Northern Ireland Travel Resources: Transport, Heritage, Golf, Fishing and much more

Northern Ireland runs its own transport, heritage and tourism bodies, separate from the Republic. Use Translink for trains, buses and the Belfast Metro and Glider, the National Trust and the Historic Environment Division for heritage sites, Golf Ireland for golf (it covers the whole island), and WalkNI and Discover Northern Ireland for walking and hiking. The Enterprise train links Belfast and Dublin in about two hours. You can read my Guide to Ireland Travel Resources at this link.

Fast Facts

Northern Ireland is small enough to cross in a couple of hours, but getting around it can feel surprisingly different from the rest of the island. It’s part of the UK, so you’ll find pounds instead of euro, miles instead of kilometres, and a completely separate set of transport operators, apps and heritage bodies. The Leap Card that works so well in Dublin won’t get you on a Translink bus in Belfast.

I’ve travelled to every corner of both Northern Ireland and the Republic, from the Causeway Coast to the Mournes and everywhere in between. Most of the confusion I see, and the mistakes I’ve made myself, come down to not knowing which organisation runs what once you cross the border.

This guide pulls together the resources I’d point any visitor to: trains, buses, taxis, ferries and airports, plus heritage sites, golf, and the best places to walk and hike across Northern Ireland. Where a service crosses the border, like the Enterprise train between Dublin and Belfast, I’ve included it too, so you can plan a trip that takes in both sides of the island.

You can find many articles on this site for Accessible Travel in Ireland, Renting a car in Ireland, Hiring a Private Driver in Ireland and several itineraries.

Northern Ireland Travel Resources

Trains

• Translink NI Railways Northern Ireland’s train network, connecting Belfast, Derry~Londonderry, and the towns along the Causeway Coast and Bangor lines.
• Enterprise (Dublin–Belfast) The cross-border express service between Dublin Connolly and Belfast Lanyon Place, run jointly by Irish Rail and Translink, around two hours, up to eight services daily.
• Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) Runs the Republic’s intercity, commuter and DART services, and connects to Belfast via the Enterprise service. Book online, check live departures, and download the Irish Rail app for real-time alerts.

A TFI Leap Card gets you discounted fares in the Republic, but not on Translink services in the North. Those run on their own smart ticketing instead (see the Translink app).

Buses and Coaches

• Translink Ulsterbus & Goldline Northern Ireland’s bus network. Ulsterbus for local and town services, Goldline for express coaches between NI’s main towns and cities, including cross-border routes to Dublin.
• Aircoach Premium coach services from Dublin Airport into the city centre and beyond, plus routes to Belfast and Cork.

Getting Around Belfast and Northern Ireland

• Translink Journey Planner Plans routes across Translink’s full network: NI Railways, Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider.
• Metro & Glider (Belfast) Belfast’s city bus network (Metro) and its two cross-city rapid-transit Glider routes (G1 east–west, G2 to Titanic Quarter).
• mLink App Translink’s mobile ticketing app for Northern Ireland. Buy tickets and travelcards, including the dayLink unlimited Metro/Glider pass, directly from your phone.

Taxis and Ride Apps

• FreeNow The most widely used taxi-hailing app in Irish cities, covering Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Belfast.
• Value Cabs One of Northern Ireland’s largest taxi operators, based in Belfast.

Ferries

• Stena Line Routes from Liverpool to Belfast and Cairnryan (Scotland) to Belfast.

Airports and Flights

• Belfast International Airport Northern Ireland’s main airport, with the Airport Express 300 coach into Belfast city centre.
• George Best Belfast City Airport Belfast’s second, more central airport, mainly serving UK domestic and a handful of European routes.
• City of Derry Airport Serves the northwest of Northern Ireland, with UK routes.
• Dublin Airport Ireland’s largest airport and the main alternative gateway for Northern Ireland, around two hours from Belfast by road or on the Enterprise train from Dublin Connolly.
• Aer Lingus Ireland’s national carrier.
• Ryanair Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, headquartered in Dublin, with the widest network of budget routes in and out of Ireland.

Driving and Car Hire

Ireland and Northern Ireland both drive on the left, and road signage switches from kilometres in the Republic to miles once you cross into the North. Worth knowing if you’re navigating by eye rather than sat nav. If you’re driving a hire car north from the Republic, check the toll operators before you set off, as several Republic motorways are tolled.

• Transport Infrastructure Ireland Tolling Details on all tolled routes across the Republic, useful for planning a drive from Dublin up to Belfast.

