Which
journeys can this system book? One-way or
return journeys between any station in Britain &
Belfast, either direction, via Holyhead or
Stranraer.
For
journeys starting in Belfast, simply enter 'Belfast NI'
as your starting station.
You can
use the 'Route' box to specify Stranraer or Holyhead,
or leave
it blank to see both options.
Ticket
delivery: Tickets can be collected at
any main British station including London Euston, or sent to
any address in Britain or Northern Ireland. They can't be collected in
Belfast.
Booking
fee: There's a £1.00 booking fee. Collection at stations
is free, tickets sent
by 1st class post add £1.50. Debit cards free, credit card
fee about £1.41.
Overseas
credit cards welcome. If you're booking from the USA,
Canada, Australia etc. you can collect tickets at
London Euston, but not in Belfast.
Don't
panic if it offers you a long table of fares!
Just look for the fare that gives you the journey you
want out and the one you want back. Clicking 'details'
will show you the route taken by each journey option.
You will
understand the routes & fares better if you take
the time to read this &
this first!
Tickets by phone: call 08450 755 755
Collecting your ticket: You collect your
tickets from these machines at London Euston or any main
British station (the machine type may vary, and there
are no machines in Northern Ireland). Just use the
touch screen to click 'collect tickets' then insert your
credit card, enter booking reference and out come the
tickets. Alternatively, tickets can also be sent
to any UK address including in Northern Ireland.
It's a
well-kept secret... You can buy an combined train & ferry
ticket between Belfast and any
station in Britain, in either direction, via either Stranraer or
Holyhead & Dublin,
see the route map below. You can
buy tickets to or from Belfast using the
online booking form
on this page, or to other Northern Irish rail stations
such as Londonderry
by phone or at stations. It's the traditional, time-honoured
way to get there, through the countryside by train and
across the Irish Sea by ferry, the
environmentally-friendly alternative
to a short-haul flight. Bring a bottle of your
favourite wine along (try doing that on Ryanair), sit back
with a good book and enjoy the ride. This page
explains the routes, timetables, fares & how to buy
tickets.
London
to
Belfast £42 one-way,
Belfast to London £42 one-way...
Any day, any date. That's £42 via Holyhead &
Dublin, or £46 via Stranraer. This is the price
you pay, even on the day of travel, it's not a 'starting
at' price. The ticket covers both train & ferry,
with no baggage
fees, no airport taxes, no costly train fare to the airport, children under under 5 free, under 16's half price.
The price from any rail station in Britain is the
same or less:
Birmingham to Belfast £40 via Holyhead
Belfast
to Manchester £39 via Holyhead
Glasgow
to Belfast £25 via Stranraer
Belfast
to Newcastle £40 via Stranraer
A small
booking fee applies to online sales.
Buy tickets online
using the form opposite
▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶
Either dive straight in using the online booking form on
the right, or take a bit more time and consider which of these routes sounds best for you.
Click for full details of timetables, fares, what the
journey is like, and how to
buy tickets:
This is the
cheapest route, London to Belfast for £42. Take a morning train to Holyhead in Wales and the afternoon ferry to Dublin.
Then take
an evening 'Enterprise' express from Dublin to Belfast.
One ticket covers the whole journey from any station in Britain to Belfast
or any station in Northern Ireland.
More detailsWhat's the journey like?
This is the simplest
& most
traditional route, it takes about the same time as option
1 but costs a few pounds more, London to
Belfast £46.
Leave London on a morning train to Glasgow & change trains for Stranraer, then a Stena Line
ferry to Belfast port. One ticket
covers the whole journey, from any station
in Britain to Belfast or any station in Northern Ireland.
More detailsWhat's the journey like?
Take an afternoon train to Liverpool then the overnight Norfolk
Line ferry to Belfast. This is a comfortable
option, although combined train+ferry fares are not
available so you must book train & ferry
train separately. More
details...
Leave central London aboard
Virgin Trains 9.10am 'Irish Mail' to Holyhead (08:50
Saturdays, 08:15 Sundays). It's a scenic journey along the
North Wales coast...
The 125 mph Voyager train is modern &
air-conditioned, better than any plane or coach, with
T-Mobile WiFi, power sockets for laptops & mobiles and a
buffet car serving drinks & snacks. The train journey
takes 3h40, time to get some work done or catch up on your
reading...
...At Holyhead, you board the luxurious 50,000 ton ferry
'Ulysses' for the sea crossing to Dublin.
