The city of Chester is well-known for dating back to Roman times, and its city walls dating from that time are very well-known. Right on the border with Wales, the city can also be a useful base for making a day trip along the North Wales Coast Line. Having said that, there's a lot to do in and around Chester as it is. From taking a walk around the ancient city walls, to exploring the characterful architecture in the city centre, or visiting the renowned Chester Zoo, it makes for an ideal city break location, and you can utilise our website to get cheap train tickets so as to get maximum value from your break.
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Getting to Chester by train is relatively simple, with direct trains from cities including London, Manchester, Cardiff, and Liverpool. Its proximity to other cities in the north-west such as Crewe and Manchester opens up connectivity options for a wide proportion of the north of England and even Scotland. If you're coming from further afield, then it's worth noting that there's a direct train from Manchester Airport to Chester, and there's also a convenient service from Liverpool John Lennon Airport with a connecting bus service between the airport and Liverpool South Parkway station.
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Getting the best-value rail tickets possible is something that we at Trainsplit are sure many people want to do. This can include booking in advance, using a Railcard if you have one, travelling outside peak times, and – of course – splitting tickets via our website. If you’d like further information on any of these, please get in touch, and we’ll do what we can to assist you. We do have a comprehensive guide here at Trainsplit on the booking process, which we hope will be very useful. Below, we've outlined some of the key points, including securing cheap train tickets.
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For the best deals on Cheap Train Tickets, don't delay until the day of departure. Instead, book an Advance Ticket up to 12 weeks ahead when released by the Train Operating Companies. Advance Tickets for trains to Chester, offering lower prices, often sell out fast. We recommend booking your journey in advance, as early as possible, to secure the most affordable fares. Even if you need to book last minute, you can sometimes still purchase Advance Fares up to an hour before departure.
Pairing your journey with a railcard can slash up to a third off the ticket price, offering significant savings on cheap train tickets. If you're a regular train traveller, investing in a railcard will swiftly offset its cost through discounted fares.
With Trainsplit’s unique journey planner, we search for the best-priced train tickets for your journey. You can easily discover the best split ticketing combinations that maximise your savings on train tickets, and best of all, Trainsplit will do all the work for you and doesn’t charge a booking fee.
Opting for off-peak travel not only saves money on higher-priced train tickets but also offers a more tranquil journey experience. Off-peak hours typically commence around 09:30, making them an ideal choice for budget-conscious travellers heading to Chester. Additionally, considering splitting your tickets during off-peak hours can further enhance your savings on cheap train tickets for your journey.
Explore Groupsave train tickets for discounted fares when travelling with a group of three or more people. It's a great way to save on train tickets and make your journey more affordable. And remember, you can also consider splitting your tickets with Trainsplit to save even more on your train tickets.
If you're not starting your journey from London, why not try a different route that doesn't pass through the capital? Cross Country trains offer trips to Bristol Temple Meads that avoid London, providing a smart way to cut down on train travel costs. With Trainsplit’s journey planner, you can easily find cheaper routes to Chester by splitting your tickets. This can save you money on your train tickets, ensuring you enjoy affordable travel to your destination.
Many ticket retailers impose booking fees for each journey booked, adding unnecessary expenses to your travel costs. With Trainsplit, we don't charge a booking fee. Instead, we only charge a Share of Savings, which is a small percentage of the savings you made if we found a split for your journey. Rest assured, it will still work out cheaper than purchasing a through fare. If no splits are found, no Share of Savings will be charged.
In the event of a delay, you may be entitled to compensation under the Delay Repay scheme. Be sure to familiarise yourself with the compensation policy of the operator you're travelling with and submit a claim for any eligible delays.
By following these tips, along with using Trainsplit’s unique journey planner to unearth the best deals on cheap train tickets to Chester, now is the perfect opportunity to embark on exciting adventures.
If you have any other questions, then our FAQ section can be a good place to start. If your question doesn’t appear there, then feel free to get in touch with our customer service team.
