Arriving at the Congress should be easy, as Belfast counts with two airports, a ferry terminal, a  bus station and train station to transport you to the city centre. Also, Dublin, Ireland is only 2 hours by train or bus of the city which offers another possible transport option.

By plane

Belfast has two airports: Belfast International Airport www.belfastairport.com located about 17 miles from the city and George Best Belfast City Airport www.belfastcityairport.com , located three miles from the city centre. Ultsterbus provides a bus service from both airports to the Europe Bus Centre in downtown Belfast www.translink.co.uk.

Another alternative would be to fly into Dublin, Ireland and take a train or a bus north to Belfast. The website of Dublin Airport is www.dublinairport.com.

By Bus or Train

If you plan to travel to Belfast by bus you will arrive at the Europe Bus Centre in central Belfast. There are very frequent bus services from Dublin or other cities on the island; check out www.buseireann.ie or www.translink.co.uk

You can also choose to arrive in Belfast by train at Belfast Central Station. Thanks to the Enterprise Service the train from Dublin to Belfast runs 8 times a day. The journey takes 2 hours and if you buy your ticket online you can get some great deals. The websites for the rail would be: www.irishrail.ie or www.translink.co.uk/enterprise

By Ferry

Another option would be to take the ferry to Ireland. There are ferries that leave Great Britain and arrive either in Dublin or in Belfast. For information on taking the ferry to Ireland check out www.irishferries.com and for ferries to Northern Ireland check out www.stenaline.co.uk

Ecological Transport

To help you make the best ecological choice that fits your situation, this section will give you information on several transportation means and their sustainability. It will also tell you how you can compensate for your carbon emissions and why it is important.

Ecological choice of transport

The most sustainable way to travel is the train.  The train also offers the advantage that it brings you inside the city and offers some time to do what you have no time to do otherwise such as reading the most recent book by your favorite author. Unfortunately, train connections may not always be available. Think of reserving well in advance.

The bus is another option.  It generates more carbon dioxide than the train but since it is a form of collective transport it is still less of a problem.

If you must choose between flying and driving, the most sustainable option will depend on the distance you have to travel. For example, for a distance of 1000 km, one passenger travelling alone by car will emit about 90 kg of carbon dioxide as opposed to 97 kg if he or she takes a plane.  The plane is particularly carbon emitting when it takes off and when it lands, so beyond a certain distance opting for the plane is a more sustainable choice than opting to drive if you are alone. Of course, if you are several in the car you divide the total number of emissions by the number of passengers.

Compensate for your carbon emissions

If you decide to take either your car or the plane, you can compensate for your carbon emissions by contributing financially to initiatives whose aim is to reduce the greenhouse effect.  Such initiatives can be, for example, replanting trees to re-create tropical forests, or equipping poor peasants with solar energy to reduce the unsustainable exploitation of wood. Moreover compensating for carbon emissions contributes to the public awareness of the urgency of climate change and shows that citizens are ready to take steps to contribute to a more sustainable future.

You can compensate for your carbon emissions at the web site below.  It is very easy, quick and safe. And you'll be surprised it may very well be less costly than you expect. 

To finish we want to share an inspiring story…

The animals were living peacefully in the forest when one day a fire broke out. They were all wondering what they could do to put it out. The Colibri decided to take a step and collect water in his trunk to pour it on the fire. The other animals were looking at him in surprise and said: “it's useless, what you are doing? You're too small. You cannot put out the fire with so little water.” The Colibri answered: “I'm playing my part”.

Let’s play our part…

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This site is supported by the ADEME, French Association pour la Défense de l'Environnement et la Maîtrise de l'Energie (Association for Environmental Protection and Sustainable use of Energy).