Everyone enjoys a flight where one does not have to make a connection. Seemingly, with every connection one is either waiting hours on end or rushing to make a connection. The absolute worst is missing a connection because a flight is late. Being able to fly non-stop is a real joy.

So, when one is wanting to use the Belfast International Airport either inbound or outbound, it is good to know what destinations it can serve non-stop. That way those local to the Belfast Airport can see were a non-stop trip will take them. Those looking to come into Northern Ireland via Belfast can plan their trip according to what outlying destination would make a good point to take a flight.

Belfast Airport destinations are obviously strongest to and from the United Kingdom. That is to say the domestic routes have the heaviest traffic. Internationally, Spain has the heaviest destinations with the Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Alicante, Lanzarote, and Tenerife airports making it in the top international destinations from Belfast International Airport.

When looking for non-stop airport destinations from any city, it is good to check what airlines use that airport as a hub. In this case Aer Lingus, Easyjet, Jet2.com, Thomas Cook Airlines, and Thomson Airways all use the Belfast Airport as a hub.

If one is looking for a good package for travel, it would be worthwhile to look for aircraft charters to and from Belfast. Also, a number of major airlines may serve Belfast even if it is just one route. As an example, a direct route to the United States is served by Continental Airlines from New York’s Newark Airport.

Coming in to Belfast International Airport, located just 30 kilometres northwest of the city of Belfast, it is quickly apparent that it is nowhere near as large as one might expect. Size however can be deceiving. Handling over four million passengers a year, Belfast International Airport is the primary gateway into all of Northern Ireland.

There is only one terminal building at Belfast International Airport but it is an all-inclusive structure. While waiting for flight departures, a traveller can continue to take care of business at the ATMs spread around the terminal, peruse the Post Office, a photo booth, children’s play area, or test their skill at the video games room. The Departures Hall also includes a number of gift shops, duty-free and tax-free shops, and a newsagent. There is an International Food Court on the first floor, which operates from first check-in through the last departure of the day. If you don’t fancy food before you fly, there are several coffee shops and the International Bar. If time allows before your flight, there is a bookshop located next to Arrivals.

You can safely leave your vehicle at the Belfast International Airport for quick convenience on your return as the parking facilities are within walking distance of the Terminal complex. Reservations for the car park can even be made in advance online. The three major options include short-term, long-term, and Holiday parking.

Flights departing Belfast International Airport include short flights within the United Kingdom as well as all primary European destinations. Transatlantic flights will take you to most of North America, including the Caribbean.

Belfast International Airport is just 20 miles from the bustling city centre of Belfast. From the Belfast Airport Arrivals area, there are a number of options you can use in order to get to the city. Here are a few of them:

By Car

If you have a car you can drive to the city centre from the Belfast Airport Arrivals area – simply input the post code BT29 4AB into your Sat Nav. There are also quite a few locations to rent a car from within close proximity to the arrivals area should wish to hire one for your stay.

By Taxi

Visitors can also choose to travel by taxi. You can ride by yourself or share the cab with another rider using the taxi share scheme. The fare is usually displayed near the airport’s exit, check it out before deciding to take the taxi and make sure that you double check the fare with the driver as well to avoid being overcharged.

By Bus

You can use the public transport from Belfast Airport to get to the centre of the city. You will find these buses just outside the airport building. Travel time is 30 minutes on average and the bus is available daily. Visitors can purchase their tickets directly from the bus driver or from the information desk nearby.

By Train

Unfortunately there is no train station at the airport. The nearest train station is in Antrim, wish is about 6 miles from the airport but you can get to this station by bus. From the train station though, you can travel to not only to Belfast, Londonderry, or Lisburn so it is the perfect choice if you’re wanting to get out a bit more.

Imagine that you have just flown into Ireland. You will probably be tired and almost certainly just want to get yourself to the hotel for a well deserved sleep. Travelling is an incredibly tiring thing to do and after a potentially long flight from the USA or from mainland Europe, the last thing that you want to be doing is hanging around anywhere except the hotel that you will be staying in. Because of this, the likelihood is that you will want to find the quickest and the easiest way to get to the hotel after you land, and this means that there really is only one option – to hire a car.

Of course, you would be able to use public transport but, let’s face it, after you’ve just landed in a country that you are unlikely to have ever visited before, the last thing you want to be doing is leaping on a train or bus which will take you close to the hotel, from which you will have to walk with your heavy bag to the hotel – what’s the point? You can just hire a car instead and completely cut out the middle man. You will be able to drive directly to the hotel without any fuss and be in bed before you know it. The service is incredibly quick and easy to use and the staff are always on hand to help. Why make things tough for yourself when there really isn’t any need to do so?

