Gay Belfast Hot Tourist Tips

BY AIR
Low-cost airline, easyJet, fly into Belfast International Airport from several national destinations including Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Bristol and Newcastle, as well as international destinations Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Malaga. Other airlines flying to Belfast include Jet2 and bmibaby.

BY COACH/BUS
Translink / Bus Eireann operate a number of services between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland while National Express can provide information on travelling from mainland Britain to Belfast by coach.

BY TRAIN
The Enterprise service connects Belfast & Dublin in 2 hours. See Translink for more info.

BY FERRY
P&O Irish Sea & Stenaline have information on crossings between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland.

BY CAR
To plan your journey by car, the AA website has a useful Journey Planner which suggests the quickest routes into the City.

Banks:
Hours are generally Mon-Fri, 9.30am - 4.30pm with some opening Sat mornings. Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) dispense cash at hundreds of locations - banks, garages, and shopping centres. Using a credit card in an ATM is an easy way of obtaining sterling if you are travelling from the Republic of Ireland or from abroad. Bank of Ireland, a corporate partner of BVCB, has 47 branches across the province. Bureau de Change are in larger bank branches, travel agencies, the Belfast Welcome Centre, some other Tourist Information Centres, big hotels and a few visitor attractions.

Business Contacts:
Chamber of Commerce: 028 9020 0201; Belfast City Business Club: 028 9032 0202; Investment Business Ltd: 028 9033 1136; Belfast First Stop Business Shop: 028 9027 8399; Rotary Club: 028 9036 5131

Cars-24 hour petrol:
A number of petrol stations with extended hours are on major roads to Belfast, usually with mini-markets attached.

Car Parking:
Multi-storey and off-street car parks have hourly tariffs dependent on location. On-street pay and display zones are clearly marked. Pay heed to restriction notices drawing attention to morning and evening rush hour clearways and bus lanes when in operation.

Central Library:
Royal Avenue Tel: 028 9024 3233 Open Mon-Sat to visiting browsers, with spacious and well-stocked reference section.

Disability Access:
Belfast Buildings are more accessable to wheel-chair users than ever. Disability Action: Tel. 028 9049 1011

Internet Cafes:
Internet Cafe at the Belfast Welcome Centre, 47 Donegall Place, Belfast. Tel: 028 9024 6609 Friends Cafe, 109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast. Tel: 028 9024 1096 ITXP, 175-177 Ormeau Road, Belfast. Tel: 028 9022 8111 ITXP, The Kennedy Centre, Falls Road, Belfast. Tel: 028 9096 2222 Revelations, the Internet Cafe, 27 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast. Tel: 028 9032 0337

Lost Valuables:
Police Lost Property Tel: 028 9065 0222 will put you in contact with the nearest police station.

Medical & Dental Services:
Advice on medical and dental emergencies- Health Information Service. Tel: 0800 665544

Newspapers:
Belfast is unusual in having three dailies, Belfast Telegraph, Irish News and Newsletter, as well as the Sunday Life. All have daily entertainment listings. The free monthly tourism newspaper "Northern Ireland Travel News", obtainable in Ports, Tourist Information Centres and travel agencies etc., has pages on current attractions and events. The monthly events guide 'Whatabout?' provides a detailed definitive guide to the city, and is available in all airports, ferry terminals, bus & train stations, hotels and from the Belfast Welcome Centre.

Places of Worship:
Main Sunday services of major Christian denominations are advertised in the Saturday edition of the Belfast Telegraph. Places of worship for most faith communities are listed in Yellow Pages. The two cathedrals in central Belfast are St. Anne's Cathedral (Anglican/Church of Ireland) on Donegall Street and St. Peter's Cathedral (Roman Catholic) on Derby Street.

Postal Services:
Post Offices and red post boxes are all over the city; Main Post Office is at Castle Junction and late mailings are accepted at Tomb Street Sorting Office. Small books of UK stamps are available in most convenience stores and petrol stations.

Phone Numbers:
The Northern Ireland Dialling Code (028) or (28) is used as a prefix when dialling from outside the region, or when making internal calls using a mobile phone. All Belfast numbers are composed of (028) followed by 90 and six digits. Eg. Belfast Welcome Centre: (0)28 9024 6609

Pub Hours :
Generally Mon-Sat, 11.30am-11pm, Sundays, 12.30-10pm. Many bars in Belfast have later opening hours on Thurs- Sat nights. Children are not permitted on licensed premises. No alcohol may be served to under 18s.

Shopping Hours :
City Centre Shops generally open Mon- Sat, 9.30am-5.30pm (Thurs. until 9pm).Some larger stores open Sun 1-5pm. Neighbourhood stores and garage forecourt convenience shops often open much longer - 24 hours in many cases.

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