One final pre-NI thread

[Ivo]

As many of you will know [if you don't, look in my sig!], on Saturday I am off to the Emerald Isle. I have been given some excellent advice from 4SRKT on the various traction and times in NI, MattE has offered mileage help, and so on. And I have even been in contact with Translink and others to ask about arrangements for my time over there.

But, if I may, a few final questions.

• First of all, does anyone know where I might be able to find a Phillips/AZ street map of Belfast without having to resort to ordering? If I order there is no way the book will arrive in time!
• How do hostels work exactly? Do you just turn up and tell them you've booked, or do you need any documentation or anything like that?
• Are there any areas in NI that I should keep a close eye on, for either good or bad reasons? For instance, could one area be of spectacular beauty, while another be a potential hotbed for confrontation? I have had some help with the latter (no prizes for guessing who from) though.
• How do I get from the port to the centre? Is there a connecting bus, or am I looking at a long plod?
• How do I obtain the £15 Translink card thing? 4SRKT has shown me his one, but I am not sure as to how to actually buy this.
• And lastly, is it worth sticking to NI this time, and thus only doing three days, or should I try to visit Dublin as well? If I do go to Dublin, is it possible to do the Luas, DART and Enterprise all in one day from Belfast?

Also, if anyone has any other suggestions, they would be most welcome. I have mentioned this before, but apart from Spring Bank Holiday 2006 (when I went to Wexford) I have never been across the Irish Sea before!

 

[radamfi]

If you've made a booking at a hostel then they should already know who you are. I always carry a copy of my reservation beforehand but it hasn't been needed. It is usual to be asked for some ID.

http://www.translink.co.uk/Fares/Translink-Products/ILink/#buying

tells you where you can get an iLink in NI. I bought mine online when iLink started to avoid the initial charge for the card, but just looking at the site now it doesn't mention anything about such a fee.

Why not visit Dublin?! Arguably more interesting that NI anyway. It may be possible to do all those lines in one day from Belfast but you might as well stay in Dublin as there are lots of cheap hostels there. I regularly stay at Isaacs hostel in Dublin, next to Connolly, which is only around 12 euros per night.

 

[4SRKT]

Buying yr I-Link is simple. Just go up to the window as ask for an all zone I-Link for the day. You can't buy it on the train, so you'll have to start your first day at a manned station. Like with Oyster there's a deposite to pay for the card, but it's only £1.50. On subsequent days you can put another £15 on it from any booking office, guard, or Ulsterbus driver.

The nearest staffed station to the International Hostel is Botanic. City Hospital station is about the same distance away but is not staffed. I'm not sure if Botanic is staffed early in the morning though, so if starting early maybe stroll up to Great Victoria Street, which is only 10 minutes' walk from the Hostel.

There is a bus to the centre from the docks (Metro service 96), but it doesn't operate all day AFAIK. Timetable here: http://www.translink.co.uk/Metro/Me...er-Metro-Timetables/Metro-Service-96-Inbound/

Further along the Donegall Road on which the hostel is situated used to be a very bad flashpoint. The hostel is at the city end which is safe enough, but probably better not to walk the other way down the Donegall Road or Sandy Row at night. I lived off the Donegall Road for a few weeks in 1991, which was an experience!

You'll be able to get a free bus routes map at GVS, which is also the main bus station in Belfast. This has an excellent street map of the city on it.

Dublin will be perfectly doable in a day, or you could stay overnight as radamfi says. If you are going to do this I'd decide soon tho, as it's pretty pricey if you don't book on the NIR website in advance.

 

[radamfi]

If you are so inclined, you might be interested in using some Ulsterbus services, which are included as part of the £15 iLink ticket. For example, there is a regular coach between Belfast and Derry which is quite scenic as it goes over the hills and is faster than the train. It is sometimes run by double decker coaches. You might also wish to visit the Giants Causeway, accessible by bus from Coleraine.

 

[Ivo]

Something rather worrying I've just thought of.

Supposing XC are their usual unreliable selves? The official connection requirement at BHM is 12 minutes, and my itinerary allows double that. But don't tell me that the xx:30 trains from BRI are reliable! The first time I used one it arrived at BRI early and left 28 late! If the same happens again, however unlikely, I will miss my +24 on to the Voyager at BHM - in which case it's "goodbye NI" (or at least the S&C)...

