Blackpool

Blackpool sits on the Lancashire coast facing the Irish Sea, its skyline announced from miles away by the cast-iron silhouette of Blackpool Tower. Built in 1894 and modelled on the Eiffel Tower, it has watched over a resort that has been drawing holidaymakers from the industrial towns of the North West since the railway arrived in the 1840s. What grew up around the tower is unlike anywhere else in Britain: a seven-mile promenade lined with amusement arcades, fish and chip shops, guesthouses and the largest concentration of rollercoasters in the country.

The town's character is proudly unpretentious. Blackpool built its reputation on giving working people from Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool an affordable week by the sea, and that spirit still runs through the place today, from the tram that has rattled along the front since 1885 to the Golden Mile's rock shops and kiss-me-quick hats. Beyond the funfairs, the wide flat beach, dramatic sunsets over the sea and the sheer scale of the Illuminations each autumn give Blackpool a theatrical energy that has kept it one of the UK's most-visited resort towns for well over a century.

Top things to do in Blackpool

From white-knuckle rides to old-fashioned variety theatre, Blackpool packs an unusual amount of entertainment into a small stretch of coastline.

• Blackpool Tower — climb (or take the lift) to the Tower Eye viewing deck 380 feet up, complete with a glass floor over the promenade, then explore the Tower Ballroom below with its sprung dancefloor and Wurlitzer organ.
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach — one of Britain's oldest amusement parks, open since 1896, home to the Big One rollercoaster and Icon, plus a steadily growing roster of newer thrill rides.
• Blackpool Illuminations — six miles of lights, tableaux and animated displays strung along the promenade each year from late summer into the New Year, a tradition dating back to 1879.
• North Pier, Central Pier and South Pier — three surviving Victorian piers, each with its own character, from North Pier's traditional theatre programme to Central Pier's big wheel and South Pier's rides.
• Blackpool Winter Gardens — a vast Victorian entertainment complex hosting touring shows, conferences and the Opera House, one of the largest theatres outside London's West End.
• SEA LIFE Blackpool — an aquarium on the seafront with sharks, rays and an underwater tunnel, a reliable option on a wet afternoon.
• Blackpool Zoo — inland from the centre, home to elephants, orangutans and a large collection of big cats across 32 acres of parkland.

Getting to Blackpool

Blackpool North railway station has direct services from Manchester, Preston and beyond, with connections onward from most of the North of England. Blackpool South and Blackpool Pleasure Beach stations offer smaller local links. By road, the M55 connects directly into the town from the M6, making it an easy run from Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester. Blackpool Airport no longer runs scheduled passenger flights, so the nearest airports are Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester, both under an hour and a half away by car. Once in town, the heritage Blackpool tramway runs the length of the seafront from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, making it easy to get around without a car.

Best time to visit Blackpool

Summer (June to August) is peak season, with warm weather, the longest opening hours at Pleasure Beach and the full seaside experience in swing, though the town and beaches get busy. Many visitors prefer September to early November, when the Illuminations are switched on and the crowds thin slightly while the weather often stays mild. Spring can be a good time for a quieter break with lower prices, while winter sees many seafront attractions close or reduce hours, though the Winter Gardens and indoor attractions keep running events year-round.

Where to stay in Blackpool

Blackpool has one of the highest concentrations of hotels and guesthouses of any UK seaside town, from grand Victorian landmarks on the promenade to small family-run B&Bs a few streets back. The area around North Shore and Gynn Square tends to be quieter, while the stretch closest to the Tower and Pleasure Beach puts you in the thick of the action. Self-catering apartments and holiday parks are also plentiful on the edges of town, and further along the coast towards Fleetwood and Lytham St Annes offer a calmer base for those who want the beach without the fairground noise.

Food and drink in Blackpool

No visit is complete without fish and chips on the seafront, and Harry Ramsden's and the Cottage on Newton Drive are long-standing local favourites. For a classic slice of Blackpool, the rock shops along the Golden Mile still hand-pull and stripe rock the traditional way, and afternoon tea at the Tower Ballroom or the Grand Metropole is a proper old-school treat. Beyond the fairground food, the town has a growing number of independent cafes and restaurants around the Foxhall and Talbot Road areas, alongside traditional pubs serving Lancashire ales close to the seafront.