Belfast
Belfast is a modern vibrant city with a healthy nightlife. If you’re travelling over for a game it’s well worth staying a couple days to sample the local culture. Check out the Belfast Tourist Guide for more details.
The purpose of this guide is to enhance your match experience. We will be updating it regularly so do check back before your visit.
How to get there.
Belfast is served by two airports. The George Best Airport (formerly Belfast City Airport) and Belfast International.
The George Best is situated a couple of miles out of the city centre and is served by the following airlines.
The George Best Airport (Belfast City Airport).
| Flybe | bmi | Ryanair | Aer Arann |
| www.flybe.com | www.flybmi.com | www.ryanair.com | www.aerarann.com |
| 0871 700 2000 | 0870 6070 555 | 00353 1249 7791 | 08005872324 |
| Aberdeen | London Heathrow | London Stansted | Cork |
| Birmingham | Liverpool | ||
| Cardiff | Glasgow (Prestwick) | MANX2 | |
| Dundee | East Midlands | www.manx2.com | |
| Edinburgh | Bristol | 087 0242 2226 | |
| Exeter | Blackpool | ||
| Glasgow | Isle of Man | ||
| Inverness | |||
| Jersey | |||
| Leeds/ Bradford | |||
| London Gatwick | |||
| Manchester | |||
| Newcastle | |||
| Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield | |||
| Rennes | |||
| Southampton | |||
| Isle of Man/ Blackpool *operated by Loganair* |
Belfast International is 12 miles north west of Belfast. It has a regular bus link with the city centre. The international is served by the following airlines (amongst others).
Belfast International Airport.
| Aer Lingus | bmibaby | easyJet | Jet2.com |
| www.aerlingus.com | www.bmibaby.com | www.easyjet.com | www.jet2.com |
| 0870 876 5000 | 09111 54 54 54 | 0905 821 0905 | 0871 226 1 737 |
| London/Heathrow | Birmingham | Bristol | Blackpool |
| Paris CDG | Cardiff | Edinburgh | Chambery |
| Milan/Malpensa | East Midlands | Geneva | Jersey |
| Barcelona | Manchester | Glasgow | Leeds Bradford |
| Rome/DaVinci | Gatwick | Murcia | |
| Lanzarote | Luton | Newquay | |
| Tenerife | Stansted | Pisa | |
| Malaga | Tenerife | ||
| Newcastle | Toulouse | ||
| Nice | |||
| Paris CDG |
If you can’t get the flight you want for the price you want it’s also worth trying Dublin Airport. It’s about two and a half hours from Dublin Airport to Belfast and there are regular bus links. Be warned there are major roadwork’s on the Dublin – Belfast link so there can be fairly major delays!
For our Scottish and North of England friends there are also regular sailings from Troon and Cairnryan to Larne with P&O Irish Sea and from Stranrar to Belfast with Stena Line. These routes are usually cost effective if you’ve got a full car.
How to get tickets.
You can buy tickets online from Ulster Rugby.
How to get to the ground.
Ravenhill is situated a couple of miles south east of the city centre. It’s a 40 minute walk from City Hall, but if you are unsure of the way it’s best to get a taxi.
The main entrance is at the junction off Onslow Parade and Ravenhill Park (as shown below) but there is another entrance off Mount Merrion Avenue.
The ground opens two hours before kick off, but the Ulster supporters have a tendency to arrive fairly late, so if you get out early you should have at least an hours uninterrupted access to the beer tent.
If you want to make an afternoon of it you can head out towards the ground and get a bite to eat at the following bars.
The Errigle Inn, 312-320, Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 2GE
The Pavilion Bar, 296 Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 2GD
Rosetta Bar/The Rosie, 71-75 Rosetta Road, Belfast, BT6 0LR
The Errigle and The Pavilion are a 15- 20 minute stroll from the ground and both serve good food at a reasonable price.
The Rosie is a firm favourite with Ulster supporters being The FRU’s partner pub. Less than ten minutes from the ground the Rosie offers the cheapest pint for miles around and it usually runs a great meal deal before the game. If you are coming over for a match check this website the week before the game to see what the latest deals are.
Where to stay.
Belfast has lots of hotels to suit all tastes and budgets but we recommend the following.
Premier Inn, Belfast City Centre (Waring Steet), 2-6 Waring Street, Belfast, BT1 2DX
A great location right in the heart of Belfast’s resurgent Cathedral quarter. Venture up Donegal Street to take in The John Hewitt Bar, a great spot for an afternoon pint. You can stroll down Commercial Court to The Duke of York and from there you can head down Church Lane to Muriels Cafe Bar for an excellent range of wines and cocktails.
While in the area we also recommend you check out The Hill Street Brasserie for a bite to eat, great food and not nearly as expensive as the nearby Nick’s Warehouse.
Our advertisers at Mullen Property also offer a range of top quality city centre flats for short term lets. Prices start form £80 per night (sleeps 4). The flats are all located in prime locations within easy walking distance of all the cities top entertainment spots. You are advised to book these properties early to avoid disappointment.
If you’re looking for younger crowds we recommend
Madison’s Hotel, 59-63 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1JL and
The Crescent Townhouse, 13 Lower Crescent, Belfast, BT7 1NR
Both are in the heart of Belfast’s busy student quarter and both have lively bars and popular restaurants attached. There’s plenty of other bars and restaurants in the vicinity though they can all get very busy at weekends. The quirky Crescent townhouse would be my own personal favourite and it does do some great deals which tie in with the local clubs and venues so check out their website for details.
If you’ve got time it’s worth a visit to Scalini’s Restaurant though it can get very busy and you may have to wait for a table.
After the match.
With few facilities at Ravenhill most people tend to head off into the City fairly quickly after the match and there is usually a scrum for taxis. If it’s not too cold it’s probably best to kill half an hour in the beer tent and then use the Value Cab service in the ground. Popular bars after the game, and more importantly ones which won’t kick up a fuss about rugby gear are: -
The Botanic Inn
There are lots of other bars to check out but if it’s your first time in Belfast The Crown Bar is well worth a visit.
Disclaimer. This guide is about our own personal preferences. Our preferences may or may not correspond to yours. We do not stand over anywhere that we recommend beyond the fact that we have enjoyed them in the past. If there is anything you disagree with or if there is anything you think we should include please contact us here.
