belfast and around then a leisurely train trip to dublin

moneylover

Hello everyone
Have never posted on this board before and maybe should be on travel board but here goes....
We are planning to come to Belfast for a few days taking in the Titanic Museum and doing a bit of sightseeing. We thought about going out to the Giants Causeway and are interested in anywhere else interesting for a couple of days beyond our central Belfast day. We could hire a car or travel by train.
We also plan to go to Dublin to see some friends and fly home to UK from there. But having watched the Michael Portillo programme would like to spend a day getting to Dublin seeing the scenery and stopping off in a couple of places either for a couple of hours or overnight one night.
We are thinking of five days for total trip
Grateful for any suggestions - many thanks

getzls

Most will tell you this. Take a drive up the Antrim Coast Road. You start from Larne. Lovely wee towns all the way up. The view has been voted the 5th most beautiful in the world no less. On a clear day you will see what i mean. Have fun.;)

totallybroke_2

Book tickets for titanic museum well in advance! You have no guarantee to get in if you just show up

irishjohn

with a car you are free to travel wherever and whenever, public transport and bus tours less flexible.

DAY 1 before car hire - Central Belfast for Titanic, maybe open top bus tour, City Hall, Queens University, Botanic Gardens, Ulster Museum,

DAY 2 - get the car early and set off out to Larne and Antrim Coast Road, take your time and stop off at anywhere you fancy, especially Carrick a Rede rope bridge, Torr Head scenic road, Giants Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Portrush, Portstewart Strand

DAY 3 - Other direction out of Belfast to Bangor - down to seafront and head round coastal road through Groomsport, and Donaghadee and down the Ards Peninsula to Portaferry and onto car ferry across Strangford Lough, Castleward house nearby, on down to Newcastle, Mourne Mountains, Silent Valley, and back up to Downpatrick and St Patrick's reputed resting place and back to Belfast

DAYS 4 and 5 - catch up on places you missed because there was too much to cover on Days 1-3 - and add in Belfast Castle, Mountstewart House and Gardens, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Dublin leisurely train trip a la Portillo - not that feasible - suggest either get train straight there or again use car option (and possibly extend the trip - or leave out some of the earlier options)

Hope that helps - any other questions please ask

Ex-Spendaholic

I would second Irishjohn's suggestion but add in shopping at Victoria Square in Belfast City Centre - you can take a lift into the "dome" and see sights of Belfast.

Would also suggest a pint in the Crown Bar in Belfast. The oldest pub in Belfast apparently.

Oh and on day 3, you can see Stormont on the way.

moneylover

yes, wow everyone, thank you. sounds we definitely need a car we plan to spend 2 days in Belfast having made an early start from Stanstead on day one - we can do the trips in the middle or as a block and have car hire 2 days. Distance wise the two days with car are do-able? With the first trip the Causeway etc one we shouldnt stay somewhere overnight and go onto Derry? We could manage 3 days out and about. Or the Mourne mountains day is that better split? Havent got a map at the moment, must get one so can see exactly what is being suggested!
We want to take train to Dublin and see some friends and then fly back from there - no point you think breaking the journey anywhere? Is the scenery worthwhile and the journey interesting anyway - we don't HAVE to go to Dublin as our friends coming to England a few weeks later (and we know Dublin well) but just thought it might be an interesting thing to do as you get a differnet view on a train...
If we do excursions in middle where would we best get a car from ?
Thanks again everyone

irishjohn

To be honest I would not rate the train journey as a worthwhile sightseeing exercise - I am not sure there are many worthwhile spots to stop off and the views from the train are not that spectacular. Especially if you already know Dublin well and are seeing your friends in a short time in GB. Others may be able to suggest if I am wrong

VfM4meplse

I'm another one who would highly recommend Stormont, especially on a nice day when you can enjoy the grounds - it is easy enough to get there from the centre of Belfast by bus. The hourly tours are foc and well worth it.

moneylover

thank you folks, any more views on the train journey? It looked so good when Michael Portillo did it- but of course, it was his job to make it so! The main things I remember where the Causeway (not on train line of course) amazing peat bog and a Victorian seaside place where the ropes and paths around the cliffs are being restored (but not complete till 2013)

Am now editing as have just found a precis of Portillo's train trips just wondered if any of it was actually the Dublin to Belfast line at all?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056534545

Would we go towards Londonderry on any of the trips suggested or should we consider a train ride there and back - or not worth it?

Thanks again to all you experts, think I am doing better here than on the travel board! As soon as can get into town will get a map!

getzls

The Victorian town with the roped walk etc is the Gobbins path. Yes, come back again when it is done, don't know when for sure. Think many of us are looking forward to that. Times if you look on e-bay you can see postcards of the old Gobbins path. Type that in, or Whitehead/Blackhead. Still worth a walk round what's there from Whitehead, nice views. We have a lot of nice views here.:D

A.L.D.A

The Gobbins (Islandmagee north of Whitehead) once attracted more visitors than the Gaints Causeway! The sooner it reopens the better.

NI has a very varied landscape and much of it is worth a visit. I am very fond of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The two iconic landscapes are the Antrim Coast and The Mountains of Mourne.You could spend an entire holiday in either of these or in the Fermanagh Lake lands.

If you go up the Antrim Coast, when you get to Cushendall at the tower in the middle of the village turn RIGHT along Shore Street then first left up Layde Road to Cushendun better than the main road for views. At Cushendun go north along the beach and take the scenic route to Torr Head. The road is a bit narrow in places but outstanding views to Scotland and most people miss it by taking the main road out of Cushendall.

You may want to drive down to Murlough Bay north of Torr head. There are numerous places to visit along this coast that I would prefer to spend time at rather than the Gaints Caseway, but the Causeway is one of the places you have to see. When you are there I would walk along the top of the cliffs past it, then take the path down and then keep going to the end of the bay before going back to the Causeway. The low path to the end of the bay was once a much longer path (now closed) which was an outstanding walk. On the closed section there are all sorts of geological features, micro climates and the site of sunken ships from the armada, but get a feel for it by the minor detour. They really should reopen this route.

Much of the upland above the Antrim coast is also scenic particularly down the east coast. Large areas of nothingness if you take the right roads and Slemish where St Patrick allegedly lived for a while.

The Mournes, best known view from the north. Worth stopping at another Murlough owned by National Trust and walking across the sand dunes to the beach. There are paths. It is a few miles North of Newcastle on the Belfast Road. The beach is a long strand with Newcastle at one end and Slieve Donard rising up from the sea behind it. Great beach, few people for the size of it and children love it.

Again there is so much to see in the Mournes, the forest parks, small towns, dams, walks. My personal favourite, if weather is good and you start early, and like walking. Park in Donard Park (Newcastle), follow the river up to the saddle in the mountain, but instead of climbing the top section of Slieve Donard (steep) go over the saddle and down onto the Brandy Pad (a path) turn right and it will take you into the middle of the Mournes. Bring a packed lunch and make a day of it. If weather is good hard to beat. There are various ways back.

In Belfast best views are from the Cave Hill McArts Fort http://www.walkni.com/Walk.aspx?ID=79 Park at Belfast Castle. Best gardens in NI are probably at Mount Stewart just south of Newtownards on the Strangford Lough. The house was the home of Lord Castlereagh and is also worth a visit, check opening times with National Trust. There is also the folk and transport museum, on the Bangor road, and train line. The Opera House may be worth a visit at night, Crown Bar is across the road.