One of the joys of travelling is creating connections with people from all around the world. We have met people from every continent and have stayed in touch with many, exchanging travel advice and keeping up with each others adventures. We met one couple in 2011 on our honeymoon safari trip in Southern Africa who were from Ireland and we clicked right away. We always said we would meet up again and so 6 years and 3 babies between us later we did! Reconnecting with Viny and Elaine in Galway was one of the main reasons we decided to head to Ireland but it was also a place that Chris has been wanting to go forever (something about the beer and the friendly people made it an appealing place I think). We spent a whirlwind 7 days in this beautiful country and feel like we only saw a very tiny amount of what Ireland had to offer. Below is our trip summary of 7 days in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
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Flight
We flew direct from Reykjavik to Belfast, a quick 2 hour flight into the George Best City Centre Airport – wait WHAT?! There are two airports in Belfast?! We had no idea and so were surprised when we landed in the city centre and realized we had booked our rental car out of the International Airport. Oops! Don’t make the same mistake and double check which airport you’ll be arriving at!!
Transportation
Having a rental car is the easiest way to see Ireland at your own pace, especially if you’re bringing kids along. We loved being able to stop if we saw something of interest (like a beautiful view … or a park) and it meant that we could really travel at our own pace. We had heard horror stories about the roads in Ireland but we didn’t find them that bad! Some were narrow and only one car could pass at a time but others were 4 lane toll highways and well maintained two lane highways that were easy to navigate and well signed.
If you’re thinking about renting a car in Ireland, check out our post here for some things you might want to consider.
We flew direct from Reykjavik to Belfast, a quick 2 hour flight into the George Best City Centre Airport – wait WHAT?! There are two airports in Belfast?! We had no idea and so were surprised when we landed in the city centre and realized we had booked our rental car out of the International Airport. Oops! Don’t make the same mistake and double check which airport you’ll be arriving at!!
Transportation
Having a rental car is the easiest way to see Ireland at your own pace, especially if you’re bringing kids along. We loved being able to stop if we saw something of interest (like a beautiful view … or a park) and it meant that we could really travel at our own pace. We had heard horror stories about the roads in Ireland but we didn’t find them that bad! Some were narrow and only one car could pass at a time but others were 4 lane toll highways and well maintained two lane highways that were easy to navigate and well signed.
If you’re thinking about renting a car in Ireland, check out our post here for some things you might want to consider.
Accommodation
We wanted to see as much of Ireland as we could and so opted to move locations every night. The advantage of Ireland is that it is quite small and we were able to do just 2-3 hours per day of total driving. The disadvantage is that packing and unpacking the car can be a hassle, and check-in and -out can waste valuable sightseeing time. We found the experience with a toddler was a little hectic and in hindsight, it would have been nice to base ourselves in two to three areas and do day trips from there.
We stayed in a mix of bed and breakfasts, hotels and airbnbs. We sourced most of the hotels and bed and breakfasts through Booking.com which seems to be more widely used in Europe than in North America. We sourced our vacation rentals through AirBnB.
I was sure to contact each of our accommodations in advance to ensure that a crib could be provided and while we brought our own high chair with us, many had ones available for us and were happy to cook up a little something special (like a scrambled egg or toast) for Hannah at breakfast.
Not sure what type of accommodation is best for you? Check out our post with pros and cons of Hotels and Vacation Rentals
We had great experiences at each of our accommodations but one in particular stood out - Belbulben Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast. Check out our 2 Days In County Sligo post to read more about what made it so special!
We wanted to see as much of Ireland as we could and so opted to move locations every night. The advantage of Ireland is that it is quite small and we were able to do just 2-3 hours per day of total driving. The disadvantage is that packing and unpacking the car can be a hassle, and check-in and -out can waste valuable sightseeing time. We found the experience with a toddler was a little hectic and in hindsight, it would have been nice to base ourselves in two to three areas and do day trips from there.
We stayed in a mix of bed and breakfasts, hotels and airbnbs. We sourced most of the hotels and bed and breakfasts through Booking.com which seems to be more widely used in Europe than in North America. We sourced our vacation rentals through AirBnB.
