Paradise Street Interchange

Paradise Street Bus Station is located within the Liverpool ONE shopping area and many times I have staggered here, weighed down by bags, and sat to wait for my bus. The buses that run through here mainly serve the south of the city, but there are also a few services which go over the water and to the north of the city.
The services which run from here are clearly displayed on noticeboards at each stop and it is easy to find out which bus to get from which stop, and if you have to go to another bus interchange to get the right bus.
Each bus stop is clearly numbered and has a TV screen showing when the next bus is expected.
There are usually attendants on duty who are happy to help you, but also ensure that kids do not hang around the bus station for the sake of it. There is also a travel centre open during the day where you can buy tickets, pick up timetables and get any information you need.
The bus station is something of a wind tunnel, running down onto the waterfront. But each stop has an enclosed area where you can sit down and shelter from the cold.

Sure, it looks all futuristic and connects the city centre to the docks more efficiently than the old place ever did, but I doubt my nostalgia will ever be enhanced by this new interchange.
The crummy old station was the kind of place that nostalgia is made of, in that you look back on it with fondness but if it were still around today you’d be hard pressed to find much redeemable about it.
The slick new place will never be like that. Once you’re there you want to get away as soon as possible and I don’t care what anybody else says, you always feel like you’re stood outside. Still, I suppose this aching desire to vacate means that vandals are unlikely to hang around too so it should be around for a long time.

This place is a really handy travel link. Sheltered and numbered, it couldn’t be easier to pop onto a bus to your chosen destination.
On a freezing and wet day you don’t have to worry about the cold bus wait (when undoubtedly you will stand around for half an hour and then around five similar ones will arrive, all of which you could catch) as the shelters cover all public transport weather dilemmas.
As well as this, if you’re confused about which bus to get on, the travel centre is a mere two minutes walk away, and offers a range of advisory leaflets.
Handy, modern, and local.

I have always praised Paradise Street Interchange since its development from what used to be a tatty outlook many years ago. It has definitely given the city a better image and with it being less confined than in its previous days, there is now less pollution and instead more fresh sea air coming straight from the Mersey. As a matter of fact, the bus station almost acts like a wind tunnel which can be freezing on a winter’s day but great on a mild day as you get a lovely breeze. The actual design is a lot more improved and less confusing. Signs and timetables are clear throughout with plenty of sheltered seating to protect you from draughts and rain. If you do require any assistance, the travel information centre is only a stone’s throw away. Plus, local sites such as Albert Dock is just over the road from the station making it easy for tourists to travel to and from. There are also many top hotels nearby which is convenient.