ASA10: The Interview – theory, practice, society

13th-16th April 2010, Queen's University Belfast, UK

Travel

Belfast is situated in the heart of Northern Ireland. Travel to and from Belfast is remarkably easy and efficient. There are many inexpensive flights connecting Belfast with most major UK cities, especially London and a range of European cities, including Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Prague. Plus there are extensive ferry, bus and train connections.

Arrival

The main conference venue is Stranmillis University College, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, BT9 5DY, Northern Ireland, UK. The College is easily and quickly reached from the city centre by bus; and perhaps a 25 minute walk.

Local directions and maps

The map below shows the location of the college, where the panels will take place, and where the accommodation is located; it also shows local transport locations.
The conference dinner will take place at the Great Hall, Queen's University Belfast (F on the map below)

To see an interactive (Google) map click here. There are further map links on the University Maps section.

For the detail of the Stranmillis campus please use the map below. Entrance to the site is by the roundabout on the right-hand side of the map. The main sessions will take place in the building marked 'Main'. The lunches and lunchtime sessions in the Craigantlet Room, will take place in the building marked 'Refectory'. The accommodation office is found in the bottom of this building and the rooms are in the adjacent blocks.

 

For a travel map of Belfast showing location of stations (bus, train), airport, and road access to the city, go to Translink, the main provider of public transport in Northern Ireland.

Local bus services within Belfast are provided by Metro.

Taxis are relatively cheap and easily available. London-style metered cabs operate from airports and railways stations: private cabs are plentiful and can be booked by telephone. Not all private taxis have meters, so it is advisable to agree a fare before setting out.

Taxi phone numbers:
Executive Cabs: 028 90666060
City Cab Taxis: 028 9024 2000
Castle Cabs: 028 9024 1111

By train

Rail connections are available from both UK and Dublin.

• Irish Rail
• Network Rail: travel information from UK.
• NI Railways: Belfast-Dublin Enterprise service.
• Information on connecting services sometimes available from ferry operators.

The main rail stations in the city centre are Great Victoria Street and Central Station.  Cross-border ‘Enterprise’ services depart from and arrive at Central Station.  The closest station to the University is Botanic which is a 5 minute walk from the main campus.

The Irish Rail service takes just over 2 hours to commute between Dublin Connolly Station and Belfast Central Station. This service operates a number of times a day.

By air

There are two airports serving Belfast:

• George Best Belfast City Airport is three miles from the city centre, connected by rail (Sydenham - Great Victoria Street).
• Belfast International Airport is nineteen miles from Belfast at Aldergrove. A shuttle service connects with the city centre, operated by Ulsterbus.
  Note - Taking a taxi directly from Belfast International Airport to the University is expensive - approximately £25.

By sea

Belfast is a major seaport, with connections to Scotland, England and Wales.

• Belfast-Heysham: Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Seacat)
• Belfast-Liverpool: Norse Merchant Ferries
• Belfast-Stranraer: Stena Line
• Belfast-Troon: Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Seacat)
• Belfast-Douglas (IOM): Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Seacat)
• Larne-Cairnryan: P&O European Ferries
• Larne-Fleetwood: P&O European Ferries
• Dublin-Holyhead: Irish Ferries
• Dublin-Holyhead: Stena Line
• Dublin-Liverpool: Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Seacat)

A selection of routes and ferry operators are available. Belfast is most easily reached from the following ports:

• Belfast Port is located 1.5 km from the city centre and can be reached by bus, taxi or on foot.
• Larne lies 32 km east of Belfast, with bus and rail connections.
• Dublin is over 160 km south of Belfast but well connected by rail and bus services.

By coach

The following companies provide long-distance services to Belfast, including cross-channel routes and Belfast-Dublin:

• Ulsterbus (UK & Irish services)
• Bus Eireann (UK & Irish services)
• National Express (UK & Irish services)
  
  Note - A taxi fare from the bus station to Queen's Elms is about £3.00 - £3.50.

By car

All ferry ports are well connected by road. Within Northern Ireland, motorways link Belfast with the north and the west of the Province, and the Westlink between the M1 and M2 and a city ring road make it easy to navigate Belfast's traffic system. A good road link connects Belfast with Dublin in the south. If you are planning to drive to the venue, please can you email conference(at)theasa.org alerting us to this fact, including your car registration number, so we can organise parking access for you.

Travel documents

Many of those visiting from abroad may require specific travel documents - click here to view the relevant UK Govt website.  If you need a letter in support of your application to Govt or funders, please email conference(at)theasa.org with subject line, 'Letter of support for visa applications'.

Tourism

If you have a little time before/after the conference, there are many great places to visit in and around Belfast. It is worth browsing the following tourism info sites:U

For Belfast: www.gotobelfast.com/
For Northern Ireland: www.discovernorthernireland.com/