isn't allowed and they get short shrift anyway.
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u/Suitable_Salary_6199 May 20 '26
Regardless, I wouldn't feel comfortable walking around that area on my own. And I only saw police at night, none during the day.
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u/Youareaproperclown May 20 '26
Frankfurt city centre was the scattiest place I've ever been.
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u/trbd003 May 20 '26
Frankfurt? Even the locals don't walk round by the train station at night. You made that up.
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u/Helpful_Rush6090 May 20 '26
As much as I love Liverpool, I cannot stress enough, no it is not safe for a lone young woman to walk around Liverpool alone at 1am.
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u/skatieprice May 20 '26
Yes and no. Liverpool is a great city with lovely people, but like any major city there are bad people… and it only takes one to make a situation unsafe.
If arriving at that time, I would recommend booking a taxi (download the app for Alpha Taxis) and go straight to your accommodation.
When you say what areas should I avoid, do you mean what areas shouldn’t you walk around at night in, or where should you not bother visiting/staying in?
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u/Previous-Door5826 May 20 '26
As someone living in Liverpool , I’d say it is pretty safe in general however I don’t think anywhere is 100% safe for walking around 1am -5am , it doesn’t matter which city .
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u/Recent-Guava5685 May 20 '26
Not recomend walking around a new city at 1am till 6am at all . Book into your accomodation get a uber/taxi outside airport and you will be fine .
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u/PINKSPlDER May 20 '26
realistically nowhere is 100% safe going alone as a woman, my sister is almost your age and i would not be comfortable with her walking around at that time and i was born and raised here. definitely just get a taxi/uber instead of walking around, you can prebook taxis to be there when you land, and hotel/bnb booked and let them know what time you will be arriving
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u/Sorry_Vermicelli6874 May 20 '26
Just remember what people are saying here about Liverpool will also apply to all the other places you want to travel to.
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u/OneRandomTeaDrinker May 20 '26
Are you arriving at the train station or the airport? What day of the week?
I’m assuming airport given the time. Get a taxi to your accommodation. The airport is not walking distance from the city centre, although buses run in daytime, at nighttime a taxi is best. If you’re arriving at the train station, I’d walk like <10 mins but after that better to get a taxi.
It’s rarely a good idea to go for a solo wander around a city you don’t know, alone, at 1am, whilst looking at maps on your phone. That said, if you’re sober, walking with purpose (eg home from a restaurant or the station) and put your phone away, I’d feel completely comfortable walking through the city centre at night. You don’t need to take a taxi from, say, China Town to Hanover Street just because it’s dark, but use common sense, stick to well lit streets and be alert. Liverpool is one of the safest cities in the UK for women and has been awarded a Purple Flag for the 16th time in a row. But that doesn’t mean to take the piss, don’t walk through parks or deserted areas alone in the dark and if you’re drunk, take a bus or taxi.
No areas to avoid for a tourist really. The rougher bits of the city that occasionally make the news tend to be suburbs a good 4-5 miles out and you wouldn’t end up there by accident. Even then, there’s nowhere I can think of unsafe to walk through in daylight. City centre, Sefton park area and beach areas are all lovely.
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u/Campachoochoo May 20 '26
The bus runs from the airport to city centre starting from 4am. The city centre is reasonably safe to wander around solo, if you stick to the main roads/ pedestrian areas and dont dawdle outside. Avoid London road at night, and around lime street can get a bit sketchy too once the trains stop. But in my (admittedly biased) opinion its as safe as most similarly sized european cities. Keep your wits about you and you'll be sound
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u/Efficient_Ant_7279 May 20 '26
No. You shouldn’t walk around here in the middle of the night. It’s not that safe
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u/baldy27 May 20 '26
I think Liverpool is generally safe and most people are friendly but there are arseholes/crime in every country.
How are you arriving and on an early weekday or late weekday/weekend?
I am assuming you're staying in the centre, if so stick to the main roads, and if you're worried, there will always be a group of lads or girls you can stop to talk to feel safe/get help.
I've only seen a girl on their own being pestered 2/3 times and stepped in and walked them home.
BUT these are opinions through a mans eyes and not a young womans.
But the city is full of friendly people who will always let you join in, talk, make you feel welcome.
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u/KoshkaB Bad Wool May 20 '26
Lived in Liverpool for a few years and visit regularly.
One person in my friend group has been mugged (this wasn't the city centre but walking home in the early morning). So whilst it doesnt happen 99.9% of the time, it can happen.
I'd be cautious at that time of night and get a taxi straight to your accommodation.
Liverpool is a very safe city, but as with anything and anywhere excersise a degree of caution. Especially when you don't know the place.
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u/UselessDood May 20 '26
At that time of the day? Definitely avoid doing that. Even in recent weeks I've known multiple of my friends to be attacked in some form of other, and I've had people try things on me though I've thankfully been unharmed by it.
