George Best Belfast City Airport is conveniently located on the A2, a short 10 minute drive south-west to central Belfast. This is a pleasant city to drive in, with ample parking. However, be aware of a recent increase in the number of one-way roads and cycle lanes in the centre.

If you’re using Belfast as a base from which to explore Northern Ireland, the popular Causeway Coastal Route is rightly lauded as a must-drive.

Travelling north from Belfast on the M2, you’ll join the M5 and then the A2 for a relaxing drive that’s a treat for the senses. You’ll take in Carrickfergus, The Giant’s Causeway, rope bridges, bracing cliff walks and plenty of other stops and sights along the way.

Driving south from Belfast, the M1 directs you to Lisburn and then skirts Lough Neagh as you head west. Or you can branch off onto the A1 and drive to Banbridge, Newry and all points south towards the border with Ireland.

Visitors will find that many of the driving rules and regulations are identical to those across the rest of the UK. You drive on the same side of the road, observe the same speed limits and signs, use of mobile phones while driving is prohibited and seat belts are mandatory.

If you do end up driving into Ireland from Northern Ireland, bear in mind that speed limits and signs there are measured using the metric system, so are in km/h.

Belfast’s growth and constant redevelopment hasn’t removed its personality, charm or sense of history. Instead, it has revitalised an already energetic city.

You may be here for business, or just for pleasure, either way you’ll find no shortage of wonderful things to see, do and eat.

The Four Quarters

Belfast is divided into four distinct quarters, all of which offer different things to the visitor. The Queen’s Quarter, named for the University that sits within it, is a suburban area with a laidback atmosphere.

It’s full of restaurants, clubs and great shopping, and also boasts the Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens and City Hall.

In the west, the Gaeltacht Quarter is an area where native Irish is widely spoken, and plays host to many cultural institutes and societies dedicated to its preservation.

The Cathedral Quarter, as the name suggests, has St Anne’s Cathedral at its heart and this former trade district is slowly opening up to the public after years as a hub for business.

Finally, the Titanic Quarter is the home of the huge Titanic Belfast visitor centre, an architecturally stunning and culturally fascinating place to go.

The legend of Finn McCool

If you opt for drive to the Coastal Causeway, be sure to stop at the Giant’s Causeway. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is now maintained by the National Trust, and is a visual delight of interlocking basalt columns – many of which are hexagonal – caused by volcanic activity many thousands of years ago.

Of course, legend offers another explanation for this natural wonder, one that involves an Irish giant called Finn McCool building a road across the sea to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner.

Whichever origin story you choose to believe, the gorgeous drive here is well worth your time, and the perfect reason for car hire at Belfast City Airport.

Loosen your belt in Belfast

With restaurants in abundance and food trucks starting to pop up everywhere, you won’t be short of places to eat in Belfast.

If you feel like pushing the boat out, James St. South has been serving contemporary modern British food since 2003 with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. Mozzarella isn’t from Italy, but from Toons Bridge in West Cork, and you can also expect champ bread, County Antrim beef and eel from nearby Lough Neagh.

The riverside Ox is a more recent addition where you can enjoy Finnebrogue venison, Skeaghanore duck and local cheese in another place that does full justice to the Northern Irish pantry.

A city recreating itself and attracting new business and tourism, Belfast is a place where the energy is palpable. Hiring a car at Belfast City Airport means you explore this lively city and the wonderful, ancient landscape that surrounds it on all sides.