If you're going from ireland/north Ireland to Scotland highly recommend going by ferry. It is the…read moremost comfortable way to travel you don't have to go through scanners or deal with weighing your luggage plus you can take your car with you. I guess we bought a package that allowed the lounge pass which is the most comfortable area plus all the snacks and wine lol I gather we even pay the extra to get on and off the ferry early we were the third car on and the third car off loved it. As soon as you get on head for the lounge and let the party start such a smooth stress-free way to travel. The front part has the best View and most comfortable seating options. But all the seats are comfortable it's a great way to travel. Highly recommend bringing your car because where the ferry let you off there's not a whole lot going on so it would be expensive to try to get a car from there. We made these decisions kind of late in the game so we had to turn our car back in and get a different car from a different company to take over to Scotland. So it would have been better if we'd had it more planned out but this whole trip was very thrown together had to figure it out as we went. Some of which we didn't know how long we'd want to spend in each area so the last part in Ireland was kind of up in the air needed to be flexible. I think we spent seven or eight days in Ireland / north Ireland. Pretty much went around the coast

Our journey from Dublin to Scotland began before sunrise, we took the first departure at 9:30 am…read more The terminal was surprisingly large. The ship is so much fun, we had bottles of champagne, explored different levels and dared to go outside in the cold. The ride is a little over 2 hours, smooth going to Scotland and then a little choppy going back to Ireland, but it flew by so fast. My drinking buddy and I met some amazing senior citizens, danced with them and had a GREAT time, it's unforgettable. The ship is very nice, clean, comfortable and not crowded. The restaurant has pretty good Swedish meatballs, coleslaw and fish and chips. They even sell bottles of wine! The ship is well laid out and very spacious, and the WiFi was reasonable. Major plus, super friendly staff. Efficient in all aspect of the booking, check-in, boarding, sailing and departure.

The present site of the Harbour Office has been in use since 1847 as the headquarters of the…read moreBelfast Harbour Commissioners. The building was constructed between 1847 - 1854, firstly designed by George Smith in 1854 and later by the Belfast architect William Henry Lynn. The building was done in style of an Italian palazzo. It features some gorgeous marble mosaic floors and stunning stained glass windows the most impressive of which shows the Seal of Belfast Harbour Commissioners, others depict commerce, ship building and enterprise as well as featuring a number of the coat of arms of cities with which Belfast has done business. The site is also home to a fascinating art galley. The collection here has been built up over the years by Harbour Commissioners. The gallery is located in ornate and opulent rooms decorated in Victorian fashion, the art works nestle themselves happily on these walls. The rooms boast work from prominent Irish artists such as; William Conor and Joseph Carey. There are also a number of sculptures from France and Italy. Mainly though the collection is impressive in its historical importance. There are a number of old landscapes, historical events and relevant scenes from Belfast's past. For example there is an 1851 painting of Belfast Harbour's Ferry Steps. Other pieces include the portrait of Sir Robert Baird, Proprietor of the Belfast Telegraph and Harbour Commissioner from 1932 to 1934. As part of European Heritage Weekend on 11th & 12th of September the Belfast Harbour Office will be open to the public for a chance to view the fascinating history within its walls and sneak a peek at the famous art collection.

As part of the European Heritage Open Day two friends and I visited this impressive building. The…read moreguide was very interesting and knowledgeable and gave us a thorough account of the Commission, its role, its inception and its future. I really was impressed with everything the commission is responsible for!!

When we left home this morning I didn't expect to be on this diesel powered ferry. It's a first…read morefor me and likely the last; I've been in Columbia more often. My wife was on it once before. This is one of the world's shortest ferry journeys as it's about four minutes each way. The world's shortest ferry line is the Ferry Lina in Töreboda, Sweden. It takes around 20-25 seconds and is hand powered. A car with two people return is £16. The staff are very friendly, you pay aboard, we used a card on a phone and while it's roll on - roll off for vehicles it also takes foot passengers. It was very busy both ways, it holds around 25 cars and some motorcycles and it goes from Strangford where we approached it on the hour and half hour and from Portaferry quarter to and quarter past the hour.

