First off. The George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) is very different than the Belfast International Airport (BFS) and full flight arrivals and arrival times can be found on the airport website. The airport is located less than 4 miles from Belfast City Centre (10-minute drive) in East Belfast and less than 10 miles (18-minute drive) is The City of Bangor in the opposite direction.
Full address here: George Best Belfast City Airport, A2 Sydenham Bypass, BT3 9JH. Trains also run in both directions to between Belfast and Bangor on the Gold Coast Trainline.
Belfast City Airport Arrivals
The Belfast City Airport Arrival hall is relatively small with one exit door/meeting point for arrivals which just opens out into one big terminal shared with Belfast City Airport departures. So it’s just one big terminal with all the necessary facilities like a shop (WH Smiths) and a cafe (Costa Coffee), a currency exchange (Travelex), as well as a bunch of ATMs to withdraw British Pounds (GDP) if needed on arrival.
Belfast City Airport Parking
For Belfast City Airport arrivals there is free parking at Belfast City Airport for up to 10 minutes, which is used mostly for pick-up/drop-offs. So the pick-up/drop-off area is 2nd on the right when entering the airport, with tickets machines on entering and exiting, and there’s a ticket pay station in the shelters/passenger waiting area in case you manage to overstay past the 10-minute mark.
Short Stay Parking at Belfast City Airport?
There is Short Stay Parking for departures/arrivals at Belfast City Airport where car parks are found on the first right when entering toward the terminal. There are ticket machines on entering and exiting the car park and ticket pay stations are found both in the Belfast City Airport Terminal and at the nearby shelters.
| Short Stay Parking | Price |
|---|---|
| 0-10 minutes | Free |
| 11-30 minutes | £3.00 |
| 30-60 minutes | £6.00 |
| 1-2 hours | £10.00 |
There is also Long Stay Car Parking at Belfast City Airport which is best/cheaper to book online and in advance (reservation here). I think you’re talking around £50 per week.
Parking near Belfast City Airport?
For alternative parking to the Belfast City Airport carpark, Just Park is a great wee website for cheap parking, and it’s a bit like an Airbnb for on-street and off-street parking “from driveways to car parks”. And the nearby Sydenham Station is one of the more popular areas. There also used to be alternative and cheap parking at Ikea (Boal Parking Belfast City Airport) with mini-bus transfer to Belfast City Airport. But this was shut down after planning permission was refused.
Travel to Belfast City Centre
Belfast City Airport Bus?
Regular-ish buses travel between Belfast City Airport and Belfast City Centre (Europa Buscentre) through the day with stops at Wellington Place and Queens Square (Airport Express 600). Buses travel every 30-minutes during peak times, starting just after 05:00 and ending just before 22:00. Pick-up is from the front of the Belfast City Airport terminal building. It takes around 10 minutes. Online booking here.
Taxis to Belfast City Centre?
Uber is now active in Belfast, and there is free wifi at the airport terminal, it’s easy enough to get a ride share to Belfast City Centre or Bangor or wherever you plan to go. However, taxis don’t actually use metres in Northern Ireland, although it shouldn’t be much more than £10 from Belfast City Airport to City Centre (includes a £2.50 airport surcharge). There are a bunch of different taxi firms operating in Belfast, all new to me, but the firm working with Belfast City Airport is Value Cabs.
Belfast City Airport Train Station?
It is just over 1/2 a mile to the nearest train station at Sydenham Station. So it’s an easy enough walk with cabin baggage, and the trains are convenient for both travel to Belfast City Centre (Great Victoria Street) in one direction (20 mins) and Bangor City Centre in the opposite direction (25 mins) on the Bangor to Belfast line (train timetables here). There’s meant to be a shuttle bus service between the Belfast City Airport and the station but I’ve never seen it. And while there is a connecting path inside airport grounds it’s also simple to just follow the main road to Sydenham Train Station.
Belfast City Airport Hire Cars
There are various car hire booths in the Belfast City Airport arrivals hall (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and National) and the parking for Belfast City Airport Hire Cars is just out the front door and to the left. Grab your keys at the kiosk and just pick it up and go. I will forever recommend a road trip for tourists in Northern Ireland as well, given the country is small, tourist attractions are close-knit, and just much of the best scenery is found off-the-beaten-path. Here for comparative car hire.
Hotels at Belfast City Airport?
There are no hotels near Belfast city airport so it’s best to just stay near a hotel in either Belfast City Centre (nearby hotels here) or Bangor City Centre (hotels here) before travelling in by train.