...the Ulysses deserves it's title as a 'cruise'
ferry. It's one of the most comfortable ferries
serving the British Isles. The sea crossing takes
3h15, arriving Dublin Ferryport at 17:25.
On board the ferry, it costs £14 to upgrade to club
class in the Martello Lounge on 11 deck, with
complimentary red & white wine, tea & coffee, cheese &
crackers, olives, smoked salmon canapés, muffins & fruit
juice. The lounge is directly above the ship's
bridge, giving a superb forward view of the Irish coast
approaching...
...Transfer from Dublin Ferryport to Dublin Connolly
station and board the 19:00 'Enterprise' express train service
to Belfast. Dublin to Belfast takes
just 2 hours by train.
...Spacious seating, a buffet car serving tea, coffee, &
hot meals, and great Irish scenery. You arrive at
Belfast Central at 21:10. 4 countries in 1 day!
Welcome to Belfast!
All this for just £42, any day, any date, even bought
on the day of travel, plus £14 if you want Club Class on
the ferry...
This is the cheapest route, with the chance to see Dublin
on the way. It takes about the same time as the
Stranraer route, so just see which timetable suits you
best, this one or one via Stranraer.
London ▶ Belfast
Step 1, travel from London to Dublin by train & ferry,
leaving London Euston by train at 09:10 on
Mondays-Fridays, 08:50 Saturdays, or 08:15 Sundays for
Holyhead, which connects with the 14:10 Irish Ferries
sailing to Dublin Ferryport
arriving at 17:25.
For full details
of this journey, see the Ireland
page. Transfer by shuttle bus the 2 miles from
Dublin Ferryport to the Busaras (Dublin's central bus
station), which is just around the corner from Dublin Connolly station.
Step 2, travel from Dublin to Belfast by train, leaving
Dublin Connolly at 19:00 by air-conditioned 'Enterprise'
express, arriving Belfast Central at 21:10.
London-Belfast costs £42 one-way, including trains & ferry
(but not the bus transfer in Dublin, 2.50 euros). This fare
doesn't change, it's always £42 even on the day of travel.
If you want to stop off in Dublin, stopovers aren't allowed with these
cheap through tickets, so simply buy a £30.50 London-Dublin ticket
(see the Ireland page for times,
fares & online booking), then buy a separate
Dublin-Belfast train ticket at the ticket office at
Connolly station when you get to Dublin, see
www.irishrail.ie for times & prices.
There are other
options available via this route, including an overnight
London-Dublin service with morning train connection from
Belfast. See
the London
to Ireland page for all
London to Dublin options. Then see www.IrishRail.ie
for Dublin-Belfast train times. Allow
plenty of time in Dublin to make the connection.
There are 'Enterprise' expresses from
Dublin Connolly station to Belfast every hour or two from
around 07:00 to around 20:00, journey time 2 hours.
Belfast ▶ London
Step 1, travel from Belfast to Dublin by train, leaving
Belfast Central at 08:00 on Mondays-Saturdays, arriving
Dublin Connolly station at 10:00. No connection on
Sundays.
Step 2, travel from Dublin to London by ferry & train,
leaving Dublin Connolly station at around 12:10 by
frequent DART suburban train for Dun Laoghaire, to connect
with the
13:30 Stena Line HSS sailing from Dun Laoghaire to
Holyhead. Train connections from Holyhead will get
you to London Euston at 21:42-21:58 depending on the day
of the week. For full
details of this journey,
see the
Ireland page.
Belfast-London costs £42 one-way, this includes both trains &
the
ferry (Dublin shuttle bus 2.50 euros extra). The
fare doesn't change, it's always £42 even on the day of
travel.
If you want to stop off in Dublin, stopovers aren't allowed with these cheap through tickets,
so simply buy a
normal Belfast-Dublin train ticket (see
www.irishrail.ie) plus a £30.50 Dublin-London train+ferry ticket, see
the Ireland page for times, fares & online booking.
There are other
options available via this route, including an overnight
Dublin-London service with evening train connection from
Belfast. See the
London
to Ireland page for all Dublin to London options, then
see www.IrishRail.ie
for Dublin-Belfast train times. Allow
plenty of time in Dublin to make connections.
There are 'Enterprise' expresses from
Belfast to Dublin every hour or two throughout the day, journey time 2 hours.
How much does
it cost?
