Best Ways to Travel from Dublin to Belfast

Royal Avenue Belfast – By William Murphy – Flickr: Royal Avenue Belfast, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15116817

If you are thinking of heading to Northern Ireland from Dublin, don’t worry- – although it is two separate countries, it is super easy to get from one to the other! There are tons of tourists who feel like they have done it all in Dublin, like the Guinness Storehouse, walking around the coastal town of Howth, exploring Temple Bar, and going to all of the pubs that they have ever wanted to visit — and now they are continuing their journey to the capital of Northern Ireland: Belfast.

Belfast is a well-known city throughout the UK and Europe due to its interesting architecture, local culture, friendly people, incredible nature along the nearby coastline, and its history with its neighboring country, Ireland. If you are going to Ireland for a trip, head to Belfast for at least one day to see a city that is steeped in rich history and culture. 

There are a few ways in which you can travel from Dublin to Belfast if you want to make the most out of your time and money. 

Rent a Car

Motorway looking south – By Seighean (talk) – Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37222556

One of the quickest ways to travel from Dublin to Belfast is to rent a car and head up the M1 and A1 — and you are already there! In just 2 hours, you can zip through the County of Dublin, head up the motorway, and find yourself in Northern Ireland in no time at all. As you pass through local towns, like Dundalk and Newry, you won’t even realize when you cross the border. There are no border crossings or checks from Northern Ireland to Ireland, making the drive super easy and convenient. Just pay a toll along your way, and continue your journey. 

You can rent a car from one of the many car rental places close to the city center of Dublin, like Enterprise or Sixt, or from the Dublin Airport. There are numerous companies at the airport that offer both in-terminal pick-up and off-site pickup, such as Budget Car Rental, Enterprise Car & Van Hire, and Avis Dublin Airport Car Hire. 

If you are picking up a car from the airport, choose it right after your flight lands for optimal convenience. If you are staying in the city center and choose a car from the airport, you can take bus #16 to the airport from the center of town in about 30 minutes. 

Bus

Bus Eirann – By AntiRevisionismEnjoyer – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114105917

The next way to get from Dublin to Belfast is via the public transportation and bus system. Fortunately for you, this is easier than you may think.

The starting point of your journey will actually be the Dublin Airport to get to Belfast. Take Bus #16 to the Dublin airport or Dublin Express 784 bus to Dublin Airport Terminal 2. You can also take the 700 towards Dublin Airport from the Drumcondra Rail Station if you are staying on the north side of the city.

No matter what bus you choose, you will get there in about 20-25 minutes. Once you arrive at the Dublin airport, you have to find terminal 1 bus departures. 

Now, there are two options for how you can get to Belfast from Dublin Airport. The first option is to take the Translink bus from Terminal 1, Zone 14, to get to the Belfast Europa Bus Center. You can purchase tickets online or in person for the bus, which will take 2 hours and 5 minutes. A bus ticket starts at around 8 pounds for a one-way journey. 

The second option is to buy a bus ticket through Air Coach, another bus operator that runs the same route to Belfast city center. You can catch the bus in the city center of Dublin at O’Connell Street, or you can catch the bus at the airport at Terminal 1, Zone 11. The bus takes 2 hours and 5 minutes from the airport, or 2 hours and 35 minutes from the center of Dublin city. 

Once you are on the bus, you are going to the Belfast Europa Bus Station. This is a bus station in the center of town. The bus will either let you off inside of the station or on the street outside on Glengall Street. Once you are here, there are tons of local bus lines that can help you get to your accommodation. 

If you are continuing on towards another location, you can take the 600 bus to the local George Best City Airport or the Airport Express bus to the Belfast International Airport. Both of these buses run approximately every 30-45 minutes from the bus station. 

Train

Irish Rail – By Milepost98 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50261722

The last practical option to get from Dublin to Belfast is to use the Irish Rail system. You can purchase tickets from Dublin Connolly main train station in Dublin to Belfast for as low as 7 euros if you purchase in advance. If you want to buy an open return ticket to come back at a later date, you can purchase a return ticket for as low as $9 in advance. 

The train departs from Connolly station on the East side of Dublin city center and arrives at Lanyon Place in Belfast in just 2 hours and 5 minutes.