The newest fad to hit Belfast...bus tours. They've suddenly popped up everywhere, being publicised…read moreon every street corner, with ads in every local magazine you read. Ulster Bus are the latest to join this craze, so we thought we'd check them out.
My brother purchased three tickets online for £8 (I'll let you do the maths), which is a good few quid cheaper than the other tour companies charge. Off to a good start in my books! With five bus tours running a day, we chose the 11:30am one (there's also 10am, 1pm, 2:30pm and 4pm) and set off for the Europa Bus Centre.
The bus driver was a "jolly happy soul", and did remind me of Santa in his younger years, so this doubly pleased me. The Ulster Bus tours are quite different from the other tours in that the buses are not open top, which does restrict your photograph taking, but does keep you dry. Which is usually quite necessary in Northern Ireland. However, today the sun had decided to put its hat on, and the bus was decidedly warm. Continuous complaints of "oh my word, I'm gonna pass out" and "flip sake, I'm soooo warm" ensued from my sister. But she was right...it was a bit too hot, even with the air con. We're never happy, are we?
Anyway, back to Mr Jolly Happy bus driver. He gave us some earphones - the comfy kind - and went on his merry way. Off we set, joined by an Aussie who was firing out questions left, right and centre. More than happy to oblige, we answered them all, and provided a few nuggets of information that the commentary didn't.
Which brings me to my main complaint. The commentary wasn't long enough, nor detailed enough. The Aussie guy was getting his moneys worth, but if I had known nothing about Belfast before the tour, that knowledge would only have increased half of what it should have been. The route could have been extended a bit, but we got round all the major parts - right into the heart of West Belfast, up the University Quarter in the South, and towards the Titanic Quarter in the East.
I wasn't hugely disappointed, but then neither was I hugely satisfied. The fact that the bus driver was so lovely, and 'the price was nice' does throw some positivity on things though, and if you're off for a bus tour on a wet day, Ulster Bus will sort you out nicely.