To ask about accommodation for a city break in Belfast?

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I'll be flying in to the International Airport for two days. I want to go to the Titanic Museum and take a tour to the Giant's Causeway. Can anyone suggest the best area to stay to get to both and to the airport and any suggestions for a naice hotel please? And any other must-see things to do while there?

The Bullitt Hotel is lovely.

If you're happy with a Premier Inn there is one right next to Titanic.

But with your mention of a naice hotel I'm guessing that's probably not what you have in mind!

The Fitzwilliam hotel is right next to the Europa Buscentre where your bus from the airport will drop you, so that might be worth a look?

And the Titanic hotel is right right next to Titanic. Forgot about it . (Premier Inn is a little bit further away, I was exaggerating a bit when I said it was right next to it).

I've stayed at the Radisson Blu in Belfast which was a lovely walk down the river from the centre of Belfast (at the opposite end to the Titanic Quarter).

The Fitzwilliam is really nice.

Giant's Causeway is on the North Coast which is about an hour's drive away - if you want to do a day on the North Coast you could see Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, visit the Bushmills Inn, Ballintoy Harbour, Gortmore viewing point, the Dark Hedges... you'll need a car though, or to go on one of the coach tours.

Loads to do in Belfast. Have a great night out in the Cathedral Quarter for a start. Titanic Museum is genuinely great and worth the money - you have to prebook, bear that in mind.

Oh and don't stay in between Belfast and the North Coast, it's a dead zone (sorry Ballymena). Pick one of the two!

Second the bullit. It’s really cool. The malmaison is also really cool and central for everything.

We stayed at The Europa 2 years ago and really liked it, got a good deal on the rooms. You are also opposite the famous pubs, Robinsons and The Crown, definitely worth a visit, one of them has live music on every night I think. I loved Belfast.

Try the Harp Bar, it's brilliant. Also if you have time, visit the Dunlop brothers memorial garden in Ballymoney.
Have a good time!

Ten Square is lovely. Belfast is small so wherever you stay you’re not far away from anything in the city.

The Merchant is the hotel that Gillian Anderson lived in in The Fall. I didn’t think it was great, but lots of people love it.

You won’t get a hotel handy for Belfast and the Causeway, but just get a coach tour to it. It’ll take you the scenic route which is gorgeous.

Thanks all for the suggestions - it sounds like any central hotel will be close to things. Is bus or train better to get from the airport?

Amazingly you can't get a train from the airport! Either of them

But there is a good bus service from the international airport, it runs about every 20 mins throughout the day.

We got the bus, remember it all being straightforward and cheap.

Do the bus tour, it's brilliant. You can use it to stop off at the Totanic experience. The Ulster Museum is definitely worth a visit if you have time.

If you want fancy, there’s the Grand Central Hotel in the city centre.

Don’t do a tour, we only had about an hour at the causeway and we’re out all day. Despite it being a causeway tour driver kept prattling on about game of thrones (never watched it)

Everyone in N Ireland prattles on about Game of Thrones!

Treacle, you’re forgetting about the magical mystery tour that is the summoning of the Belfast City Airport courtesy shuttle van to get to the pedestrian gate by the dual carriageway, then the climb over the footbridge to Sydenham.

Belfast is only a small city, but the public transport is pretty shocking (bus from/to the airport excepted). People mainly walk, cycle or drive... Allegedly Translink does have a bus that goes direct to the causeway but its website remained a mystery to me all the time I lived there; a slower option is a train to Coleraine (you need to look at the railways site) and then a bus from there (back to Translink again).

I'd agree with those who say don't do one of the Causeway tours - they're very good value but it's a bit "whistle stop tour" and we were exhausted by the end. The one we did took in Carrickfergus, Dunluce Castle, Carrick a rede rope bridge, and the Bushmills whisky factory but not long enough to do the tour, a tiny church somewhere that was supposed to be the smallest in Ireland, and finally the Causeway itself...). And I've probably missed bits.

You would be better off doing one day in Belfast and one day up at the Causeway/Bushmills (which is more than enough for a day trip). Most of the places mentioned in Belfast are nice enough, I'd stay away from the Queen's University area this time of year though, unless it's a weekend when all the students go home. ;) The Ulster Museum is worth a visit but is bigger than it looks; it's in the Botanic Gardens which are also lovely but it does depend on the weather. I can't vouch for the Titanic museum as I never did it but everyone I know who did really praised it. The Hop on/Hop off tour on the bus is excellent in Belfast, or you can do one of the taxi tours which are pricier but enlightening... Have a look on the B&B sites for accommodation in and around Bushmills, I found the quality of the ones we stayed in absolutely amazing for the money. The Bushmills Inn also does really nice food and regularly wins awards, you don't have to be staying there to eat in the restaurant. You'll have a great time, I'm sure, andyou won't go hungry - generally the food is very good and the portions fair.

Check out escapes.ie they have good deals on Belfast hotels at the minute. Belfast is fab, such an interesting city.

StoatOfManyColours yeah, I had forgotten about that

I think the added insult for both airports is that the railway line runs tantalisingly past the airport...it just doesn't stop at it!

As for the terrible public transport, there was a whole new bus system introduced around the city a few weeks ago which has managed to make everyone's journeys longer, and cause hour long tail backs for drivers. We sure know how to do public transport here

I’d recommend the Merchant Hotel. Stayed there twice and loved it. Belfast is small so you can walk to most stuff or get a taxi relatively cheaply. Can’t help with the coast as I’ve only ever driven up there.

Some great advice, thanks everyone, I appreciate it.

I would hire a car as the public transport doesn't serve everywhere.

Then you could drive the scenic route to the north coast to see the rope bridge and giants causeway.