Inspired by the group and a one off package day trip to Lapland some years ago, I bit the bullet and started our EDT journey with our first solo trip to Belfast! 👩👦🙍♂️🙍(Me, my 18 Yr old daughter, her partner and my 8 yr old Son)
✈️ - Flights from Manchester - £55 pp return (admittedly we were late to the game and booked with only one date in mind, this could be cheaper if you are more flexible). 🛫 departed at 9am ish and returned 🛫 at 11pm ish.
🚗 - We drove to the airport (1hr 30 mins but if you're from up North, you'll know the struggle is real with 'decent' airports) - we parked at Toad carpark where I got a discount through my Blue Light Card app. (£20 for the day - worked out 4 ways was just £5 each). This was booked and paid for in advance with a shuttle bus to the airport itself.
📃 - Insurance (£10 through the Post Office - equivalent of £2.50 each). Those that know me know I lost my husband whilst abroad last year and thankfully our insurance covered the cost of his repatriation. I would NEVER be without sufficient insurance so for me this was peace of mind. (Argue between yourselves whether needed or not)
🕑- to note, it was horrendous in Manchester and despite leaving ourselves enough time, we made it to the gate with minutes to spare. (They had a problem scanning children's passports and we had to queue for ages whilst waiting for individual photos to be sent through) Never had this problem before and we've travelled often so can only assume it was an issue with an 'internal' flights. Definitely stressful, particularly as my daughter and her partner had already wandered off, being adults! 😆
😂 - Had to laugh as we realised we spent longer in the car on one journey than we did in the air (both ways put together!)
✈️ - flight was OK with Easyjet (first time I've travelled with them), no real service (only drinks and snacks served). To be fair we were getting ready for landing again before the crew were even out of their seats.
🚌- left the airport and jumped on the 300a which took us to Belfast. (Didn't pre-book or pre-buy tickets, bus was waiting outside as we left the terminal). £12.50 I think return, approx £8 for my Son. 30 mins journey and we were in Belfast (stopped off at a random park and ride on route). We didn't get off at the bus terminal but jumped off near McDonald's as this was closest to the centre.
🚶♀️- walked down to the Titanic Museum (20 mins maximum). Clearly signposted along the canal/river bank. Before 12 noon all the shops were closed on a Sunday - FYI.
☕- stopped off at Dillys and Dolly's coffee shop on route for a cappuccino. (Very photogenic little place, see pic of flower covered telephone box).
🚢- the Titanic museum was extremely busy. A little hectic in terms of no one knew where you were supposed to be going or which queue to stand in but we got there. Very chilling and memorable (💷 approx £25 for adults, pre-booked online in advance with the ability to show proof at a machined ticket station rather than queuing at a manned post)
You couldn't really appreciate it for what it was due to the 3 depth crowd in front of the exhibits but still glad we did it. Spent approx 2 hours there, would have spent more had it not been so busy and if could have appreciated it more.
🚕 - £7 uber back to the centre. (Neil our driver was great!) He took us on an unplanned visit past the Titanic Studios (where Gérard Bulter was filming the latest movie)
🍔- so many of the bars/restaurants/pubs we enquired in had no availability to eat so we headed to an American style burger place which was absolutely delicious (didn't catch the place name). Certainly filled a gap!
🏪 - shops had opened up by our return, Belfast centre was getting pretty full.
🚶♀️- a quick walk through the streets towards the gaol after lunch. (Prebooked tickets again, approx 15pp) It's up a hill leaving the city centre, frankly you wonder where the the devil you're going but trust me it gets you there. Lots of wonderful art work/grafitti to look at on route.
🏦 - arrived early at Crumlin Road Gaol but allowed in nonetheless. A self guided tour, and very eerie at that. A fascinating history into the troubles, young offendors and executions.
🍺 - stopped off at Bootleggers for the obligatory pint. Does what it says on the tin, a busy little bar. (A lot of pubs/bars wouldn't allow us in with a minor, albeit a very well behaved 8 year old)
🚶♀️- took a slow wander through the streets and past pretty little buildings lit up at night (almost witnessed a fight outside McDonald's but scurried along!)
📷- visited a Souvenir shop on route to the bus station - £5 for the obligatory magnet!
🚌 - walked to the central bus station (Google maps is your friend!) at 7.30 ish. Its extremely busy and forget the queues, it's a free for all regardless of how long you've been waiting!
✈️- arrived at Belfast Airport 2 hours ahead of the flight, security slow but quicker than Manchester. All bars/eateries etc closed not long after we got there so make sure you're not hungry when you rock up to the airport! A small duty free but nothing to write home about.
👮- straight through at Manchester, no questions asked.