Blackpool tramway
Starr Gate Blackpool FY4
Blackpool's famous seafront tramway dates back to 1885, making it (drumroll, please) the world's first urban tram system, and it's still a great way to travel up and down the prom, especially the long haul between the Pleasure Beach and North Pier. Sleek, modern super-trams now operate on the 11-mile-long line between Starr Gate in Blackpool and Fleetwood to the north, but the conductors are still the same chirpy Lancs characters with a neat line in local banter. For a real taste of the old days ride one of the "heritage" trams on a ten-mile round-trip up and down the local coast – this is a hop-on-hop-off tourist service with just four stops, including Pleasure Beach and North Pier. Otherwise, on the regular trams, make sure you buy an all-day ticket if you're going to make more than one journey – you'll save yourself a fair bit of money, and the tickets are valid on the local buses too. You can buy them on the tram, but they are cheaper in advance bought online or from newsagents and other ticket outlets. There are tram stops all up and down the prom, including right across from the Tower and at each pier and major attraction, but services start from Starr Gate, about a mile south of the Pleasure Beach.
