There are 10 ways to get from Preston to Ballymena by train, plane, busferry, car ferry, car, or bus
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Train to Manchester Airport, fly to George Best Belfast City Airport, train
best- Take the train from Preston to Manchester Airport
- Fly from Manchester Airport (MAN) to George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD)MAN - BHD
- Take the train from Lanyon Place to Ballymena
4h 54m£54–178Train to Manchester Airport, fly to Belfast International Airport
cheapest- Take the train from Preston to Manchester Airport
- Fly from Manchester Airport (MAN) to Belfast International Airport (BFS)MAN - BFS
4h 54m£41–135Train, bus and ferry
- Take the train from Preston to Carlisle
- Take the train from Carlisle to Auchinleck
- Take the busferry from Ayr to Belfast, Europa Buscentre923
- Take the train from Belfast Great Central to Ballymena0
12h 25mTrain, car ferry
- Take the train from Preston to Liverpool Lime Street
- Take the car ferry from Liverpool to Belfast
- Take the train from Yorkgate to Ballymena0
12h 39m£53–111Drive, car ferry
- Drive from Preston to Cairnryan
- Take the car ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast
- Drive from Belfast to Ballymena
6h 11m£83–239Train, train to Liverpool, fly to Belfast International Airport
- Take the train from Preston to Warrington Bank Quay
- Take the train from Warrington Central to Liverpool South Parkway
- Fly from Liverpool (LPL) to Belfast International Airport (BFS)LPL - BFS
- Take the train from Antrim to Ballymena
4h 48m£50–150Train to Liverpool, fly to George Best Belfast City Airport, train
- Take the train from Preston to Warrington Bank Quay
- Fly from Liverpool (LPL) to George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD)LPL - BHD
- Take the train from Lanyon Place to Ballymena
4h 47m£62–208Train to Leeds Bradford International Airport, fly to George Best Belfast City Airport, train
- Take the train from Preston to Bradford Interchange
- Fly from Leeds Bradford International Airport (LBA) to George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD)LBA - BHD
- Take the train from Lanyon Place to Ballymena
6h 2m£70–240Train to Leeds Bradford International Airport, fly to Belfast International Airport
- Take the train from Preston to Bradford Interchange
- Fly from Leeds Bradford International Airport (LBA) to Belfast International Airport (BFS)LBA - BFS
5h 52m£85–192Bus, bus and ferry
- Take the bus from Bus Station to Buchanan Bus Station
- Take the busferry from Glasgow Buchanan to Belfast, Europa Buscentre923
- Take the bus from Bridge Street 2 to Ballymena Bus Station218 / ...
12h 51m
Manchester Airport (MAN) to George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Preston to Ballymena is to train and fly which costs £40 - £140 and takes 4h 54m.
The fastest way to get from Preston to Ballymena is to train and fly which takes 4h 47m and costs £60 - £210.
No, there is no direct bus from Preston station to Ballymena station. However, there are services departing from Bus Station and arriving at Ballymena Bus Station via Glasgow Buchanan and Bridge Street 2. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 12h 51m.
The distance between Preston and Ballymena is 249 miles.
The best way to get from Preston to Ballymena without a car is to train and bus and ferry which takes 12h 25m and costs .
It takes approximately 4h 54m to get from Preston to Ballymena, including transfers.
Preston to Ballymena bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Bus Station.
Preston to Ballymena bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Buchanan Bus Station.
There are 218+ hotels available in Ballymena.
What companies run services between Preston, England and Ballymena, Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland?
There is no direct connection from Preston to Ballymena. However, you can take the train to Manchester Airport, walk to Manchester Airport (MAN) airport, fly to George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD), walk to George Best Belfast City Airport, take the line 600 bus to Bridge End, walk to Lanyon Place, then take the train to Ballymena. Alternatively, you can take a train from Preston to Ballymena via Carlisle, Auchinleck, Well Road, Ayr Bus Station, Ayr, Belfast, Europa Buscentre, and Belfast Great Central in around 12h 25m.
Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from Manchester Airport to George Best Belfast City Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £29–130
Flights from Manchester Airport to Belfast International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £20–100
Flights from Liverpool to Belfast International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £23–100
Flights from Liverpool to George Best Belfast City Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £30–140
Flights from Leeds Bradford International Airport to Belfast International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £45–130
- Website
- aerlingus.com
Flights from Manchester Airport to George Best Belfast City Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 8m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £35–120
Flights from Leeds Bradford International Airport to George Best Belfast City Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £50–150
- Website
- ryanair.com
Flights from Manchester Airport to Belfast International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £24–60
- Phone
- +44 800 200 6060
- enquiries@northernrailway.co.uk
- Website
- northernrailway.co.uk
Train from Preston to Manchester Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 16m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £8–23
- Website
- https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/
Train from Preston to Liverpool Lime Street
- Ave. Duration
- 51 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £6–20
- Website
- https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/
Train from Warrington Central to Liverpool South Parkway
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £2–9
- Website
- https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/
Train from Preston to Bradford Interchange
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 21m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £8–50
- Website
- https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 345 600 1671
- tpecustomer.relations@tpexpress.co.uk
- Website
- tpexpress.co.uk
Train from Preston to Manchester Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £13–21
- Website
- https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/
Train from Preston to Carlisle
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £21–50
- Website
- https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/
Train from Preston to Liverpool Lime Street
- Ave. Duration
- 47 min
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £6–20
- Website
- https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/
Train from Warrington Central to Liverpool South Parkway
- Ave. Duration
- 14 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £4–9
- Website
- https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 28 9066 6630
- Website
- translink.co.uk
Train from Lanyon Place to Ballymena
- Ave. Duration
- 39 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £8–12
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Train from Belfast Great Central to Ballymena
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £8–12
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Train from Yorkgate to Ballymena
- Ave. Duration
- 35 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £8–12
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Train from Antrim to Ballymena
- Ave. Duration
- 12 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £6–9
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 345 528 0253
- Website
- avantiwestcoast.co.uk
Train from Preston to Carlisle
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £10–40
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
Train from Preston to Warrington Bank Quay
- Ave. Duration
- 22 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £11–21
- Website
- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 330 060 0500
- enquiry@sleeper.scot
- Website
- sleeper.scot
Train from Preston to Carlisle
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 17m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £60–80
- Website
- https://www.sleeper.scot/
- Sleeper Berth Classic
- £210–230
- Sleeper Seat
- £60–80
- Sleeper Berth Club Solo
- £240–280
- Phone
- +44 1524 732100
- bookings@westcoastrailways.net
- Website
- westcoastrailways.co.uk
Train from Preston to Carlisle
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 49m
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Website
- West Coast Railways
- Phone
- +44 344 811 0141
- Website
- scotrail.co.uk
Train from Carlisle to Auchinleck
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 33m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £21–50
- Website
- https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
- Standard
- £21–28
- 1st Class
- £30–50
- Phone
- 03457 125 678
- Website
- eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk
Train from Warrington Central to Liverpool South Parkway
- Ave. Duration
- 19 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £4–9
- Website
- https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/
- Phone
- +44 28 9066 6630
- Website
- translink.co.uk
Busferry from Ayr to Belfast, Europa Buscentre
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 15m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Busferry from Glasgow Buchanan to Belfast, Europa Buscentre
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Bus from Bridge Street 2 to Ballymena Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Website
- https://www.translink.co.uk/
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Bus Station to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 55m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £9–25
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- enquiries@megabus.com
- Website
- uk.megabus.com
Bus from Bus Station to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 40m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £15–22
- Website
- https://uk.megabus.com
- Phone
- 08717 81 81 81
- Website
- nationalexpress.com
Bus from Bus Station to Buchanan Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 20m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £25–45
- Website
- https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
- Phone
- +44 844 770 7070
- info.se@stenaline.com
- Website
- stenaline.dk
Car ferry from Liverpool to Belfast
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £35–75
- Website
- https://www.stenalinetravel.com/
Car ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £30–160
- Website
- https://www.stenalinetravel.com/
Want to know more about travelling around United Kingdom
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Travelling to the UK: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide























































