George Best Belfast City Airport

George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD)

The capital of Northern Ireland has two airports: Belfast City Airport that is only three kilometers east of the city centre, and Belfast International Airport that is much larger. Belfast City Airport received in 2006 the prefix ‘George Best’, after the Northern Ireland football legend died in that year. There are connections to many cities in Great Britain and Ireland, but only one to the European mainland (Rennes in France). There are connections with Chambéry and Geneva in the winter for winter sporters.

Prices are given here in the British pound (£). £ 1.00 = € 1.49 (December 2006).

Local transport

Train

The train station Sydenham is close to the airport. There are trains that go to the stations Belfast Central and Victoria Street and also to Lisburn and Derry/Londonderry. A shuttle bus goes to Sydenham from the airport.

Car and bus

From the centre of Belfast you follow the A2 in the direction of Bangor and City Airport. The airport is accessible via the M3 from other directions (direction Bangor). The Airlink Bus 600 goes from the terminal to the central bus station in Belfast (Europa Bus Center). There is also a connection six times per day with Londonderry, via Belfast International Airport. The bus stop for city bus line 21 is a five minute walk from the terminal. This bus goes to the Belfast City Hall.

Car rental George Best Belfast City Airport

In the Arrivals Hall there are counters for car rental companies Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and National. You can also reserve a rental car in advance using the service EasyTerra provides. They compare the rates of several providers in a single quote.

Taxi

Taxis are in front of the Arrivals Hall (Value Cabs, tel: +44(0)28 9080 9080). A ride to the centre of Belfast takes only ten minutes and costs about £ 6.00. To Belfast International Airport you pay £ 25.00 - £ 30.00.

Airport Parking

The area for short term parking is right next to the terminal. Rates: 15 minutes £ 0.50, 30 minutes £ 1.50, 2 hours £ 5.50. For long term parking you pay £ 7.00 for the first day, for 4 days £ 26.00 and a week of parking costs £ 32.00. For a stay longer than two weeks you receive a 10% discount off the normal rates. Information about parking through tel: +44(0)28 9093 9093.

Services

Hotels

There are no hotels at the airport, but the airport is close to the city centre where there is a large choice of hotels. The nearest large hotel is Belfast Hilton (tel: +44(0)28 9027 7000) three kilometers from the airport. For more hotels and reserving online you can go to Booking.com. They have a large offering of hotels with great internet rates.

Shops and restaurants

There are a limited number of shops and eating and drinking places. There are a few snack bars and there is one restaurant. Furthermore, there are a few newspaper kiosks and souvenir shops.

Baggage

Contact the general service counter for lost and found items. There are no facilities to store baggage.

Information

There is a service counter in the Arrivals Hall that is available through the general telephone number. You can also make inquiries about hotels and the attractions in Belfast.

Business

In the Conference Suite (tel: +44(0)28 9093 5265) are offices and meeting rooms to rent for a maximum of 40 persons. A fax machine, copy machine and audio visual equipment are present and catering is also possible. This business centre also offers secretarial support.

Handicapped persons

The airport is excellently accessible for handicapped persons. There are wheelchair ramps and adapted elevators, restrooms and telephones. There is also a special lowered check-in counter. Some of the airport personnel are trained in simple sign language. To use a text telephone or induction loop you can contact the service counter.

There are reserved parking places for handicapped persons close to the terminal and there are phones at all parking areas that you can use to ask for assistance.

Other services

In the Arrivals Hall there are no banks or money exchange offices, but there are cash machines. Furthermore, there is an internet café and wireless internet is also available.

Contact