St Helens

St Helens sits apart from the rest of Merseyside, its identity built on glassmaking and industry rather than the docks and waterfront that define much of the region. It's a working town rather than a tourist one, but that makes it a practical, well-connected base if you're passing through the North West, with good road links out towards the M6 and the wider county beyond.

Most visitors stay out towards Haydock, where a cluster of hotels including the Ibis Styles Haydock, the Lakeside Haydock Hotel St Helens, the Mercure Haydock Hotel and a Travelodge give plenty of choice for an overnight stop, particularly handy if you're here for Haydock Park's racing calendar or travelling for business. Closer to the town centre, the Mercure St Helens and the Premier Inn St Helens South cover more central needs, while The Eccleston Hotel and The Griffin Inn offer something a little more local in feel. For a longer stay, Oakthorn House is the self-catering option on our books.

Where St Helens really surprises is its sheer range of places to eat. With well over a hundred restaurants on our books, the choice runs from the informal, like Burger King and Bikers Bistro, to more distinctive spots such as Cafe Laziz and Ba'Bursi Restaurant, with Cafe Millais and 36 Bridge Street offering something a bit more sit-down. It's the kind of variety you don't expect from a town this size, and it's arguably the strongest reason to linger here rather than just pass through.

Altogether, St Helens works best as a base with its own character rather than an extension of Liverpool or the Merseyside coast. Come for a race meeting at Haydock, a family day out, or simply a night's stop with a good meal at the end of it, and the town does exactly what it needs to.