Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

Belfast international airport is Northern Ireland's hub for flights from Eire, Britain, Amsterdam, Brussels and New York; some regional flights from Britain (including Gatwick) arrive at the more convenient Belfast City airport.

Northern Ireland's comprehensive bus system is operated by Ulsterbus, and includes services to Dublin. Belfast is also linked to Dublin by train (taking just over two hours), and to Bangor, Larne and Derry in the North. There are no left-luggage facilities at Belfast's bus and train stations.

Ferries from the Isle of Man and Stranraer (Scotland) dock at Donegall Quay, not far from the city centre; the SeaCat from Stranraer gets you to Belfast in under two hours. Liverpool ferries dock at the Victoria terminal, 5km (3mi) north of Belfast. If you're renting a car to drive up to Belfast from the Republic, check that your insurance covers you for the journey to the North; Belfast is a 2.5-hour drive from Dublin.

Getting around

Belfast's compact centre is perfect for getting around on foot. For destinations further afield, the excellent Citybus service covers 60 routes and includes a good system of nightbuses as well as ferry and train-terminal connections. Taxis range from black cabs and minicabs to West Belfast's People's Taxis, which pick up and drop off just like buses. If you're driving, be very careful where you park: for security reasons, unattended cars are not allowed to be left in areas designated a 'Control Zone'. Also for security reasons, you must remember to lock up when you park.