Belfast: Getting there & around

Orientation

Belfast's compact city centre curls around the undulating west bank of the River Lagan. Most points of interest are within easy walking distance of each other, and City Hall on Donegall Square is a good central landmark to use if you lose your bearings. From City Hall, walk north along Donegall Place and Royal Ave if you want to hit the shops; go northeast to reach the recently redeveloped Cathedral Quarter and pedestrianised alleyways of the pub-filled Entries; keep heading northeast a little for the Albert Memorial Clocktower, dramatically backdropped by Samson and Goliath, the Harland & Wolff cranes on the east bank of the Lagan; go south down Dublin Rd for the Golden Mile entertainment area, Queen's University, Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens; and to the east, follow Chichester St for the Waterfront Hall and Hilton Hotel. The Westlink Motorway cuts off the centre from West Belfast, home to (Catholic) Falls Rd and (Protestant) Shankill Rd. Head to the Entries for character-filled pubs, the Golden Mile for restaurants and bars, and further south to the university area for accommodation.

Getting There

• bus

  Belfast has two bus stations. The main Europa Bus Centre is behind the Europa Hotel and next door to Great Victoria St Station and can be accessed via the Great Northern Mall beside the hotel. It's the main terminus for buses to Derry, Dublin and destinations in the west and south of Northern Ireland. The smaller Laganside Bus Centre (Oxford St), near the river, is mainly for buses to County Antrim, eastern Down and the Cookstown area.

  There are information desks at both bus stations, where you can pick up regional bus timetables, and or you can contact Translink (tel: 9066 6630; www.translink.co.uk) for timetable and fares information.

  Service between Belfast and London (14.5hrs) via the Stranraer ferry, Dumfries, Carlisle, Preston, Manchester and Birmingham can be booked at Europa Bus Centre.

• ferry

  The giant catamaran car ferries serving the Isle of Man, Troon (Scotland), Heysham and Liverpool (England) dock at Donegall Quay, a short distance from the city centre. Car ferries to and from Scotland, dock at Larne, 30km (18.5mi) north of Belfast. Ferries between Belfast and Liverpool dock at the Victoria terminal, 5km (3mi) northeast of town.

  You can walk from Donegall Quay to City Hall in about 15 minutes. Alternatively, Laganside Bus Centre is only a five-minute walk away, where you can catch the Centrelink bus to Central Station, the Europa Bus Centre and Donegall Square.

• air

  Belfast has both a city and international airport. Direct flights from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester and Southampton, land at the convenient Belfast City Airport (tel: 9093 9093; www.belfastcityairport.com; Airport Rd). Most flights from the Republic of Ireland, Britain, Amsterdam, Brussels and New York land at Belfast International Airport (tel: 9448 4848; www.bial.co.uk; Aldergrove), 30km (18.5mi) northwest of the city.

  For getting to and from the airports, the AirBus service connects the international airport with the Europa Bus Centre or there are taxis available. Belfast City Airport has a shuttle bus from the terminal to nearby Sydenham Halt train station, where you can catch a train to Central Station, Botanic Station in the popular university area, or Great Victoria St. The AirLink Bus links the terminal with the Europa Bus Centre.

• rail

  Trains to Dublin and all destinations in Northern Ireland depart from Belfast's Central Station (East Bridge St), east of the city centre. Trains for Portadown, Lisburn, Bangor, Larne Harbour and Derry depart from Great Victoria St Station (Great Northern Mall), next to the Europa Bus Centre. For information on fares and timetables, contact Translink (tel: 9066 6630; www.translink.co.uk). The NIR Travel Shop (tel: 9023 0671; Great Victoria St Station) books ferries, Dublin Rail Breaks and Scotland Rail Breaks (for Glasgow and Edinburgh).

Back to top ^

Getting Around

• bus

  Citybus (tel: 9066 6630; www.translink.co.uk) operates the bus network in Belfast. An increasing number of buses (including the Centrelink service) are low-floor buses with space for one wheelchair. You can buy your ticket or daily travel card from the driver. Most city bus services depart from various stops on and around Donegall Square at City Hall. You can pick up a free bus map from the Citybus kiosk at the northwest corner of the square. It also sells weekly and monthly Smartlink Travel Cards allowing unlimited bus travel within the city. The Centrelink bus (100) is a circular service linking Donegall Square with the Europa and Laganside bus stations, and Central and Great Victoria St Stations.

• car

  A car can be more of a hindrance than a help in Belfast, as on-street parking is restricted to one-hour spots in the city centre. For longer periods, head for one of the many multistorey car parks that are dotted around the city centre.

  Most car rental companies have desks at Belfast's airports. There are a couple of local car hire companies, but their rates are not significantly better than larger companies.

• taxi

  Regular black taxis have yellow registration plates and can be hailed on the street. Minicabs are cheaper but you have to order one by phone.

• bicycle

  National Cycle Network route 9 runs through central Belfast, mostly following the western bank of the River Lagan. The Belfast Welcome Centre provides a free leaflet called Belfast by Bike.

• train

  Local trains connecting Great Victoria St and Central Stations, via City Hospital and Botanic Station, run roughly every 20 or 30 minutes.

• Disabled Travellers

  Travelling in Ireland with a disability can be tricky, particularly in a wheelchair, although access is slowly improving. Guesthouses, hotels and sights in Belfast are gradually being adapted for people with disabilities. The All Go Here website (www.allgohere.com) is a useful place to check out hotel accessibility.

  Public transportation can be a nightmare. Older city buses are being replaced by wheelchair-accessible buses, with ramp and priority space on board. Trains are accessible with help and some newer trains have audio and visual information systems for visually and hearing impaired passengers.

  Disability Action (tel: 028-9066 1252; www.disabilityaction.org) in Northern Ireland can give some advice, although most of their information concerns disabled citizens' rights.

Back to top ^