So what is there to do in Chester? Well, read on and find out!So what is there to do in Chester? Well, read on and find out!
For sports in Chester, the most well-known is football. Chester City FC played at Sealand Road until the 1990s, where they then played in Macclesfield for a couple of years before moving to the Deva Stadium on the west of the city. The club folded in 2010, but its successor club, Chester FC, now calls the Deva Stadium its home. Somewhat uniquely, the the ground straddles the border between England and Wales. The name of the stadium has historical links, with Deva Victrix being the ancient Roman fortress originally constructed in the mid-70s AD on the site of what is now Chester. Some further information on the club can be found via their website HERE. Also of note is the city's British Basketball League team, Cheshire Phoenix, who play their home games at the Cheshire Oaks Arena in nearby Ellesmere Port. Other sports with a presence in the city include rugby union through Chester Rugby Club, watersports on the River Dee, and horse racing at Chester Racecourse - Chester Racecourse was noted by Guinness World Records in 2019 as being 'the oldest racecourse still in operation'. Some famous sportspeople to have come from Chester include footballers Danny Murphy and Michael Owen, with football commentator Martin Tyler also coming from the city, and gymnast Beth Tweddle moving to the nearby village of Bunbury from her birthplace of Johannesburg in South Africa when she was just 18 months old.
Are you a Sports Fan? Trainsplit has partnered with Pledgeball, a grassroots charity that rallies fellow fans to take action to protect where we play, making changes that improve our air and our green spaces. It can be as simple as swapping to reusable water bottles or taking the train to a match instead of driving. Fans, players, clubs, grassroots teams – the impact we can have together is game-changing.
Arguably one of the best ways of getting a sense of Chester's history is by walking the ancient city walls. The walls themselves are noted for being the most complete Roman and medieval defensive town walls in Britain. The history of the walls dates back to the first century when the Romans had settled in what is now known as Chester, and have been reconstructed a number of times over the years ever since, including following damage in the English Civil War. If you want to explore the city of Chester's history, then why not visit the Grosvenor Museum in the south-western corner of the city? There's a sizeable amount on exhibition relating to the Roman occupation, with other exhibits including an art gallery focusing on local art, many examples of Chester-hallmarked silver, and a 'Period House' which shows what life may have been like over the preceding few centuries. In addition to this, the museum hosts a series of other exhibitions & events. The station itself is Grade II*-listed, with its Italianate-style frontage being of particular note, and a great way of experiencing some of Chester's history as soon as you arrive having cut your ticket costs to get there by using our website or app. If you want to learn more about Roman life in Chester, then the Deva Roman Experience just off Pierpoint Court should be intriguing, with the actor-led experience giving an idea of what life in Roman times may have been like. For those who are interested in the medical side of history, then Sick to Death on Bridge Street is well worth a visit. There are a number of hands-on exhibits here, which can make it ideal for all the family. The city is also the unfortunate location of the Dee Bridge Disaster in 1847, which claimed the lives of five people. One of the more recent landmarks of Chester is the famous Eastgate clock, which is said to be the country's most-photographed clock other than Big Ben. The clock dates back to 1899, and the entire structure (gateway and clock) was designated a Grade I listed building in 1955.
Image Credit: Jonny Gios | Unsplash
Perhaps the most well-known thing about Chester other than its walls is Chester Zoo, one of the largest in the UK. Found a few miles to the north of the city, its closest station is at Bache, with transport links available from both there and from Chester station itself, so why not purchase some great-value rail tickets from our website to get there? The zoo first opened in 1931, and is home to a diverse collection of species. The mammals available to see include Asian elephants, Rothschild's giraffes, Asiatic lions, Sumatran tigers, Grevys zebras, and more. The birds they have in residence include Caribbean flamingos, Humboldt penguins, hyacinth macaws, and grey-crowned cranes. If reptiles are more your thing, then you're covered here as well, with species such as the Komodo dragon, radiated tortoise, reticulated python, and Parson's chameleon. If we were to list every animal, then this list would go on for quite a while! It's also worth noting that there is a sizeable collection of plants in their gardens, including cacti, orchids, and a bee garden.. As with many zoos, Chester Zoo has a focus on conservation, and some information on the work they do can be found HERE.