This little ferry is an absolute wonder. I don't think it has changed at all since I was a child…read more It's basically a very small car ferry which travels back and forward across Strangford Lough between Portaferry and Strangford. The journey is slow and relaxed and as you're only going a very short distance across the Lough (less than a mile) it only takes about 10 minutes. The ferry runs every half hour every day except Christmas Day, except when the weather is too stormy. You drive your car up a little ramp and leave it parked on the small deck. It costs just over a fiver to go across one way and on a sunny day you get a fabulous view of the Lough and the coast line on both sides. Travelling across Strangford by ferry is such a novelty, both adults and kids will love it and if you're cutting across the Lough for practical reasons rather than driving round, you'll save over an hour and 75 miles on your journey.

Irrelevant of what other reviewers think, in my opinion Europa Bus and Train Station is pretty…read moregood. Sure, it's not the prettiest building, but it has everything you're likely to need. There are a few cafes in both the Station and Great Northern Mall which lead to it. You'll also find a shop, seating, ticket counter, information desk, toilets and digital timetable board displaying bus and train times. I personally have always found it clean, tidy, pleasant in atmosphere and the staff helpful. There can be queues at the ticket counter but I know this and always arrive early to allow myself enough time to purchase my ticket. There's really nothing more I could ask for as far as a bus and train station is concerned.

Europa Bus Centre is fine. It's not super modern, but it was climate-controlled and clean. It was…read moreeasy to find the bus information and ticketing. There was also lots of information on visiting NI. Even though I bought my ticket online, I still needed a printed ticket. I appreciate the shops and restaurants, though not sure I noticed an ATM. Restrooms were fine. Not sure if Europa is run by Translink, but I will say that when I needed help with something before my trip, the staff at Translink was super friendly and responsive, and I can't say the same for other national travel companies. Europa is definitely A-OK.

We went from Cairnryan to Ireland for a few days and back. Getting a ticket was pretty easy (did it…read moreall online) and the check-in was fast. Larne has some good coffees shop with drinks and light food. Also a small kiosk / souvenir shop. Getting on and of the ferry with the car is a fast and well-organised thing. The ferry has a little souvenir shop, a small "casino", a smoking section and a kid's care. There is a restaurant and a big bar / restaurant in front with the best views (you can take the food from the restaurant here). It's a quick and smooth ride with nice views (weather permitting). A really convenient way to travel. The only complaint I have would be the quite hefty price. I know there's a lot of staff and maintenance to do, but it's still quite high. We were travelling with our dog. Too bad the pets have to stay in the car. But it was ok, she's used to the car and slept most of the time :) All in all a nice way to travel. The quality of the ferries is high and it's all well-organised.

Very good and efficient service with excellent check in facilities for foot passengers. Great…read morecoffee shop with good selection of hot and cold food and drinks. Can get newspapers, gifts and nick backs. There are arcade games to pass the time but no wifi!!

Ulsterbus is the element of Translink which is responsible for bus transportation all around…read moreNorthern Ireland, except the centre of Belfast. The buses are instantly recognisable by their light blue and white design, and come in two different sizes. The regular buses are those which transport people between two different towns / cities, for example Belfast and Bangor, Bangor and Newtownards. The smaller, 'easybus' style buses are town service buses, and usually transport people around a single town, such as Newtownards or Comber. Some towns (such as Bangor) use the larger buses. You will now see why, for a good few years, my dad used to 'rake' (make fun of in Northern Irish speak) me about my knowledge of buses. I was, on occasion referred to as a 'walking timetable', and if any enquiry in relation to buses should arise, the 'raking' was taken further, with my dad insisting that I be asked. Being the fount of bus knowledge, you see. Ok, so it wasn't entirely unwarranted, and I did take an interest in buses (only mildly...I'm certainly no equivalent to those strange trainspotters, honest), but this was only because I did enjoy a good bus journey. And I still do. Sad I know, but since I do not drive, I have become heavily reliant on these wonderful modes of transportation. No really, they're not all that bad! I know buses have are reputed for being late, but Ulsterbus is usually a very reliable service, and the prices are still pretty decent despite having risen twice the past couple of years. Despite this, a good tip is to by a Smartlink card (available at the main bus stations - Laganside, Europa and the like), and top it up with a certain number of journeys (10, 20 or 40). They work out a whole lot cheaper than buying an actual bus journey on the day, and you simply place your card on the reader above the ticket machine each time you hop on the bus, and that's you done. Simples (to quote the infamous and most wonderful Aleksandr the Meerkat). Eh, I reckon that'll do. Before I start looking like a super nerd. Though it's quite possibly far too late for that...

