There’s no place more magical than Northern Ireland. From snake charmers to shamrocks, Northern Ireland is home to legends, limericks and a long tradition of festivals and cultural events. While many travelers board flights to Northern Ireland to partake in the local celebrations and hike the countryside, the history of Northern Ireland remains a permanent fixture in the country’s everyday life. After years of struggle and strife between the Protestants and the Catholics that resulted in hundreds of deaths, Northern Ireland finally gained ownership of its government in 1999. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 transferred governing power from Britain to the Northern Irish parliament, giving Northern Ireland a chance to rule its own. Since the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland has remained a peaceful nation.
The popular cities of Belfast and Derry are the most traveled to, but visitors flying to Northern Ireland should explore the smaller towns, too. If Ireland is known for one thing it’s the landscape and Northern Ireland doesn’t disappoint. Take a hike or horseback through the rolling hills and don’t miss the Antrim Coastline – also known as the Giant’s Causeway – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This must-see tourist attraction is a “walkway” constructed of closely packed columns from the sea from the base of the cliffs on the Antrim coastline. If a trip to the UK is in your plans, don’t miss a flight to Northern Ireland for a chance to experience England’s great outdoors and Ireland’s unique festivals and arts events.
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Northern Ireland – the six counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone on the north east side of Ireland – has a temperate maritime climate, like the rest of the country. It is influenced by the Gulf Stream which makes Ireland warmer than it should be given its latitude. The summers are warm and the winters are mild. Rain, however, is never far away, and the north of the country gets more snow than the republic during the winter.
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Peak season:
The summer months of July and August generally enjoy the best weather. This is festival season on the island so Northern Ireland flights and accommodations book up fast..
Off season:
There is no off-peak season, per se. The cities of Londonderry and Belfast have become popular vacation city destinations year-round. With a little bit of advance planning and research, travelers can find cheap flights to Northern Ireland and discounted rates at city hotels when there isn't a festival happening.
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Northern Ireland is such a small region that flights are not necessary to get around. There are efficient public transport (bus and train) links. Many visitors from the UK bring their cars on the ferries that ply the seas between Ireland and the UK. Major rental-car companies are represented at the region’s airports.
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- The Crown Liquor Saloon in Belfast is a luscious gin palace. It is the only bar owned by the National Trust. Black-taxi tours of the Shankill and Falls Roads, Protestant and Catholic areas divided by peace lines, shine a light on more troubled days. Other tours take in the university quarter and the Titanic trail (where visitors can take a virtual tour of the Titanic story using the latest GPS-based technology, the Node explorer), the ill-fated ship was built in the Harland and Wolff shipyard. Carrickfergus, a well-preserved early medieval castle, sits on the edge of Belfast Lough. Touring the castle, there are life-size historic figures depicting everyday scenes.
- Londonderry: the city walls that held firm during the Siege of Derry in 1658 can be walked.
- The Giants Causeway in Antrim – a grouping of about 40,000 basalt columns, the result of a volcanic eruption some 60 million years ago – is Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage site. According to legend, the Irish giant, Finn McCool built them in order to reach his love, a giantess who lived in Scotland), there is a visitors’ center and a souvenir shop. The Bushmills Distillery is just two miles away and is open for tours. It is the only active Irish distillery open to visitors. Carrickarede rope bridge – 80 feet up - in Ballintoy can be crossed for the sum of £2 between the months of April and September.
- Florence Court in county Fermanagh dates from the 18th century, where the Earls of Enniskillen lived. The house and grounds are open to the public. Mount Stewart on Strangford Lough in Down is also open to the public and its grounds, created in the 1920s are said to be among the greatest in the UK.
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If a visa is not required, travelers should hold a return or onward ticket, or proof of funds for the duration of stay. Passports must be valid for the period of intended stay in the UK; nationals of the EU require a passport valid on arrival. All nationals of non-EEA member states travelling to the UK for more than six months require an Entry Clearance visa.
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U.S. travelers must hold a valid passport; a visa is not required. UK Immigration officials will decide on length of stay up to six months depending on reason for travel.
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