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There are a good number of places to eat & drink on site, with plenty of vegetarian & vegan options to choose from. For those who are fans of the arts, one of the key places in Chester for this is the Storyhouse, which opened in 2017 in the Art Deco-style Odeon cinema on Hunter Street to the north-west of the city centre. The Storyhouse incorporates a theatre, a cinema, and a library on its premises, with a number of free events taking place throughout the year as well. Run in connection with the Storyhouse is Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre to the south-east of the city centre, which hosts productions over a period in the summer months. There are some famous people from the arts who were born in Chester, including actor Daniel Craig and musician Lee Latchford-Evans, who's known as being one of the members of British pop group Steps.
The Trainsplit app is more than just a way to save money on train travel. It's a great way to explore new places and meet new people.
It may perhaps be no surprise that one of the most important things on people's lists when visiting a new place, other than finding somewhere to stay, is exploring the available dining options. In Chester, there are plenty of choices that suit all kinds of budgets and cuisines. Below, we have just a few selections of what the city has to offer, which will hopefully be a good guide for you after you've booked your cheap train tickets to Chester through us.
Death By Tacos
Address: 53 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
Found on the western side of the city centre, Death By Tacos is a restaurant which - as the name suggests - specialises in tacos. They do also serve some other Mexican food, and it's also well-presented. The tacos on offer can include pork pibil (adobo pork, cooked in pineapple & lime, with chipotle crema and pickled red onion), green chicken trejo (tequila, jalapeño, and lime-marinated chicken thighs, celeriac remoulade, DBT BBQ sauce, white onion, and coriander), and mixed bean (house-braised mixed beans, guacamole, pickled onion, and corn nut crumb). They also serve chicken wings, with a variety of coatings - Mexi Chilli Crisp (tossed in house-made crispy chilli oil), Valentina Honey Butter (tossed in spiced honey butter), and Blood Orange & Habanero (tossed in habanero & blood orange honey). If you want nachos, then you're sorted here, with the versions including veggie (guacamole, queso, and refried beans - vegan option available), nachos con queso, and pork (queso, pickled red onions, and pico). They also have a good drinks menu, with a number of the cocktails being based around the famous Mexican spirits of tequila or mezcal.
Vegan House
Address: Unit 23, Indoor Market, Exchange Square, Northgate Street, Chester CH1 2AR
To the north-west of Chester Cathedral, and around the corner from the Storyhouse, lies Vegan House. Here, they serve vegan food with a philosophy of showing that vegan cuisine can be just as indulgent as other food types. The menu consists of vegan versions of popular food items, including fish & chips, hot dogs, burgers, and more. There are also some dirty fries with coleslaw, lettuce, tomatoes, gherkins, and a choice of sauces (sriracha, garlic mayo, v-house sauce), and a choice of either doner kebab-style topping or chick'n-style topping with halloumi. Vegan House is an ideal place if you follow a vegan diet, or are interested in reducing the amount of meat/animal products that you eat.
