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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Portstewart
Give Portstewart one full day and one night: walk the 3 km Strand at low tide, then use it as a base for the Causeway Coast by bus.
Portstewart is a Victorian seaside town on the north coast of Northern Ireland, 15 minutes by bus from Coleraine and 3 miles west of Portrush. The National Trust Strand is the reason to come; the Giant's Causeway, Bushmills and Carrick-a-Rede are within a day's reach by bus. Two nights covers the town and one coast day.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wind, rain, many places closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
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 (2026 estimate, check) · Mid £70–120 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) · High £120+ excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) (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 or 112 · 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 |
| Ice cream at Morelli's or Roughans | £3–5 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Fish and chips | £10–15 |
| Pint of beer | £5–6.50 |
| Bus fare, short hop | £2.50–5 |
| Taxi Coleraine → Portstewart | £12–18 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BFS · Belfast International
- About 1 h 15 min by road (check); no direct rail or bus, change at Coleraine
- BHD · George Best Belfast City
- Train from Belfast to Coleraine, then bus 140a; about 2 h 30 min total (check)
- LDY · City of Derry
- About 45 min by road (check); bus links via Coleraine
Typical fares
- Bus Coleraine → Portstewart
- about £3, 15 min
- Bus Portrush → Giant's Causeway
- about £5, 25 min
- Taxi Coleraine → Portstewart
- £12–18
Get around
The town is small enough to walk end to end in about 20 minutes. Bus 140a/140b runs a triangle between Coleraine, Portstewart and Portrush; frequency is roughly every 20 min Monday–Friday, hourly Saturday, every two hours Sunday (check current timetables with Translink). Change at Portrush for bus 402 along the coast to Bushmills, the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede and Ballycastle (check frequency and last return). A car helps for the coast road and Castlerock, where there is no footbridge or ferry across the River Bann.
See and do
Known for
- Portstewart Strand (National Trust beach)
- Morelli's ice cream on the Promenade
- Portstewart Golf Club
- Gateway to the Causeway Coast
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Portrush | Bus 140a/140b from the town centre, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Giant's Causeway and Bushmills | Bus 140 to Portrush, then bus 402 along the coast | 1.5–2 h (check) |
| Castlerock | Bus or train via Coleraine; no bridge or ferry across the River Bann | About 1 h (check) |
| Coleraine | Bus 140a/140b, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Derry | Bus to Coleraine, then train to Derry | 1.5–2 h (check) |
Sleep
- The Promenade
- Sea front, walk to beach and eating strip; most hotels and B&Bs are here.
- The Diamond / town centre
- Behind the Promenade, 5 min walk to the sea; quieter, close to shops and buses.
- Strand Road and Atlantic Circle
- North end near the golf club and Strand car park; good for beach access, a walk from the centre (check).
Phrase card
| English | 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 bus stop? | Where is the bus stop? |
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
- Strand parking is charged and may need pre-booking in peak season (check with the National Trust); access on foot is free dawn to dusk.
- Driving on the beach is no longer allowed.
- Sunday buses are every two hours: check the last return before you set out.
- The Promenade beach is rocky except for one small corner; the Strand is the swimming beach.
- Northwest 200 motorbike races in May close roads around Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart.
A low-crime seaside town; the real risks are cold water and rip currents on the Strand, wind on the cliff paths, and alcohol on the Promenade at night. Standard UK precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Portstewart yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Portstewart Strand (National Trust beach)
- Morelli's ice cream on the Promenade
- Portstewart Golf Club
- Gateway to the Causeway Coast
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Causeway Coast and Glens — official visitor information: www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com/
- National Trust — Portstewart Strand: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/portstewart-strand
- Translink — Northern Ireland bus and rail: www.translink.co.uk/
- Flowerfield Arts Centre: www.flowerfield.org/
- Wikivoyage: Portstewart, revision 5309926 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309926
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Portstewart
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance999 or 112
- Police non-urgent101
- NHS non-urgent111
No embassies in Portstewart; the US consulate-general is in Belfast, and most other countries have embassies in London or Dublin (check).
English is the everyday language; a few Irish phrases are used locally but not needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/portstewart). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.