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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Limavady
Léim a' Mhadaidh
Give Limavady one night as a Roe Valley and Benone Strand base with a car; without wheels, use it as a 3-hour bus stop from Derry or skip it.
Limavady is a market town of about 11,000 in County Londonderry, set in the Roe Valley between the Sperrins and the north coast. Its pull is landscape, not streets: Roe Valley Country Park, Binevenagh, Magilligan Point and the 7-mile Benone Strand. Sights sit 5–10 miles apart and buses are thin, so a car changes the trip completely. It is also the town where Jane Ross heard the tune that became "Danny Boy" in 1853.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Léim a' Mhadaidh
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–110 excl. bed · High £110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Fish and chips | £10–15 |
| Pub main course | £12–20 |
| Draught beer in a pub | £4.50–6 |
| Taxi, 5 miles | £10–15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LDY · City of Derry Airport, Eglinton
- About 10 miles west on the A2; UK routes plus some summer Mediterranean flights. Bus 143/144/152 passes Eglinton between Derry and Limavady.
- BFS · Belfast International
- More choice of flights; bus 246 runs one morning commuter service M–F via Dungiven to Belfast Europa, so most travellers hire a car or take a bus to Derry first.
- BHD · George Best Belfast City
- Rail and bus connections via Belfast; the train to Derry passes Bellarena, 5 miles north of Limavady, with no connecting bus.
Typical fares
- Bus Derry → Limavady (143/144/152)
- about 70 min, hourly M–Sa, four on Sunday
- Bus Coleraine → Limavady (134/234)
- just under 1 h, every 2–3 h M–Sa
- Lough Foyle ferry, Magilligan Point → Greencastle
- 10 min, Jun–Aug, about 09:00–20:00; €2.50 foot passenger, €16 car with passengers (2021 fares, check)10 min, Jun–Aug, about 9:00 AM–8:00 PM; €2.50 foot passenger, €16 car with passengers (2021 fares, check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need your own wheels for the valley, Binevenagh and the beaches. Ulsterbus 143/144/152 links Derry via Eglinton and Ballykelly to Limavady in about 70 min, hourly M–Sa with only four Sunday services. Bus 134/234 runs M–Sa every 2–3 hours from Coleraine along the A2 via Castlerock, Magilligan crossroads, Bellarena and Aghanloo Cross to Limavady in just under an hour; the 234 Goldline Express continues to Ballykelly, Eglinton and Derry. The Belfast–Derry train stops at Bellarena, 5 miles north, where you must pre-book a taxi. Bells is the main local taxi operator.
See and do
Known for
- Roe Valley Country Park
- Binevenagh and the AONB cliffs
- Benone Strand and Magilligan Point
- The Londonderry Air / "Danny Boy"
- Stendhal Festival
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Roe Valley Country Park | Drive or taxi about 1.5 miles south of the centre | About 10 min |
| Binevenagh | Drive via Bishop's Road off the B201 old Coleraine road | About 20 min |
| Benone Strand and Magilligan Point | Drive the A2 north to the tourist complex, or bus 134/234 to the Magilligan crossroads | 20–40 min |
| Mussenden Temple and Castlerock | Drive the A2 east; bus 134/234 stops at Castlerock | About 30 min |
| Derry | Bus 143/144/152 via Eglinton and Ballykelly, or drive the A2 | About 1 h 15 min by bus |
| Coleraine and the Giant's Causeway | Bus 134/234 along the coast road, or drive | About 1 h to Coleraine |
Sleep
- Town centre (Main Street and around the Buscentre)
- Walkable to pubs, cafés and shops; the small Alexander Arms hotel sits next to the bus station (accommodation was closed in 2021 — check before booking).
- Roe Park Resort, Lisnakilly Road
- 118-room hotel with golf, dining and spa about 1.5 miles from the centre; the comfort option, B&B double from about £180.
- Ballykelly and the A2 west
- Drummond Hotel, 2 miles west, B&B double about £90; handy for City of Derry Airport and the Derry road.
- Benone and the coast
- Caravan parks and static units at Benone, open Apr–Sep; beach access and the tourist complex with golf and tennis.
- Dungiven, 6 miles south
- Kintala Resort spa with cabins, glamping pods and apartments, B&B double about £130; a base for the Sperrins side.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello / Hi |
| Please | Please |
| Thank you | Thanks / Thank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses are sparse, especially on Sundays: check the timetable before you commit to a car-free day.
- Magilligan inland is an army firing range and prison land — stay on the beach and marked paths.
- Vehicles are allowed on Benone Strand and some drive fast near children; keep clear of traffic.
- Roe Valley visitor centre and museum were closed in 2021, and Dungiven Castle was closed: check current opening before travelling.
- The Lough Foyle ferry to Greencastle runs Jun–Aug only, roughly 09:00–20:00, and there is no onward public transport from Magilligan Point.
- Summer accommodation near the beaches books out around the Stendhal Festival (2–4 July 2026).
A quiet, low-crime market town; the real risks are rural roads, fast traffic on Benone Strand, cliff edges on Binevenagh and cold, wet weather that turns a walk serious.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Limavady yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Roe Valley Country Park
- Binevenagh and the AONB cliffs
- Benone Strand and Magilligan Point
- The Londonderry Air / "Danny Boy"
- Stendhal Festival
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Lough Foyle Ferry: loughfoyleferry.com/
- Roe Park Resort: www.roeparkresort.com/
- Stendhal Festival: www.stendhalfestival.com/
- Wikivoyage: Limavady, revision 5283607 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5283607
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
LimavadyLéim a' Mhadaidh
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Limavady; the US consulate-general is in Belfast, and Dublin handles some services for the Republic. Check your own country's list.
Tipping: 10–12.5% in restaurants if no service charge is added; not expected in pubs. Prices in pounds sterling.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/limavady). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.