Hiring a car always sounds like a rather arduous process. The general perception is that, after arriving at the airport, you have to wait for hours in a massive queue, pay over the odds for a vehicle that you don’t particularly want, and then end up with a vehicle that breaks down once you get 20 minutes away from the airport. All that time spent waiting goes to waste because you are left on the hard shoulder with kids, who are probably whinging about being bored, who need some form of entertaining. This is not the way that anyone would anticipate spending the opening part of their holiday and is certainly not what is wanted when you are looking to get away from all the stresses of modern day life. For many people, flying into Belfast airport is horrible for the simple fact that they have to hire a car.

Yet, it needn’t be such a taboo subject. Ok, people have had bad experiences with hiring a car but that is the same with any topic; there will always be negative experiences as well as positive ones. It is just the case that at Belfast airport, the positives vastly outweigh the negatives. There are hundreds of cars for you to choose from which means that if you want a specific model then the odds are on that you’ll be able to get it! The booking can be done online which is great because it means that you don’t have to wait around in a queue for the keys!

Whenever you visit Northern Ireland, the same problems arise throughout your trip; primarily on the side of transport. Northern Ireland is an island and, although Belfast is on the coast and, as such, you can catch a ferry there, the likelihood is that you will fly into Belfast airport. This means that for the duration of your trip, you will be without a vehicle to get you around. Whilst it is very easy to get yourself around Belfast without the use of a car (you can easily walk the distances or, if they get too much, the buses offer a comprehensive service that will take you to any destination that you want to visit), the likelihood is that you will want to visit a bit more of Northern Ireland at some point during the trip; Northern Ireland is a nation famed for its stunning scenery and countryside, yet these are to be found some way detached from the hub that is Belfast.

Because of this, it is essential that you hire a car. Why restrict yourself to the city when you can hire a vehicle from the airport and have the whole country within easily commutable distance. The service is incredibly cheap and there is a fantastic choice of cars available – whether you want a hot hatchback or a people carrier, there is something for you. The best part is that this small investment will mean that you can get out and experience the real Northern Ireland; something that will enhance any holiday!

When you are on the internet and looking for a flight, a lot of the jargon can appear meaningless. You can be reading pages and pages of meaningless words when all you want to do is book a flight and be able to relax about your holiday; all this additional information only serves to make you more stressed and annoyed than you wanted to be when you started. The worst part is that you know that in and amongst all the unnecessary phrasing and the abbreviated terms is very important information about your flight; times of arrival and departure, airports, check in details etc. It’s just a matter of decoding all the jargon and finding out the information.

The most annoying part is that many websites abbreviate the airports and some will not recognise the full name of the airport – only the abbreviated form. This, of course, creates massive problems if you are unsure of the abbreviated term and can lead to additional research and time that could be better spent doing more important things. For Belfast airport, the airport code (that is the abbreviated term) is BFS. Whenever you are searching for a flight that is flying into, or flying out of Belfast airport, the surest way to find out all the details is to use this code. It will bring the airport up straight away and help you to cross out one of the annoyingly confusing tasks that slow down your holiday booking and almost guarantee a mistake being made!

The majority of people who fly into Belfast are doing so for a short trip – perhaps a holiday or a business trip. As such, they are very unlikely to have a residency in the city and will therefore need a place to stay briefly. If you are there for a very short trip – maybe a period of a few days – whilst it is possible to hire a car the chances are that you will not; and in any case, if you wish to venture around the city it is small enough for the public transport system to be more than adequate. Yet, you will want to avoid unnecessary use of transport because it is expensive and, after a potentially expensive plane journey, you don’t want to have to pay more than you have to! It is therefore fortunate Belfast airport has two hotels within the immediate vicinity that you can use.

The Aldergrove Airport Hotel and the Park Plaza Hotel are both excellent hotels that offer a fantastic accommodation no matter how long your stay is to be. Each is very reasonably priced meaning that you don’t have to break the bank to stay there; leading to an affordable trip to Belfast. In and around the hotels there are numerous places to eat; whether it is a breakfast, lunch or mid-morning snack. Because they are so close to the airport, there is no need to use the public transport system and can get off the plane very quickly and easily and be in comfort before you know it.

The map shows Belfast International airport and useful places in the area. The first thing to note is the car park locations. These are indicated by the two blue cars numbered 1 and 2. 1. is Cosmo Parking and 2. is the long stay car park. There is also a short stay car park, which is nearest to the airport and not shown on the map as it is just for drop off’s and pick ups and therefore not suitable for travellers only taxis and friends and relatives of travellers. There are also two hotels shown on the map. These are the closest hotels to the airport and they are marked with the red hotel keys. Number 1 is the Hilton Templepatrick and Number 2 the Park Plaza. It is worth checking prices for both the hotels and the parking before you go, as you may benefit from a discount if you book online in advance.

The map obviously also shows the route to get to the airport by car. The airport is just 18 miles from the city of Belfast and you take the M2 northbound, then the A57 from Junction 5. It should be signposted clearly but it might be wise to use an online route planner or satellite navigation system if you are not good with directions. If you have no car then you should easily be able to organise a taxi to get you to the airport. If you are concerned about getting there you could hire a car and then leave it at the airport.