Belfast - Ireland 2014 - page 523

Getting Around Belfast
If you line up your sightseeing logically, you can do most of the town on foot. On wheels,
you have several options.
By Train or Bus: Ask about iLink smartcards, which give individuals one day of un-
limited train and bus travel. The Zone 1 card (£6.50) covers the city center and George
Best Belfast City Airport. The handy Zone 2 card (£10.50) includes Cultra (Ulster Folk
Park and Transport Museum), Bangor, and Carrickfergus Castle. The Zone 3 card (£14) is
really only useful for reaching Belfast's distant airport or the Ulster American Folk Park
near Omagh. Zone 4 (£16.50) gets you anywhere in Northern Ireland, including Portrush
and Derry. You can purchase additional iLink days to top up your card (£5 for Zone 1, £9
for Zone 2, £12.50 for Zone 3, £15 for Zone 4). For those lingering in the North, one-week
cards offer even better deals. Buy your iLink card at any train station in the city.
If you're only traveling from Belfast to one destination—Carrickfergus Castle, Cultra,
or Bangor—a “day return” ticket is cheaper than two one-way tickets.
Buses go from Donegall Square East to Malone Road and my recommended accom-
modations (#8B or #8C, 3/hour, £1.80, allday pass costs £4 Mon-Sat before 9:30—after
9:30 and on Sun it's £3). Sunday service is much less frequent.
For information on trains and buses in Belfast, contact Translink (tel. [phone],
www.translink.co.uk ) .
By Taxi: Taxis are reasonable and a good option. For general transport, as opposed to
the taxi tours described later, try Valu Cabs (tel. [phone]). Rather than use their
meters, many cabs charge a flat £5 rate for any ride up to two miles. It's £2 per mile after
that. If you're going up Falls Road, ride a shared cab (explained later, under “Sights in
Belfast”).
Tours in Belfast
▲ Walking Tours
The Historic Belfast Walk takes you through the historic core of town (£8, 1.5 hours; de-
parts from TI March-Oct Fri-Sun at 14:00; Nov-Feb Sat and Sun only; confirm tour times
with TI, book in advance, tel. [phone]).
Mixing drinks and history, Historical Pub Tours of Belfast offers two-hour walking
tours that start at the Crown Dining Room puband end five pubslater (£8; May-Oct Thu at
19:00, Sat at 16:00; book in advance, meet at pub above Crown Liquor Saloon at 46 Great
Victoria Street across from Hotel Europa, tel. [phone], www.belfastpubtours.com ) .