At just 5km from the city center, Belfast City Airport is one of the cheapest airports to reach your destination from. Everything is affordable here.
Complete price comparison
| Transport | Cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train (Sydenham) | Cheapest by far; fare on Translink's journey planner | A few min (+ short walk) | Budget travelers |
| Airport Express 600 | Fare on Translink's journey planner | 15 min | Easiest public transport |
| Taxi | Metered; roughly £8-10 at the regulated cap | 10 min | Convenience |
| Uber | Quoted in the app before you confirm | 10 min | Door-to-door |
| Pre-booked transfer | Fixed when you book | 10 min | Special needs only |
Fixed-price private transfer
BHD Belfast City Center
From€55for 2 passengers
Other destinations
Everything is close and cheap
The key thing about BHD is that nothing costs much, because nothing is far. Here's what each option involves:
Train
Walk a few minutes to Sydenham rail halt and take a short train into central Belfast — Lanyon Place, then Grand Central Station. It is the cheapest way in. Translink sets the fare and publishes it through its journey planner; that is the number to check, not one on a travel page.Bus
Step outside and get on the Airport Express 600. No walk to a station, about 15 minutes to Belfast Grand Central Station — the bus and rail hub that replaced the Europa Buscentre in September 2024. Buy from the shelter machine, from the driver, or tap contactless on board.Taxi
Walk outside, get in a cab, and watch the meter. Northern Ireland caps taxi fares: under the Department for Infrastructure tariff in force since 5 December 2023, Rate 1 (Mon-Fri 06:00-20:00) is £4.20 for the first mile and £1.86 for each additional mile. The city centre is about 3 miles away, so the meter lands around £8-10 at the cap before waiting time. At 5km, this is one of the cheapest airport taxi rides you'll ever take.Uber
Order from the app, wait 3-5 minutes, door-to-door to your hotel. The app quotes before you confirm.Transfer
Honestly unnecessary for most people at BHD. A taxi does the same thing for less. The only reason to book a transfer is if you need a specific vehicle type or a child car seat.What the meter should read
| Rate | When | First mile | Each additional mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 1 | Mon-Fri 06:00-20:00 | £4.20 | £1.86 |
| Rate 2 | Mon-Thu 20:00-06:00 | £5.10 | £2.03 |
| Rate 3 | Fri 20:00 - Mon 06:00 | £6.10 | £2.03 |
City Hall, the Titanic Quarter, the Queen's Quarter, Stormont and the Lisburn Road are all 3-6 km from the terminal, which is 2-4 miles. At the Rate 1 cap that is a £7-11 ride pretty much wherever you are going, before waiting time. These are maximums rather than quotes, and the Department reviews them periodically.
The connection between Belfast's two airports
BHD to BFS (Belfast International) is about 30 km / 19 miles and takes 30-40 minutes. This is the one journey from BHD that is not trivially cheap, and it is normally arranged privately at an agreed price rather than left to the meter — ask for a quote. The public-transport alternative is a bus into Grand Central Station and then the Airport Express 300 out to BFS, which works but takes 90+ minutes.
Our honest recommendation
At 5km, just take a taxi unless you're on an extreme budget, in which case the train from Sydenham is excellent. Don't overthink this — BHD is so close to the city that any option works and costs are minimal.