Watergates Bar
Address: 11-15 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
If you like reliable pub food, then Watergates Bar - run by Greene King - is an ideal option. The venue itself has some history to it, being situated in what's believed to be the oldest medieval crypt in England, with the building dating back to the 12th century. Starting your meal off here can include some mix & match starters, with the available options including karaage sticky chicken (Japanese-inspired fried chicken with toasted sesame seeds, red chilli, spring onion, and Korean BBQ sauce), pan-fried king prawns & chorizo (with sourdough, grilled lemon, and pea shoots), and battered halloumi (with chilli jam, sour cream, and pickled watermelon). For main courses, these include fish & chips (crispy battered Atlantic cod with thick-cut chips and tartare sauce with mushy or garden peas), a Flat Iron Steak (28-day aged flat iron steak served with rosemary & sea-salted fries, blistered vine tomatoes, and salsa verde), and pulled mushroom chilli (pulled smoky mushroom chilli served with parsley basmati rice, smashed avocado, and spicy herb garnish). To finish your meal on dessert, why not choose from the sticky toffee pudding (an indulgent & rich classic served with custard), a triple chocolate brownie (served warm with clotted cream ice-cream and flaked chocolate), or a sharing dessert (chunks of chocolate brownie, Belgian waffle, meringue pieces, fresh strawberries and raspberries, drizzled in chocolate sauce and raspberry coulis).
Urbano 32
Address: 32 Bridge Street, Chester CH1 1NQ
If you enjoy pizza, then why not visit Urbano 32? Found on Bridge Street towards the west of the city, Urbano 32 is a hybrid of a pizza restaurant, bar, and social meeting space, with the pizzas being cooked in a handmade clay pizza oven. There are plenty of starters to choose from, including arancini (saffron risotto, mozzarella, red pesto), crostini (focaccia, grilled goat cheese, pear chutney, balsamic glaze, crispy rocket, with the option to add prosciutto if you wish), and a board of cured meats (salami Milano, prosciutto, salami Napoli, chorizo, sunblush tomatoes, Parmesan, basil pesto, focaccia). The pizza menu has a good amount of variety, including the King (salt & pepper pork belly, spring onion, coriander, garlic butter, mozzarella, chilli, miso mayo), the Something Blue (roasted butternut squash, caramelised onion, prosciutto, Gorgonzola, walnuts, tomato, balsamic glaze), and the 'Popeye Was Onto Something!' (spinach, mascarpone, roasted garlic, tomato, black olives, mozzarella, pesto, crispy rocket). They do also have a separate vegan pizza section, with the options here including the 'Oh My Veggies' (butternut squash, roasted peppers, caramelised onions, tomato, capers, vegan mozzarella, rocket) and the Truffled (vegan mozzarella, tomato, watercress, pine nuts, mushroom, truffle oil). The dessert menu here is sizeable, with the options including amaretto tiramisu, a variety of cannoli, and gelato sundae caramello (vanilla gelato, brownie, cream, salted caramel, flake).
Image Credit: Jonny Gios | Unsplash
Moules a Go-Go
Address: 6-12 Cuppin St, Chester CH1 2BN
If you fancy eating something a bit different, then Moules a Go-Go is worth considering. Sited in the south-west of the city near to Chester Racecourse and the Grosvenor Museum, the restaurant serves a variety of dishes, with the flagship being mussels. The starters on offer here include ham & cheese croquettes (served with a Dijon mayo), pan-fried prawns (with chorizo, tomato, garlic, chilli), and hummus of the day (with sesame seeds and pitta bread). The available main courses here include roast duck breast (with cherry jus, colcannon mash, and braised red cabbage), pan-fried sea bass (with cabbage, leeks, baby potatoes, and lemon cream), and butternut squash linguine (with fresh spinach and walnuts). There are a good number of mussel pots to choose from, and these include the classic pot (white wine, garlic, carrot, onion, celery, cream), the Harlech pot (Welsh-style cider, bacon, leeks, onion, cream, garlic), and the Spanish pot (chorizo, paprika, tomato, red peppers, garlic, onion). For dessert, choose from dishes including the winter berry waffle (raspberries, blueberries, chocolate ice-cream, white chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce), the salted caramel chocolate brownie (with salted caramel ice-cream), and a cheese board (with chutney and fresh fruit).
