Belfast in a rental car
PICTURESQUE VICTORIAN VILLAGE
With Dublin, Belfast is the biggest Irish city; apart from being, also, the largest city of Ulster. The capital of Northern Ireland seems to be a picturesque Victorian village, divided into four quarters: Cathedral Quarter, Titanic Quarter, University Quarter, and Gaeltacht Quarter.
It is possible to visit the place where impressive ships as Titanic were built, be amazed at the astonishing architecture of buildings as the City Hall or Queen’s University Belfast, or immerse oneself in the lively life of the city exploring its boutiques and department stores.
To move comfortably all over the zona, the most accepted option among travelers is using Pepecar’s rental car search engine to find the car that best meets your needs and budget. Surely, you will find the best deals and prices on the market.
WHERE TO SLEEP
The capital of Northern Ireland has a huge variety of hotels to stay in, accessible for all budgets, from youth hostels to luxurious and exclusive hotels.
The most recommendable area to stay in is known as Golden Mile, which comprises an area ranging from the City Hall to Queen’s University. Not all the hotels found in this area are going to be highly expensive, for many of them are really affordable for all families, as here you will find a lot of youth hostels and boarding houses at very competitive prices.
The business area is located on the riverbank of Lagan River, next to the Palace of Congress or the Waterfront Hall. Here, the majority of accommodations correspond to international hotel chains.
GASTRONOMY
If we had to choose a star ingredient for the majority of dishes in Belfast it would be, undoubtedly, the potato, as it can be found in almost every single stew. Some of the most traditional dishes from Belfast are the Ulster Fry, a typical breakfast made of bacon, sausages, eggs, potatoes and vegetables.
For those who prefer fish and shellfish, you should not miss the Mussel Soup, a delicious soup of mussels accompanied by bread.
Moreover, if you want to try and taste a typical dish made of meat, we recommend the Irish Stew, a typical stew made of lamb with onion and covered with potatoes.
Undoubtedly, if there is something we could point out about the gastronomy from Ireland is their beer. The most typical beer from Belfast is known as Stout, a dark beer with a bitter taste. Curiously, it has an American version.
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS
The city of Belfast has two airports, so it will not be difficult to find a non-stop flight from Spain. Maybe, it is the best way to access Belfast. Furthermore, there are several low-cost companies who attend the flights to these airports.
George Best Belfast City Airport is located about 10 kilometers of distance. Therefore, it won’t take you more than 15 minutes. To get to the center of the city take the road A2.
The other airport from Belfast is known as Belfast International Airport and, even though it is a little bit farther from the center of the city as compared to the other airport, it is the most transited and used for international flights. It is situated 30 kilometers from the center of the city, which means a trip of no longer than 30 minutes of duration with your rental car. The best way to access is taking the M2.
Another option travelers usually choose is landing at Dublin Airport, which may have the most economic flights, for many of the low-cost airlines have flights to this location. Once the car has been picked up in the rental car area of the airport, you can drive to Belfast. The distance between both cities is approximately 157 kilometers and the duration of the trip will be about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
The best way to get to this city is taking the road M1 in the direction to Belfast and, then, the A1.
RENTAL CAR ROUTES FROM BELFAST
If you want to take advantage of your rental car from Pepecar you can make different excursions to some of the recommended nearby points mentioned below.
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
This astonishing natural creation is considered as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was formed of about 40,000 basalt columns due to the cooling of lava millions of years ago. The price of a guided visit is about 9 pounds.
To get to Giant’s Causeway you have to take the M2 and you will be there in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. The distance between both places is about 97 kilometers.
DUNLUCE CASTLE
This castle is located at a distance of about 90 kilometers from Belfast. The best way to access it is taking the M2 and, then, the A26. It won’t take you more than 1 hour and 15 minutes to be there. The best part of the castle is the location it lies on: on a cliff.