belfast and around then a leisurely train trip to dublin

irishjohn

I am not sure any of the Belfast / Dublin route was on the Portillo programme. Londonderry is top left hand corner if you think of N Ireland as a square. Belfast is midway down the right side of the square and the route up the Antrim coast takes you up to the top right corner and nearly all the way along the top to that left hand corner.

Sending you a PM.

D.A.

From memory, Portillo visited the following (although I only caught a couple of the programmes, excluding the last one from Ballymoney to Stroke City). Those in bold are places actually on, or close to, the railway line.

Dundalk (nothing at all to see here convenient to the railway).

Newry (as above). From Newry, he went on to the Slieve Donard hotel in Newcastle, which you would have to do by bus. (It was originally built at the end of the railway line from Belfast).

Downpatrick - he went to the railway museum here. Again, you'd have to do this by bus.

Portadown - at least I think he went here, but I can't remember what he saw! If I remember correctly, I think it was something to do with the Armagh rail disaster? (and again, there's no railway line to Armagh nowadays)

Belfast - Adelaide
He saw NIR's train simulator at Adelaide (no point in going here obviously, since it isn't open to the public).

Belfast - Botanic
He also went to Botanic Gardens, which are reasonably convenient to Botanic station. Note that the Enterprise doesn't stop at Botanic though.

Belfast Docks
Titanic Belfast, etc etc - you can get to these from Titanic Quarter station (your ticket on the Enterprise will allow you free travel to it from Belfast Central).

The Gobbins Path - as others have said, there's not much to see here yet. If you really wanted to, the nearest station is Islandmagee, although it'd be quite a walk from there.

The rail line between Coleraine and (London)derry is very scenic, but I missed this programme, so have no idea what he did!

Hope this helps. Really, there is very very little worth stopping off for on the line between Belfast and Dublin, so as others have said, you'd be better off spending your time touring Northern Ireland.

A.L.D.A

D.A. wrote: »

The Gobbins Path - as others have said, there's not much to see here yet. If you really wanted to, the nearest station is Islandmagee, although it'd be quite a walk from there.

The rail line between Coleraine and (London)derry is very scenic, but I missed this programme, so have no idea what he did!

Just being pedantic but the nearest stations to the Gobbins are Ballycarry and Whitehead, but not open just yet. Indeed was past that way the other day and have not noticed any work in progress but it is hard to see down from the Gobbins road. Does anyone know a definite date for the opening?

The train journey from Larne to Belfast is very nice and travels along the coast much of the journey. There are also fine views up towards the Antrim Plateau and the section through the centre of Belfast I find interesting. If you are arriving in Larne get the train and not the bus to Belfast.

D.A.

You're right - Ballycarry was the one I meant. It's almost Islandmagee. :-)

A.L.D.A

By the way on the Gobbins was advised elsewhere that work will start after the nesting season. May help kick start the local tourist industry. South East Antrim has cliffs, beaches, hills, wooded valleys, dams, waterfalls, forests, walks, flora and fauna, fishing, boating, golf clubs considerable tourist potential and is one of the driest and mildest parts of NI!

moneylover

irishjohn wrote: »

I am not sure any of the Belfast / Dublin route was on the Portillo programme. Londonderry is top left hand corner if you think of N Ireland as a square. Belfast is midway down the right side of the square and the route up the Antrim coast takes you up to the top right corner and nearly all the way along the top to that left hand corner.

Sending you a PM.

Hi John thanks so much to you and everyone else. No pm though, not yet!
Hilary

moneylover

Hello John
Thank you again for your Pm I sent you one subsequent question by PM could you have a look at it if you have time? I think then I will have all I need.