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, United Airlines (www.united.com) currently has a direct service between New York (Newark Liberty International Airport) 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 6 hours 35 minutes.

Air passes

The OneWorld Alliance (www.oneworld.com) Visit Europe Pass  incorporates 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, by far the most travelled being the Irish N1/M1 motorway from Dublin, which becomes the A1 road when it reaches the Northern Irish border.

Driving note

It was announced in late 2012 that a new toll road is to be built between Belfast and the port of Larne on the northeast coast.

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: 0845 075 0031; www.princess.com), Holland America Line (tel: 0843 374 2300; www.hollandamerica.com) and Celebrity Cruises (tel: 0844 493 2043; 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 (www.poferries.com) and Stena Line (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 (www.waterwaysireland.org) for more information.