Planning a Trip

Getting There

Belfast has two airports -- Belfast International and Belfast City -- and gets considerable sea traffic at Belfast Harbour and at Larne (30 min. from Belfast by train, bus, or car).

From Belfast International Airport, nearly 31km (19 miles) north of the city, your best option is the Translink Airbus to the city center. It leaves every half-hour, and costs £6 ($11) per person for a one-way ticket and £9 ($17) for a round-trip. A taxi will run closer to £25 to £30 ($48-$57).

Belfast City Airport is 6km (3 3/4 miles) from the city center, and is affordably reached by taxi, which should cost roughly £6 ($11) to get into the city. You can also take Citybus no. 21 from the airport terminal or the Sydenham Halt train from the station directly across from the airport, both for £1.50 ($2.85).

Visitor Information

Brochures, maps, and other data on Belfast and the North are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre, at 47 Donegall Place (tel. 028/9024-6609; www.gotobelfast.com). It's open June through September, Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday noon to 5pm; October through May, Monday to Saturday 9am to 5:30pm. The tourist information desk at Belfast City Airport (tel. 028/9045-7745) is open year-round Monday to Friday 5:30am to 10pm, Saturday 5:30am to 9pm, and Sunday 5:30am to 10pm. The desk at Belfast International Airport (tel. 028/9442-2888) is open March to September daily whenever the airport is open, October to February daily 6:30am to 11pm. Also check www.belfast.net, a comprehensive guide to the city, featuring tourism, news, accommodations, events, and nightlife listings.

Getting Around

Metro, Donegall Square West, Belfast (tel. 028/9066-6630; www.translink.co.uk), is the recently renamed local bus service provider in Belfast. Buses depart from Donegall Square East, West, and North, plus Upper Queen Street, Wellington Place, Chichester Street, and Castle Street, and from bus stops throughout the city. There is an information kiosk on Donegall Square West, and you can download timetables from their website. Fares are determined by the number of zones traversed. The maximum fare for city-center travel is £1 ($1.90). Multiple-trip tickets, day tickets, and 7-day passes offer significant savings.

If you've brought a car into Belfast, it's best to leave it parked and take public transportation or walk around the city. If you must drive and want to park your car downtown, look for a blue P sign that shows a parking lot or a parking area. Belfast has a number of "control zones," indicated by a pink-and-yellow sign, where no parking is permitted. In general, on-street parking is limited to an area behind City Hall (south side), St. Anne's Cathedral (north side), and around Queen's University and Ulster Museum.

Taxis are available at all main rail stations, ports, and airports, and in front of City Hall. Most metered taxis are London-type black cabs with a yellow disc on the window. Other taxis may not have meters, so you should ask about the fare to your destination in advance. Except for reasonably inexpensive service down the Shankill Road and the Falls Road, Belfast taxi fares are on the high side, with a £2 ($3.80) minimum and an additional £1 ($1.90) per mile.

Belfast is a good city for walking. To guide visitors on the best and safest areas for a stroll, the Belfast City Council offers leaflets for five self-guided walking tours. They are city center south to Shaftesbury Square, city center north to the Irish News office, Shaftesbury Square south to the university area, city center northeast to the port area, and Donegall Square south to Donegall Pass. Each walk is about a mile and lasts an hour. Ask for a leaflet for the walk that interests you at the Belfast Welcome Centre.

Fast Facts

The U.S. consulate general is at Queen's House, 14 Queen's St., Belfast BT1 (tel. 028/9032-8239).

In an emergency, dial tel. 999 for fire, police, and ambulance. Central hospitals include Belfast City Hospital (tel. 028/9032-9241) on Lisburn Road, and Mater Hospital (tel. 028/9074-1211) on Crumlin Road near Antrim Road.

For Internet access, head to the Belfast Welcome Centre, 47 Donegall Place (tel. 028/9024-6609; www.gotobelfast.com), which has an Internet cafe where connections cost around £2 ($3.80) per hour. Or try the Friends Café (tel. 028/9024-1096) at 109-113 Royal Ave., where Internet connection is £2 ($3.80) an hour and you can have a nice cup of joe while you're at it.

The main post office, the Belfast GPO (General Post Office) is at Castle Place, at the intersection of Royal Avenue and Donegall Place. It's open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm, Saturday 9am to 7pm.