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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Antrim
Aontroim
Sleep one night if you land at Belfast International (BFS) or want Lough Neagh; otherwise pass through — Belfast is 40 min by train.
Antrim is the historic county town of County Antrim, 22 miles northwest of Belfast and 4 miles from Belfast International Airport. Most travellers see it from a bus window. It is worth one night if you land late at BFS, want a cheap base for Lough Neagh and the north, or need a rail stop between Belfast and Derry. The town itself is compact and walkable: a 10th-century round tower, a restored castle garden, a river walk and a handful of bars and restaurants.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Aontroim
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (short days, many attractions closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–110 excl. bed · High £110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-emergency 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Pint of beer | £5–6.50 |
| Taxi, town centre to airport | £12–18 |
| Train Antrim → Belfast, one way | £7–9 |
| Patterson's Spade Mill tour | £9 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BFS · Belfast International (Aldergrove)
- 4 miles south of town; no direct bus to Antrim — Bus 109A links the airport with Antrim hourly Mon–Sat, or take a taxi (about 10 min).
- BHD · Belfast City (George Best)
- About 20 miles southeast; train or bus via Belfast.
Typical fares
- Train Antrim → Belfast
- about £7–9, 40 min (check)
- Bus 109A airport → Antrim
- about £4, hourly Mon–Sat (check)
- Taxi town centre → BFS
- £12–18, about 10 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is compact enough to walk: round tower to castle gardens is about 15 min on foot. Trains run hourly from Belfast (about 40 min) and continue to Ballymena, Coleraine and Derry; the bus and rail centre is a quarter-mile northeast of the centre. Local buses are limited in the evening; SML is the main taxi firm.
See and do
Known for
- Antrim Round Tower (10th century)
- Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House
- Lough Neagh shore and Ram's Island
- Belfast International Airport (BFS)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast | Train from Antrim bus & rail centre, hourly | About 1 h |
| Ballymena | Train north, about 20 min | About 45 min |
| Larne | Train to Belfast then train or bus to Larne | 1.5–2 h |
| Lisburn | Bus 109A via Crumlin and the airport | About 1 h |
| Ballycastle | Train to Ballymena or Coleraine, then bus | 2–2.5 h |
| Bushmills | Train to Coleraine, then bus | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (High St / Castle Mall area)
- Walk to bars, restaurants and the castle gardens; limited parking, use town car parks.
- Junction retail park / Ballymena Road
- Holiday Inn Express and the retail park; a mile north of the centre, best with a car.
- Airport area (Aldergrove / Crumlin)
- B&Bs and the Maldron at the terminal; good for early flights, nothing to walk to.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Please | Pleasepleez |
| Thank you | Thanksthanks |
| Excuse me | Sorrysor-ee |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where's the bus stop?wairz thuh bus stop |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take card?doo yuh tayk kard |
| Cheers | Cheerscheerz |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses from BFS do not serve Antrim town directly — plan the 109A or a taxi.
- Many restaurants close by 21:30 and some shut early in the week; check before a late arrival.
- Six Mile Water Caravan Park is seasonal (Apr–Oct).
- Shane's Castle and Castle Upton grounds are private; do not expect access.
- Rain is possible any month — pack a waterproof.
A low-crime commuter town; the real issues are quiet evening streets, limited late buses and rain. Standard UK precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Antrim yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Antrim Round Tower (10th century)
- Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House
- Lough Neagh shore and Ram's Island
- Belfast International Airport (BFS)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council — visitantrimandnewtownabbey.com: visitantrimandnewtownabbey.com/
- Belfast International Airport: belfastairport.com/
- Translink (NI Railways and buses): www.translink.co.uk/
- National Trust — Patterson's Spade Mill: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/pattersons-spade-mill
- Wikivoyage: Antrim (town), revision 5194008 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5194008
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AntrimAontroim
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Antrim; the US Consulate General is in Belfast, and most other missions are in London or Dublin.
English is spoken everywhere; a few Irish-language signs use Aontroim for Antrim.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/antrim-town). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.