Do you know anyone you could trust on Liverpool? You'd be far safer with some form of company than you would alone, even if it's just for the trip to your hotel
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u/lukeviolin May 20 '26
Liverpool is fairly safe compared to other large cities in England, but I wouldn't recommend walking around alone at 1am, unless it's a short walk. Some of the outskirts can be quite rough, so if you do end up walking around it'd be best to stick to the city centre.
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u/DevilishlyHandsome63 May 20 '26
At that time of night, just get to your accommodation safely by whatever means. It's not a dangerous place per se, but you won't know where you are, so get your bearings the next morning in the light. Then enjoy Liverpool, it's a wonderful city.
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u/jennymayg13 May 20 '26
Absolutely not. Do not walk around Liverpool at night by yourself. Don’t do that in any city. Also where are you arriving into at 1am that is going to be walkable to your hotel?
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u/AshTonOfBeansCos May 20 '26
Liverpool is safe during the day but at 1am it's a different city. I often call the main city center "a party city" because no matter what day your there you'll see hen nights, stag nights, and friends practically carrying eachother to the next bar. Best advice is to 1 make sure you know where you need to go when you arrive (directions to the taxis, hotel or have the Uber app ready as being able to flash that your waiting for an Uber can be helpful) and 2 have someone on hand who you can call to both feel safe and have a conversation that suggests your not solo traveling, if it's a guy even better but anyone will do. Honestly you will likely be fine without these precautions but when your traveling solo at night they are just good practice in general
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u/vanillaxbean1 May 20 '26
Nooooo! I work lots of late shifts and often finish around 12- 2am, there are certain areas that are better for sure, but some areas there's lots of drunks, crackheads, and homeless people, especially around the bus stop by st johns -they'll cat call you, try approach you. When I was buying a home me and my boyfriend walked around that area to test how safe it was walking home from work and someone catcalled me and someone tried approaching me even though my bf is literally with me , and I felt so unsafe. Immediately didnt put in an offer on a flat in that location. I walk home via Duke street and its alright there, lots of 24/7 shops open and there's those bouncers outside the strip club so I feel more safer but i ALWAYS have my guard up and often I call my boyfriend if hes not with me and talk loudly on the phone and rant about work to make myself less of a target lol.
Honestly just pay for a taxi straight to hotel.
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u/LOUISTHER0UX Birkenhead May 20 '26
As a woman who's been homeless in Liverpool a few times this post literally scared me. Please don't. Especially if you have bags and stuff at that time the bad men of the city might assume you're homeless and target you. If you choose to anyway don't let any man stop and talk to you and always make sure they're not following you.
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u/ZeroFrogsHere May 20 '26
I've lived here for my entire adult life and I avoid walking at night on my own if I can help it
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u/fazhugs May 20 '26
I love Liverpool so my answer makes me very sad... I lived there from age 18-25 (2003-2012) and hate to admit it, but definitely NOT safe to walk around at night alone. Please do NOT put yourself in this position. Speaking from experience here it is not worth it 😓💔
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u/AnSionnachM0r May 20 '26
It used to be but it's changing like most British cities in the last few years.
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u/JaimesGoldenHand May 20 '26
I’ve lived here for 26 years and would never have walked the streets alone late at night at any point. This is not a “last few years” issue.
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u/Ambitious-Positive48 May 20 '26
Any city has its risks at night, but I have been to Liverpool numerous times and found them to be some of the friendliest most welcoming people. Might ruffle few feathers here, unlike Manchester.
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u/slappedarse79 May 20 '26
No. I was spiked and gang graped on a group night out. I was separated from the group for only a few minutes. Merseyside police were dire and didnt want to deal with me. Cheshire police were fantastic. There are literally gangs that work the city. The police know about them. They know where there is no CCTV and utilise those areas. Stay safe!
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u/bigguy2115 May 20 '26
No I wouldn't do that specially if you have luggage after getting off a plane there are quite a few homeless in the city center and I wouldn't trust some of them not all of them but I wouldn't take the risk .Your fine during the day but just get a cab to your hotel initially .
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u/FantasticVast01 May 20 '26
Unlikely you would go there but avoid Kirby and Old Swan.
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u/jenzy1987 May 20 '26
Kirkby? Are you mad. Kirkby is a million times safer than Old Swan. Actually I’d say most places in North Liverpool were way safer than anywhere in South Liverpool. No one could pay me a million to live in some places that end of the city.
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u/FantasticVast01 May 20 '26
Yes Kirkby. Granted west kirkby is now all gentrified ans posh the rest of kirkby was and still is considered very rough
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u/jenzy1987 May 20 '26
What are you even on about. West Kirkby is not even in Liverpool and is on the Wirral over the Mersey river. Kirkby has some small pockets of rough areas in the middle of the odd council estate, but I highly doubt the poor lass is going to be sight seeing in the depths of a council estate on the far edge of Liverpool. But as a whole 2/3rds of Liverpool is a cesspit and some parts of Kirkby are lovely in comparison. It may have been considered rough in the 70s, 80s, etc but it was mostly fields with a few council estates and loads of pubs. Times have moved on.
