Region
County Londonderry
Base in Derry for the walls and the coast; use Coleraine or Portstewart as a second base only if you have a car.
Key facts · United Kingdom
- Best months
- Apr–Aug
- Currency
- Pound sterling (GBP, £)
- Language
- English
- Plugs
- G · 230 V
- Time zone
- GMT, BST from late March to late October
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 Londonderry is a walled city plus a sandy coast, about an hour apart by train. Derry holds the history and the night life; the Causeway Coast strip (Castlerock, Portstewart, Coleraine) holds the beaches and the golf. Two nights in Derry covers the city; add one or two coastal nights only if you have a car or are happy on the hourly train.
Sleep
Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it
Where to sleep
Sleep base
Day trip
- CastlerockPlanned
Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne above the beach.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Derry 2 nights, coast as a day trip by train
- 3 nights
- Derry 2 + Coleraine or Portstewart 1 (car or train)
- 4 nights
- Derry 2 + Portstewart 2, coast and beaches at an easy pace
- Derry, Coleraine and Portstewart in one day is three hours of transit for two half-days of sightseeing.
- Coastal buses are sparse outside the Coleraine–Portstewart–Portrush triangle; check the last service before an evening out.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castlerock and Mussenden Temple | Derry | 45 min | check | Train to Castlerock, then a signed walk of about 30 min to the temple; the demesne paths are steep and exposed. |
| Portstewart | Coleraine | 15 min | check | Frequent bus triangle from Coleraine via the university; beach and promenade. |
| Limavady and Binevenagh | Derry | 40 min | check | Bus 134/234 runs a few times a day; the plateau viewpoint really needs a car. |
| Grianan of Aileach | Derry | 25 min | unknown | The ringfort is across the border in County Donegal but is easiest from Derry; no public transport to the site. |
Bags between cities
Luggage: no left-luggage or forwarding network worth planning around; hotels in Derry and Coleraine usually hold bags for the day, and the train has racks but no porters. Pack for one carry-on if you are moving between Derry and the coast.
When and how
Months, arrival and passes
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derry | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok |
| Coleraine | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok |
| Portstewart | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × |
| Limavady | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × |
| Magherafelt | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | × |
| Northern Ireland (country-wide) | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derry and the Foyle valleycity and inland | cold | cold | ok | best | best | best | best | best | ok | ok | cold | cold |
| Causeway CoastCastlerock to Portstewart | cold | cold | ok | ok | best | best | best | best | ok | ok | cold | cold |
- Derry and the Foyle valley
- Rain in every month; wind chill off the river. Summer days around 18–20 °C, winter around 3–8 °C.Rain in every month; wind chill off the river. Summer days around 64–68 °F, winter around 37–46 °F.
- Causeway Coast
- Sea breezes keep it cooler than inland; Atlantic wind and rain arrive fast, so carry a shell.
May to September is the reliable window; the Northwest 200 motorbike race in May fills coastal beds, and the July school holidays are the other peak.
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast (Lanyon Place / Great Victoria St) | Derry | NI Railways train via Coleraine | ~2 h 15 | Roughly hourly; the line follows the coast from Coleraine, so sit on the sea side. |
| Belfast International (BFS) or George Best City (BHD) | Derry | Bus or train via Belfast | ~2 h 30 to 3 h | More flights and better fares than City of Derry; allow a Belfast transfer. |
| City of Derry Airport (LDY) | Derry city | Taxi or bus via Eglinton | ~20 min by road | 7 miles northeast of the city; limited UK routes, so check the schedule before booking. |
| Dublin | Derry | Coach or car via Belfast (M1/A1 then M2/A6) | ~3 h 30 to 4 h | Direct cross-border coaches run; driving via Belfast is usually simpler than the western route. |
| Scotland | Derry | Ferry to Belfast or Larne, then road | ~1 h from Larne to the county | Cairnryan sailings land at Belfast and Larne; a summer car ferry also crosses Lough Foyle from Greencastle. |
Regional passes
NI Railways single and day returns
buyBuy per journey; Derry–Coleraine–Castlerock is the useful leg and fares are modest.
Ulsterbus 134 / 234
checkRuns only 4–5 times a day from Derry via Eglinton, Ballykelly, Limavady and Castlerock to Coleraine; check times before relying on it.
Car hire
buyThe only practical way to reach Binevenagh, Benone and the rural glens in one trip.
Eat and move on
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Ulster fry | Derry and Coleraine cafés | Served through the morning; portions are large, so one between two is often enough. |
| Seafood chowder and fish and chips | Portstewart and Castlerock | Coastal places fill at weekends; book or eat before 18:00.Coastal places fill at weekends; book or eat before 6:00 PM. |
| Irish stew and soda bread | Derry pubs | Pub kitchens often stop serving around 20:30–21:00.Pub kitchens often stop serving around 8:30 PM–9:00 PM. |
| Ice cream on the promenade | Portstewart | Queues on sunny weekend afternoons; the seafront shops close early out of season. |
Go next
County Antrim
plannedTrain to Coleraine then bus or car east
Giant's Causeway, Bushmills and Carrick-a-Rede.
Belfast
Train ~2 h 15
Titanic Quarter and the main air and ferry links.
Derry
City within the county
The walled city itself; two nights is the usual minimum.
Coleraine
plannedTrain ~35 min from Derry
Rail junction for the whole coast.
Portstewart
plannedBus ~15 min from Coleraine
Beach base for a summer night.
Castlerock
plannedTrain ~30 min from Derry
Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne.
Limavady
plannedBus 134/234 from Derry
Binevenagh and Benone strand.
Magherafelt
plannedRoad via the M22/A6
Inland town; Lough Neagh at Ballyronan marina.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source