Tips for Car Hire in Belfast, Ireland
If you’re looking to visit the historical capital city of Belfast, one of the most convenient and cost-effective ways to do so is with car hire. Car hire Belfast, Ireland provides the opportunity to tour the city and the many valleys and villages that surround it without the need for timely public transport, or the expense of transporting your car.
Belfast Road Trips
Whether you’re looking to travel around Belfast without a plan, or you’re looking for some points of interest, landmarks, and monuments to add to your itinerary, take a look below at the best trips to include on any car rental journey and around this historical city.
- Antrim Coast and Giants Causeway – If you have a few hours to spare, one of the greatest places in Belfast to spend time is a scenic drive along the Antrim Coast. This four-mile coastal drive includes the majestic UNESCO World Heritage Giants Causeway.
- The Mourne Mountains – Drive through the scenic loop of the Mourne Mountains to take in this area of outstanding natural beauty. Outdoor enthusiasts could attempt one of the twelve imposing summits with a top height of 2,000 feet!
- Strangford Lough – Head 40 miles east of Belfast city centre to enjoy a 1.5-hour drive from one end of Stranford Lough to the other. This scenic inlet was featured in Game of Thrones and offers a variety of outdoor activities on route such as kayaking, archery, orienteering, and clay pigeon shooting.
- Dunluce Castle – At the end of the Causeway Coastal route you are rewarded with the majestic cliff top Dunluce Castle. Tours are available all year round, but a huge drawback is the parking – while there is a small car park nearby, this fills up quickly, so visitors are advised to use the Magheracross Car Park which is around a 10-minute scenic walk away.
- Armagh City – Known as the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, no car hire experience to Belfast would be complete without a visit to this stunning city. Rich in history, Armagh boasts the fascinating Navan Fort and two stunning cathedrals while the surrounding countryside is home to rolling green hills, orchards, and natural landscapes – a photographer’s dream!
Tips for Car Hire Belfast, Ireland
If you are not familiar with driving in and around Belfast, it can seem daunting, with the stark contrast between bustling city and rural surroundings – this landscape can test the best of drivers. Follow our top 3 tips for a safe, problem-free car hire experience.
- Understand the rules of the road – If you are traveling from a foreign country, it can be an intimidating experience to take to the roads with different rules, signs, restrictions, and laws. Ensure you’re fully read up on the UK highway code and local road rules of Belfast.
- Don’t rely on technology – while Sat Navs can be extremely useful for most journeys, they can’t always be relied upon in and around Ireland’s rural areas which often have very weak mobile signals.
Read the signs – Where cities meet rural, low-speed limits meet higher limits and often without much warning. Belfast and its surrounding areas can include limits from 30mph to 70mph and they can change suddenly. You may drive through slow zones, urban areas, single-carriageways, dual-carriageways, and motorways – and this can be within a very short timeframe, so ensure you’re always reading the road signs to avoid penalties or fines.