Weather and climate
Celebrity chef Paul Rankin’s Belfast bistro restaurant is called Rain City and it’s aptly named. Belfast has a tendency towards dampness, so it’s probably best to assume that it will rain, and then anything else will be a bonus. Summer months from June to September can see temperatures in the 20Cs, but autumn and winter will vary between 11C and freezing. Umbrellas are useful whichever season you are visiting in.
Local press
Unusually, Belfast has three daily papers. The two morning papers are the News Letter and the Irish News. The Belfast Telegraph appears late morning. Other UK and Irish newspapers carry Northern editions. Most entertainment sections appear every day, with fuller coverage on Fridays.
Tourist traps
As with most cities, taxi fares may go up if you appear to be a tourist. Major taxi firms are all metered. It is not advisable to use unlicensed taxis. Taxi license plates are in the process of introduction and are clearly visible on the exterior of cars. Vending stalls in Belfast city centre sell goods of variable quality and “designer” goods are rarely what they seem. With a large churchgoing public in Belfast, Sunday is still very much a Sabbath, with city centre shops and malls closed on Sunday mornings.
Tipping etiquette
Standard rules apply: 10%-15% for taxis and restaurants, if service is not included. Bar staff are not tipped, but hotel or railway porters should be. In hairdressing salons, it is usual to tip juniors, but not stylists.
Internet cafes
They do exist, but tend to be transient in nature. There is an Internet café at Belfast Visitor Bureau (47 Donegall Place) and Revelations (Shaftesbury Square) is long-established.
Gifts to buy
A wide range of souvenirs is available at the Belfast Visitor Centre on Donegall Place, with Craftworks on Bedford Street providing arts and crafts from local artists. Donegall Arcade in the city centre has a range of interesting smaller shops, as does Botanic Avenue in South Belfast. The Linenhall Library opposite Belfast City Hall sells lovely prints of old Belfast and is well worth a visit. It has also archived “Troubles” pamphlets, posters and publications for decades and has the best political collection internationally. Its coffee shop is a literary salon for local writers, poets and visiting researchers. Upmarket ladieswear boutiques dominate Lisburn Road in South Belfast, with everything from lingerie to high class footwear.