Getting to the city
Belfast International Airport (BFS) is located at a distance of around 32 kilometres northwest from the city centre near a village name Aldergrove. It is now the second busiest airport of Ireland after Dublin. Belfast airport receives flights from all over Europe with regular connections to London (3 airports), Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Alicante, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The other airport is George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) located around 3 kilometres northeast from city centre. This airport mainly connects with different destinations within the UK and Ireland. There are regular flight connections with London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin and other UK cities.
You can choose from a wide range of private transport and transfer services (including airport transfers) and book online from this Viator site.
From Belfast International Airport
Bus: There are Airport Express 300 buses just outside the terminal building to reach Europa Bus Centre in Belfast city centre. It is available 7 days a week with a frequency of 15 minutes during weekday peak hours. Journey time is around half an hour. A single journey ticket for an adult costs 8 Pounds while the return journey ticket is 11 Pounds. Tickets can be purchased from Visit Belfast desk at the airport or from the driver. You can also download mLink app on your smart phone and purchase ticket online. Return ticket is valid for a month.
You can buy a 2-Pound add-on paper ticket and take UlsterBus 109A/D from outside the airport building. The bus goes to Antrim railway station located 10 kilometres north of the airport. You can then take a train to the city. Approximate journey time by bus is 15 minutes. Add on tickets can be purchased from bus drivers and train conductors (for return).
Train: Antrim to Belfast Great Victoria Street station is around 35-minute journey and you will get a train almost every half an hour. A single journey ticket costs 6 pounds. You can buy a ticket at the station or on the train from the conductor as well as online.
Taxi: Taxi stand is located outside the airport building. The official taxi operator at the Belfast International Airport is International Airport Taxi Company. Journey time to city centre is around 35 to 40 minutes. You will find taxi fares displayed on a board as you exit the airport building. The fare to city centre is around 31 Pounds. To pre-book a taxi you can call +44 (028) 9448 4353.
Plenty of car rental companies are available at the airport. You can hire a car directly by visiting their desks or online. Details are provided below under Car Rental section below.
From City Airport
Bus: You can take an Airport Express 600 bus from the bus stand just outside the airport building to reach city centre’s Europa Bus Centre within 5 to 10 minutes. Buses are available every half an hour during peak time. A single journey ticket is 2.50 Pounds while a return journey ticket costs 3.80 Pounds. Return tickets are valid for a month. A Metro Bus day ticket is also accepted on Airport Express 600 bus (details in ticketing section). Tickets can be purchased from Tourist Information desk or from the driver.
Train: There is a footbridge outside the airport that leads to Sydenham train station. You can then take a train to reach Belfast Central station. There is also a shuttle bus service from the airport to Sydenham. Visit Information desk to ask for the service. While returning from Central station to Sydenham, if you wish to avail the shuttle service from Sydenham station to the airport, call the toll free number 07701281835 and request for the service.
A one-way train journey for an adult costs 2 Pounds. The first train leaves Sydenham at 6:31am and the last train departs at 10:51pm on weekdays. Service interval is half an hour to one hour depending upon time of the journey. Journey time is around 7 minutes. You can Purchase one-way or return journey tickets at the station or onboard the train.
Taxi: There is a taxi rank outside the airport building. It takes around 5 to 7 minutes to the city centre. The fare is 10 Pounds including a surcharge of 2 Pounds. You can also book a taxi over phone by calling +44 (028) 90 809080. Car rental options are also available at this airport.
Public Transport
Bus Services
The main bus station in Belfast is Europa Bus Centre at the city centre area. The pink coloured single and double decker buses are the Metro Bus. There are 12 different routes and most of them originate from City Centre’s Europa Bus Centre. There is one free metro service that connects City centre with St. George market along with City Hall, Royal Avenue and North Street.
This service is available from 9:00am until 6:20pm from Monday to Saturday at an interval of 10 minutes and from 12:40pm up to 6:00pm on Sundays at an interval of 20 minutes. Normally metro service operates from early morning until close to midnight at an interval of 10 to 20 minutes depending upon time and the route. For more details check TransLink’s website.
Another regular bus service under TransLink is UlsterBus service. Apart from its regular city services, UlsterBus also connects greater Belfast as well as other parts of Northern Ireland. GoldLine is another inter-urban bus service that connects all major towns and cities in Northern Ireland. It too operates under TransLink public transport system.
