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Major city · United Kingdom

MagherafeltMachaire Fíolta

One night, not three: Magherafelt is a market town with a bus centre, a handful of restaurants and Seamus Heaney's Homeplace 8 km away in Bellaghy.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Dec–Feb (wet, dark by 16:00)
Airports
BFS · BHD · LDY
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-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.

Magherafelt sits on the old Belfast–Derry road in County Londonderry, now bypassed by the A6, and works as a low-cost base for the Sperrins, Lough Neagh and the Heaney country around Bellaghy. There is no railway station; buses run every two hours on weekdays and barely at all on Sunday, so the town suits travellers with a car or a flexible schedule rather than a tight rail itinerary.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Magherafelt, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealPub main course£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
  • BeerPint of beer£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, town centre to Bellaghycheck£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week£8–15 (≈ US$11–20)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person£30 (≈ US$40)
  • Mid-range bedB&B or hotel double room, a night, per room£100 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedB&B or hotel double room, a night, per room£150 (≈ US$200)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £55 (≈ US$75) · Mid £90 (≈ US$120) · High £150 (≈ US$200)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Seamus Heaney Homeplace in BellaghySlieve Gallion and the SperrinsBallynahone BogLough Neagh at Ballyronan
Airports
BFS Belfast International (About 40 min by road via the M2 and A6; buses from the airport run to Antrim for connections) · BHD George Best Belfast City (About 1 h by road; train from Belfast to Antrim, then Ulsterbus 110/210) · LDY City of Derry (About 1 h by road; small airport with limited routes)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Magherafelt: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

2°C

17 rd

Feb

8°C

2°C

14 rd

Mar

10°C

3°C

15 rd

Apr

12°C

4°C

13 rd

May

15°C

6°C

13 rd

Jun

18°C

9°C

13 rd

Jul

19°C

11°C

14 rd

Aug

19°C

11°C

15 rd

Sep

17°C

9°C

14 rd

Oct

13°C

7°C

16 rd

Nov

10°C

4°C

16 rd

Dec

8°C

2°C

17 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The town centre is small enough to walk. Ulsterbus 389 serves the west-side estates and Mid-Ulster Hospital hourly Mon–Fri. For Bellaghy, Ballyronan, Moneymore and the Sperrins you need a car or a taxi; buses are infrequent and Sunday service is minimal.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Seamus Heaney Homeplace, Bellaghy

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car or taxi via the A6 and B182, about 15 min; no direct bus

Exhibition on Heaney's life and poetry; adult £7, concession and child £4.50 (check 2026 hours).

Ballyronan and Lough Neagh

go

Door to door: About 35 min

Car via the B160, about 20 min; no useful bus

Marina, woodland walk and a couple of pubs; camping and caravan pitches Mar–Oct.

Slieve Gallion and the Sperrins

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car via the B162; a paved lane climbs the south side to the transmitter

528 m summit, an afternoon stroll rather than a hike; paragliders use it in good weather.

Cookstown

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Ulsterbus 110/210 from Magherafelt Bus Centre, about 20 min

Market town with Plantation-era Springhill House nearby.

Derry

overnight

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Car via the A6, about 1 h; bus connections are slow and indirect

Walled city, Guildhall and the Salters' coat of arms; better as a separate base.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Magherafelt town centre

Church Street and Broad Street: walkable to the bus centre, restaurants and pubs. Best for one night without a car.

Bellaghy and Castledawson

Village B&Bs and the Taphouse; closest to the Heaney Homeplace and the A6 for Derry.

Ballyronan and Lough Neagh

Marina camping and caravan pitches Mar–Oct; lakeside, 20 min by car from town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£45–70 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
Mid
£70–110 (≈ US$95–150) excl. bed
High
£110 (≈ US$150)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B or hotel double room1 × 1 night × £100£100
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × £90£180
Ulsterbus Antrim → Magherafelt, one way2 × £6 · check£12
Car hire, one day, small car1 × £45 · check£45
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £10£20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£36
Trip total≈ £197 per person per day, bed included£393≈ US$550

2026 estimate in pounds; flights and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub main course£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
Restaurant main, town centre£15–25 (≈ US$20–35)
Pint of beer£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
Taxi, town centre to Bellaghycheck£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
Heaney Homeplace adult ticketcheck 2026£7 (≈ US$10)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week£8–15 (≈ US$11–20)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A quiet market town and generally safe for visitors; the real risks are rural roads at night, wet weather on the Sperrins and the lack of late buses back from Belfast or Derry.
  • No railway station: Antrim is the usual railhead, then a 50-min bus.
  • Sunday buses are very limited — check the timetable before you commit.
  • Rural roads are narrow and unlit; drive with dipped headlights and watch for tractors.
  • Some rural sights (Bellaghy Bawn, Kilcronaghan Old Church) have had long closures: check before travelling.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
999
NHS non-urgent
111
Police non-urgent
101

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

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MagherafeltMachaire Fíolta

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance999
  • NHS non-urgent111
  • Police non-urgent101

Embassy

No embassies in Magherafelt; the US Consulate General is in Belfast, and most other countries have embassies in London or Dublin.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Ulsterbus Antrim → Magherafelt: about 50 min, every two hours Mon–Fri (check)
  • Ulsterbus Magherafelt → Cookstown: about 20 min (check)
  • Taxi, town centre → Bellaghy: £12–18 (≈ US$16–25) (check)

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Please — Please
  • Excuse me — Excuse me
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where is the toilet? — Where is the toilet?

English is the everyday language; Irish (Gaeilge) appears on signage but is not needed to get around.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Magherafelt. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Dec–Feb (wet, dark by 16:00) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BFS and BHD: last bus from Antrim field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking cluster around the bus centre with rescue anchors: Church Street, Broad Street, Meadowlane.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Heaney Homeplace, Bellaghy Bawn, Kilcronaghan Old Church, Ballynahone Bog) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Sunday and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources