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.

What can I say about translink? Well they get me from a to b but it's never too much fun in the…read moremornings..... Pretty expensive for return travel everyday on the train but beats the traffic!! Convenient and reliable.

Ok, now I can comment of the train timetables! I had cause to be in Bangor this morning and being…read morewithout car at the moment and being relatively close to Sydenham station, I decided to take the train. According to the timetable, the train would arrive at 10.51, lo and behold at 10.50 the train hove into view, it was 10.51 when the wheels stopped. Absolutely bloody brilliant!, OK just shy of £4 was a bit steep but I was well pleased!

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.

Hey, it's a public bus station. If you came here to be…read moreimpressed or swaddled in the lap of luxury then you were out of order. Adjust your expectations accordingly and read on (smile). Bearing that in mind the buses are on time, the kiosk are in working order and the place is relatively clean. I am also fairly certain that there are working toilets there if you need them. The station is in the heart of Belfast and I saw that a few bus lines operate out of this hub. There are three things I really appreciated about this bus station. Unlike some bus stations in the US, there are: First, no homeless people camping out here or begging. Second, no rats running around. Finally, no obvious pimps attempting to pick up young innocent run aways. So they get a few more stars for just being a decent place for humans to simply board a bus.

Great Victoria Street station, in terms of facilities, is pretty much what you would expect from a…read morestation in a city like Belfast but it is a bit cramped and crowded. It is attached to the Europa bus station and is a 5 minute walk away from the city centre which is pretty good but it is a wee bit far out. In the station building there is a WHSmith, a coffee shop, some seats, a ticket office and some toilets. There are four platforms serving the Larne, Londonderry, Portadown and Bangor lines on the NI Railways network. I am pretty sure the Dublin trains will be moved here in the future as well. The staff here are not rude, but they don't really engage with people, for example, the man on the ticket barrier was very robotic, just letting people through once they have flashed a blue NIR ticket at him. There isn't really anything wrong with GVS station but there isn't anything exceptionally good about it to warrant a 4 star review. The convenient connection to Europa bus station is great, especially if you are transferring between services, and the statue of the two women outside on the street is quite interesting, but otherwise it is just a train station which happens to be the main one in Belfast.

In reality it's been a long time since I have taken public transportation, and it looks like a lot…read morehas improved since then. This bus offers free Wi-Fi, charging ports and "leather" upholstery with seatbelts! Buses have happily arrived into the 21st century. For thirteen pound per person (return included) we tossed our carryons into a luggage space beneath the bus, and we were off to the city. Sure, it would be more convenient if passengers could use debit or credit cards for the bus fare, but only cash was accepted. Still I enjoyed this twenty five minute trip. If more buses were this efficient and comfortable, I believe fuel emissions would be significantly reduced. While riding through the northern side of the Emerald Isles rolling hills and lovely green pastures, I got to enjoy the scenery while doing a small part to preserve the greenery.

Excellent GOT and UNESCO World Sites tour combined. The scenery and narrative alone is worth the…read morevalue in this tour. Our tour guide Sharleen, was hilarious. She had quite an accent but was very knowledgeable and informative of the Game of Thrones tour sites. My family and I enjoyed the tour very much. We especially enjoyed the comedy she threw in, the behind the scenes perspective of being an extra on the famous HBO GOT series, and the fun facts of Belfast. So much history and beautiful sights all along the Antrim Harbor. We even got to see "The Wall" from the filming for The Knight's Watch scenes. We didn't get to stop but it was cool to just see it in real life. If you're quick with the camera, you can take a photo from the tour bus. She also has the directions on how to get to the spots along the way should you want to return on your own time. That's super helpful. The breath taking views of the Giants Causeway and the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge was the highlight of the tour. And the best for last, seeing the Dark Hedges in person was surreal. I totally recommend this tour, it's practically all day 8:45am-6:30pm. The coach bus was comfortable, clean, and the driver was very good. The guide even showed scenes from the series before we made the stops so we know what we're about to see. At one point, we even took turns dressing up as the characters. Super fun tour, great for the GOT fan!

This is referencing the tour Game of Thrones tour including Giants Causeway for 15 pounds. This…read moretour was a good way to see a large number of sites within a day. Note: this is a self guided tour, where the guide/driver will drop you off at each site and allow you to explore to take a quick photo. Stephen our driver/guide provided good insights about the history of Northern Ireland and about each site we were visiting. Most of the sites visited are quick photo opportunities, which means that you only have about 20 minutes before you need to get back on the bus to get to the next destination. The site with the longest visit was the Giants Causeway where we had about 1.5 hours to explore. The 20 minutes at each site does go by very quickly, so make sure to be aware of the time as the bus will leave to keep within schedule. Tip: Sit closer to the front of the bus to get off first and take photos at each site without people in your shot (unless another tour bus was already there).

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.

Botanic Train Station is small but conveniently located on Botanic Avenue, so if you work near…read moreabout or study at Queen's University Belfast it's perfect. Personally I've always found staff and conductors helpful and pleasant. Being teeny don't expect it to have too much in the way of facilities (e.g. there are no toilets) but it has the essentials such as a maned ticket counter, paper timetables on display and two covered platforms. Located on Botanic there are a plethora of cafes, convenience stores and restaurants nearby. It's handy for getting to different parts of Belfast as a train from here can take you to Central Train Station, Great Victoria Street, Titanic Quarter or City Hospital. If you're going further afield you'll find some good off peak deals, for example a day return off peak ticket to Bangor is just £5.70 (March 2016). My one major criticism is that here in Northern Ireland it's a shame our trains don't have late night services, as last train journeys all seem to be around 10pm or 11pm. Fingers crossed this may change in the future.

I'm sorry but I point-blank refuse to give Translink or anything to do with them more than 2/5…read more They are truely dreadful, and as I have even said in other reviews I actually think they're an embrassment to Northern Ireland. My girlfriend is English and she simply can't believe how bad public transport is in this country and its all down to these monopolising idiots who are money grabbing opportunists at best and psuedo war-profiteers at worst. This particular station is extremely handy if you go to Queen's. Its only two minutes down the road so if you study at Queens you will be getting on or off at this station at some stage. The station is also good access to the Ulster Museum, though its probably 50/50 if this place is closer than City Hospital. Its tidy and clean but has no other amenities. This is probably due to the fact there is a Spar right beside it. One last point is that they always ask for your student card, even if you get the train every day. Pointless.

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?

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.