clarktx

Good morning! If I am staying in the Carrickfergus/Whitehead area, how long would it take me to drive the coastal causeway route up to the Giant's Causeway/Bushmills area? Is there a more efficient route? Is that the best route? Thanks for any input!

Tony2phones

Are you in a rush or do you want to take in some scenery.

Drop back to Belfast and get the M2 onto the A26 and that should get you there without any distractions. or you could take the scenic route following the coast all the way.. depends if you want scenery or if your just delivering a package.

ESW

Surprisingly there is little difference in mileage between the scenic coastal route and the inland route via Ballymena. The inland route is quicker - allow 90 minutes. The coastal route will take just over two hours without any stops. BUT it really is a scenic route meriting stops and diversions....

clarktx

Thanks for the quick responses! I'll be a little more specific on what we are doing to see if that influences your advice at all. We will be staying in Whitehead in early December. We would like to take a day to drive to see the Giant's Causeway and tour the Bushmills distillery. I'd also like to see the rope bridge on the coast. I just am not sure if I should take the quicker inland route or the (by all accounts) gorgeous coastal drive. I suppose we could take the coastal drive there, and the quicker inland route back. Any thoughts, especially considering the short daylight hours in December?

Tony2phones

There will be any number of folk telling you about short days and long nights. I work on the principal of getting up about 8 am, having a good breakfast and getting on the road a little before 9, it will be light by then. If you aim on getting to the nights accommodation by 4.30 ish it will still be light.

Check the tide table, better to see the Causeway at low tide. check the weather forecast. The weather will dictate which route rather than the time taken. no point driving up a scenic coastal drive in a howling gale with horizontal rain washing the car for you. You certainly won't want to be on the rope bridge in adverse conditions.

Assuming you get a fine cool day with some sharp brightness you could fit a lot into those 7 or 8 hours.

You might find a couple of options if you zoom into this map, https://goo.gl/xrDQtD sorry but Google guffed my icons. Glennariff falls can look fairly special after a lot of rain and you can fit in the Dark Hedges on the way up or back down?

flpab

Stop and see Ballintoy Harbor, very beautiful and good stop for a cup of coffee. We really loved the coastal rd and can't wait to return to NI.

clarktx

Excellent input. And thanks for the great map, Tony2phones. I suppose if it is a fine day, we will take the coastal route, which is my preference.

flpab, thanks for the recommendation of Ballintoy Harbor. Looks like a pretty spot.