The historic ferry ‘cross the Mersey has been ranked in the world’s top 10 city boat trips by National Geographic travel writers.
The Mersey Ferry came in at tenth on the list, which was topped by Vancouver Ferries, Canada, with New York’s Staten Island Ferry coming in second place.
The trip is the oldest running ferry service in Europe, after it was started by Birkenhead monks in the 12th Century. It was immortalised by Gerry and the Pacemakers’ 1964 hit song ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’, which is still played on ferry trips to this day.
Originally a direct route across the Mersey, boats now also take visitors on an hour-long narrated trip up the river, with stops to include tourist attractions in Birkenhead and Seacombe.
The ferry also continues to be a good money spinner for the city, and still sees around 100,000 people a year take to the water.
Councillor Mark Dowd, chair of Merseytravel, spoke of the recognition from National Geographic, saying: “I’m delighted that Mersey Ferries have been recognised by National Geographic as one of the top 10 city boat trips in the World.
“They are an iconic symbol of Merseyside, an important part of our rich maritime history and draw hundreds of thousands of visitors from both the United Kingdom and from all over the world to Merseyside every year.”
The Complete National Geographic list:
1. Vancouver Ferries, Canada
2. Staten Island Ferry, New York
3. San Francisco to Sausalito Ferry, California
4. New Orleans to Algiers Ferry, Louisiana
5. Star Ferry, Hong Kong
6. Brisbane Citycat, Australia
7. Bosphorus Ferry, Istanbul
8. Venice Vaporetto, Italy
9. Naples to Capri Ferry, Italy
10. Mersey Ferry, Liverpool