Four days spent mainly in Belfast and the surrounding towns and cities in Northern Ireland, but with a few cross-border shenanigans!
Date
July 2026
Countries
United Kingdom > Ireland > United Kingdom > Ireland > United Kingdom
Trip overview
Trip summary and learnings
- The Enterprise service between Belfast Grand Central and Dublin Connolly has significant untapped potential. Trains were consistently very busy and increasing frequency could help shift passengers from the much larger coach market to rail.
- Belfast Grand Central is an outstanding example of modern transport infrastructure. The integration of rail, bus and the public space creates a station that demonstrates the role transport investment can play in wider placemaking.
- Northern Ireland’s rail network benefits from a clear clockface timetable, making it simple for customers to use. However, services to places such as Derry~Londonderry can become extremely overcrowded, with capacity and reliability constrained by ageing infrastructure and extensive single-track sections on that particular main line.
- Cross-border rail travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland feels remarkably seamless. Despite being an international journey, the experience is much closer to travelling between regions within one country – all thanks to the Common Travel Area (CTA).
Finance overview
- The countries visited have an average cost of living.
- I budgeted £539.00 for the trip, for one person
- I ended up spending £507.00, a £31.00 underspend
- This was led by a decrease in costs relating to food, but an increase in spending on urban public transport.
- Trains were so affordable (i.e. free!) thanks to rail staff international travel (FIP) benefits.
| Category | Budget | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels | £300.00 | £300.00 | £0.00 |
| Flights | £119.00 | £119.00 | £0.00 |
| Food | £120.00 | £79.00 | +£41.00 |
| Coach / Bus | £0.00 | £10.00 | -£10.00 |
| £539.00 | £508.00 | +£31.00 |