A newly introduced Glider bus rapid transit system has commenced from September 2018 connecting East Belfast to West. This is not only eco friendly it also offers free 4G wifi and USB charging points. It has a sitting capacity of 105 passengers. There is also onboard passenger information service. Service originates from Dundonald Park & Ride and ends at McKinstry Road via Central station covering around 23 kilometres.
Service frequency is 7 minutes on weekdays. Priority traffic lights and lanes have been allotted for this service. You will find a bus stop at every 400 metres with ticket vending machines and validating machines. Tap the blue ring on the bus door to open it. Metro SmartLink travel card is accepted. Presently there are 2 lines… G1 and G2.
Since parking around the city centre is hard to find, availing TransLink’s Park & Ride green double-decker bus service is a good option if you have a car. Presently there are three routes… Cairnshill P&R to Europa Bus Centre, Sprucefield P&R to Europa and Black’s Road P&R to Europa. You can purchase Park & Ride SmartLink Card online and avail 1 Pound discount for the first time. Parking is free with P&R SmartLink card.
Car park’s open hours is from 7:00am to 7:00pm. You will get a bus every 15 minutes from Cairnshill and Black’s Road and at an interval of 20 minutes from Sprucefield P&R. Single journey ticket costs £2 (return £3.80) from Cairnshill and Black’s Road and £3.60 (return £6.50) from Sprucefield against cash payment to the driver.
Exploring Belfast by open-topped red hop on hop off buses is a good option for visitors. One of the best options out of several is to take a hop on hop off tour by Citysightseeing tour service. They offer a route with 23 stops practically covering all the prominent attractions of Belfast. This service is available from 10:00am to 4:00pm at an interval of 30 minutes. Total non-stop tour duration is 90 minutes.
There is audio commentary in 6 languages including English. The paper voucher and mobile phone voucher are accepted and you can cancel the journey 24 hours before your journey date without paying any charges. It also offers discounts at various attractions and dining places. 48 hours hop on hop off ticket costs 12.50 Pounds.
Train
Belfast city has four railway stations and these stations are Belfast Lanyon Place (formerly Belfast Central), Great Victoria Street, City hospital and Botanic. To reach UK mainland stations like London, Newcastle (via Liverpool), Birmingham, Holyhead, Cairnryan or Edinburgh you need to cross the Irish Sea by ferry and then board a train.
You can alternatively cross to Ayr, Cairnryan or Liverpool by ferry and then take a train. Ferry-train combo tickets are available and that would save money. Dublin can be reached directly by a train from Belfast.
There are four major lines that connect various NI destinations from Belfast and they are Belfast-Bangor Line, Belfast-Larne Line, Belfast-Derry Line and Belfast-Newry Line. You can choose from a single ticket, day return ticket, 3-day Select Ticket and Weekly Ticket for travelling by train.
A 3-Day Select rail ticket is actually quite flexible and cost-effective; it allows you to take unlimited rides by trains between two designated stations within Northern Ireland for any 3 days within a 7 day period. You can pre-select the three specific days of travel but your first date of travel must be within 3 days of purchase date.
Weekly ticket is valid for 7 consecutive days for unlimited train rides between two designated stations within Northern Ireland. You will save 20% on a 3-day ticket and 25% on a weekly ticket. Fare depends upon the stations you are choosing and both tickets can be purchased online, from mLink app or against cash from stations or onboard from the conductors.
Ferry & Boat Tours
Belfast port is located 4 kilometres north east of the city centre. Belfast is the main port and a major maritime hub of Northern Ireland that connects Liverpool (England), Cairnryan and Stranraer (Scotland) and Douglas (Isle of Man). Ferry is a better option to get into Belfast as well as Northern Ireland from certain parts of England and Scotland.
Stena Lines connects Liverpool, Cairnryan and Stranraer to Victoria Terminal Port in Belfast while the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company operates their ferry service from Albert Quay Terminal to The Isle of Man. There are around 6 crossings per day between Belfast and Cairnryan and 2 crossings between Belfast and Liverpool. No number of fixed crossings for Douglas (The Isle of Man).
There are several options to get into Belfast city centre from the port. TransLink’s metro bus shuttle service number 96 connects the city centre area taking around 25 minutes. Alternatively you can take a taxi for around 10 Pounds from outside the terminal building. There is an option of sharing a public taxi which is economical. Car rentals are also available at the port.