Regular flexible
fares
One-way
Return
London (or any South East station) ► Belfast
£42
£84
London (or any South East station) ► Londonderry
£44.50
£89
Any UK station in zone A ► Belfast
£38
£76
Any UK station in zone B ► Belfast
£39
£78
Any UK station in zone C ► Belfast
£40
£80
Any UK station in zone D ► Belfast
£42
£84
These fares are valid on any day, any date, any train &
any Irish Ferries or Stena Line sailing from Holyhead to Dun
Laoghaire or Dublin.
In effect, there's unlimited availability at these prices,
you can even buy tickets at these prices on the day of travel.
The bus from Dublin Ferryport to Dublin busaras isn't
included. This costs 2.50 euros (1.50 euros for
children)
Children: Children aged 5 to 15
travel at 50% off the fares shown above. children
under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Unaccompanied children 16-17 years old must have written
authority to travel from their parent or guardian.
Taking a bicycle? Bikes
go for £5 on both Stena Line & Irish Ferries, no reservation required,
pay at the port. Bikes are carried on trains
to Holyhead, but reservations are usually required and a
small fee is payable. Bikes are not carried on DART
trains from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin city centre, so you'll have
to cycle the 11 km.
Stop-overs are not allowed in either direction,
including (for more than an hour or two) in Dublin, so you must
complete your journey to Belfast in one go. But if you want to stop off in Dublin for more than
this, simply buy separate London-Dublin and Dublin-Belfast
tickets (see the Ireland page for
London-Dublin & www.IrishRail.ie
for Dublin-Belfast).
Unlike a cheap flight, the date of return can be left open
(if you book by phone or in person). Tickets include a reserved place on the ferry (so if you
leave the return portion open, you'll still need to make a
ferry reservation before your return journey or take pot
luck at the ferry terminal). And
unlike a cheap flight, they are from central London or even your
own local station, not
from an airport miles away - remember when comparing that it
will cost £12 one-way or £24 return for the train from
central London to Luton, Stansted or Gatwick airports in
addition to the flight.
Railcards:
As they are so cheap anyway, there's no further discount
for young person's or senior railcard holders.
Lancashire, West Yorkshire,
South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire,
Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, West Midlands,
Warwickshire, Hereford & Worcester, Gloucestershire,
Powys, Gwynedd South.
Zone D:
Cumbria, North Yorkshire,
Humberside, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire,
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Greater
London, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon,
Gwent, South Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan,
Dyfed, Norfolk, Suffolk,
Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire,
Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall.
onlineusing the booking
form above to buy tickets between any station in
Britain & Belfast in either direction, although it can't
sell tickets
to or from other NI stations such as Londonderry.
online
at
www.stenaline.co.uk. You can also book tickets
from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ayr and a few other Scottish
stations to Belfast at
www.stenaline.co.uk. However, tickets can only
be sent to UK addresses, they cannot be collected at
stations, and the Stena Line system will only sell
tickets from a few Scottish stations to Belfast, not
from London and other British stations.
in
person at most British
railway stations including London Euston.
in person
in Belfast at the Northern Ireland Railways Travel
centre at Great Victoria Street station, open
09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-12:30 Saturday.
by calling the SailRail booking line,
08450 755 755. Lines are
open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays &
Sundays. See
www.sailrail.co.uk for more information.
by calling Virgin Trains on
0845 7 222
333 Tickets can be posted to any UK address
or you can ask to pick them up
on departure from many UK railway stations, including London
Euston.
by calling Stena Line on 08445 762 762.
Lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00
Saturdays & 09:00-17:00 on Sundays.
You can buy
tickets the online booking
system above. Tickets cannot be sent overseas, so
select the option to collect tickets from a self-service
ticket machine at most major stations including London
Euston (but not Belfast).
Otherwise, it's
easy to wait till you get to the UK and book at the
station. Remember, the cheap flexible fares have
unlimited availability so there's no need to book a place
weeks ahead. Just wait till you arrive in London.
Alternatively, call Virgin
Trains on +44 870 9080 107.
Tickets can only be posted to UK addresses, but you can ask
to pick them up
at many UK railway stations, including London
Euston, or have them sent to your hotel. Or call Stena Line
on
+44 870 5 455 455.
At the Stena Line terminal in Belfast, check-in is quick
&
painless, unlike at an airport. You check in
your luggage in so you don't have to carry it round
on the ferry.
Map showing ferry terminal. A taxi from
the city centre costs about £8.30.