For car hire, all the major international companies (Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise, Avis, Europcar) operate at the main airports; smaller, often cheaper local operators are worth comparing too.

Cycling

• Belfast Bikes Belfast’s own docked bike-share network, over 50 docking stations across the city.

Heritage Groups and Historic Sites

• National Trust (Northern Ireland) Covers the National Trust’s Northern Ireland properties: the Giant’s Causeway, Mount Stewart, Castle Ward, Crom and others. NI heritage sites fall under the same National Trust that covers Britain, not Heritage Ireland.
• Historic Environment Division (NI) Northern Ireland’s equivalent of the OPW, the state body responsible for scheduled monuments and state care historic sites across the North.
• The Heritage Council Ireland’s statutory heritage body, covering built, natural and cultural heritage policy, county heritage plans, and National Heritage Week each August.
• Heritage Ireland (OPW) The Office of Public Works’ visitor site for the state-owned heritage properties it manages in the Republic, including Newgrange, the Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle. Useful if you’re combining a Northern Ireland trip with sites south of the border.

Golfing in Northern Ireland

• Golf Ireland The national governing body for golf across the island of Ireland (Republic and Northern Ireland together, under one organisation): club finder, handicap system, and the go-to for anything official.
• Golfing Union links courses Golf Ireland’s club and course finder, useful for locating everything from championship links courses along the coast to smaller parkland clubs inland.
• Golf Courses Northern Ireland Northern Ireland’s 91 golf courses range from world-renowned links layouts like Royal Portrush and Royal County Down to charming inland parkland tracks, offering something for every golfer across the region.
• Golf on Ireland.com (Tourism Ireland) Tourism Ireland’s dedicated golf pages: course guides, golf features, and coverage of major tournaments hosted on the island.

Northern Ireland: Walking, Hiking & Mountaineering

• WalkNI A dedicated resource for walking in Northern Ireland, with walking routes, long-distance trails, maps and information for walkers of different abilities.
• Discover Northern Ireland: Walking & Hiking Tourism NI’s main resource for walking and hiking, covering mountains, forests, coastal paths and countryside walks throughout Northern Ireland.
• Mountaineering Ireland The national governing body for hillwalking, trail walking and climbing across the island. Over 190 affiliated clubs, most of which welcome beginners to join a walk or two before signing up.
• Causeway Coast & Glens Regional information on walking routes, coastal paths, the Glens of Antrim, forests and countryside around the Causeway Coast and Glens.
• Mourne Mountains Northern Ireland’s principal mountain area, with routes including Slieve Donard, Slieve Commedagh and Slieve Binnian.
• Sperrin Mountains Upland walking and hillwalking routes through the Sperrins, including trails around Sawel Mountain and Carntogher.
• Causeway Coast Way A long-distance coastal trail between Ballycastle and Portstewart, passing some of Northern Ireland’s most dramatic coastal scenery.
• Ulster Way Northern Ireland’s major long-distance walking network, linking many of the region’s landscapes and trails.
• Mourne Way A long-distance walking route through the Mourne Mountains.
• Sperrin Way A long-distance walking route through the Sperrin Mountains.
• Belfast Hills Walking routes across the hills surrounding Belfast, including Cave Hill, Divis and Black Mountain.
• Glenariff Forest Park Forest trails in the Glens of Antrim, including the popular Waterfall Walk.
• Roe Valley Country Park Riverside and woodland walks near Limavady, suitable for visitors looking for gentler countryside walking.
• Rathlin Island Coastal walking and wildlife trails around Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island.
• Strangford Lough A large network of coastal and countryside walking opportunities around the lough, with many relatively gentle routes.
• Binevenagh Upland and cliff-top walking around the dramatic Binevenagh landscape near Limavady and the north coast.
• Castlerock–Mussenden Temple Walk A scenic coastal walk combining Castlerock, Downhill Demesne, Mussenden Temple, cliffs and beaches.
• Irish Trails (Sport Ireland Outdoors) The official register of Ireland’s National Waymarked Ways: over 30 long-distance trails covering more than 1,800km, from canal towpaths to mountain circuits, rated by difficulty with route maps for each.

Mountain rescue and safety

• Mourne Mountain Rescue Team Mountain rescue and safety information for anyone walking or climbing in the Mournes.
• North West Mountain Rescue Team Mountain rescue and safety information covering Northern Ireland’s northwest.
• Mountain Rescue Ireland Coordinates the volunteer mountain rescue teams across the island and is worth knowing about before heading into more remote terrain.