Rio Brazilian Steakhouse
Address: 27 Newgate St, Chester CH1 1DE
To the south of the city centre and just inside the ancient city walls, you will find Rio Brazilian Steakhouse. The concept of the restaurant originates from the Brazilian concept of rodizio, where waiters roam the restaurant with skewers of different meat to carve off onto diners' plates. The other thing worth noting is that it's an all-you-can-eat set-up. To start your meal off, take a visit to the salad bar, with many different salad combinations, imported cheeses, cured meats, and authentic Brazilian dishes. Now onto the meat of what they offer - the meat itself. They offer a variety of cuts, with most of them being beef. The beef options include picanha (cap of rump - a special Brazilian cut), alcatra (rump steak), maminha (bottom sirloin), and filet mignon (prime cut of fillet). For chicken lovers, they offer spicy chicken wings (marinated in Rio's in-house special sauce), and chicken thighs (marinated the Brazilian way either plain or with BBQ sauce). Pork's also an option, with linguica (Brazilian pork sausages), presunto abacaxi (gammon & pineapple), and pork belly (roasted in lemon sauce). Lamb is on the menu, too, with it being marinated in traditional Brazilian flavours with a mint marinate, and there are also special dishes on the menu which can change from day to day. There are also vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian options available. If you have room for dessert, then there are some good choices to be made here, including panna cotta (Brazilian panna cotta served with coconut crumb & prune syrup), pudim de leite (traditional Brazilian caramel flan served with Doce de Leite sauce), and a blueberry & lemon muffin tart (sweet pastry filled with zesty lemon curd & blueberry muffin sponge, topped with a crunchy golden crumble).
Upstairs at the Grill
Address: 70 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LA
For many people, a fine dining meal experience can often involve steak, and one such example of that in Chester can be found at 'Upstairs at the Grill'. Found on the western end of Watergate St, it's close to Chester Racecourse, so is ideally-located if you're attending something there. It's also noteworthy that the restaurant is mentioned in the Michelin Guide. The available starters here include a rich French Onion soup (Cheddar Gorge 'cave-aged' cheese & sourdough croutons), a Caesar salad made at the table (crisp cos hearts, Parmesan, anchovies, brioche croutons, original Caesar dressing), and slow-roasted beetroot tartare (confit shallots, picklet beets, Cheddar sable crumble, Stilton espuma, parsley oil). The main courses consist of a variety of cuts of steak, cooked to the customer's liking - the cuts include classics like the rump and the sirloin, sharing cuts such as the tomahawk, and signature steaks including the Porterhouse and the USDA Prime Delmonico. There are plenty of sides you can add to your steak here, including confit carrots (with a Marmite emulsion), creamy cabbage & bacon, and thrice-cooked beef fat chips. If you want something other than steak, then the choices can include coal-roasted halibut steak (with balsamic tomato Béarnaise), truffle & herb-buttered free-range chicken (with toasted brioche sauce & a coal tuille), and charred heritage cauliflower (with Gran Moravia, roast onion purée, and a herb salsa). Ending the meal with dessert is always a good idea, and the options here include homemade sticky toffee pudding (miso butterscotch sauce, vanilla ice-cream), crème brûlée (with homemade shortbread), and a cheeseboard for two (seasonal cheeses sourced from the Cheshire Cheese Company, served with toasted brioche, artisanal biscuits, pickled pear, onion & cherry chutney, bees honeycomb). Many of the desserts also have a matching dessert wine or port option available to help heighten your experience. It's also very much worth noting that the separate wine list is extensive, with a wide variety of options available from across the globe.
Arkle
Address: Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Eastgate, Chester CH1 1LT
Located in the Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Arkle is a delightful fine-dining restaurant on Eastgate near the famous clock, and is featured in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant also has 3 AA Rosettes, and the menus frequently change to show off the seasonal produce that the executive chef Elliot Hill and his team are able to work with. The sample menu listed on the website has a number of dishes, with additional wine pairings for each of them to help elevate your dining experience at Arkle. On the sample tasting menu, you can find dishes involving sea trout (with Yorkshire forced rhubarb, pine, and white beetroot), pink fir potato (with Jerusalem artichoke, Granny Smith, and truffle), acorn-fed pork (with kohlrabi and hazelnut), monkkfish (with cauliflower koji & smoked eel), red-legged partridge (with turnip, horseradish, and madeira), preserved plum (with sake, vanilla, and rice), and cacao bean (with husk and nib). There may also be a cheese trolley available, which carries an additional supplementary charge. There is also the choice of a five-course tasting menu and also a lunch menu, the latter of which may be ideal if you wish to experience fine dining on a budget.