I took the Goldline Service from Dublin Airport to the Buscentre. It had a camera so you could see…read morethe bus' view of the road on an overhead monitor but it looked like a tour bus. The cost was a little over 11 pounds one way. This transportation service operates in the major towns of Northern Ireland. You have to wait at a stand then show your ticket.

I have dealt with Travel Solutions on a number of occasions and can gladly say they have been…read moreexcellent every time.The firm offers a wide range of coach tours, entertainment breaks and day trips to places, but the main use to me was their sports tours. As everyone in Northern Ireland knows, the standard of our football league isn't great to say the least, which leads to everyone ending up supporting an English team if they want to pursue quality ( or else one of two Scottish teams if they don't care about quality but they do love sectarian hatred!) Me and my big brother have been huge Man Utd supporters from the age of 4 years old, but untill a few years ago we had never been to see them because our Dad is amotor nut and hates football with a passion!That is when we decided to take things into our own hands! I have now been 4 different trips in the last year with Travel Solutions and they have improved their operations on the coachs immeasurably.The buses used to go via Dublin but now go straight from Belfast to Liverpool which saves a lot of time being cooped up! The trips are reasonably priced, for example for £159 my brother and I went to see the Champions League quarter final this year.The trip includes match ticket, all coach transfer, hotel for the night and free meal on re-entry to the hotel and breakfast in the morning.You could never get this kind of value yourself! Also all the tickets are season tickets, which means better seats and 10% off in the Superstore!On the occasion my girlfriend and I went to see Utd play Everton I was right at the corner flag, and got about 50 texts from my mates who seen me on TV abusing me for looking like I was taking a picture of John O Shea's arse! I would do it again any day!!! The bus guides are friendly and only to eager to help advice you, so if you are wanting a sports tour to Manchester, look no further than Travel solutions!

As Declan said "You could never get this kind of value yourself"…read more €250 pp booked a week and a half before the game for...Coach collection at Irish Ferries port, boat to Hollyhead, transfer to Novetel Hotel, Worsley, Manchester, dinner that evening, accommodation, breakfast the following morning, transfers to Old Trafford and back to the hotel, another dinner, a second night's accommodation, breakkie in the morning then the return transfers, a quick stop for cheap shopping in Wales, back on the boat and back to Irish Ferries port. The guide, Bobby, was so friendly and helpful, he was very informative and open to questions. This is a very slick service, probably because they have been doing it for so many years. I wouldn't hesitate to use Travel Solutions again for another football trip.

Whenever I went on my first unsuccessful adventure into third level education all the way down in…read moreLondon town, I took the Northfolk Line, along with my sister and mum because it was the cheapest way of getting all my gear there. It was a long trip from Liverpool to London so the last thing we wanted was an awful boat trip to add to the hassle of the trip. Thankfully, we didn't! On entering the boat we were offered the chance purchase a berth, which is a small cabin for sleeping on the usually long trip (5 or so hours). These were actually surprisingly comfortable and the trip went by happily in dreamland so I didn't have a problem. On my mum and sisters travels on the way back however, they missed out on the purchase of a berth and were forced to sit on uncomfortable chairs the whole way back. So I guess it all depends on the circumstance on your trip. There are a lot of facilities, but not enough to keep someone entertained over the whole trip and without a berth, it could become a very long and uncomfortable trip.

I had the task of taking all my worldly possessions over from Belfast to Liverpool on this ferry…read morewhen I was going over here to study, and then when it was all over, getting it all back again. The experience with Norfolk Line really helped me deal with all the hassle and rush of packing the tiny car up (that I had at the time) and getting from A to B. The staff at the Belfast port were so helpful and considerate - as I'd never driven on to a ferry before, and it's kind of a scary thing, well it is in my opinion! The ship itself was comfortable and the food wasn't bad. On the way back we got a small (and I mean small!) cabin so we could snooze - and the only criticism I have is that the walls of those cabins are VERY thin and I was subjected to a couple 'entertaining' themselves in the next cabin. Ahem, all that aside, it's a good service from Belfast to Liverpool with this company.