...This is the view astern from the 07:30 ferry
leaving Belfast, with the famous Harland & Wolff
gantry cranes in the background. The ferry heads
along Belfast Lough and out into the Irish Sea...
Some Stena Line departures are conventional ships, a
few are operated by a twin-hull fast ferry,
the HSS. The crossing takes 2-3 hours.
All ferries have restaurants, bars, shops, cinema &
free WiFi for laptops. Here, you can see the Scottish
coast approaching through the front viewing
windows of the HSS. The ferry turns to starboard
between the hills into Loch Ryan & heads for
Stranraer.
At Stranraer, the station is next to the ferry
terminal. You walk off the ferry, reclaim your
luggage at the carousel & walk onto the platform to
board the train to Glasgow. Some trains are
direct , others require a change at Ayr.
On board the ScotRail 'sprinter'. The Scottish
scenery is beautiful, with hills, woods, streams,
remote farms & curly-horned sheep...
At Glasgow you change onto
a 125 mph Virgin Trains 'Pendolino' for London. Enjoy the scenery as
you cross
from Scotland into England, skirt the Lake District
and head for the Big Smoke. The train tilts into the
curves at 125mph, hence the name 'pendolino', although
you'll only notice the tilt if you put your head close
to the window and look along the train.
This is standard class on the Pendolino, with power
sockets for laptops & mobiles, T-Mobile WiFi,
air-conditioning & a shop selling drinks & snacks.
Time to get some work done or catch up on your
reading! Glasgow to London now takes just 4 hours 15 mins by train...
All this for £46, any day, any date, even bought on
the day of travel. No airports, no planes, no
hassle...
This is the
traditional, historic route to Belfast. It takes
about the same time as the Holyhead & Dublin route,
and shows you a lot of wonderful Scottish scenery on the
way. Take a train
to Stranraer in southwest Scotland then a ferry direct to
Belfast Northern Ireland. It's a more straightforward option
than the route via Holyhead & Dublin as you don't have to
cross Dublin, though a pound or two more expensive.
Why not go one way via Stranraer, the other way via
Holyhead & Dublin?
London & Glasgow ►
Belfast by train+ferry
By 125mph 'pendolino' train..
Mondays-Fridays
Saturdays
Sundays
Depart London Euston
-
05:29
11:30
-
06:05
11:30
13:30
-
09:45
Arrive Glasgow Central
-
10:36
16:01
-
11:03
16:01
18:01
-
15:06
By ScotRail 'sprinter' train
Depart Glasgow Central
07:00
11:32
16:30
07:00
11:42
16:30
18:30
11:37
16:25
Direct
or change of train?
Ayr
direct
Ayr
Ayr
direct
Ayr
Ayr
direct
Ayr
Arrive Stranraer
09:21**
13:54
18:52
09:21**
13:54
18:52
20:54
13:51
18:52
By Stena Line ferry...
Depart Stranraer
12:00
14:20
19:55
12:00
14:20*
19:55
23:20
14:20
19:55
Arrive Belfast port
15:00
16:20
22:05
15:00
16:20
22:05
02:20
16:20
22:05
How to read these timetables... Each column
is a service you can take, and you read downwards.
You change trains at each of the grey bars.
You
take a 125 mph Virgin Trains 'Pendolino' train from London to Glasgow, change trains
in Glasgow, then take a Glasgow-Stranraer train to connect
with a Stranraer-Belfast Stena Line ferry. Some
of the Glasgow-Stranraer trains run direct, others require a
quick and easy change of train at Ayr, as shown.
Times may vary on Saturdays & Sundays due to
engineering work, so check train & ferry times for your date of
travel using the
online booking form above or
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
* Doesn't run on all Saturdays, only Saturdays from 28
March to 16 April, 16 May to 1 October, and 17 October to 5 November 2010.
** As you can see, this service now involves a long wait at Stranraer,
because Stena Line & ScotRail are not working together to
co-ordinate their timetables. I hope they get their
finger out soon! Tea & coffee are
available at the terminal building at the entrance to the
port, and there's a waiting room at the station. You
may prefer to use one of the other services with better
connections.
HSS fast ferry or conventional ship? Ferries taking 2
hours 20 mins or less are the twin-hull HSS fast ferry,
ferries taking 2 hours 50 minutes or more are conventional
ships.
Belfast Port (Stena Line
terminal) is at the far end of West Bank Road,
see map showing Stena Line terminal. A taxi from
central Belfast costs around £8.50.
