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Advice for Northern Ireland...a car or mostly public transport?

Posted by (Los Angeles, CA, USA) on

So...this will be my third trip to Ireland, first for Northern Ireland. My first trip I took public transport from Dublin-Galway-Dingle-Cork, etc. and, overall, loved it and didn't miss a car too much! (hired a tour guide for Dingle, etc.) Next trip, I brought my boyfriend and we rented a car in Cork and did the whole West, including the Dingle Peninsula again, which I love! BUT, I was very stressed while he drove, worried I'd hit the wall every time a truck drove too close to his center divider. It doesn't help that I only truly feel relaxed when I'm driving here in Los Angeles...I'm not a relaxed passenger. So I don't want that kind of stress again and to fight..; )

SO, my question is mostly this: Do we really need a car??? (we don't drive stick) Or can we get around with hiring ones when we need them, whether it's an Uber, taxi or private tour guide. Or can we rent an automatic easily in small towns? Kinda doubt that... Let me say that we are mostly city folks, who aren't huge hikers but do enjoy relaxing a lot by the sea and eating and watching/meeting people. I love culture but don't need tons of it on the trip...like I said, I LOVE DINGLE! and traditional music and food!

SUMMARY:

July 30-31 Fly to Dublin from LA
July 31-Aug 2 Dublin hotel 3 nights
Aug 3-5 train to Belfast. 3 nights. Sunday leave for Portrush, but how? Train is a possibility.
Aug 6-8 Portrush and sights. 2-3 nights. See Causeway and other sites as day trips. But then how to go on to Donegal/Derry??
Aug 9-11 Donegal 3 nights
Aug 12 head back towards Dublin area for afternoon flight the following day (Sunday). Train? Car on which highway? Stay in city or Dun L?
Aug 13 Sunday. Fly home to LA from Dublin airport.

LONGER EXPLANATION:

We have the first two weeks of August, flying in and out of Dublin.
3 nights in Dublin.
Train it to Belfast. 3 nights there.

Then:
Train it to Portrush, stay 2-3 nights, with side trips to the Giant Causeway, etc.? Or rent a car out of Belfast, on a Sunday, which sounds difficult? Don't love the idea of driving out of a large city (I know ironic since I grew up in LA)

This is where I don't exactly know what to do yet...I'd love to stay in Donegal for 2-3 nights but haven't looked yet at public transport. Is it difficult to get from Portrush to Donegal without a car? I also feel that we should see Derry for an afternoon, but I could do that as a side trip from Portrush, if need be I guess.

I thought I saw that there is a train or bus from Donegal or even Sligo back to Dublin, where I thought we could stay our last night in Dun Laoghaire instead of Dublin...

OR do we pick up an automatic car in Portrush, if that's even possible, and drive the rest, on to Donegal and then take some highway back to Dublin or Dun Laoghaire. I don't want to come even close to driving in Dublin though...

If you have read this far, I truly appreciate it. Again, I'm completely comfortable with public transport, having traveled all over Europe by myself for 20 years now. I'm 47 now and just want a relaxing trip with my man but he thinks we probably need a car...

Any thoughts and advice would so be appreciated!!!

Posted by
88 posts

Thanks so much Paul! Really appreciate it...I wish more people would contribute their opinions. Still wondering if we can make it easily around Portrush and the sites in the vicinity by just hiring drivers. More and more, I'm thinking of renting a car once we arrive in Donegal County and driving back to Dublin area.

Posted by
5 posts

My husband, son and I will be doing a very similar trip this August. I am wondering the same. I would love to not drive, but am wondering if it's unavoidable. We will stay in London Derry 2 nights and the last night of our stay there we have a show in Letterkenny. The following day we are planning on heading black to Dublin for our flight the following day. So planning on half a day of travel. (bus/train)?
1. Best way to get to Letterkenny and back from LondonDerry for a show...will probably end at midnight. (Taxi, bus, rent a car) or just stay the night there knowing we have to get back to Dublin the following day.
2. I thought it would more relaxing two nights in LondonDerry and easier to get back to Dublin than one night in back and from Letterkenny.

Posted by
1806 posts

You don't need a car or a private driver in Portrush to get around in the summer. I've taken the shuttle service out of Portrush to get to Dunluce Castle, Giant's Causeway, rope bridge & Bushmills. It's very easy.

And getting from Belfast to Portrush is also really easy. I took essentially a commuter rail which dropped me right on the waterfront in Portrush and it was a really easy and quick walk to my B&B.

For longer hauls, wherever you can't get a train, the bus system in Ireland or Northern Ireland pretty much fills in all the gaps. What the rental car will give you that the bus really can't is the flexibility to stop off at different points along your route to see places where the bus isn't going to stop. If you don't mind foregoing that, then bus it to any places you are basing yourself if you can't take a train and then look at joining a day tour or hiring a driver if there is something you really want to see that you are unable to reach via public transit. The local Tourist Info office or owner of your B&B or hotel desk should be able to recommend the names of some local drivers if you are set on avoiding renting a car to do it yourself.

Posted by
88 posts

Thanks you guys SO much! I really appreciate it!
Tara, what show are you seeing, if I may ask? Maybe I'd like to check it out...; )
My thought now is to rent a car only upon arrival in Letterkenny and drive around Donegal county with a car and stay 3 nights. Then return car to Letterkenny and bus it back to Dublin for one final night or if we're feeling brave, drive directly back to Dublin.

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