A Ring ‘Round Northern Ireland

The youth hostel association of Northern Ireland is offering budget travelers a special deal--six nights’ accommodation and a bus pass to explore the country--for $88.

You can purchase the Go-As-You-Please package at the Belfast International Youth Hostel at 22-32 Donegall Road, telephone 011-44-1232-315435. Beds are $15 per night, and the hostel offers bicycle storage, a restaurant, international pay phones and a TV lounge. There is no curfew.

Northern Ireland is compact, 5,463 square miles, and sometimes volatile in the cities. But beyond the cities there are extensive hiking trails and cycling opportunities.

A circular hiking trail, known as the Ulster Way, winds around the country for 560 miles. Local tourist boards can supply information on sections of it. Although there are no paths dedicated for cycling, the route along the Antrim Coast Road, starting at Larne, offers scenic, level cycling for 28 miles.

The package allows you to stay at any of the eight youth hostels affiliated with Hostelling International, located in Glenhordial, Cushendall, Whitepark Bay, Derry City, Newcastle, Barholm (Portaferry) and Castle Archdale.

With the transportation and accommodations package, the regular nightly rate for Hostelling International members is $10 to $15. Nonmembers are charged an additional $2.30. There are also several independent youth hostels in Northern Ireland and information on them is available from local tourist information offices.

For more information on Northern Ireland, contact the Northern Ireland Tourist Board at 551 Fifth Ave., Suite 701, New York, NY 10176; tel. (800) 326-0036.

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Free copies of Student Travels, a magazine published by the Council on International Educational Exchange, are now available. Articles in this issue include backpacking in Hong Kong, where to sleep cheap and exploring Istanbul.

Student Travels also includes information on Council Travel programs and services such as student and youth discounts, work and study abroad, rail passes and basic trip planning tips. The publication is available free on college campuses and at Council Travel offices. There is a Council Travel office in Westwood Village at 10904 Lindbrook Drive; tel. (310) 208-3551.