Parking at x-Factor- Odyssey - 17th March

leolion2177

Hi everyone

I am taking the family to the X-Factor on Wednesday which is of course St Patricks Day and I am already imagining that there wont be a single parking place in the whole of Belfast.

Does anyone have any advice.

Should I go early , get parked in the Odyssey early and walk in to town for the parades or take a chance going down at 6pm (ish) for the concert at 8pm.

Or does anyone think I should park elsewhere?

Thanks in advance

L

angela90

I would not under any circumstances park at Odyssey -I think it has taken people hours to get out after busy concerts. I'd recommend trying to get on street parking in Belfast City Centre. It's free after six and you can walk over the bridge straight to the odyssey - takes about 10 minutes. Not sure if you know Belfast well - but I'll assume you don't to give the following advice.

I almost always get a space in Donegall Street in the Cathedral Quarter (street where St Anne's Cathedral, John Hewitt and the old Northern Bank is). It's a short enough walk down to the bridge from there. I reckon that you would be fine getting a space at six and heading over. Parades will be well over and a lot of people out won't be bringing their cars. If you haven't booked it can be hard to get something to eat in the Odyssey so you might want to try Victoria Square for food if needed - Nandos is pretty handy, decent enough food and fast.

Enjoy the concert.

seatzie

you can park on the street just down from the Odyssey in the shadow of David & Goliath (the cranes!) for free, point the car towards Stormont and you can drive straight out afterwards on to the Sydenham By Pass and back up the M3/M2/M1

park there at 6 or earlier and you can have dinner in many of the eateries in the Odyssey

caz2703

A couple of very good tips in the previous posts - heed them well!

Do NOT under any circumstances park on double yellow lines.
Do NOT under any circumstances park anywhere too close to the crossroads junction just before the Oddysey - this junction is a nightmare for cars blocking it in the stampede to get out and unless the police are there you're in for a long wait.
Do NOT park up on a pavement where there is potential for another car to park on the road and block you. This happened to us many years ago and it was a long wait for the other driver to show.
Do NOT park in the Odyssey car park. As said before, you could be there for well over an hour trying to get out depending how busy the car park is.
Do NOT try to park on Queens Road (the road that runs parallel to the road leading to the Odyssey behind the cranes and Citi building). That raod is *meant* to be a clearway so you may end up getting fined.

DO park on the main road leading to the Odyssey (as a previous poster said, in the shadows of the H&W cranes) but make sure you are pointed away from the Odyssey and preferably on the same side as the Odyssey to make it easier to get out.

If you know anyone who lives on that side of the town you could consider parking at their house and getting a lift down and back. This is our preferred course of action but it isn't fool proof as even trying to get into the Harbour Estate when events have finished is difficult never mind trying to get out! Have fun whatever you decide but there's plenty of advice here that you can take or leave but you've been warned!!!

leolion2177

caz2703 wrote: »

A couple of very good tips in the previous posts - heed them well!

DO park on the main road leading to the Odyssey (as a previous poster said, in the shadows of the H&W cranes) but make sure you are pointed away from the Odyssey and preferably on the same side as the Odyssey to make it easier to get out.

Thanks for all the great info folks.

Would the area in the shadow of the cranes be Hamilton Road?

RTNI

I think the OP meant on Sydenham road itself maybe?

caz2703

The shadows would be Sydenham Road. Hamilton Road looks like it has access to Queens Road but unless it's changed since I worked in the area it isn't a through road and is quite a walk from the Odyssey. You want to be parking on Sydenham Road facing Dee Street (Odyssey behind you) for a quick getaway. You can head to Bangor/Outer ring and to all motorways from the Dee Street junction onto the Sydenham Bypass.

leolion2177

Great advice from everyone - Sydenham Road it is then!

Thanks you everyone!

leolion2177

Ps - anyone else thinking of going to the concert - park somewhere else , Sydenham Road is mine!!!

leolion2177

A massive thank you to all - Sydenham Road was perfect - was home in Warrenpoint within an hour of the concert being over. Thanks a million

caz2703

Nice one! There's been times where we have still be in the car park an hour after a concert has finished. Didn't have much choice though as I was heavily pregnant and couldn't walk the length of Sydenham Road for a better space.