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Region

County Antrim

Base in Belfast 2 nights, then move to the north coast (Portrush or Bushmills) for 2 nights; skip a car only if you book tours.

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Key facts · United Kingdom

Best months
Apr–Aug
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
Pound sterling (GBP, £)
Language
English
Plugs
G · 230 V
Time zone
GMT, BST from late March to late October
Month by month hereIn detail ↓
Rules in force · 11Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.
  • Northern Ireland ↗No passport or border check between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, but carry the documents that allow you into the UK.
  • Northern Ireland ↗Pound sterling; Northern Ireland banks issue their own notes, accepted locally and usually in Great Britain.
  • Northern Ireland ↗The same city is Derry to nationalists and Londonderry to unionists; both names appear on signs and timetables.

County Antrim packs Northern Ireland's headline sights into one county: Belfast's Titanic quarter and Victorian centre, the basalt coast from the Giant's Causeway to Carrick-a-Rede, and the Nine Glens along the east coast. Belfast is the transport hub and the only place with real nightlife and hotel choice; the north coast is where the scenery is, so give it its own nights rather than day-tripping 100 km each way. Public transport reaches Antrim town, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush by train, and the 402/172 bus threads the coast road between Coleraine and Ballycastle, but the Causeway and the glens are much easier with a car or an organised tour from Belfast.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

10 places in this region

Sleep base

  • BelfastCity guide

    Airports, ferries, rail hub, most hotels and restaurants.

    Best May–Sep

    Open Belfast →

  • PortrushCity guide

    North coast base with train station; Causeway and Bushmills within a short drive.

    Best Jun, Sep

    Open Portrush →

  • BushmillsCity guide

    Village next to the distillery and 3 km from the Causeway; few beds, book early.

    Best May–Sep

    Open Bushmills →

Day trip

Night sequences

3 nights
Belfast 2 + Portrush 1 (Causeway and coast road by car or tour)
4 nights
Belfast 2 + Portrush or Bushmills 2 (Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, one glen)
5 nights
Belfast 2 + north coast 2 + one night in the glens or Ballycastle
  • Belfast + Causeway + glens in one day is 200 km of driving; pick coast or glens, not both.
  • Sunday buses and trains on the north coast are sparse — check before relying on them.
  • The coast road is exposed: wind and rain can close the Carrick-a-Rede bridge and Rathlin sailings.

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
Giant's CausewayPortrush25 minunknownDrive or taxi; the 402/172 coast bus is slow and infrequent. Visitor centre admission is optional.
Carrick-a-RedeBallycastle minunknowncheck: the drive is short but the bridge is reached on foot from the car park, so allow extra time. The crossing is timed and can close in wind; book ahead in summer.
Rathlin IslandBallycastle minunknowncheck: the crossing itself is about 25 minutes, but total time depends on the ferry schedule. Foot ferry; sailings depend on weather, so keep the day flexible.
The GobbinsLarne minunknowncheck: the cliff walk is guided only and sells out; closed in winter.
Nine Glens (Glenariff)Belfast70 minunknownGlenariff is the most scenic; through-roads cross all nine glens.

Bags between cities

check: luggage space on Translink trains and whether Causeway Coast tour coaches or the 402/172 coast bus accept large cases — confirm before you pack. A common plan is to leave bags at your Belfast hotel and travel light to the north coast.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Belfast
Portrush
Bushmills
Ballycastle
Larne
Antrim
Ballymena
Ballymoney
Lisburn
Cushendall
Northern Ireland (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month
ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
Belfast and the Lagan valleyeast and south of the countycoldcoldokbestbestbestbestbestokokcoldcold
North coast and the glensCauseway coast and east Antrim hillscoldcoldokokbestbestbestbestokokcoldcold
best: dry, mildok: workable
Belfast and the Lagan valley
Rain in every month; pack a waterproof shell rather than an umbrella.
North coast and the glens
Sea wind makes it feel colder than Belfast; May to September is the usable window.

May to September has the longest days and the best odds of dry weather; July and August are the busiest on the Causeway coast. Winter daylight is short — check sunset times for your dates.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate
FromToHowp50Note
BFS (Belfast International)Belfast or AntrimAirport bus~30–40 min to Belfast4 miles south of Antrim town; buses also serve Lisburn and Antrim.
BHD (George Best Belfast City)Belfast city centreBus or taxi~15 min2 miles east of the centre; best linked to the bus and rail stations.
Birkenhead / Cairnryan / DouglasBelfast ferry terminalCar ferrycrossing varies by routeTerminal is north of the city, so cars join the motorway without crossing the centre.
CairnryanLarneCar ferry~2 h crossingLarne is the closest port to the glens and the Gobbins.
DublinBelfastTrain or coachcheckThen onward trains from Belfast to Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Translink day tickets

check

Pays only if you make several bus or train hops in one day; run the fares for your legs.

Organised Causeway Coast tour from Belfast

buy

Cheaper than a hire car for one day, and the only practical option without a car.

Hire car

buy

The glens and the coast road are far easier by car; book early for summer.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works
DishWhereTiming / trap
Ulster fryCafés across Belfast and the townsA full fry is a big breakfast; many places stop serving it around 11:30.
Dulse and YellowmanOld Lammas Fair, Ballycastle, late AugustSeaweed and honeycomb sweets; the fair is the traditional place to try them.
Pub food and seafoodBelfast, Portrush, BallycastleBook weekend dinner in Portrush and Ballycastle in July and August.
Bushmills whiskeyBushmills distilleryTours run through the day; the last tour is mid-afternoon, so check times.

Go next

Belfast

Rail and bus hub

Titanic Quarter, murals and the Victorian centre; sleep here first.

Ballycastle

402/172 coast bus or ~1 h by car from Portrush

Rathlin ferry and the north glens.

Portrush

planned

Train from Belfast via Coleraine

Best north coast base with a station.

Bushmills

planned

~10 min by car from Portrush

Distillery and the Causeway on the doorstep.

Larne

Train from Belfast

Ferry port and the Gobbins cliff walk.

Cushendall

planned

A2 coast road, ~50 min from Larne

Base for five of the Nine Glens.

Northern Ireland

Region overview

Add County Down and the Mournes, or Derry and the walled city.

Explore Northern Ireland Up to Northern Ireland

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Sources