Planning a trip to Belfast
The main tourist information center for the city is the Belfast Welcome Centre at 9 Donegall Square, BT1 5GJ (www.visitbelfast.com; 028/9024-6609). From June to September it’s open Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm; and from October to May, Monday to Saturday 9am to 5:30pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm. They can help book accommodations in the city, and they also have a bureau de change and left luggage facility. Smaller visitor information points are at Belfast International Airport (028/9448-4677) and George Best Belfast City Airport (028/9093-5372).
Small and easily traversed, central Belfast is best explored walking. The main tourist districts are as follows.
CITY CENTER
Dominated by the impressive domed City Hall, the bustling Donegall Square area is the best place for shopping, particularly along Donegall Place, which extends north from the square, onto Royal Avenue. Bedford Street, which travels south from Donegall Square, becomes Dublin Road, which leads to:
UNIVERSITY QUARTER
The leafy area around Queen’s University contains the Botanic Gardens, art galleries, and museums, as well as a buzzing nightlife scene.
CATHEDRAL QUARTER
North of Donegall Square, surrounding Donegall Street, Belfast Cathedral presides over this area with many vast Victorian warehouses. The district has quite a buzzing feel, with plenty of interesting shops.
GOLDEN MILE
Southwest of Donegall Square, the stretch of Great Victoria Street leading to Bradbury Place is the city’s best address for restaurants and pubs, although it’s a bit hyperbolically named. As one local said to us, “It’s not a mile and it’s not golden. But it’s nice enough.”
TITANIC QUARTER
Northeast of the city center, a series of big commercial developments have recently gone up around Belfast Harbour. Here you’ll find several big purpose-built attractions.
Outlying Attractions: Belfast Lough
Belfast built up around the mouth of this coastal inlet; today the city’s outer suburbs stretch along its north and south shores. There are a few worthwhile sights here, all doable on an easy short trip out of the city proper. A dozen miles or so to the northeast, just off the M3 motorway, the castle town of Carrickfergus offers a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city, with some fresh sea air. Locals like to say that Carrickfergus was thriving when Belfast was a sandbank, and looking around its winding medieval streets and traces of city walls, it’s easy to believe. On the other side of the Lough, Cultra is a relatively nondescript residential suburb with one big attraction—the excellent Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.
Joining the National Trust -- Several of Ulster’s best historic sites are managed by the National Trust, a not-for-profit organization that preserves thousands of buildings and areas of natural beauty across the U.K. (including Northern Ireland), keeping them accessible to the public. Taking out a yearly membership gives you unlimited free admission to all of them, which can work out cheaper if you plan to visit several. If you also happen to be visiting Britain on your trip, or within the same year, it could be a wise investment. The current membership costs are £67 for individuals, £110 for couples, and £74 to £118 for families. You can sign up for membership at any National Trust property, or join in advance online at www.nationaltrust.org.uk. American visitors can also join the U.S. wing of the National Trust, the Royal Oak Foundation. Visit www.royal-oak.org or call 212/480-2889 for more information. Royal Oak members get the same benefits, plus money off lectures, tours, and other special events held in the United States.
Getting There
By Plane
Belfast has two airports: Belfast International (www.belfastairport.com; 028/9448-4848) and Belfast City Airport (www.belfastcityairport.com; 028/9093-9093). Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com; 01/814-1111), British Airways (www.ba.com; 189/0626-747 in Ireland, or 084/4493-0787 in the U.K.), and Easyjet (www.easyjet.com; 084/3104-1000) operate regular scheduled flights from Britain to Belfast. In the summer, Thomas Cook (www.thomascookairlines.com; 0800/107-3409 from the U.K. only) offers a limited number of direct flights from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Belfast. Other continental routes require a change in London or Manchester. You can also fly direct to Belfast from several European cities.
By Bus
Ulsterbus (www.translink.co.uk; 028/9066-6630) runs buses from Dublin to Belfast and towns across Northern Ireland. From Dublin Airport, AirCoach (www.aircoach.ie; 01/844-7118) also runs a regular nonstop service to Belfast. Round-trip tickets are between €20 and €25 (£16 and £22) and the trip takes just under 2 hours. In Belfast, the main bus station is Europa Bus Centre on Glengall Street.
By Train
Belfast has two train stations: Great Victoria Street Station and Belfast Central Station on East Bridge Street. Contact Northern Ireland Railways (www.translink.co.uk; 028/9066-6630) for tickets. The journey from Dublin takes about 2 1/2 hours.
By Car
Driving from Dublin to Belfast is easy; just go north up the M1 motorway. From Dublin airport the journey takes about 90 minutes in good traffic. From Sligo Town take N16 and A4 west; from there it’s 124 miles (200km), about 2 1/2 hours.
Getting Around
Metro (www.translink.co.uk; 028/9066-6630) city 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. The cheapest way to use the buses is to buy a Metro Day ticket, which allows unlimited travel all day for £3.90 (£3.40 after 9:30am).
If you’ve brought a car into Belfast, it’s best to leave it parked and take public transport or walk around the city. If you must drive and want to park downtown, look for a blue p sign that shows a parking lot. No parking is allowed in “control zones,” marked by pink-and-yellow signs.
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 disk on the window. Other taxis may not have meters, so ask in advance what the fare to your destination will be. You can hail a taxi on the street, although it rarely takes long for a cab to arrive if you call.
Belfast has recently adopted a public bike-sharing system. “Belfast Bikes”—formally “Coca-Cola Zero Belfast Bikes,” though absolutely nobody calls them that—are available at more than 30 unmanned rental stations around the city. You can set up an account at the station’s terminal, or by downloading the Nextbike app for your smartphone. When you’re done, simply return the bike to any station. Prices start at £0.5 per hour. See www.belfastbikes.co.uk for details.
Fast Facts
- ATMs/Banks: ATMs are easy to find in central Belfast. Several banks around Donegall Square include Ulster Bank (028/9024-4112) and Bank of Ireland 028/9043-3420).
- Currency: As part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland uses the pound sterling, not the euro. The cheapest way to get local currency is to use an ATM. The pound/euro exchange rate fluctuates, but it currently hovers between parity and £1.15.
- Dentists: For dental emergencies, your hotel should contact a dentist for you. Otherwise, you could try Dublin Road Dental Practice, 23 Dublin Rd. (028/9032-5345) or Lisburn Road Dental Clinic, 424 Lisburn Rd. (028/9038-2262).
- Doctors: For medical emergencies dial 📞 999. For non-emergencies, your hotel should call you a doctor. Otherwise there’s Ormeau Health Centre, 120 Ormeau Rd. (028/9032-6030) or the Crumlin Road Health Centre, 94–100 Crumlin Rd. (028/9074-1188).
- Emergencies: For police, fire, or other emergencies, dial 999.
- Pharmacies: Belfast has branches of Boots the Chemist at 35–47 Donegall Place (028/9024-2332) and 17–21 Great Northern Mall (028/9031-0530).
- Post Offices: Main branches in Belfast include 16–22 Bedford St. and 12–14 Bridge St.
- Taxis: You can catch a taxi at the stand in front of City Hall. Alternatively try phoning Value Cabs (028/9080-9080), Courtesy Cabs ( 028/9032-9988), or Gransha Taxis (028/9060-2092).
