Belfast Transportation
Belfast has been the capital city of Northern Ireland since 1921. It is also the largest city in Northern Ireland. The name Belfast means "mouth of the sandbars." The sandbar was actually located at the junction of two rivers that are the Lagan and Farset Rivers. The convergence of these two rivers is called the Donegall Quay and they flow into the Belfast Lough.
Belfast has a long history as being the hub of the linen industry in Ireland, but they also are famous tobacco producers, rope makers, and ship builders. The RMS Titanic was built in Belfast by the most prolific ship builders of the day -Harland and Wolff. While the Titanic's maiden voyage was extraordinarily tragic, the story did play a part in bringing about fame to Belfast as a global player in the shipbuilding industry.
There are two main airports in Belfast. The George Best Belfast City Airport is within the city limits and Belfast International Airport is only 15 miles outside the city limits. Seaports continue to play a major part in the transportation of the commercial and industrial markets in Belfast as well. In fact, the Belfast Lough shoreline still houses the shipbuilding company of Harland and Wolff.
Belfast is not a city in which you need to have a car. The city is arranged in such a way that exploring the center of town is easy enough to do on foot. Rambling, historic streets and alleys of the oldest part of the city - Cathedral Quarter are worthy of a walking tour.
Getting around the rest of Belfast is relatively simple, as you can easily acquire public transportation in the form of trains and buses. Buses are available to take you all around town, to neighboring towns, and even to the airports if you need. Trains are a bit more expensive than the bus, but a lovely view of the coast can be seen on the train that travels west out of Belfast and towards the city of Derry.
If you prefer a more private ride, consider hiring a taxi. You can even arrange for a tour of the city by taxi if you would like! Keep in mind that some taxis will load up on passengers and charge roughly £1 each, and other might charge a bit more, but allow you to ride alone.
For those who want to be in control of it all, renting a car might be the best option. There are many major car rental companies to be found in Belfast airports and rental fees are charged per day or per week. Keep in mind that there are parking restrictions around government buildings and most of the parking is on the pay and display system.
Do not forget that much like England, Ireland drives on the left side of the road. Be very careful if you decide to drive yourself around Belfast. As the road signs are mostly written in English as well as Irish, there should be relatively no issues with finding your way about.