Even more awkward though is the return leg. The official connection at Didcot is 5, and that is what I have. Normally, I wouldn't mind if this played up; if nothing else, it's a very interesting place to do a bit of spotting! But at 00:20, it's a whole different ball game. My connection, at xx:25, is the last train of the day!

 

[4SRKT]

The simple question is, are you a man of steel?

 

[GM078]

Luas, Dart and Enterprise are easily doable in one day, you could probably even throw in a spin to Maynooth and the newly reopened M3 Parkway branch while your at it.

You can get a one-day short hop zone ticket that covers the Luas and Dublin suburban rail (boundaries are Balbriggan, Maynooth, Hazelhatch, and Kilcoole), though a trip to Kilcoole would make things slightly more complicated unless you want to spend a few hours on the beach.

 

[jamesontheroad]

First of all, does anyone know where I might be able to find a Phillips/AZ street map of Belfast without having to resort to ordering? If I order there is no way the book will arrive in time!

There is no A-Z map of Belfast, but you'll find the Philips one in any stationers or newsagent.

How do hostels work exactly? Do you just turn up and tell them you've booked, or do you need any documentation or anything like that?

Just show up. I've stayed in the HINI Belfast **many** times, in most rooms from the 6 bed dorm to private rooms, and it's fine.

Are there any areas in NI that I should keep a close eye on, for either good or bad reasons? For instance, could one area be of spectacular beauty, while another be a potential hotbed for confrontation? I have had some help with the latter (no prizes for guessing who from) though.

Donegall Pass and Sandy Row (loyalist communities right in the city centre) can be lively around certain public holidays, and they're near the HINI hostel but you're not around for any of those. Usual common sense applies. Most flashpoints are along "interface zones" between particular suburban communities. Unless you take a walking / bus / taxi tour, you won't find any of them in your trip to Belfast.

How do I get from the port to the centre? Is there a connecting bus, or am I looking at a long plod?

As 4SRKT says, Metro 96 runs infrequently most of the day. Most Stena HSS sailings carry cross-channel coach passengers, and there'll be an Ulsterbus coach at the bus stances outside arrivals for them to go direct to Europa. If you don't have a cross channel bus ticket, you can buy a ticket on this bus for slightly more than the Metro service.

 

[wintonian]

The simple question is, are you a man of steel?

Avoid the Royal pub unless you are It's opposite the hostel on the corner of Sandy Row.

Oh and the Belfast HINI does a very good Irish breakfast

And please leave it in one piece as I will be staying there from the 19th again

 

[jamesontheroad]

Oh and the Belfast HINI does a very good Irish breakfast

It does indeed, but if your a connoisseur, Maggie May's (on Botanic Avenue, about five minutes from the hostel, on block south of Botanic station) is better.

 

[Ivo]

I don't like black pudding

Thanks for all the help guys; all of my journeys are now planned. (Well, apart from some around 14:00 on the Wednesday, when I intend to use the Clockwork Orange before returning to Bath, anyway.)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
OK; some bad news. Courtesy of the horrendous prices of dongles, I will not be easily able to upload my stories until I get back. I am not paying £15 for one measly GigaByte! I know some people would suggest getting something more substantial, but it would expire before I get even close to the allowance. So unless someone has a better idea, or knows of any good Internet Cafe in Belfast, I will be relying on the hostel's Wi-Fi which is payable after the first 15 minutes in any 24 hour period.

I'll try though

 

[wintonian]

The hostel in Belfast has PC's about £1.50 per 30min I think.

There is an Internet cafe on the road opposite Connolly, by the Railtours Ireland office I think, and another one at the bottom end of O’Connell Street (opposite side to the GPO) the former I think is the cheapest.

Oh and you might like to have a quick scan of the Garda's VIP visit page, I belive the Irish Times might have said something about surface to air missiles being stationed to protect Lizzie. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
For some reason the links gone wierd so here it is again: http://www.garda.ie/VIPVisitEventsHome.htm
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It does indeed, but if your a connoisseur, Maggie May's (on Botanic Avenue, about five minutes from the hostel, on block south of Botanic station) is better.

