Blackpool

Europe > United Kingdom > Blackpool (BLK)

The Car or no Car advice for  Blackpool can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Blackpool ;  is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).

🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Blackpool ?

These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.

🇬🇧 Mode

Score
🚆 Non-car score non-car score 4

💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Blackpool?

These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.

🇬🇧 Factor

Score
🚗 Car Score car rental availability score 6
🚗Do we need a car in Blackpool? Is it worth it? Should we rent one? | Comment
Blackpool is one of Britain’s most iconic seaside resorts, famous for its tower, trams, promenade, piers, shows, and family entertainment. Because everything runs along a long but linear coastal strip, many visitors ask: should you rent a car in Blackpool? The truth is that Blackpool offers excellent public transport, easy walking, and simple connections to nearby towns. So your decision depends on how far you want to explore beyond the resort.

🎡 Promenade Life: Trams Do the Heavy Lifting

Blackpool’s seafront tramway is one of the easiest coastal routes in Europe.
It runs from Fleetwood in the north to Starr Gate in the south, passing:

  • Blackpool Tower

  • Central Pier

  • Pleasure Beach

  • All major hotels

  • The Illuminations route

This makes movement effortless.

➡ You don’t need a car for the promenade attractions.

🚶 Walking Works for Most of the Resort

The central strip is flat and built for pedestrians.
You can stroll between piers, arcades, shops, and theatres without difficulty.
Taxis and buses cover inland neighbourhoods.

➡ A car adds little value inside central Blackpool.

🚆 Rail Takes You Further Afield

Trains connect you quickly to:

  • Preston

  • Manchester

  • Liverpool

  • Lancaster

  • The Lake District

These routes are simple and often faster than driving.

➡ You can explore northwest England without renting a car.

🌄 When a Car Does Become Useful

A car helps only if you want to:

  • Visit rural Lancashire

  • Explore the Trough of Bowland

  • Reach beach towns not on the tram (e.g., St Anne’s)

  • Make day trips to countryside pubs or hiking areas

Even then, journeys aren’t far.

➡ Driving helps for countryside touring only.

🧭 Quick Table

Plan Car Needed?
Promenade + piers ❌ No
Tower + Pleasure Beach ❌ No
Nearby towns by train ❌ No
Lancashire countryside ❔ Optional
Rural touring ✅ Yes

🎯 Conclusion: Should You Rent a Car in Blackpool?

  • ❌ Skip the car for the resort itself — trams, walking, and trains do everything better.

  • ❔ Consider renting a car only if you want to explore inland Lancashire or small rural villages.

🚗Do we need a car in Blackpool? Is it worth it? Should we? Destinations | Comment

🚗 ✅ ❌ Summary Table

This summary score brings how much you really need a car, whether it’s worth it, driver options, local driving rules, and an overall recommendation.

🇬🇧 Factor

Score
🚗Should You Rent a Car in Blackpool?
 overall should you rent a car score 7
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