Belfast Getting Around

Getting from Belfast airport

Belfast has two airports:

Belfast International is located 13 miles north-west of the city and is sometimes referred to as Aldergrove, after the village lying immediately to its west. The airport shares its runways with the Royal Air Force base RAF Aldergrove and is the 11th busiest airport in the UK. George Best Belfast City Airport is a single runway operation situated in East Belfast, just 2 miles from the city centre. The airport was formerly known as Belfast City Airport and was renamed in memory of the famous footballer in 2006.

Railway

There are two main stations in the city:
Great Victoria Street Station is for regular trains from Belfast to the suburbs and to Londonderry, the ferry port of Larne, and the main seaside resorts of Bangor and Portrush. Belfast Central is located on East Bridge Street in the city and is home to the popular inter-city service to Dublin Connolly, which runs every two hours. The station is also served by Northern Ireland Railways which operates routes to other towns including Derry, Bangor, Portadown and Larne. Despite the name, it is significantly further from Belfast city centre than Great Victoria Street.

Botanic, Central and Great Victoria Street stations are popular stops for the main entertainments area.

Metro

Metro is the new name for Belfast’s bus service. The network has 12 high-frequency corridors along main arterial roads into Belfast city centre with additional services operating throughout the Greater Belfast Area. Ulster bus services operate in the Metro corridors and are numbered 500-599, generally serving the Metro network after 6.30 pm weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Ferries

Stena Line runs regular services to Stranraer in Scotland using their HSS (High Speed Service) vessel. Norfolk line (formally Norse Merchant Ferries) run a passenger ferry to Liverpool, and a seasonal sailing to Douglas, Isle of Man is operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet company (formally Sea Cat).

Taxis

Black taxis are a common sight on Belfast streets but are outnumbered by private hire minicabs.