Translink and Ulsterbus is the bus service in this part of the world. I can't vouch for the entire…read moreservice from city to city, or county to county, but what I am reviewing here is what's known as their 'Metro' service. And in the last five years I think it's become a great service, with routes divided up into 'corridors' which mostly emanate from the city centre, and travel a variety of routes through the north, south, east, and west of the city. Aside from the ever-growing routes that have been introduced to accommodate as many users as possible, the buses are pretty regular, and usually on time, give or take a few minutes. It's a really good system, and any visitors to Belfast could greatly enhance their stay when they familiarise themselves with the operation of it. The best example of this is the 'Day Ticket'. There's always a bit of confusion around this, even among locals, so let me break it down for you: a day ticket currently costs £3.50 if purchased before 9:30am, or after 3pm. Between 9:30am and 3pm it's discounted to £2.90. This gives you UNLIMITED journeys on the Metro system for the entire day, across all Metro services - you just get on the bus, show your ticket, and you're away. If, for example, you're staying in east Belfast and want to go to Belfast zoo, you get a bus to the city centre, jump off, and get a bus going up the Antrim Road. As I said, the buses are pretty regular, and Belfast is a small city, so going from one end of the city to another is just a matter of jumping on and off buses at your desired destination. It's fantastic value, and a great way to see the city. Want to be prepared? Timetables are on www.translink.co.uk on the 'Metro' link. In Belfast and don't have access to the internet? Call 9066 6630 and they'll tell you times of buses from where you're coming from/going to. Tickets are available from the driver when you get on the bus. Happy sightseeing!

If I like Ulsterbus (see the relevant review), I really, really like Metro. But, just to save…read moremyself from being an even bigger nerd, I'll stick to four stars for this review. Don't wanna look too keen now, do I? Easily identifiable by their distinctive pink and white colouring, Metro buses are based in Belfast City Centre, and follow twelve main corridors right across the city. Each corridor is allocated a number, say 1, and then the destination is allocated a letter, say b. This classifies in terms of their link with the corridor, so that all number 1 buses roughly follow the same route and travel to destinations close to each other. These buses are the most frequent and travel along all the main arterial routes - the Upper Newtownards Road, the Lisburn Road, the Antrim Road, etc etc. They should come at least every 10 minutes at peak times of the day, meaning that they are super easy to catch. Woohoo! Some numbers, such as the 3, only have one letter option, which is, in this case a 3a. It journeys along the number 3 corridor to Knocknagoney in the east of the city, but there isn't a 3b or 3c which travel alongside it. Instead, there are other, minor routes nearby which have less frequent bus services, such as the 27 and 28. All the routes (major and minor) are outlined on Translink's website. It's not as complicated as you first think, honest! Paul (the previous reviewer) has detailed the Metro service very well, and I must agree with him about the use of the Metro Ticket, which is why I love these lovely pink buses so. I travelled from east Belfast to Queens using a Day Ticket - four whole bus journeys! Had I paid for each separately, I would have been forking out at least £5-£6, so I really saved myself an awful lot of money. I've been on countless numbers of buses using my Day Ticket, and it really is a bargainous way to travel. Gonna stick with the four stars. Just imagine another half there...will that do?

First time on a train in years! Belfast to Bangor for Yelp secret supper, the journey was smooth,…read morequick and comfortable, the train was on time, not to busy and didn't add any stresses to the journey, so basically that's all u can ask for!

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.

Whiteabbey Station is basically just a little halt on the Larne to Belfast line. I would never…read moreusually have had much dealings with it, apart from when I was a student at Newtownabbey Tech, a number of years ago. I have various 'happy' memories of trudging in the rain up the road to the college from this station, and even happier memories of the days when we 'forgot' to get off at Whiteabbey, and continued on up to Belfast for a day of procrastination. The platforms have decent sized shelters and benches on both sides, with flights of steps on either side leading up to the walkways to enter/access the platforms. There is also a good sized car park for commuters to use, should they not wish to drive all the way into the city centre. There is no ticket booths here, nor have I ever seen a conductor, so it's just a case of hopping on and purchasing your ticket on the train, should you not already have one.

