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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)
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.