Trip to Belfast will be incomplete if you do not take the Titanic boat tour and visit the Titanic Museum. Just hop on to a boat from Donegall Quay located left of the Big Fish Sculpture and sail along the historical Titanic Quarter where Titanic was built. The boat will take you around the Queen’s Island. Total cruise time is about 70 minutes. There are three cruises daily at 12:30pm, 2:00pm and 3:30pm. This guided boat tour costs 12 Pounds per person. You can book the tour online in advance. Chartered boat tours are also available.
Taxi
There are 4 types of licensed taxis in Belfast. Class A Taxis have a roof sign which is coloured yellow on the front and backside. Outside Belfast city zone, you can hail these taxis but within the city zone, they have to be pre-booked. However, you can hail one on Fridays, Saturdays and Public holidays between midnight until 6:00am.
Class B Taxis have roof sign with white colour on the front and yellow on the back along with a wheelchair logo on the front and back of the roof sign. These wheelchair accessible taxis can be hailed on the road or can be hired from a taxi rank or can be pre-booked. Class C Taxis can only be pre-booked. There are no roof signs although there is a sign on the front windscreen. Class D Taxis are specifically used for tour services.
There are taximeters fitted and fare chart clearly displayed in A and B Class taxis. Here is the fare structure for these two classes: Rate-1 is applicable from Monday to Friday from 6:00am to 8:00pm. Initial fare is 3 Pounds, 3.80 Pounds up to one mile and 1.60 pounds for every additional mile thereafter. Rate-2 is applicable from Monday to Thursday 8:00pm to 6:00am. Initial fare is 3.40 Pounds, 4.20 Pounds up to one mile and 1.60 Pounds for every additional mile thereafter.
Rate-3 is applicable from Friday to Monday and on Bank holidays (except Christmas and New Years Day) from 8:00pm to 6:00am. Initial fare is 4.20 Pounds, 5 Pounds up to one mile and 1.60 Pounds for every additional mile thereafter. There are some additional charges like airport surcharge etc. The operators decide the fare for Class C and D taxis.
Following are few taxi call numbers…
- Value Cabs– +44 (028) 90809080
- Fona Cab– +44 (028) 9033 3333
- Eagle Taxi– +44 (028) 9030 0333
Tickets and Passes
Translink operates the public transports in Belfast. Since bus is the main mode of transport in and around Belfast there are dedicated tickets for bus & metro buses, combination tickets for bus and train, and combination tickets for train and ferry services. You can pay at the station or to the driver and purchase a single ticket. Ticket cost would vary depending upon zone of travel and the service you are availing (i.e. Metro, Glider, UlsterBus or GoldLine).
Metro Bus Single Ticket is £1.60 for Inner Zone, £2.00 for City Zone and £2.40 for Extended Zone. Day Ticket for Metro is £4.00. Goldline single cash fare is £12.50, day return is £18.50 and one month return is £22. Ulsterbus minimum single journey is £1.20 and maximum is £8.55.
Belfast Visitor Pass is a smartcard offered by TransLink in partnership with Tourism NI, Visit Belfast and others and it is designed to offer best value to the tourists visiting Belfast. An adult single day pass is 6.50 Pounds, 2 day pass costs 11 Pounds and a 3 day pass is 14.50 Pounds. This pass is valid for the Greater Belfast area (Belfast Visitor Pass zone) in all Metro bus routes in Belfast, UlsterBus, Airport Express 600 and NI railways for unlimited rides within the validity period. This pass also offers loads of discounts on tours, attractions, dining, gift shops etc.
For further details visit The Translink Website. The pass also offers a 10% discount at the Birthplace of Titanic. You can purchase this pass online from the above link or from Belfast Welcome Centre, Belfast International Airport Welcome Centre, City Airport Welcome Centre, Central rail station, Great Victoria Street rail station and other places. You can also top up the pass with one day or one week travel.
Touring on weekends are fun with a Rambler Ticket which gives unlimited travel opportunities by UlsterBus, Goldline and Metro buses on Sundays and school holidays within Northern Ireland. It also offers pick up and set down at designated locations so that one can explore the place by foot. The Kilkeel Rambler for example, explores the Kilkeel Cranfield belt along the north Irish coast and into the Mourne Mountains. Similar services are available for Sperrin, Antrim, Giant’s Causeway belt etc. Visit the Translink Website for more information.
iLink card is an integrated smart card and can be used on buses and local trains in dedicated zones. This could be a daily, weekly or monthly pass. Zone 1single day card costs 5 Pounds and zone 2, 3, 4 and NW (Network Wide) zone cards are 10, 13.50, 16 and 13.50 Pounds respectively. iLink card can be purchased online or from SmartLink Agents.
