Getting There

Travelling to The 151^st Open

The 151^st Open will be played at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake from 16-23 July 2023.

A high number of spectators are expected to attend throughout the week. To minimise road traffic congestion, The R&A is recommending that spectators consider the use of public transport, which will be significantly enhanced for travel convenience, or car share with others in their group. Those staying in the local area should consider active travel (walking, wheeling or cycling). There will be no public car parking available at Royal Liverpool or in the immediate surrounding area. All public parking will be provided at managed Park & Ride sites, with the exception of pre-booked Blue Badge parking (see the ‘Car and Motorbike Parking’ section for details).

Local Area Restrictions

To assist with traffic management and reduce congestion in the vicinity of Hoylake, temporary traffic regulations and parking restrictions will be introduced. These will be enforced by Wirral Borough Council in order to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses, assist traffic flow and increase safety and security for all road users.

By Public Transport

By Rail

Merseyrail provides train services on routes across Merseyside to Hoylake – the nearest station to Royal Liverpool – and capacity on this line will be more than doubled during the week of The Open. Connections from the wider rail network to the Merseyrail Wirral Line are available from Bidston, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool Central and Liverpool Lime Street. Hoylake Station is located approximately 800m from the main spectator entrance to The 151st Open. An accessible shuttle bus will be available to transport passengers with reduced mobility to and from the course.

Train services are expected to be busy during The 151st Open so please ensure you leave plenty of time to travel. Rail timetables for Championship week and ticket booking information are now available on the Merseyrail website.

Please note that Merseyrail services are not affected by the ongoing industrial action and all Merseyrail services will run as planned to and from Hoylake during The Open.

Spectators travelling by rail from outside the Merseyside area may be affected by strike action on Thursday 20 and Saturday 22 July. This industrial action may also impact services on Wednesday 19, Friday 21 and Sunday 23 July. Anyone planning to use services run by any of the 14 train companies affected by the strike action (Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains and GTR, including Gatwick Express) on these dates should check their journey before they travel. Further information on how rail services are impacted by strike action can be found on the National Rail Enquiries website or from individual train operators.

If your travel plans have been affected by the rail strikes, please see the ‘By Coach’ section below for details of enhanced National Express services from across the UK to The Open. Limited spaces are available at The Open Camping Village for fans looking for accommodation in the local area.

By Coach

National Express will run enhanced coach services to and from Liverpool during The Open to offer increased capacity on routes across the UK. Use the journey planner on the National Express website to check ticket prices and book seats. The Liverpool One Bus Station is located approximately 600m from Liverpool Central Station, where fans can access connections to Merseyrail’s enhanced train services to and from Hoylake.

By Bus

Hoylake is part of the local public bus network, which connects to many local accommodation hubs around Wirral, including Meols, Moreton and Bidston, with an interchange at Birkenhead for services to Liverpool and Chester. A map of the local bus network is available to view on the Merseytravel website.

Stagecoach is the operator of the 38 service, which connects Hoylake to Birkenhead and the surrounding area, and the 1 and X1 services, which connect Birkenhead to Liverpool and Chester. All Stagecoach services stop on Meols Drive, approximately 450m from the main public entrance to The Open. Tickets can be purchased on buses or via the Stagecoach Bus app. Further information on planning your journey, including accessibility assistance, timetables and tickets valid for multiple journeys, can be found on the Stagecoach website. All local buses accept contactless payments.

Arriva is the operator of the 407 and 437 services, which connect Hoylake and West Kirby to Birkenhead and the surrounding area. The 407 service stops on Meols Drive, approximately 450m from the main public entrance to The Open, and the 437 service stops at West Kirby Station, which is approximately 1km from the golf course. Tickets can be purchased on buses or via the Arriva UK Bus app. Further information on planning your journey, including accessibility assistance, timetables and tickets valid for multiple journeys, can be found on the Arriva website. All local buses accept contactless payments.

By Road

There will be no public car parking at Royal Liverpool or in the immediate surrounding area. All public parking will be located at The Open Park & Ride facilities, where dedicated buses will be available to transport spectators to the course.

Spectators choosing to travel to the event by car or motorcycle will be directed to The Open Park & Ride sites by Variable Messaging Signs (VMS) and specific black and yellow event signs provided by The AA.

Please note overnight parking is not permitted at The Open Park & Ride facilities.

Car and Motorbike Parking

All public parking will be located at The Open Park & Ride facilities, where dedicated buses will be available to transport spectators arriving by car or motorbike to the course.

Parking tickets are available to purchase on arrival at a cost of £15 from Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 July, and £20 from Wednesday 19 to Sunday 23 July. A £5 discount will be applied to tickets purchased in advance (up to the day before). Parking can be purchased using the link above or by clicking here.

A free of charge drop off and pick-up area is provided at each Park & Ride car park for those who wish to drop off and collect friends and family. There is no charge for the use of the dedicated bus service to and from the course.

The deadline for pre-booked accessible parking has now passed.

For fans with accessible parking requirements please follow the signs for the Park & Ride. On arrival present your blue badge and the onsite staff will direct you to the most appropriate area to park.

For further information please contact The Open Ticket Office on +44 (0)1334 460010 or by emailing accessibility@randa.org.

Motorbike parking is available at a cost of £5 per day.

Minibus Parking

Minibus parking is available at a cost of £35 per day for vehicles measuring between 5 metres and 7.99 metres in length and/or with a seat capacity between 10 and 22 seats. Drivers should follow signs to the Coach Park.

Coach Parking

Coach parking is available at a cost of £50 per day for vehicles measuring 8 metres or more in length and/or a seat capacity greater than 22 seats. Drivers should follow signs to the Coach Park.

All minibus and coach parking is located within walking distance of the course.

By Taxi

There will be a designated taxi rank and private hire drop off/pick-up area in operation for The 151st Open from 16-23 July, located on Valentia Road, approximately 750m from the main spectator entrance to The 151st Open. Demand for taxi and private hire vehicles is expected to be high, so it is highly recommended to book in advance.

By Bicycle

National Cycle Route 89 forms part of the Wirral Circular Trail, which links Hoylake and West Kirby with the rest of the Wirral Peninsula via a coastal walking and cycling route. A cycle park will be provided on the former Hoylake Municipal Golf Course, adjacent to the cycle path that runs alongside the railway line. Please follow the blue cycle route signage to Hoylake on the Wirral Circular Trail then look out for signs for Bicycle Parking on approach to The Open. The Bicycle Park is located 300m from the main spectator entrance to The 151st Open. Please do not lock bicycles to perimeter fencing as they may be removed for security reasons. For further information on the cycle network in the local area, please visit the Sustrans website, or view details of the Wirral Circular Trail on the Visit Wirral website.

By Air

An official helicopter landing site will be in operation at The 151^st Open. For further information and to book, please contact heliops@helimates.com.

Scheduled flights operate to and from a number of airports within easy reach of Hoylake, including:

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport (19 miles/30km away) https://www.liverpoolairport.com

• Manchester Airport (49 miles/78km away) https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk

These airports also accept charter flights. Please contact the airport directly through their website to book.

Accommodation

Looking for somewhere to stay in or around Royal Liverpool? Visit our accommodation page to get more information on your options.