National Rail

Merseyside has excellent rail links for those who want to travel beyond the Merseyside boundaries. There is a website offering all the train timetable and fare information you could possibly need. The National Rail website includes details of ticket types, rail passes, special offers and any service alternations across the whole country.

Younger rail passengers even have their own website, Trakkies. It's a place to have fun while learning about trains and travelling, featuring several printable games to be played on the train, plus rail history and safety information.

To help make your journey as easy and convenient as possible, there is a Train Taxi website containing information on taxis serving the train, tram, metro and underground stations across the country. By selecting a station, it will tell you if there is a taxi rank and gives you the relevant telephone numbers for local taxi firms.

If you prefer to take a bus once you reach your destination, visit PlusBus. This national initiative allows you to buy a rail ticket that takes you to your destination train station and then includes travel on a bus in a designated bus area. For a small supplement, this bus travel can be unlimited.

There is also a dedicated website, Railcards, giving information about national railcards including the Young Persons Railcard, Family Railcard and Senior Railcard. You can even buy them online.

The healthier option to get to and from the train station is by bicycle. Most railway companies will carry bikes free of charge or for a £1 supplement and often booking is not necessary. For more details of how to take your bike with you on the train, visit the A to B website.