Car Hire Northern Ireland

*min age varies by location, check terms per rental

Northern Ireland Mini Guide

While Northern Ireland has had a troubled history, today the country is stable and makes an ideal place to visit on holiday. There are many magical and mystical parts of Northern Ireland such as the iconic ‘Giant’s Causeway’ a strange geological formation at the North Coast which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. This part of Northern Ireland is full of lush, rugged scenery which cannot be bettered anywhere else in Europe.

Northern Ireland’s capital Belfast is a vibrant city which has overcome decades of paramilitary violence to become a top weekend city break destination. Another stunningly beautiful part of Northern Ireland are the Mourne Mountains which are among the many places where it is possible to go for bracing country walks and really enjoy the great outdoors. Bring an umbrella when you go to Northern Ireland; the weather is as unpredictable as anywhere else in the United Kingdom. There are just under two million people living in the country and although it is a self governing nation, Northern Ireland is part of the constitutional monarchy within the UK and the currency is the British pound.

The issue of whether or not to be unified with Britain is one which people there have fought over for many years. The Protestant Unionists wanted to remain with Britain and the mostly Catholic Loyalists wanted to unify with the rest of Ireland. The matter was finally sorted out in the 1998 agreement which marked an end to violence in the country.  However, the differences still manifest themselves, for example in the place names of Northern Ireland. The republican Loyalists call the city of Londonderry, Derry in an effort to disassociate it with the English.

Derry is the second city of Northern Ireland and famous for the stone walls which surround it. Flying into Northern Ireland the main airport is Belfast Airport which was named after the iconic Manchester United footballer George Best. Some of the airlines to fly into Belfast Airport are low cost carrier Ryanair, Air France, Aer Arann and bmi. It is then just a short journey in a rental car to Belfast city itself. From Belfast you can drive by motorway to other Northern Irish cities such as Ballymena, Dungannon and Newtownabbey. Should you wish to drive to the Republic of Ireland you can do so without undergoing passport checks or having to drive through border control.

Northern Ireland Factfile

• Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland
• There are three airports in the country: Belfast International, George Best Belfast City and City of Derry
• Famous people who have originated from Northern Ireland include George Best, Liam Neeson, CS Lewis and Kenneth Branagh
• The doomed ship Titanic was built in Belfast in Northern Ireland
• The currency in the country is the Pound sterling (GBP)