Travel to Northern Ireland

Flying to Northern Ireland

There are frequent direct flights to Belfast from London airports as well as other major regional UK airports. Derry/Londonderry is also served. Airlines that serve Northern Ireland from the UK include Flybe (www.flybe.com) and easyJet (www.easyjet.com), which also flies between Belfast and several other European cities. From North America, British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and American Airlines (www.americanairlines.co.uk) currently have a connecting service between New York and Belfast. As elsewhere, flights to Northern Ireland become pricier over major holiday periods.

Notes

It’s not obligatory for British nationals to carry a passport when taking a flight between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. However, most carriers will insist on some form of ID.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London to Belfast is 1 hour 15 minutes. From New York to Belfast is 9 hours.

Air passes

The OneWorld Alliance Visit Europe Pass (www.oneworld.com) includes the UK.

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to Northern Ireland by Rail

There is a cross-border rail service from Belfast Central Station, heading south to Dublin, in the Irish Republic, via Newry. The Belfast-Dublin non-stop express takes approximately two hours. For information on timetables for rail services, contact Translink (www.translink.co.uk).

Driving to Northern Ireland

Numerous roads cross the border from Ireland into Northern Ireland, the most travelled being the Irish N1/M1 motorway from Dublin, which becomes the A1 road when it reaches the Northern Irish border.

Getting to Northern Ireland by boat

Northern Ireland is easily accessible by water. The main ports are Belfast (www.belfast-harbour.co.uk) and Larne (www.portoflarne.co.uk).

Cruise ships

Various cruise lines call in at Belfast. They include Princess Cruises (tel: +44 344 338 8663; www.princess.com), Holland America Line (tel: +44 344 338 8605; www.hollandamerica.com) and Celebrity Cruises (tel: +44 844 163 2862; www.celebritycruises.co.uk).

Ferry operators

When travelling via Great Britain to Northern Ireland, there is a choice of several services across the Irish Sea; providers include P&O Ferries (tel: +44 1304 863000; www.poferries.com) and Stena Line (tel: +44 8447 707 070; www.stenaline.co.uk).

River Routes

The picturesque Erne system of loughs and waterways makes it possible to sail from Ireland into the southwest of Northern Ireland. See Waterways Ireland (tel: +44 28 6632 3004; www.waterwaysireland.org) for more information.