The Isle of Man is well connected from the UK & Ireland by air & sea routes

Hotel Parking

The Empress Hotel has no parking on site, but the Promenade and side roads in front and nearby, do offer limited free parking . The Promenade parking is free 16 hours in any 24 hours in disk zones, from outside the Hotel towards the Manx Electric Railway only on the seaside of the road where the local signs state, with no returning to that space within 2 hours. The land side of the road also has some 16 hour parking, but near shopping areas, this is limited to 30 minutes to 1 hour maximum and electric charging spaces is limited to 2 hours only.
Please collect a parking disk from the ferry terminal on arrival to display in your car that also provides 2 hours free parking in places around the Island. If you are unsure where to park near the hotel, please check the signs carefully as parking wardens do patrol the Promenade and issue tickets 6 days a week from 8am to 8pm (not Sundays), so please follow the local signs. Paid for parking is available on council run car parks with details HERE. The nearest to the Hotel is Chester Street (15 minutes walk back to the Hotel) with hourly rates upto 10 hours only, or at The Steam Packet Building parking (15 minutes walk away) and costs £5.50 for 24 hours. Parking map of Douglas can also be found Car Park Locations Douglas.

Getting to Liverpool Port

Liverpool Ferry Port By Car

Access to the edge of Liverpool is via the M6/M62 or M58. Then follow the directions below.

Isle of Man Steam packet Ferry Terminal is at the Princes Landing Stage near the Pier Head, Off St Nicholas Place, Princes Parade, Liverpool, L3 1DL. From the M62, follow signs to the City Centre and then Pier Head signs to the Princes Landing Stage.

From M58 follow the A5036 and then the A565 to the Pier Head. From North Wales take the M53, then the Wallasey Tunnel and the A59 to the Pier Head.

Find out about ferry crossings for cars or foot passengers with The Isle of Man Steam Packet HERE or Stena Line HERE.

Liverpool Ferry Port By Rail

Lime Street Train Station is the mainline station connecting most local and national routes with frequent trains from London’s Euston Station for Liverpool taking 2 3/4 hours.

Local trains run in and out of Liverpool City Centre at four railway stations: Moorfields, Liverpool Central, James Street, and Lime Street. All are within walking distance of Pier Head or via the Ferrylink bus service from Lime Street.

National Express operate coaches to Liverpool from across Britain. (To Liverpool there are services every two hours from London and Birmingham, half hourly services from Manchester, and hourly services to York) You can find the National Express station on Norton Street Bus and Coach Station approx 500 yards from Liverpool Lime Street Railway Station.

Local buses depart from a number of terminals in the city. Queen Square – city centre, Pier Head and Chester services; Paradise Street Bus Station -southbound and some northbound services; St Thomas Street -eastbound and cross-river services.

By air:

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is only a 7 miles from Liverpool City Centre. A number of airlines including easyJet, Loganair, Ryanair and Wizz and others, fly to and from the airport. The City Centre is about a 30 minute bus journey from the airport. More details can be found HERE. Full details of travel to and from the airport can also be found HERE

By air from other parts of the UK: easyJet fly to the Island from Gatwick, Liverpool and Manchester along with Loganair flying from Birmingham, Manchester, London City & Heathrow and Edinburgh.

Ronaldsway Airport in the Isle of Man is around 25 minutes away from Douglas, 45 minutes from Ramsey and 10 minutes to Castletown. You can catch regular buses every 15-20 minutes throughout the day to most towns for around £3 single travel. Taxi’s are also available from the airport, and there are car hire desks inside the airport for pre-booked cars.

Heysham Ferry Port by Car

From M6: To reach the port by car, you should follow the M6 as far as Junction 34. Exit onto the A589 and continue along the A589 towards Morecambe for about 3.5 miles before following signs for Heysham ferry port, positioned at Heysham’s western end.

Heysham Ferry Port By Rail

Northern Rail operates Heysham Port railway station and services along this, the Morecambe Branch line. Beginning at Lancaster, there are regular stops along the line including Bare Lane and Morecambe, before the train reaches its final destination at Heysham port.

Heysham Ferry Port By Bus

Stagecoach Lancaster provides buses (numbers 3 and 4) following routes from Lancaster University to Heysham’s Combermere Road. From here, the ferry port can be reached with a 10 minute walk. In addition to this National Express, which is Britain’s largest scheduled coach company, provides bus services to both Lancaster and Morecambe from points throughout the UK.