Irish publications and travel reading

• The Irish Times – Travel One of the best ongoing sources for Irish travel journalism, with destination features, travel advice, transport issues, hotels and ideas for exploring Ireland.
• Irish Independent – Travel Travel features covering Ireland and overseas destinations, including ideas for short breaks, road trips, hotels and attractions.
• Irish Examiner – Travel Useful for discovering Irish destinations, food, hotels and travel stories, with particularly good coverage of Cork and the south of Ireland.
• IMAGE Magazine An Irish lifestyle publication rather than a conventional travel guide, but useful for food, culture, hotels, restaurants and places with a distinctly Irish perspective. IMAGE publishes both print and digital editions.
• Wanderlust – Ireland International travel magazine with Ireland destination features, including ideas for going beyond the most obvious tourist attractions.
• National Geographic – Ireland Good for photography, history, landscapes, culture and inspiration rather than practical trip planning.
• Good Food Ireland Particularly useful for travellers interested in Irish food. It features restaurants, producers, food experiences, accommodation, cookery and local food culture.

Quick reference: who runs what

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there one ticket that works on trains and buses in Northern Ireland?

Translink runs NI Railways, Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider, and its mLink app sells tickets and travelcards across the network, including the dayLink pass for unlimited Metro and Glider travel in Belfast. The TFI Leap Card used in the Republic doesn’t work on Translink services.

How do you get from Dublin to Belfast without a car?

The Enterprise train, run jointly by Irish Rail and Translink, connects Dublin Connolly and Belfast Lanyon Place directly in around two hours, with up to eight services a day. Translink’s Goldline coaches also run the route by road.

Does Northern Ireland use the same currency as Ireland?

No. Northern Ireland uses pound sterling, since it’s part of the UK, while the Republic uses euro. Ticketing, apps and fare cards are separate on each side of the border too.

Is it easy to get around Northern Ireland without a car?

Yes for Belfast, Derry~Londonderry and the main towns, which are well served by NI Railways, Ulsterbus and Goldline. It gets harder around the Causeway Coast, the Glens of Antrim and the Mournes, where a car (or a tour bus) opens up far more than public transport can reach.

Which side of the road does Northern Ireland drive on?

The left, same as the rest of the UK and Ireland. Road distances are in miles in the North, switching from the kilometres used in the Republic once you cross the border.

How do I get a taxi in Belfast?

FreeNow covers Belfast, and Value Cabs is one of Northern Ireland’s largest taxi operators, based in the city. The TFI Driver Check app only covers taxis in the Republic, so pre-booking through an established operator is the simplest option late at night or straight off a flight.

Who manages heritage sites in Northern Ireland?

Historic and scheduled sites in Northern Ireland fall under the National Trust or the Historic Environment Division, rather than Heritage Ireland (OPW), which looks after state heritage sites in the Republic.

Is there one governing body for golf across all of Ireland?

Yes. Golf Ireland covers the whole island, Republic and Northern Ireland together, rather than being split at the border the way transport and heritage bodies are.

Where can I find walking and hiking routes in Northern Ireland?

WalkNI and Discover Northern Ireland’s walking and hiking pages are the best starting points, covering everything from the Mourne and Sperrin Mountains to the Causeway Coast Way and the long-distance Ulster Way. Mountaineering Ireland covers hillwalking and climbing across the whole island.

Do I need a licence to fish in Northern Ireland?

For most freshwater game and coarse fishing, yes: a rod licence from DAERA in Northern Ireland, plus a separate permit or day ticket for the specific water. Rules differ from the Republic, where licences come from Inland Fisheries Ireland, so check the right body for the side of the border you’re fishing.

Are festivals organised the same way across Ireland?

No. Like transport and heritage, festival promotion splits at the border. Tourism NI runs the events listings for the North through Discover Northern Ireland, while Failte Ireland funds and promotes festivals in the Republic.

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Road trips, slower-paced journeys, family-friendly routes, and culture-led itineraries that reflect different ways of experiencing Northern Ireland. Here are a few articles for you to discover the region.

Northern Ireland Travel Guide

Explore the Counties of Northern Ireland

Giant’s Causeway Tour

Walking the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Trying authentic Northern Irish food

Best Northern Ireland tourist Attractions

Belfast Travel Guide

How to visit Mussenden Temple

Visiting Dunluce Castle

Renting a car in Northern Ireland and Ireland

Things to do in Derry

The Derry Murals

How to use public Transportation in Northern Ireland