Help with Ireland/Northern Ireland trip
 

We would like to travel to Ireland/Northern Ireland for 5 days in July. Our thought is to fly into Dublin and out of Belfast. (9 in our party) We wanted to see Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and Newgrange (near Dublin) Are these worth seeing? Has anyone traveled this route and have ideas on what else to see and where to stay? We are traveling with kids ranging from 9-17!

that sounds like a good trip. Both the Giants Causeway and Newgrange are well worth seeing. I would suggest a couple of days in Dublin. There are plenty of things to see & do - The Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, you could do the Viking Splash Tour which is supposed to be great fun (I'm sure the kids would enjoy it), Kilmainham Gaol, etc.

The easiest way to get to Newgrange is by day trip from Dublin (see www.buseireann.ie), so I would probably do that while staying in Dublin. Then you can get the train to Belfast and spend a couple of days there, with a day trip to the Giants Causeway.

What is your budget for accommodation and I can give you a few suggestions?

Thanks for the advice it sounds good! we are two families traveling, family of 4 and family of 5. We were hoping to find familiy rooms or accomodations for each family that would be about $200/night. Do we want to stay in Belfast or outside of it?

In Dublin you could try Jurys Inn in Christchurch. The hotel is in a good location, the rooms are clean, and I do believe they do family rooms.

I'm not that familiar with Belfast. Someone else may be able to help more.

Could you tell us when in July you are planning to travel? From Dublin Airport (which is north of Dublin) it takes about 1 to 2hours to drive to Belfast passing NewGrange on the way. Or a train to Belfast and a train to Portrush which is near Giants Causeway.

The Giant's Causeway was incredible, in fact, so was the entire drive from Dublin to Belfast and then along the coast to Portrush. Don't forget to stop and see the rope bridge along the way. The kids will love it.

You might want to take into consideration that on July 12 in N.I.many parades are held all over and touring around on that particular day might prove frustating. Nevertheless a beautiful country with the friendliest peole you will ever come across. Enjoy your trip.

My husband and I just got back from Ireland (incl. Dublin) a few days ago. We found Newgrange to be quite worthwhile, and especially enjoyed the simulated Winter Solstice inside the tomb itself. We also went on a tour of the crypts in St. Michan's church where they have mummies dating back to the 12th century -- the tour guide was very entertaining (he had a whole Bela Lugosi-like demeanor) and you get to touch the mummies (supposedly for luck). The tours are given only for a couple of hours each day so you'll want to double check a guidebook for your visit. Somewhat macabre but we got a real kick out of it -- the location is convenient too, as it is right around the corner from the Jamesons Distillery.

There finally are hotels other than the Europa in Belfast, which is nice, although overpriced. The Hilton's location isn't great for exploring the city, but it is very near a train station. Jury's is okay, and a good central location. That might be the best option with kids. Or you could go whole hog and stay at the only 5 star hotel in NI--the Culloden, which is just outside Belfast in Hollywood.

I would just drive from Dublin. Newgrange is definitely worth seeing, but you could be in for a wait in July. The Antrim Coast road is the route you'll take up to the Giant's Causeway. Head north toward Carrickfergus. There's a castle there that's worth having a look at. Other sites are the Carrick-a-Rede bridge, Dunluce Castle ruins, Bushmills Distillery. They do allow children on the tour.

The Mountains of Mourne are worth a day at least. There are good hiking trails, and you can follow a trail from a parking lot in Newcastle to the top of Slieve Donard.