Straight answers to practical questions about driving, travelling, parking and getting around Northern Ireland.
A practical choice is the multi-storey behind the Europa Hotel, accessed from the Sandy Row/Hope Street side. The Grand Opera House also points visitors to Value Car Parks on Grosvenor Road.
Lanyon Place is a particularly useful option for St George’s Market because Belfast City Council publishes a weekend market-customer parking offer there.
Botanic Gardens does not have a normal public visitor car park inside the gardens. A practical option is parking around Stranmillis Embankment/Queen’s Sport and walking in; check street restrictions rather than assuming nearby residential roads are unrestricted.
Use Belfast Castle’s free on-site parking. The main car park is in front of the castle with overflow parking available; spaces are first come, first served.
Park in Belfast Zoo’s own free car parks. The zoo lists more than 300 spaces in the upper car park and around 80 in the lower car park, with accessible parking near the Visitor Centre.
Use the Odyssey/O2 Belfast car park beside The SSE Arena. It is the venue’s dedicated nearby parking option; for a concert or major match, arrive early because the sharpest queue normally forms close to event start time.
Use Titanic Belfast’s own underground car park unless your vehicle is over 2.1 metres high. It has 520 spaces, is open 24 hours and puts you directly beneath the attraction.
For a general Belfast city-centre visit, choose a car park on the same side of the centre as your destination. CastleCourt works well for Royal Avenue and the Cathedral Quarter; council car parks such as Little Victoria Street, Corporation Street and Little Donegall Street suit other parts of the centre.
Yes. nidirect states that drivers of buses and goods vehicles can face a higher maximum court fine.
No. Being temporarily stopped in traffic is not the same as being safely parked.
Yes. The hand-held-phone driving restriction applies to the driver, not an ordinary passenger.
Six points can trigger loss of the licence under the new-driver rules if the offence falls within the two-year probationary period.
Only in a genuine emergency when it would be unsafe or impracticable to stop.
Yes. nidirect allows hand-held phone use when the vehicle is safely parked.
The fixed penalty is six penalty points and a £200 fine.
Yes. The council’s official car-park list includes parent-and-toddler provision where available.
Yes. The council list identifies whether particular car parks have electric-vehicle charge points.
Use Derry City and Strabane District Council’s official council-operated and private-car-park listings.
Yes. Derry has both council-operated and privately operated car parks.
Yes. The council’s visitor information lists general admission to the Guildhall as free.
The council describes the Guildhall as about a five-minute walk from the bus station.
Yes. The Guildhall visitor information points visitors to several nearby city-centre car parks.
Yes. The council identifies Quayside as a privately owned car park.
No. Derry City and Strabane District Council lists Foyleside East and West among privately owned car parks.
Yes. The council list includes both charged and free-of-charge parking sites across the district.
Yes. Foyle Street is listed among Derry City and Strabane District Council’s operated car parks.
Yes. Carlisle Road appears on the council’s official list of operated car parks.
Yes. The council listing shows designated disabled parking provision at Bishop Street car park.
Yes. Bishop Street is listed by Derry City and Strabane District Council as a council-operated car park.
Derry City and Strabane District Council publishes a full list of its council-operated car parks with postcodes, spaces, tariffs and charging hours.
