Flying to Belfast for Dublin?
May 5, 2019 11:09 AM Subscribe
I want to visit Dublin. From my location, flights to Belfast are less than half the price (170 return to Dublin, 70 return to Belfast). Would flying to Belfast and getting the bus/train to Dublin be feasible/worth it?
Presumably you need to travel back as well so consider cost of return fares and travel time in this calculation. Unless you have unlimited time the cost saving would be marginal but there would be a lot of faffing about, potentially with luggage, and it would add about an extra day of travel time.
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:44 AM on May 5, 2019
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:44 AM on May 5, 2019
As I remember the train had some pretty scenery and didn't take very long. If you're going just for some leisurely sight-seeing, then it might be a nice thing to do for it's own sake, to see more of the countr(ies) than just the capitol cit(ies). If you're going for a particular purpose then I'd just want to head directly there if it was me.
posted by bleep at 11:49 AM on May 5, 2019
posted by bleep at 11:49 AM on May 5, 2019
Worth checking which airport in Belfast when planning buses/trains etc... advice above is assuming not George Best.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 1:15 PM on May 5, 2019
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 1:15 PM on May 5, 2019
Not done that route myself but Flyer Talk has a related thread the other day. The Belfast to Dublin Enterprise looks nice and is on my list to try. Titanic Belfast is well worth a visit if you have the time.
posted by Z303 at 1:32 PM on May 5, 2019
posted by Z303 at 1:32 PM on May 5, 2019
I've done it. Totally easy. Bus or taxi to Belfast bus station, bus from Belfast to Dublin. I travel light--small carry-on backpack--but even if you are wheeling a big suitcase it's an easy transfer. If you're only transiting through Belfast don't bother getting pounds out, pay the fares with credit cards and withdraw Euro when you arrive in the Big Smoke.
posted by Morpeth at 5:13 PM on May 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Morpeth at 5:13 PM on May 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
I live in Belfast. As noted above, the slowest bits, relative to distance, are getting from either of Belfast's airports in to Belfast city centre to catch the coach or train to Dublin. Belfast International (BFS) takes ~45 mins by bus, quicker by taxi (30 mins) but ~£30, so more expensive. Belfast City Airport (BHD) should take ~20-30 mins by bus, and it's super cheap (like £4). But the buses aren't super regular from either airport, it's not unusual to have to wait 20 mins between each one.
I no longer bother with the rail service from BHD to the city centre as it actually goes from a suburban rail stop (Sydenham) that's a 15 min walk away from the airport (alongside a busy highway) and only goes twice an hour (it costs something cheap like £2.50). It's much quicker to just take a taxi from BHD (10 mins journey), as there's always a queue of them, it's about £8 or £9 to the Central (Lanyon Place) railway station for the train to Dublin, and £9-£10 to Europa Bus Station for the coach.
To put this in some sort of perspective: Dublin airport is about 26 miles from Dublin city centre, so you'd likely take the bus or coach (~35 mins) to get to the city centre there, and I think it costs less than €10. So if you're timing things from the moment you land on the island of Ireland to arriving in Dublin city-centre, then going via Belfast probably adds between 3 and 4.5 hours to your journey (depending on airport, and I'm guessing you're looking at BFS as BHD doesn't have transatlantic arrivals). Of these, the quickest but most expensive: taxi to Belfast city-centre, train to Dublin. Cheapest but slowest: bus to Belfast city-centre, coach to Dublin.
posted by Joeruckus at 5:22 AM on May 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
I no longer bother with the rail service from BHD to the city centre as it actually goes from a suburban rail stop (Sydenham) that's a 15 min walk away from the airport (alongside a busy highway) and only goes twice an hour (it costs something cheap like £2.50). It's much quicker to just take a taxi from BHD (10 mins journey), as there's always a queue of them, it's about £8 or £9 to the Central (Lanyon Place) railway station for the train to Dublin, and £9-£10 to Europa Bus Station for the coach.
To put this in some sort of perspective: Dublin airport is about 26 miles from Dublin city centre, so you'd likely take the bus or coach (~35 mins) to get to the city centre there, and I think it costs less than €10. So if you're timing things from the moment you land on the island of Ireland to arriving in Dublin city-centre, then going via Belfast probably adds between 3 and 4.5 hours to your journey (depending on airport, and I'm guessing you're looking at BFS as BHD doesn't have transatlantic arrivals). Of these, the quickest but most expensive: taxi to Belfast city-centre, train to Dublin. Cheapest but slowest: bus to Belfast city-centre, coach to Dublin.
posted by Joeruckus at 5:22 AM on May 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Travel time 3 hours, cost is £27.50 (£11.50 for the 300a bus and £16 for the M1X).
You'll have to decide whether saving £70 is worth the three hour trip (assuming your prices in the question are in pounds). Personally, I would choose the direct flight.
posted by crazy with stars at 11:35 AM on May 5, 2019