3 days in Belfast with kids!

[atomicnotsoblonde]

I'd love some help planning a short break in Belfast. Single mom with boys 6 and 12.

We're stopping by the Europa. I want activities, food and drink ideas please. Also anywhere I can take the kids on an evening. Budget is not endless, but I'd rather spend than slum it given a choice.

Hit me with ideas, I've 3 whole days (mon - wed) to plan!

Thank you! X

Also, my kids love the We Are Vertigo Inflatapark although I think it costs around £15 per child.

Great ideas thank you! Where is good for brunch on Monday morning? The lads will need something good to keep them going. I'm hoping to get a late breakfast/brunch, then check in (by europa) then have the afternoon clear to do something as we can skip lunch and have dinner out?

Any ideas?

Final q - sorry but you've all been amazing. Am I better getting a city hopper bus ticket or a metro/glider one? Or is it pretty much walkable with a pub stop (I like pub stops!) x

I did a taxi tour and it was amazing. I learnt so much - totally changed my understanding of NI.

I was one adult on my own but the guide was v knowledgeable and easy-going and I think well able to adapt to whoever he had in his car - it v much us chatting together, not me being talked at IYSWIM so I think it would work.

Plus you can say where you want to go - I was v interested in murals, troubles - if you had longer you can book them to take you out to Carrick a rede or the Giants Causeway.

The price for what I got was an absolute steal.

You need more time to do everything!

I'd say check the weather. Worth getting the first train (great Victoria st is right beside you), to Portrush for the day if it's good weather & you don't get to the seaside that often, (the Ramore is good food). The giants causeway etc will eat up time if you're on public transport. If it's raining W5 is great - get there as early as poss, as with everything & it will be quieter & you will get more time to fit something else in in the avo. botanic gardens & museum good. Cafe Conor nearby is good. Boojum is not nice imo.

Mo mowlam new park looks great too at Stormont.

There are bus tours but have never done one yet!

You are in a great location at The Europa as the bus and train station are literally next door.
The hop on hop off bus will be ideal as it covers nearly all the locations mentioned and is on offer on Groupon @ £6.50 each. Some of the places it covers are Queens University 5 mins from the Ulster museum at Botanic (free, closed Monday), Titanic for W5/Titanic museum/HMS Caroline, Belfast murals, Stormont.
The Bangor line train will stop at Cultra for the Ulster Folk and transport museum. One museum covers old trains/buses/cars and the other covers life in N.I. over a hundred years ago.
Portrush/Giants Causeway on the North Antrim coast is a good day out also covered in a groupon offer.
There are plenty of eating places around the city, Victoria Centre has Pizza Express, Nando’s, Frankie and Bennys, McDonalds as well as a cinema.
Hope you have a fabulous time in our beautiful country.

Sorry Groupon hop on/off bus @£7.25, 1 day £10 2 day.
www.groupon.co.uk/deals/hms-caroline

www.groupon.co.uk/deals/allens-tours

You lot are ace! I can't wait to come back. It's been so long and I was a little girl. I want my boys to fall in love with the place just like I did x

W5 and ulster transport museum are excellent, mine loved them

All good suggestions. Even though I’m a local I really enjoyed the hop on hop off bus tour. I saw some sights I’d not seen before!
If you’re kids are interested in castles we have a great one to see in Carrickfergus a 35 minute train ride from Belfast from Great Victoria Street Station next to the Europa. It has a marina and nice walk along the seafront, with what I call The Pirate Park, because it has a pirate ship, climbing ropes ect. Just across the road there are a few nice cafes and you could get to sample our famous Mauds Pooh bear ice cream. myrealireland.com/antrim/carrickfergus-castle/
For brunch Cafe Metz in High Street, Belfast facing where you pick up the hop on bus is good. My 14 year old has recommended The Dirty Onion for food (don’t let the name put you off). It sometimes has music.

@Maidinbelfast - great name but it's now poor bear instead of pooh bear-they must've had copyright infringement! My fave ice cream apart from Roughans in Portstewart-was there today & tempted by the buckfast ice cream! But went for raspberry & kiwi pavlova instead

@buckeejit you are right it has changed its name to poor bear but I still ask for pooh bear in my head . I’ve not tried Roughans ice cream but a good reason to go to Portstewart.

Right... day one tomorrow... plan land about 9:45, taxi to French village bistro for breakfast/brunch, then check in at hotel.

I think maybe do open top bus full loop, to see what we fancy doing first, then maybe afternoon at either titanic/harbour (we'd walk around rather than go in museum) or botanical gardens or stormont.

Which is best do you think? Where do we eat dinner?!?

I really love The Lantern for dinner. Really reasonable price and lovely food, and it's just round the corner from your hotel.

Actually, maybe that would depend on what your six year old would eat...

Made in Belfast is lovely, and not too far away, and they have a great kids menu.

A nice relaxing start to your trip. Doing the loop is a great idea as it will give you an idea of the things you’d like to come back and see later.
Hopefully the weather will be good for you.
Enjoy

I have birthed child sized food hoovers! They'll eat pretty much anything then half of mine and still have room for dessert!

Portrush is like marmite, you either love it or hate it. I am the latter.
Jordanstown is doable on a bus . Botanic gardens in Belfast lovely as is the zoo. Maggie Mays is good for food. Also a lovely clean McDonald's with friendly staff near Abbey centre which is a shopping complex and there is a pool and sports center near Pets at home. Seems popular.

I don't think I would bother with a trip to Portrush if I was only in Belfast for three days. I like Portrush and it's a nice seaside town (and is looking it's best at the moment as it had a lot of investment in the run up to the golf) with particularly nice beaches. But I definitely wouldn't take kids there just to go to Barry's, particularly if they live somewhere where they have been to a proper themepark. Kids here love Barry's because there is nowhere else like it. And loads of adults love it too, because of childhood nostalgia. But it's not going to impress a child who has been to Alton Towers...

Hillsborough Castle is the NI Royal Residence and has just undergone a massive refurb- the gardens are absolutely fantastic, well worth the 20 minute bus journey out. It’s right in the middle of a great wee village with plenty of fantastic pubs and restaurants to stop in afterwards.

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is one of my favourite places in the world- really worthwhile if either of your kids have an interest in history, it really brings everything to life!

Fish City in Ann Street does excellent fish and chips.

There's a choice of portion sizes and they have a licence should you be feeling in need of a 'little something' after a lot of walking.

I honestly can't wait to go back. I'm feeling so nostalgic! Hillsborough sounds fab as does fish and chips. We want some cool pubs too. I really wished we were here a week. I can't fit it all in!

If you want a cool quirky pub, try Bittles beside the Victoria Centre in the city centre, even just for one drink.

It’s a proper wee old man bar covered floor to ceiling in paintings of famous NI natives. A really good interesting spot perfect for a nip in before you take the kids to the cinema or Nando’s

Take them to visit my old house and primary school. Sure, they'd love it.