SHOUT HOTELS · BLACKPOOL
Hand-Picked Hotels & Apartments in Blackpool
Blackpool is Britain's biggest seaside resort, and the one thing that decides where you should stay is the tram. It runs the whole six-mile seafront, from Starr Gate in the south to Fleetwood in the north, so you can book a quieter, cheaper street and still reach the Tower, the piers and the Illuminations in minutes. Because the resort is long and thin, the real question isn't how central you are but which end suits your trip.
North Shore is the calmest, most scenic base and sits nearest the biggest Illuminations tableaux. The town centre puts the Golden Mile on your doorstep and is the liveliest, and the loudest at weekends. South Shore is the family end, down by the Pleasure Beach. The season peaks twice, over the summer school holidays and again from September when the lights come on, and weekends run busier and rowdier than mid-week whichever area you choose.
Come for the classic British seaside done at full volume: the Tower, three Victorian piers, the arcades of the Golden Mile, the rides at the Pleasure Beach and the greatest free light show in the country. Come mid-week if you want it calmer, and from late October if you want the lights on by early evening.
When to visit Blackpool
Best months. Blackpool has two seasons. The summer school holidays (late July to early September) are the warmest and busiest, with the beach at its best on a sunny day. The second peak runs from September into the new year, when the Illuminations light the seafront and keep the town alive long after other resorts have closed. Spring and early autumn are quieter and better value, and deep winter (January to February) is the calmest of all, though cold and often windy off the Irish Sea.
Come off-season for the lights. From late October, once the clocks change, it is dark by early evening and the Illuminations come on by around teatime, which is the easiest window for families with young children.
Verified event dates:
- Blackpool Air Show — a free two-day show over the seafront, staged each August
- Rebellion Festival — 5 to 8 August 2027 at the Winter Gardens. This is the tightest weekend of the year for rooms.
- Ride the Lights — the evening before the Switch-On, when the promenade closes to traffic so you can walk or cycle the route
- Illuminations Switch-On — early September, with a free concert at the Tower Festival Headland
- Blackpool Illuminations — nightly until Sunday 3 January 2027, free to see
- World Fireworks Championship — 12 and 26 September and 10 October 2026, free, fired from the beach
- Lightpool Festival — 21 to 31 October 2026
Coming for the lights? We have a full area-by-area guide to where to stay for the Blackpool Illuminations, including which end of the tram line suits drivers, families and light sleepers.
For August 2026 specifically, our guide to where to stay for Rebellion Festival covers the streets closest to the Winter Gardens and the Air Show clash.
Cheapest and quietest. Mid-week any time of year, November week-nights outside half-term, and early January.
Best areas to stay in Blackpool
New: we've compared all the areas properly in Where to Stay in Blackpool: North Shore, Central or South Shore?
North Shore
The quietest, most scenic end, built around Gynn Square and Queen's Promenade where the flat seafront rises into low cliffs. The largest traditional Illuminations tableaux stand up here toward Bispham. Best for: couples and calm nights, and anyone who wants the northern lights on their doorstep. Skip if: you want the arcades and nightlife within stumbling distance. Getting around: the tram from Gynn Square reaches the Tower in a few minutes. Our stays here: the Kimberley B&B on Gynn Avenue, and the adults-only Hotel and Bar near Blackpool North station.
Town centre and the Golden Mile
The heart of the action, with the Tower, the three piers, the Comedy Carpet and the densest modern light displays within a few minutes' walk. Best for: first-timers who want to walk to everything, and lively group weekends. Skip if: you are a light sleeper, as the central bars are loud on Friday and Saturday nights. Getting around: everything is walkable, and the Tower tram stop links the rest of the seafront. Our stays here: Stay at 25 near the Tower, the adults-only New Athena behind the Winter Gardens, and the budget, location-first Honley Hotel on the Golden Mile.
South Shore and the South Promenade
The family end, home to the Pleasure Beach, Sandcastle Waterpark and South Pier, with a calmer seafront than the centre. Best for: families doing the theme park, and anyone wanting a sea-view room away from the noise. Skip if: you want to be in the thick of the Golden Mile. Getting around: the tram runs the Promenade, the Pleasure Beach has its own stop, and Blackpool South station is a short walk. Our stays here: the four-star Woodhouse Hotel, the free-parking Sandford Promenade, the self-catering On The Beach Apartments, and the budget Fortuna House near Blackpool South. Travelling with children? We’ve picked the best family bases, rooms that genuinely sleep four and the streets to skip in our guide to staying in Blackpool with kids.
Bispham
A quiet residential stretch just north of North Shore, on the tram and about 15 minutes from the Tower. Best for: a calm base with easy tram access and the northern tableaux nearby. Skip if: you want to walk to the centre. Getting around: the tram from Bispham runs straight down the seafront.
Getting to Blackpool and around
By train. Blackpool North is the main-line terminus, about a ten-minute walk from North Pier and the central Promenade, with a tram stop right outside the station since 2024. Preston is roughly 22 minutes away, Manchester about an hour and a quarter, and Liverpool Lime Street about the same direct. London usually means a change at Preston, though a couple of direct Avanti trains run each way daily. Blackpool South, on the South Fylde line, is handy for the Pleasure Beach end.
By tram. The tram is the smart way to get about, and to see the Illuminations. It runs the full length of the seafront, from Starr Gate to Fleetwood Ferry, calling at 40 stops including every attraction, every 15 minutes in the day. A day ticket bought on the Blackpool Transport app is far better value than singles.
Driving and parking. Promenade parking is scarce and restricted at night, and the southern car parks fill first. On busy evenings, and on the Friday and Saturday nights through the Illuminations season when buses are diverted off the Prom, park at a southern car park and take the tram into the centre rather than circling for a space that isn't there.
Food and drink in Blackpool
Blackpool's food is classic British seaside, and best when you lean into it. Fish and chips on the front is the ritual, a stick of Blackpool rock is the traditional thing to take home, and the Golden Mile is lined with cafés, chippies and ice-cream stands. Beyond the arcades there is more range than the resort's reputation suggests, from carvery pubs to independent bistros, and several of our seafront stays serve their own breakfast or have a bar and restaurant on site. The town centre and the streets around the Winter Gardens hold the widest choice for an evening out.