Perhaps one of the more unusual things about Chester is that it's a few miles away from Hawarden Airport in Flintshire, Wales (roughly equidistant between Chester and Shotton stations). It's home to one of Airbus' UK manufacturing sites known as the Broughton factory, where many wings for Airbus commercial aircraft are made, including the A320, the A330, and the A350. Once manufactured, the wings are then transported to Hamburg or Toulouse for final assembly using Airbus' fleet of Beluga aircraft (based on the Airbus A300) and Beluga XL aircraft (based on the Airbus A330). It can be a real treat to see these planes if you're an aviation enthusiast.
Image Credit: Hawarden Airport | https://www.hawardenaerodrome.co.uk/
The architecture of Chester is worth investigating, too. The Grade II*-listed town hall on Northgate was opened in 1869 and built in the Gothic Revival style. Chester Cathedral was originally the church of St Werburgh's Abbey, with architecture dating back to the Norman era, and the building is Grade I-listed.
Image Credit: Ian Kelsall | Unsplash
In general, Chester has a variety of different styles of architecture, with another example of this being found at Chester Castle in the south-western area of the city - some sections of the castle buildings have been used by Chester Crown Court for a number of years. Also of note is that Chester has a variety of shops in the city centre, with one of the key locations being the Grosvenor Shopping Centre on Pepper Street. If you like real ale, then The Cellar on City Road is an excellent choice for this, with it having won multiple times in CAMRA's awards, and it's also been featured in the Good Pub Guide every year since 2013. The location is near the station, so it's an ideal place to stop for a drink if you're going between the station and the city centre, or if you just want to go for a drink somewhere outside the city centre.
Maximise your Chester experience by extending your stay in this historic city. Whether you're drawn to its long history, its architecture, its culture, or something else, Chester provides accommodation options for every preference and budget. Uncover the ideal place to unwind and rejuvenate for another day of exploration.
Looking to book your stay? Click here to explore the variety of accommodation options for an overnight break.
We very much hope that we have convinced you to take a city break in Chester. If we have, then fantastic! Our website will help you get the best-value train tickets for your city break, and our customer service team is on hand to assist if you have any additional queries.
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You can find the cheapest train tickets to Chester by booking in advance and considering split ticket options. Websites like Trainsplit offer tools to help you find the best deals.
The most economical way to travel to Chester is by booking cheap Advance Tickets and exploring split ticketing options, which can significantly reduce your travel expenses.
To secure the cheapest train tickets to Chester, it's advisable to book well in advance, as fares tend to increase closer to the travel date. Additionally, consider exploring split ticketing options for additional savings.
Yes, splitting your train tickets to Chester can often result in significant cost savings compared to purchasing a single through ticket. Services like Trainsplit can help you find the most advantageous split ticket combinations.
Consider purchasing a digital railcard that offers discounts for frequent train travellers to Chester and other destinations. A railcard can provide significant savings on train tickets, especially when combined with strategies such as split ticketing, to ensure you get the cheapest possible fares for your journeys. Whether you're commuting regularly or planning occasional trips, a railcard is a valuable investment that can help you maximise your savings on train travel to Chester and beyond.
When looking to secure cheap train tickets to Chester, booking online in advance typically provides the most cost-effective fares. Using train ticket booking platforms like Trainsplit can also help in finding split ticket options, further reducing your travel expenses.
Remember, if you have any questions about train travel or need assistance, feel free to reach out to our team. We're here to help you plan a memorable journey.
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