Hello, I may be staying 2 days/nights in Belfast alone in August (may have a friend come meet up with me but not sure yet). If I am on my own, can anyone tell me the safest areas for hotels? Or is the city fairly safe in general for a female on her own?
Thanks!
Posted by
aberdeen, scotland & london, uk
241 posts
Safe! - it's part of the UK! Just use some basic sense. It's loads safer than any of the big cities around the world (eg London).
Have a good time, s ;)
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
I stayed in the Halls of Residence at Queens University on Malone Road in Belfast. The University rents out rooms to tourists during the summer and I got a single with a private bathroom for a very good price which includes a full hot breakfast and also access to laundry facilities and Wi-Fi. There was a city bus stop directly outside the front which takes you into the city center and where the train/bus station is. Otherwise, it's about a 20-25 minute walk, or you can catch a taxi as there seemed to be plenty in the area. Very nice neighborhood, felt really safe walking around that part of Belfast on my own even late at night. Some nice sit down restaurants as well as some good chip shops and other fast food options are in the area, and the Botanical Gardens are beautiful to walk through and only about 5 minutes from the Halls of Residence. Overall, I was in Belfast for about 10 days and never felt unsafe in any neighborhood and thought it was a terrific place to explore on my own.
Posted by
wichita, kansas
484 posts
I just spent three days in Belfast and according to the tour guide the only city in the world that is safer is Tokyo. Whether this is actually true or not I have no idea.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32331 posts
Gabrielle, I've found Belfast to be generally "safe" for tourists to walk around, but of course like any cities that are a few "dodgy" areas that one should avoid (especially when wearing the wrong "colours"). I stayed at the www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Belfast-International-029002.en.htm on my last visit and had no problems at all. For listings of good Hotels, check your local Library or larger book stores to see if you can find a copy of the Ireland Guidebook. There are a variety of listings there in various price ranges, and a LOT of good information on sightseeing options. You could also download the E-book version in a few minutes if you have a compatible reader (iPad / Kindle / Nook). You could also check Trip Advisor. Happy travels!
Posted by
Phoenix, AZ, USA
1035 posts
I have stayed at QUB also. That area is very nice and very safe. I can remember being there in the height of "the troubles" and never felt unsafe then either (ok, I wasn't crazy about having a gun trained on me as the armored personell carriers patrolled). One piece of advice is to keep any personal political beliefs about Ireland to yourself while in the north of Ireland.