We intend to hike to the Cliff's of Moher from Doolin and take the bus back to town. Do we just pay on the bus? Do we need tickets and does the bus sellout? Or is this a municipal or county bus where everyone gets on and stands if necessary?
We are planning a similar plan in Northern Island in which we will hike the 10 miles or so to the Giant's Causeway from Ballintoy and taking the bus back. If anyone has experience with either of these please let me know. Our trip is in early July.
Nick,
I do not know the answer re: the bus. But, it is a rather short drive from the Cliffs to Doolin, so you could just have the visitor center staff call a taxi for you. Tony's Cab is one we would recommend, and "everyone" in/near Doolin knows Tony McGann.
I have taken the Causeway Rambler Bus from both Coleraine and Portrush to Port Ballintrae before and it has worked great. It should also work well for you from Giant's Causeway. We walked both ways to the Causeway since we started at Port Ballintrae, but the bus is on time and very helpful.
The walk along the headlands is breathtaking and I think it makes your arrival at the Causeway visitor's Center a bit more pleasant. You will be glad you made the walk there. I've put the link below with info on tickets/prices/schedules
https://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/Visitors/causeway-coast-glens/
I STRONGLY suggest you reverse your first hike. From Doolin it is Uphill all the way to the Cliffs of Moher. It’s much more pleasant to walk from the Cliffs to Doolin. We did it last year. The bus stops are well marked and you do pay on the bus. It’s not a big bus so it could be full if you were waiting at one of the last stops.
There are several loop trails starting at the Giants Causeway visitor center. One is quite long but I don’t know how many miles. Perhaps you can find out online. Most people take a shuttle bus down to the main area and walk very little. What I mean by this is that you can do a great hike with lots of up and down and great views at the Giants Causeway. Perhaps this would be more enjoyable if you didn’t already walk 10 miles first.
We bicycled a few years ago up to the Cliffs of Moher from Lisdoonvarna, just a bit up from Doolin, and it was a real grind - long and slow, but rewarding. Boy, was the downhill ride away from the Cliffs fast!
This past September, we hiked to the Giant’s Causeway from Dunseverick, not quite as far away as Ballintoy, and took the Causeway Rambler bus back. Have a few pounds on you for the fare as you get onboard. Your results may differ, but we had some extremely gusty winds at a couple of places along the trail, including one near a sightseeing bench, and the howling wind was so fierce that we had to grab onto fenceposts a couple times, lest we get blown over the edge of the 300 foot cliffs. Some locals hiking towards us, away from the Causeway, said that it was a “typical” day, so severe winds may not be uncommon. Be prepared for some possibly fairly extreme conditions along the cliff tops!
Thanks for the advice. We will be prepared for the winds along the coast in Northern Ireland and have a few pounds for bus fare back.
Also thanks for the info about the easy and difficult directions between Doolin and Cliffs of Moher.
It sounds like both buses are easy to catch and pay on board.
