Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [530]
Trains to the ferry terminal at Larne Harbour depart from Great Victoria St Station.
Bicycle
National Cycle Network route 9 runs through central Belfast, mostly following the western bank of the River Lagan and the north shore of Belfast Lough.
You can hire bikes from McConvey Cycles (Map; 9033 0322; www.mcconveycycles.com; 183 Ormeau Rd; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 8pm Thu) for around £15 a day, or £60 a week.
Bus
Metro ( 9066 6630; www.translink.co.uk) operates the bus network in Belfast. An increasing number of buses are low-floor, ‘kneeling’ buses with space for one wheelchair.
Buy your ticket from the driver (change given); fares range from £1.30 to £1.90 depending on distance. The driver can also sell you a Metro Day Ticket (£3.50), giving you unlimited bus travel within the City Zone all day Monday to Saturday. Cheaper versions allow travel any time after 10am Monday to Saturday (£2.70), or all day Sunday (£2.70).
Most city bus services depart from various stops on and around Donegall Sq, at City Hall. You can pick up a free bus map (and buy tickets) from the Metro kiosk (Map; 8am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) at the northwest corner of the square.
If you plan on using city buses a lot, it’s worth buying a Smartlink Travel Card (available from the Metro kiosk, the Belfast Welcome Centre, and the Europa and Laganside BusCentres). The card costs an initial fee of £1.50, plus £5.50/11 per five/ten journeys – you can get it topped up as you want. Alternatively, you can get seven days’ unlimited travel for £16. When you board the bus, you simply place the card on top of the ticket machine, and it automatically issues a ticket.
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PEOPLE’S TAXIS
The black taxis that cruise along the Falls and Shankill Rds in West Belfast have more in common with Turkey’s ‘dolmuş’ minibuses than the black cabs of London. These are shared taxis that operate along fixed routes, departing only when full, then dropping off and picking up passengers as they go, more like buses than traditional taxis.
Indeed, the ‘People’s Taxis’, as they became known, were introduced in the 1970s to replace local bus services that had been disrupted or cancelled as a result of street riots at the height of the Troubles. The drivers’ associations that ran the taxis were community-based ventures that provided much-needed employment during difficult times, and often gave jobs to ex-internees and prisoners who could not find work elsewhere. More than 30 years on, the black taxis are an accepted part of Belfast’s public transport infrastructure. There is even a black taxi ‘bus station’ at Castle Junction.
Falls Rd People’s Taxis (www.wbta.net) depart from Castle Junction at the corner of King and Castle Sts. During the day a sign in the windscreen shows their route; after 5.30pm the first person in the queue dictates the destination. You can hail a taxi anywhere; when you want to get out, knock on the window, and then pay the driver from the footpath.
Shankill Rd People’s Taxis depart from North St. You can hail them at bus stops; when you want to get out, say ‘next stop’ to the driver, and pay before you get out. Fares on both services are around £1 to £2 per person.
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Car & Motorcycle
A car can be more of a hindrance than a help in Belfast, as parking is restricted in the city centre. For on-street parking between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday, you’ll need to buy a ticket from a machine. For longer periods, head for one of the many multistorey car parks that are dotted around the city centre.
Major car hire agencies in Belfast:
Avis (www.avis.co.uk) City (Map; 0870 608 6374; 69-71 Great Victoria St); George Best Belfast City Airport ( 0844 544 6028); Belfast International Airport ( 0844 544 6012)
Budget (www.budget-ireland.co.uk) City (Map; 9023 0700; 96-102 Great Victoria St); George Best Belfast City Airport ( 9045 1111); Belfast International Airport ( 9442 3332)