Cheers looks good, but no mention of white or black pud on the menue I'll try and give it a go though.

 

[Techniquest]

Not been online for a few days, but if you're reading this before you go Ivo, then I hope you have a beast of a trip!

Hostels, just let them know who you are and expect to be asked for some ID. I always carry my provisional driving license, so that's never a problem for me. If you've got your passport, that'll also be fine. The Belfast International Youth Hostel, where I stayed in January, was excellent so you'll be well looked after if you go there.

Can't recall how much the Wi-Fi was there, £1 for 20 minutes I think, but it was fairly reasonable. The breakfast was also pretty decent too, indeed you can be the judge of how good it looked below, but I can tell you it tasted awesome!:

One thing to warn off, on weekdays at least you can't use an I-Link before 1000 or something close to that time from Botanic. From Great Victoria Street, Central and pretty much any other shack, I believe you'll be fine though. GVS is only 20 minutes or so from the hostel anyway, and was quite a reasonable walk when I did it.

As for the XC connection, well it's up to XC to deal with the problem if they bowl you out. I reckon you should be OK though, as for the Didcot connection, if your connection is a valid one then there's no reason why FGW won't organise you something if your last train is missed.

I got my I-Link from GVS, £16.50 for the travel and the card (which still lives in my ticket wallet proudly) is an excellent deal. You'll have no problem getting there for sure.

Hope the bash goes well, and I must admit I'm envious! I wish I could pop over the sea for some final Thumper action! I'll be looking forward to the trip reports on your return

 

[Csalem]

Wifi in McDonalds is free.

 

[wintonian]

One final question from me, are tickets to Belfast NI valid to Botanic?

 

[4SRKT]

I don't think so. NIR tickets to Belfast are valid to any one of Central, Botanic, City Hospital or GVS, but I think tickets from outside NI are only valid to Central.

 

[wintonian]

Oh, I have gone to Great Victoria St before on on, Oh well, I'll get the bus from central and convince them to take then.

Thanks.

 

[4SRKT]

In practice NIR grips are very easy going about this sort of thing. You won't have a problem. Valid rail tickets are valid from Central station to the city centre on any Metro service anyway.

 

[wintonian]

Yeh that was my thinking with Great Victoria Street and it's only 10min walk to the hostel.

Thanks.

 

[Techniquest]

If you're going to Belfast International Youth Hostel, then Botanic is even closer. I went there after arriving into Belfast on my RailSail ticket, no problem at all. Come out of Botanic, turn right, walk hardly any distance down to the traffic lights, take a left and it's just a bit further on the left, a little past the KFC. It'll take you no more than 5 minutes, whereas I found GVS to be at least 15 minutes walk from the hostel.

 

[jamesontheroad]

It'll take you no more than 5 minutes, whereas I found GVS to be at least 15 minutes walk from the hostel.

I think that might be because you walked through Europa onto Great Victoria Street and turned right. It's quicker to leave the GVS through the doors immediately in front you, as you exit the ticket gates. Walk towards the Day's Inn hotel, and then walk down Sandy Row. It's 5 minutes max to the hostel from there.

Sandy Row is, admittedly, a little unfriendly at night when all the shops are closed and shutters are down, but unless you're waving a six foot Irish tricolour, it's a perfectly safe residential neighbourhood with lots of traffic passing by.

 

[I T S]

I think that might be because you walked through Europa onto Great Victoria Street and turned right. It's quicker to leave the GVS through the doors immediately in front you, as you exit the ticket gates. Walk towards the Day's Inn hotel, and then walk down Sandy Row. It's 5 minutes max to the hostel from there.

Sandy Row is, admittedly, a little unfriendly at night when all the shops are closed and shutters are down, but unless you're waving a six foot Irish tricolour, it's a perfectly safe residential neighbourhood with lots of traffic passing by.

You will be fine in Sandy row as long as you started the sentence with -

Whats happennin? Right mate, or right frankie....

you cant go wrong

 

[wintonian]

You will be fine in Sandy row as long as you started the sentence with -

Whats happennin? Right mate, or right frankie....

you cant go wrong

And support an English football team (Rangers if from Scotland)