We'll be in Northern Ireland for a week, June9 to June 16.We already have our flight to Belfast but that's it so far.
Would it make sense to stay in or near Belfast and do self drive day trips? If not, can anyone suggest an itinerary?
We're more country/scenery oriented rather than city, although we'll certainly want to see Belfast too. Going into the northern part of Ireland isn't out of the question either.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8401 posts
Think about the area near the Giant's Causeway. Not very far from Belfast, but certainly a different type of location.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2838 posts
Belfast would be fine for a couple of nights but it wouldn't be the best choice as a base for a week while you explore the North IMO. If your intention is to find a base, unpack once for the week, and then start exploring by car I'd suggest somewhere in the area of Portrush or Ballycastle... as Carol has already mentioned. From there you'd be about an hour from either Derry or Belfast (both worth a day) and could meander around the Glens of Antrim at your leisure. The coastal road (the A2 I think) is quite beautiful on a sunny day - reminded us of California Highway 1 south of Monterey in fact. Aside from the beauty of the drive itself there are a number of old castles and even an abandoned village you can wander around.
There's also a very nice loop drive around Donegal that you could do as a day trip. It's described in the RS guide I believe.
We particularly enjoyed the Ulster-American Folk Park near Omagh - the outdoor museum and village do a great job describing the out migrations that took place beginning around 1715. Would be especially interesting if your Irish heritage traces to Ulster. Can google it to see if it might be of interest.
Believe there are several Game of Thrones film sites in the area too. Am sure you can find specialty day tours out of Belfast that would take you to them if you're a fan.