Dublin vs Belfast

phatbear

!!!Vague Request Alert!!!

Chaps and chapesses.

Its myself and Mrs Phatbears 7th year together in June and every year I book us a day trip somewhere out of the country, im good like that, anyway due to Ryanairs current promotion I have booked a day trip to Belfast and Dublin, on the same day hell I can afford the 8p, so I left it in her hands to decide which she would rather go to alas she cant make her mind up. So I thought I would ask you chaps to educate me, and mrs phatbear, about the pros and cons of both places, remembering we are only there for the day.

Any feedback and help would be appreciated.

All the best

The Bear

Francophile

Both places are worth a visit but bear in mind if you go to Dublin you will have to convert your stirling to euros and the rate isn't too good at the mo. Dublin is also a pretty expensive city so if expense is an issue I'd opt for Belfast.

JMU-95

hi, I live about 35 miles from Belfast, and my 2 sisters live in Dublin - dublin will be much much nicer, but will also be twice as expensive! If moneys no barrier, choose Dublin - it's very cosmopolitan. Belfast is nice too, but really it's no different now to any other uk mainland city.

phatbear

Have to admit I did consider the fact that going to dublin I would have to change my money up and it will be easier to fly domestic, ie no passport control on my return etc.

Should have been a tad more explicit in what she will require, really just somewhere for a mooch around shops and markets and somewhere nice for lunch.

Gawd I hate all this messing about I wish she would be happy with a bunch of flowers and a card ho ho.

Thanks for now

The Bear

photome

I have been to both in the last year...def Belfast for me. but I guess it is down to personal preferences and if 100 people reply on here you are prob going to get a 50/50 split.

Much prefered bus tour of Belfast to Dublin You go through the falls rd and shankill (is that what its called) rd and see all the murals...past stormont bulidings etc and lunch in the Crown is great.

bingo_bango

I live just outside Belfast, so may be slightly clouded, but Dublin is a more vibrant city as far as I'm concerned. Also, the architecture in Dublin far outweighs anything built so far in Belfast, although it does have some excellent sights of it's own.

Brand new shopping centre opening in Belfast in 2 weeks, which I believe is one of the biggest in the UK, so take lots of spending money! As far as character goes, there are similarities and differences in both cities, but both have their own charm. Belfast reminds me of several English towns though (especially Newcastle Upon Tyne), so if you're from there, you're not going to see anything new.

You'd enjoy both, and as photome says, you get to visit the Shankill and Falls roads in Belfast (correct spelling pm!), which really do have to be seen to believed. They are pretty much parallel to each other, but have huge walls and gates dividing them. Opposite sides of the political, religious and cultural divide in 30 steps. Even Berlin didn't have that!
The murals are still there on both roads, but I feel they'll really start to disappear in the next couple of years, so if you want to see blatant sectarian paintings then go now!
It's as safe as houses in Belfast now (although we'd argue it always was), and you'd be welcomed all over (even the Culturlann on the Falls road) with an English accent.

Also, there is a resurgence of the arts, especially around the Cathedral Quarter. Lots of music, poetry, plays etc to satisfy all sorts of people. May even challenge for EU city of culture in a year or two.

More info on Belfast at http://www.gotobelfast.com/