Liverpool named UK’s best large city for a break in new Which? survey
The consumer champion surveyed almost 4,000 members about their experiences of visiting UK cities and towns in the last two years. All were scored out of five stars on a range of criteria including accommodation, food and drink, cultural sights and tourist attractions, ease of getting around, lack of crowds, and value for money. An overall city score was calculated based on visitors’ overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend.
Liverpool took top spot in the large cities category with a city score of 84 percent - beating capital cities Belfast (77%), London (76%), Cardiff (72%) and Liverpool’s close neighbour Manchester (71%) by some margin.
“Lively” and “buzzing” Liverpool scored a full five stars in the cultural sights and tourist attractions category, with respondents noting an impressive range of cultural and historical attractions beyond the Beatles. The city also scored four stars for food and drink, shopping, accommodation, lack of crowds and value for money. One respondent said: “It's got everything you could possibly want. Great for eating places, great for sights and famous places and very friendly people.”
Taking joint second place in the large cities category are Edinburgh and York, with tied city scores of 83 per cent.
The “stunning” Scottish capital is “bursting with cultural activities” according to visitors, who scored it a full five stars for cultural sights and tourist attractions. Edinburgh received four stars for food and drink, shopping, ease of getting around, and overall value for money.
York, known for its Roman and Viking heritage, also took five stars in the cultural sights and tourist attractions category, with some of its most well known attractions including York Minster, the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Viking Centre. The city also scored four stars for shopping, accommodation, ease of getting around, value for money and food and drink.
Among medium-sized cities, Bath was the top scorer, receiving a city score of 82 percent. With a five star rating for cultural sights and tourist attractions, one visitor described Bath as “one of the top sites in the UK, indeed Europe,” for its architecture and points of historical interest, which include the well preserved Roman baths and the Georgian houses of the Royal Crescent. The city also scored four stars for food and drink, accommodation and shopping, and three stars for value for money.
Wells, Somerset was the highest scoring location in the survey overall, with an impressive city score of 86 per cent, and took first place in the small cities category. It scored four stars for its range of cultural sights and tourist attractions which include the Cathedral, Bishop’s Palace and Vicar’s Close.
At the opposite end of the tables, Derby (56%), Leicester (58%) and Swansea (58%) were the lowest rated large cities.
Derby scored just two stars for food and drink, accommodation, cultural sights and tourist attractions, shopping and ease of getting around. One visitor noted that while “there are not a huge number of cultural sights within the city centre, the Museum of Making is worth a visit.”
Famous as the final resting place of Richard III, Leicester also failed to impress on the whole with a city score of 58 per cent, and received just two stars for accommodation and ease of getting around. Multiple respondents noted poor hotel stays, and some recounted difficulties with local transport. One said, “Driving into Leicester is not straightforward for anyone new. It all seems overly complicated.” The city did however receive four stars for its shopping experience and lack of crowds, and one visitor noted that though “it’s not a pretty city… there are gems if you know where to look.”
Wales’ second largest city, Swansea, received just two stars for food and drink, cultural sights and tourist attractions, shopping, ease of getting around and parking. Famous as the birthplace of Dylan Thomas, the city is also popular for its proximity to the Gower peninsula. One ambivalent visitor summed up, “Swansea is OK as a city, but the main draw is the coast and countryside on its doorstep.” Others were more favourable however, praising the "friendly people and brilliant market and marina.”
In the small and medium sized categories, Bournemouth, Torquay and Fort William in Scotland also fared poorly with joint scores of 58 per cent.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said,
“Whether you’re after vibrant nightlife, world class museums or a first rate dining experience, our survey shows that the UK has a wealth of fantastic cities just waiting to be explored.
“Liverpool stood out among the UK’s large cities for its fantastic cultural scene and buzzing atmosphere, beating London and the UK’s other capital cities to take first place.
“For those seeking a more laid-back destination, Somerset is the place to be, with both Bath and Wells scoring highly, and each offering a wealth of historical and cultural sights.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
- In April 2024, Which? surveyed 3,967 members of the Which? Connect panel about their experiences of UK cities and towns they’d visited for leisure purposes and stayed in for at least one night in the last two years (since April 2022), receiving reports of 7,187 experiences in total.
-Large towns and cities are defined as those having a population of over 200,000, medium as those with a population between 60,000 - 200,000 and small as those with less than 60,000.
-Full results tables for large, medium and small city results can be found here.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.
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