Whiteabbey Train Station was opened in 1848 and has recently been renovated and now includes a…read moregreat new parking space. This means it's much handier for those who avail of the park and ride service. The parking facility here was minimal before this rebuild but it seems a lot more secure and safe now which will keep many drivers at east. The platform itself isn't up to much, it's pretty basic but that's all you need. It is great having the train station in the area as there's no other stop between Whiteabbey and Belfast. From Mondays to Saturdays on the Larne line there is a half-hourly service towards Carrick with one train an hour continuing to Larne and a half-hourly service to Belfast Central. One thing that baffles me is that the train doesn't stop here on the way to Derry. I used to get this train every week up to Coleraine university and had to travel to Mossley West (see review) even through the train passes through this station. Platform 1 takes you in to Belfast and Platform 2 takes you to CArrickfergus / Larne. Check translink website or call for train times and more info.

I use the Belfast Bikes going to and from work and have done so for about a year now. It costs £20…read morefor the year and if you rent a bike for less than half an hour there is no charge. Using the bikes i can get to and from work really quickly, avoiding traffic, and not having to worry about locking up a bike or where i am going to park it. Making this a very handy service. The app is the easiest way to get a bike out and return it, you put in the bike code and go, pretty simple. You can also ask for a card that you can swipe at the bike dock, or imput the details at the dock. I have had a few issues with the service over the year, bikes not coming out of the dock then having to get another and be charged for the second bike, being the most annoying one. Although this seemed to be an issue early on, that they have now sorted. All in all its a really handy service to get you round Belfast.

For someone living in or close to the city centre these are great. For £20 a year, the bikes offer…read morea fairly dependable mode of transport around the city, and a greener, cheaper alternative to the taxi or bus . If you have the app on your phone, you simply enter the code in the bike and it unlocks. There will be an additional charge of you go over 30 mins, but Belfast is that compact I've never had them out for more than 15 mins at a time. The bikes are generally in good working order, though I've used a few that have had small problems. There is a feedback function on the app if you need to report anything. Additionally, the support team (available on the free phone number) are very helpful and pleasant. The bikes themselves are quite simple with 3 gears , stand, lock, bell, lights, parcel basket and easily adjustable seat height. Very handy and enjoyable way to get around the city. For anyone just visiting for a few days, i believe there is an option for shorter hire durations. Also, for anyone apprehensive about the traffic, belfast has become very cycle friendly in the last few years, with cycle lanes throughout many parts of the wider city and 20mph speed limits in the city centre.

No link between laganside and europa. If going from ballygowan to enniskillen you have to take taxi…read moreor carry suitcases a long long way to europa.

Wow Laganside Bus station is grim, when waiting there recently I contemplated throwing myself in…read morefront of a bus rather than get on one out of sheer boredom. Laganside is on its last legs, I can almost here the wrecking ball swinging....do you hear it too? If you are coming to Belfast from Newtownards then the last stop is Laganside, to be fair despite the state of lagan side it is in a pretty handy location right next to the wonky Albert Clock. You can get off and be right in the City centre within seconds. The journey from Newtownards itself is a long and boring one. The bus travels a route that is just unnecessary as no one gets on or off the bus at about 70% of the stops you pass. Very strange but something that is non negotiable I suppose. All in all this place could do with a revamp and if you are waiting around for a bus don't jingle your bus money in your pockets because you will be asked to spare it.