Another good option is a PlusBus day ticket which allows you to travel by train plus avail unlimited bus services within the urban area (Unlsterbus, metro bus, airport express etc) for a day. It can be purchased at NI railway stations or on board the train from conductors.
Metro/Glider Bus Day Ticket is available for travel after 9:30am on weekdays and for whole day on Saturdays, Sundays and School holidays. A Metro/Glider bus day ticket allows access to all the regular bus services including Airport Express 600. A day ticket costs 4 Pounds and you can easily purchase it from mLink mobile app. Other options include DayLink travel card valid for 1 day, 5 days and 10 days for unlimited travel by Metro/Glider bus services for NW zone. 1 day card is 3.50 Pounds, 5 day card costs 15 Pounds and 10 day card is 30 Pounds. It can be purchased online, from SmartLink Agents, Metro Kiosks and from TransLink stations.
Day Trips
Take a day trip along the Coastline to Bangor by train. This picture perfect maritime resort is located on the south shore. It is extremely popular among tourists. Journey time is only 30 minutes. Between Monday to Friday the first train leaves Great Victoria street station at 6:15am and it stops at all the 4 stations within Belfast. You will find plenty of trains running to Bangor the whole day. The last train from Bangor leaves at 10:27pm on weekdays & Saturdays.
Another exciting day trip is to Newry by train. Located in between Ring of Gullion and Mourne Mountains on the valley of River Clanrye, Newry has been always a great attraction among tourists. Do not forget to visit Portadown during your trip to Newry. The first train from Great Victoria street station leaves at 6:25am but this train terminates at Portadown. From Belfast Central the first train leaves at 6:45am and goes to Newry via Portadown but it has no stops at the other three Belfast stations.
There are several trains throughout the day to reach Portadown but limited trains directly to Newry. All the Dublin Connolly bound trains have stops at Newry. Journey time from Great Victoria Street to Portadown is around 50 minutes while from Belfast Central to Newry is roughly one hour (by express trains). From Newry last train leaves at 10:07pm and it stops only at Central station in Belfast, while the last train from Portadown departs at 10:35pm and it is an all stop train (timings differ on Saturdays and Sundays). You can find the train schedules from TransLink website.
Do not miss the day trip to Larne. Larne train station is just about 2-minute walk from its town centre. Larne is famous for its museum castle and trademark Irish scenic beauties. The journey time is slightly over one hour from Great Victoria Street Station. The first train on weekdays leaves at 6:45am and it terminates at Larne Town station. The first train for Larne Harbour leaves at 7:35 am. There are plenty of trains throughout the day. The last train during weekdays leaves Larne Harbour at 9:25pm and it has a stop at Larne town.
Bicycle Rental
A good option is Just Eat Belfast Bikes, a public bicycle rental scheme where used unisex bikes are available at 45 docking stations in the city. First 30 minutes is free, then 0.50 Pounds for one hour, 1.50 pounds for 2 hours, 3.50 Pounds for 4 hours etc.
Following are a few independent well-known bike rental companies…
- Visit Belfast– visitbelfast.com/
- Belfast Bikes– www.belfastbikes.co.uk/en/belfast/
- Belfast City Bike Tour– www.belfastcitybiketours.com/
Car Rental
Nationals of UK, EU, USA, Canada and Australia can use their own driving license provided it must be one year old, others will require IDP. Passport and credit card are required to hire a car. Minimum age required is 21 years although for those below 25 there is a young driver surcharge. The lowest rental rate starts from 12 Pounds per day. Following are a few well-known car rental companies…
- Europcar– www.europcar.com
- Sixt Global– www.sixt.global
- Hertz– www.hertz.ie/rentacar/reservation/
- Avis– www.avis.co.uk
Scooter/Motorbike
You must be minimum 25 years old to rent a scooter or motorbike and must possess a valid driving license for two wheelers. Rental rate largely varies but the minimum rate is around 50 Pounds per day. Following are few companies…
- Celtic Rider– www.motorental.ie
- Belfast Motorcycle Rental– belfastmotorcyclerentals.com/
- Phillip McCallen– www.phillipmccallen.com/motorcycle-hire/
Walking Tour
Belfast is a very walker friendly city with flat streets and large sidewalks. Consider a walking tour to know about the history, culture and people of Belfast. Here is a free guided walking tour.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.