Important booking tip: The
online booking
system above tends to offer the 10:45 departure on
Sundays, but I recommend the 09:45 to give a safer connection
in Glasgow. Just go ahead and buy an online ticket with a
reservation on the 10:45, the ticket will also be valid on the 09:45. The online system also has
difficulties finding the 07:30 service from Belfast on
Sundays, if you have any problems booking online,
simply book by phone instead.
...from any other station in
Britain to or from Belfast, simply use
online booking
system above
to find train+ferry times for your date of travel.
The
Glasgow-Stranraer-Belfast timetable is also shown on the
Stena Line website at www.stenaline.co.uk,
just select 'Stranraer to Belfast' then 'rail connections',
although they now omit the journeys with a long wait at
Stranraer!
Fares...
via Stena Line Stranraer-Belfast
One-way
fare
Return
fare
London
► Belfast
£46
£92
UK
zone A (e.g. Glasgow) ► Belfast
£25
£50
UK
zone B (e.g. Edinburgh) ► Belfast
£25
£50
UK
zone C (e.g. Fife) ► Belfast
£29
£58
UK
zone D (e.g. Perth) ► Belfast
£29
£58
UK
zone E (e.g. Inverness) ► Belfast
£36
£72
UK
zone F (e.g. Aberdeen) ► Belfast
£36
£72
UK
zone G (e.g. Cumbria) ► Belfast
£33
£66
UK
zone H (e.g. Manchester) ► Belfast
£40
£80
UK
zone J (e.g. Leeds) ► Belfast
£40
£80
UK
zone K (e.g. Birmingham) ► Belfast
£40
£80
UK
zone L (e.g. Oxford) ► Belfast
£46
£92
UK
zone M (e.g. Plymouth) ► Belfast
£46
£98
These fares
are 'Anytime' fares =
Travel on any train, any ship, any date. Unlimited
availability. You can buy tickets at any time at this
price,
even on the day of travel.
Returns are valid one month, and you can leave the return
date open if you like.
Any station in the Glasgow
area, Strathclyde,
Dumfries & Galloway
UK zone B:
Any station in the Edinburgh
area, Lothian,
Borders
UK zone C:
Any station in Fife;
UK zone
D: Tayside; UK zone E: Inverness
& Highlands; Zone F: Grampian
UK zone
G:
Any station in Cumbria
UK zone H:
Any station in Lancashire, Greater
Manchester, Merseyside.
UK zone
J:
Any station in Yorkshire, Humberside,
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire.
UK zone
K:
Any station in Lincolnshire,
Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire,
Warwickshire, West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Hereford
& Worcester, Derbyshire, Gwynedd, Clwyd
UK zone
L:
Any station in Greater London,
Hertfordshire,
Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire,
Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Wiltshire, Avon, Hampshire,
Sussex, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex.
UK zone
M:
Any station in Cornwall, Devon,
Somerset, Dorset.
Senior or young persons railcard holders get a 34% discount on
these fares. No discount with family
railcard.
Children aged 5 to 15
travel at 50% off anytime or advance fares. Children under 5 go
free.
Going beyond Belfast?
You can buy a through ticket to any station in Northern
Ireland, for example Antrim or Londonderry, just add £7 each
way to the standard fare to Belfast.
Unlike
most air fares, these fares are flexible.
Although a
reservation is required, you can
change your travel plans as you like, and make the ferry
reservation for the return journey in Belfast when you know
when you want to come back. You can break your journey
(stop off) with these fares, too.
Remember, these fares are centre to centre, not airport
to airport. When comparing, add £12 one-way or £24
return to the air fare to cover the train ride from London
to Luton, Stansted or Gatwick airports, plus baggage fees,
airport taxes and so on!
For travel by Caledonian Sleeper,
add a sleeper
supplement of £38 per person each way for travel in a
2-berth compartment.
How to buy
tickets...
online,
using the booking
form above (any station in Britain to or from Belfast,
but not
other NI stations). Enter 'Stranraer' in the
'route' box if you're sure you want the route via
Stranraer.
by calling the SailRail booking line,
08450 755 755. Lines are
open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 0900-1700 Saturdays &
Sundays. See
www.sailrail.co.uk for more information.
in
person in Britain at most British railway stations, including
the main ticket office at London's Euston Station.
in person
in Northern Ireland, at the NIR Travel centre
at Great Victoria Street rail station, open 09:00-17:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-12:30 Saturday, or you can buy in
advance or
on the day of travel at the Stena Line ferry terminal in
Belfast, look for the 'travel centre' counter as
you walk in.
