AirOrSeaTravel is an independent guide. Bookings on this page are completed on the provider’s own website. How we are funded.

AirOrSeaTravel — find your way there
Belfast · United Kingdom

Car hire and driving in Belfast

Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.

OverviewFlightsHotelsTrainsBusesCar rentalTours

In United Kingdom traffic drives on the left. Picking up at BFS means 20 km (12 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3086706.

Drives from Belfast

Car rental from Belfast: distances and estimated journey times
RouteCountryDistanceEstimated time
Belfast to DublinIreland142 km (88 mi)about 2 h 10 min
Belfast to GlasgowUnited Kingdom176 km (110 mi)about 2 h 41 min
Belfast to BlackpoolUnited Kingdom206 km (128 mi)about 3 h 9 min
Belfast to PrestonUnited Kingdom229 km (142 mi)about 3 h 30 min
Belfast to EdinburghUnited Kingdom229 km (142 mi)about 3 h 30 min
Belfast to BirkenheadUnited Kingdom233 km (145 mi)about 3 h 33 min
Belfast to LiverpoolUnited Kingdom233 km (145 mi)about 3 h 34 min
Belfast to BlackburnUnited Kingdom243 km (151 mi)about 3 h 42 min
Belfast to St HelensUnited Kingdom244 km (152 mi)about 3 h 44 min
Belfast to WiganUnited Kingdom244 km (152 mi)about 3 h 44 min
Belfast to BoltonUnited Kingdom254 km (158 mi)about 3 h 52 min
Belfast to BurnleyUnited Kingdom256 km (159 mi)about 3 h 54 min
Belfast to LondonUnited Kingdom518 km (322 mi)about 7 h 54 min
Belfast to BerlinGermany1,293 km (804 mi)about 19 h 43 min
Belfast to ParisFrance855 km (531 mi)about 13 h 2 min
Belfast to HamburgGermany1,043 km (648 mi)about 15 h 54 min
Belfast to WarsawPoland1,793 km (1,114 mi)about 27 h 21 min
Belfast to ViennaAustria1,692 km (1,052 mi)about 25 h 49 min
Belfast to BarcelonaSpain1,585 km (985 mi)about 24 h 10 min
Belfast to StockholmSweden1,537 km (955 mi)about 23 h 26 min

Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.

Where to compare car hire

ExpediaCar hire from the major suppliers, and the one to look at if the flight or hotel is already booked there. Part of Expedia Group.Check car hire on Expedia (opens www.expedia.com in a new tab)
DiscoverCarsCompares local and international suppliers. Read the counter reviews before you pick.Check rental cars on DiscoverCars (opens www.discovercars.com in a new tab)
Auto EuropeA broker specialising in Europe, often with clearer all-in pricing for US renters.Get European rates on Auto Europe (opens www.autoeurope.com in a new tab)
Rentalcars.comBooking.com's car arm, with wide airport coverage worldwide.Compare suppliers on Rentalcars.com (opens www.rentalcars.com in a new tab)
Every link above leaves this site.

We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.

Common questions

Which side of the road do they drive on in Belfast?

The left, as everywhere in United Kingdom.

How are the journey times on this page worked out?

From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.