The Translink Airport Express 300 is the sole public transport link connecting Belfast International Airport to Belfast Europa bus station in the city centre.
First posted 16 June 2017. Updated 14 April 2024.
Where do I board the bus at the airport?
Board the Airport Express 300 from the bus shelter located on the terminal building driveway.
Simply turn left after exiting Arrivals, and walk down the length of the driveway. You will then spot the pole and shelter for the Airport Express 300.
Where do I board the bus at Belfast Europa?
Belfast Europa is Northern Ireland’s main bus station located within Belfast city centre. Simply show up at the departure hall, buy a ticket, and keep an eye out for the platform information on the electronic departure board.
Onward travel from Belfast Europa to the rest of Ireland
If you’re arriving at Belfast Europa, you have the option of onward travel within Northern Ireland either via Goldliner buses, or with Northern Ireland Railways from the attached Great Victoria Street station.
If you want to travel onwards to Dublin by bus, you can connect to the Goldliner X1 express bus departing from Belfast Europa.
For more information, please visit our dedicated info page on cross border travel on the island of Ireland.
If you have already bought tickets for the Enterprise train service, you need to make your way to Belfast Lanyon Place station. To get there, hop on any Northern Ireland Railways service departing Great Victoria Street for Derry/Londonderry, Larne, Portrush, or Bangor. Lanyon Place is the third (3rd) stop down the line from Great Victoria Street and comes right after Botanic.
How do I buy my tickets?
There are a few ways to buy tickets for the Airport Express 300 –
- Buying onboard the bus.
- Buying from the vending machine at Belfast International Airport.
- Buying from the Visit Belfast information desk at Belfast International Airport.
- Buying from the ticket counters at Belfast Europa.
- Buying online.
- Buying on Translink’s mLink app.
If you’re boarding at Europa, simply show up and buy the ticket from the ticket counter. Both cash and card are accepted, though if you buy onboard the bus only cash is accepted. Europa also features a large departure board which lists out the bus bays in use for each departing bus.
If you’re boarding the bus at the airport, you can buy your tickets at the Visit Belfast information desk at the Arrivals section of the airport. You can still buy your tickets onboard the bus, but I recommend trying to get them at the information desk especially if you don’t have small enough change for the bus fare.
July 2024 Update: Due to upgrading works at Belfast International Airport, the Visit Belfast information desk is not where it’s supposed to be. You’ll have to buy a ticket for the bus from the vending machine at the bus stop, or from the driver.
On the other hand, if you don’t have enough cash or prefer to use your credit/debit cards, I recommend buying your tickets from the ticket vending machines at the airport. These machines accept payment via contactless (up to £45), and you also have the option of topping up any of your Translink smartcards (assuming you have one).
I recommend buying your tickets from the ticketing machines, or on the mLink app if you can. It’s just more convenient that way and you don’t have to fumble with cash straight off the plane.
For more information, please visit Translink's info page on Belfast airport bus services at https://www.translink.co.uk/usingourservicesandproducts/airportservices
How much do tickets cost?
The fares are at £9.00 for a single ticket (cash), and £13.50 for a day return ticket (cash). There is no difference in the amount you pay if you buy online, so you can rest easy and buy your tickets in person before boarding the bus.
There used to be a 30 day return ticket for £10.00, which saved the hassle of having to buy a new single ticket when returning from a trip. Unfortunately it seems Translink no longer offers this option.
I previously stated mistakenly that Translink no longer offered a monthly return ticket. Translink still offers a monthly return ticket on the Airport Express 300 for £13.50, available for purchase at the Europa ticket counter, onboard from the driver, the tourist desk at the airport, or on the mLink app.
If you are planning to use the trains and buses in Northern Ireland frequently throughout your visit, you may consider getting an iLink card instead. These are essentially unlimited zonal travel tickets for all bus and train services for a day, a month, or a year within the designated zone(s). The iLink can be used on the Airport Express 300, and you’ll have to buy a Zone 3 iLink card as the airport falls under Zone 3.
For a full list of fares on the Translink Airport Express 300 service, please use Translink’s journey planner function on the Translink website. For more information on the iLink card, click here.
Timetables and Routing
The Translink Airport Express 300 generally runs throughout the day all week, with differing frequencies depending on the time of day. The services is not non-stop, calling at Templepatrick (Broadacres) and Templepatrick (Ballymartin Park & Ride) in each direction.
To view the detailed timetables for the Translink Airport Express 300, please use the Timetables search function on Translink’s Timetables webpage.
How are the buses like?
Translink operates specially branded light-blue coloured double decker buses on the Airport Express 300 route. These buses feature leather upholstered seats, luggage racks, and USB charging ports on the back of the seats.
Prior to the introduction of these buses, Translink ran normal Ulsterbus branded buses or a specially branded single deck bus on the service. If you get an Ulsterbus branded bus, note that it might not have luggage racks onboard.
Are there alternatives?
If buses aren’t your thing, you can catch a taxi to Belfast City Centre. Taxis can be easily booked at any hour from any of the Belfast operators, with the most prominent being Fonacab and ValueCabs.
Taxis are highly convenient as they provide a doorstep-to-terminal service so you don’t have to worry about missing a bus. If you have a big group and/or a lot of luggage, taxis can be more convenient than buses.
Like other cities, the downside with taxis is that they cost more than the buses. Expect to pay at least £30 for a ride from Belfast.
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