A
comfortable and inexpensive way to reach Northern Ireland
without flying is to take Norfolk Line ship from Liverpool (Birkenhead
ferry terminal) to Belfast. An
overnight sailing means that it takes no time at all.
You can check ferry times at
www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk.
Norfolk Line have taken over Norse Merchant Ferries.
Liverpool ► Belfast
Belfast
► Liverpool
* Sailing
time 22:00 on Mondays & 21:30 on Sundays.
The
Liverpool terminal is at Twelve Quays in
Birkenhead, across the Mersey from Liverpool.
By ship:
Tues-Sat
Daily
By ship:
Tues-Sat
Daily
Liverpool
depart
10:30
22:30*
Belfast depart
10:30
22:30*
Belfast arrive
18:30
06:30
Liverpool
arrive
18:30
06:30
Train
connections...
Travelling
from London to Belfast, you will need to leave London's
Euston station at around 17:00 to connect in Liverpool with
the 22:30 sailing - to
check train times use
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
You will need to take a taxi from Liverpool Lime Street
station to the ferry terminal, or take a local Merseyrail
train to Birkenhead Hamilton Square station then walk to the
terminal. Don't forget you need to
check-in at least an hour before sailing time. In the
return directions from
Belfast to Liverpool, a train from Liverpool at around 08:30
will get you to London by about 11:45. These are
peak times for train travel on Mondays-Fridays, so check
that an affordable fare is available before committing
yourself to this route.
How much does
it cost?
One-way foot passenger
fares from Liverpool to Belfast are about £20-£25 each way on
the day sailing or £32-£45 each way on the night sailing.
The night fare includes a 4-course
evening meal in the dining saloon, and full cooked breakfast.
Cabin berths are extra, expect to pay £50 each way per
cabin, which sleeps up to 4 people, with private shower and
toilet. You can check fares & cabin charges for your
date of travel at
www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk.
How to buy tickets...
You
cannot buy combined train+ferry tickets on this route, you
need to buy separate tickets for the ferry and the train. To
check fares and times for the ship, and to book online, go to
www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk.
You can also book by calling Norfolk Line
Ferries on
0844 499 0007. To
check train times & fares, and to book train tickets to
Liverpool online, see the UK page
or use
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Above: The famous Giant's Causeway on the
Northern Irish coast. Easy to reach without
flying!
London to Londonderry...
First, travel from London to
Belfast via any of the routes or services shown above. Regular trains link Belfast
(Great Victoria Street and Central stations) with the
historic walled city of Londonderry, also known as
Derry. Journey time is about 2 hours 20
minutes. To check train times, use the journey planner
at www.nirailways.co.uk.
Through tickets are available to Londonderry from any
station in Britain, either via Stranraer or via Holyhead &
Dublin.
The Giant's Causeway...
The
famous Giant's Causeway (pictured above)
is a natural rock formation on the
windswept North Antrim coast, well worth a visit. It can
easily be reached by public transport. Take a train
from Belfast to Portrush, these run every few hours, usually
with a change of train needed at Coleraine. Buses run
from Portrush to the Giant's Causeway every few hours.
To check
both train and bus times, go to the journey planner at www.nirailways.co.uk
and select 'Belfast' as your origin and 'Giant's
Causeway' as your destination. No pre-booking needed,
just buy tickets at the station and on board the bus on the
day.
Above:
Northern Ireland Railways now has brand-new air-conditioned
trains in service between Belfast & Londonderry.
Here's one of their new 'C3K' trains running alongside the
Atlantic on the approaches to Londonderry, a very enjoyable
ride. Exterior photo courtesy of Northern Ireland
Railways.
Train & bus travel in Northern Ireland
Buses and trains in Northern Ireland are operated by
Translink, of which Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) is a
part. To check both train and bus
times in Northern Ireland, use the journey planner
at
www.translink.co.uk or www.nirailways.co.uk.
Belfast ► Dublin
Fast, modern 'Enterprise' trains
link Belfast and Dublin in about 2 hours, with departures
about every 2 hours. The service is jointly run by NIR
and Irish Railways. For times and fares, see www.nirailways.co.uk
or www.irishrail.ie.
An Enterprise
train from Dublin to Belfast...
Standard class seating.
More spacious first class seating is also available.
London
to
Belfast £42 one-way,