This is what used to be Bridge End Station and is between Sydenham Station and Belfast Central…read moreStation. I'm glad they changed the name because Bridge End didn't mean anything to anyone. At least now the name Titanic Quarter Station alludes to the fact that this is where you get off the train to go to the Titanic Centre, Harland and Wolf, The Odyssey Arena (Home of the Belfast Giants) as well as global businesses such as Citi Bank. The station itself doesn't have very many amenities. If you're getting on here you'll have to buy a ticket from the inspector on the train although they don't take credit or debit card so you may have to hang on until you get to Belfast Central. There are a few shelters on the platforms although no heated areas so I would plan your journey and consult a timetable so you're not left standing in the (usually) cold too long. Platform 2 is for Belfast bound trains and 1 is for all stops to the Bangor line.

I think I was a little bit harsh on poor old Holywood train station back in 2010 and indeed I was…read moreharsh on Translink. Or perhaps their service has improved dramatically? Recently I have been using this train station quite regularly and I don't think I have experienced one single delay - which is obviously vital as this should be the primary function of a train - to get you from A to B on time. Some things still remain the same - the station still doesn't have any ticketing facilities but each train has a ticket office who will produce a ticket within a matter of seconds once you're on the train. One thing to note is that these on board ticket officers do not take credit card so they will make you pay at the next station - don't worry about a fine, they are generally lenient. An off peak return ticket from Holywood to Central Station will set you back £2.90. The station could still do with a facelift but it's definitely not worthy of 2 stars any more - A -OK sums Holywood Station up nicely.

The station itself is fine. Clean, clearly laid out with a shelter for waiting passengers. On top…read moreof that there is its proximity to the town. All good stuff so far. The drawback is that if you are are coming from or going to one line (Bangor side I think) then you have to go under the line to/from the shore side though a tunnel that looks like something from an 80's New York cop drama, then along with the passengers of either side of the line you have to cross the dual carriageway using the underpass. Again, it's the sort of place that would make many feel uneasy. Crossing the road is not really viable to be fair due to the heavy traffic flow on the dual carriageway but it would be nice if perhaps a footbridge could be considered.

Good schedules and clean trains. Service is friendly and…read morehelpful every time we asked and even when we didn't. WiFi is weak and only available sometimes. Was absolutely terrified by large bully breed that lunged at me suddenly barking ferociously from its seat on the train. Will be more careful when I enter a rail car here in future.

NI Railways is (surprisingly) the company responsible for all the rail networks in Northern…read moreIreland. This includes five main routes from Belfast, a line between Coleraine and Portrush, as well the Enterprise train route from Belfast to Dublin. The five Northern Irish routes are: 1) Belfast to Bangor (incorporating Holywood) 2) Belfast to Londonderry (including Coleraine) 3) Coleraine to Portrush (as previously mentioned) 4) Belfast to Portadown (including Lisburn) 5) Belfast to Larne (incorporating Carrickfergus) The main station for all these networks is Central Station in Belfast, and it is here that the Enterprise train begins its journey to Dublin. Unfortunately, I don't use the train quite as much as I would like to, due to the fact that I don't live that close to a station. In saying that, I have travelled to Central and gotten the train to Lisburn, Portrush and Bangor. All the journeys have been very pleasant, and most of the trains are the latest models and have been well kept. Aside from the enjoyable journey and nice trains, NI Railways have managed to produce some fantastic deals to make the trip even more agreeable. My favourite offer is 1/3 off a day return ticket, available to any station in Northern Ireland when travelling after 9:30am. This meant that a return ticket to Lisburn from Central was only £3.70, and from Central to Portrush was £10! Other offers include an online day return ticket to Dublin for £10, as well as unlimited travel on any train for £6 on Sundays. Bargain. Choo, choo! Trains are definitely the way the way forward...

I have been trying to book a taxi through Fonacab to take me to hospital tomorrow. I have used no…read moreother company since 2009 and have found them excellent. However, when I phoned today to book the taxi I was told that I was out of their area. I queried this, was told to hold, waited for quite a while and was then cut off. I phoned back, same person answered, did not speak with me then disconnected the call. Very rude people and no help to me as I am disabled. Not recommended.

Always late never on time!! Even if you booked your taxi day before!! Phone line service sounds…read morelike they don't know what to do. Booked orders especially day before should be your priority!