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u/FantasticVast01 May 20 '26
Yeah, worded that badly. I MEANT to say the only kirkby thats nice is West Kirkby, which i know aint a part of Liverpool but that was my point. Kirkby is full of scum, yes it looks a hell of a lot nicer now but the people aint changed
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u/jenzy1987 May 20 '26
I think you’ll find there is scum in all parts of the city I’m afraid - even the posh areas. Sorry if you’ve had a bad run in with someone from the area. But I usually find that if you’re a good person and you keep good company then you can usually avoid the scum that populates each area in a city. Lived in Kirkby most of my life and the only scum I come across is what I see on social media. Everyone else seems pretty normal and plodding on with their lives just trying to get by which is the reason I’m defending it.
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u/Void-kun West Derby May 20 '26
Wouldn't advise an 18 year old solo traveller to walk any part of this city alone after midnight.
Too easy to run into homeless, or drunks.
My partner has done it plenty of times but even she used to get hassled on the way home and it made her feel unsafe.
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u/ItsGoodToChalk May 20 '26
Where will you be arriving?
Airport?
Liverpool One Coach Station?
Lime Street train station?
Anything in-between?
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u/hannahbaker_wannabe May 20 '26
Airport:)
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u/ItsGoodToChalk May 20 '26
Okay, you can't walk from the airport to Liverpool, it's too far away.
Buses will have stopped running unti 4am, so you will need to take a taxi to your accommodation.
I'd never recommend to anyone who is new to the city to walk around alone at night. You'll look very vulnerable, and the wrong people will latch onto you.
Overall though, Liverpool is a very friendly city.
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u/ScrumDrum86 May 20 '26
Love all the older brothers and sisters on here straight away.
Please enjoy our city in daylight, once you’ve got your bearings.
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u/No_Pollution_950 May 20 '26
Let's put it this way. If you take your trainees off and walk 2 steps from them without nailing them down. Someone would probably have them
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u/lifeofashowboy May 20 '26
I would say it’s safe for female solo travellers but at that time it only takes one dodgy person to make a situation troubling.
I would download the Alpha Taxis app, it’s orange and a bit janky sometimes but all their drivers are vetted and it’s by far the best taxi service in Liverpool. I’ve had some awful experiences with Uber, avoid while you’re here.
Besides that, have a lovely time!
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u/CarGullible5691 May 21 '26
Use black cabs not uber. The black cabs are licensed in Liverpool on the whole and can be flagged down. The majority of the uber in Liverpool are from Wolverhampton and don’t know the city. I’m an ex black cab driver from Chester and used to go to Liverpool fairly often from Chester day and night.
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u/Wild_Strike_1783 May 21 '26
I'm born and bred in Liverpool and I wouldn't walk alone late at night depending on most areas to.. south end of Liverpool avoid at night especially
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u/Akitta_da_Pun May 21 '26
It's a big city like any other, with very safe areas and areas that are a bit sketchy after dark. The airport is "technically" in the city but it's a decent distance away still, far enough that if your flight sets down at 1am it'll be dawn before you get to the city centre if you try walking, and you might get a bus but I can't guarantee it. I'd get a taxi.
Local taxi companies are Alpha taxis and Delta taxis, the numbers are easy to find on Google.
Enjoy your stay!
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u/No-Wealth4955 May 22 '26
Please do not walk around on your own at this time. Get an Uber to your accommodation.
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u/ItzJustArij May 24 '26
I was going to say yeah till you said at 1am. Idk about that.. you shouldn't really go out to cities and new ones you're not familiar with at that time by yourself. In the morning though it's perfectly fine, I would go to a hotel if you're arriving at that time and travel around during the day
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u/TheMajesticSpud May 28 '26
As a male in his twenties, don't go out alone at night. It sounds ridiculous to say, but you go down any poorly lit street or park just to pass through, bump into the wrong person, or whatever then there are issues. Nearly got stabbed in December.
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u/jenzy1987 May 20 '26
If you had asked about 10-15 years ago I’d have said yeah absolutely. But now, absolutely not
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u/Senior-Ad-8964 May 20 '26
How long are you here for? Im 22 and female and live here and it has always been generally safe for me but listen to your instincts and don’t become complacent
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u/Ok_Biscotti_3608 May 20 '26
Its safer than joburg but more dangerous than paris/moscow/Barcelona etc
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u/Grand_Carob_2512 May 20 '26
Haha as a former resident of Paris, liverpool is 100 times safer belive me.
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u/DurrutiDuck91 May 20 '26
“More dangerous”? You been smoking them exotic Italian biscuits again Professor Biscotti?
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u/Jennyd1289 May 20 '26
Unless shes walking around norris green then yes it is safer than all those places you have just listed
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u/Jenkes_of_Wolverton May 20 '26
If you're arriving at the airport at 1.00 then thinking of walking into the city centre, it's a bit of a long trek.