I was sure to contact each of our accommodations in advance to ensure that a crib could be provided and while we brought our own high chair with us, many had ones available for us and were happy to cook up a little something special (like a scrambled egg or toast) for Hannah at breakfast.
Not sure what type of accommodation is best for you? Check out our post with pros and cons of Hotels and Vacation Rentals
We had great experiences at each of our accommodations but one in particular stood out - Belbulben Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast. Check out our 2 Days In County Sligo post to read more about what made it so special!
What kept us busy during our week in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland? Here are a few of the highlights from our trip:
Belfast Black Cab Tour
We took a private “Black Cab” tour after hearing so many great things about it. Our driver met us at our hotel and gave us a wonderful informative tour of the history of the troubles in Belfast. We made stops at some of the famous murals in Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods, stopped to sign the peace wall and visited memorials to some of the victims of the violence that happened here up until 1998. The cab had a built in booster seat for older children and our driver was happy to let us try (unsuccessfully) to install our convertible car seat into the vehicle.
Tip: Book your tour in advance through their website - we were able to choose our pick up time as well as the pick up and drop off location. The total tour length was only an hour and a half, affordable and totally worth it!
Belfast Black Cab Tour
We took a private “Black Cab” tour after hearing so many great things about it. Our driver met us at our hotel and gave us a wonderful informative tour of the history of the troubles in Belfast. We made stops at some of the famous murals in Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods, stopped to sign the peace wall and visited memorials to some of the victims of the violence that happened here up until 1998. The cab had a built in booster seat for older children and our driver was happy to let us try (unsuccessfully) to install our convertible car seat into the vehicle.
Tip: Book your tour in advance through their website - we were able to choose our pick up time as well as the pick up and drop off location. The total tour length was only an hour and a half, affordable and totally worth it!
Causeway Coastal Route
Like so many other countries there’s the direct route to tourist attractions and then there’s the scenic route. We opted to drive the Causeway Costal Route from Belfast up to Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and I would highly recommend it. The scenery was stunning and there are some beautiful stops along the way. We opted to stop at a beautiful playground in Ballycastle that overlooked the sea with a bakery and small grocery store across the street.
Like so many other countries there’s the direct route to tourist attractions and then there’s the scenic route. We opted to drive the Causeway Costal Route from Belfast up to Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and I would highly recommend it. The scenery was stunning and there are some beautiful stops along the way. We opted to stop at a beautiful playground in Ballycastle that overlooked the sea with a bakery and small grocery store across the street.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Originally used by fisherman to catch salmon this beautiful rope bridge that spans 20 meters a dizzying 30 meters above the water is now part of Ireland’s National Trust (basically their protected heritage sites). The trail that leads from the ticket hut approximately 20 minutes to the bridge with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean’s stunning blue waters and soaring cliffs at every turn. We crossed the bridge and wandered around for a little bit, enjoying the view and taking some pictures before heading back.
Tip: We didn’t anticipate the longer walk from where the ticket hut is to the rope bridge. Budget at least 60-90 minutes here to fully appreciate it. Note that if your child is not walking independently (that is if you aren’t comfortable letting them walk across the bridge) you have to have your child secured in a carrier, you are not allowed to carry them in your arms across the rope bridge.
Originally used by fisherman to catch salmon this beautiful rope bridge that spans 20 meters a dizzying 30 meters above the water is now part of Ireland’s National Trust (basically their protected heritage sites). The trail that leads from the ticket hut approximately 20 minutes to the bridge with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean’s stunning blue waters and soaring cliffs at every turn. We crossed the bridge and wandered around for a little bit, enjoying the view and taking some pictures before heading back.
Tip: We didn’t anticipate the longer walk from where the ticket hut is to the rope bridge. Budget at least 60-90 minutes here to fully appreciate it. Note that if your child is not walking independently (that is if you aren’t comfortable letting them walk across the bridge) you have to have your child secured in a carrier, you are not allowed to carry them in your arms across the rope bridge.
Giant’s Causeway
Just 10 minutes down the road from Carrick-a-Rede is probably Northern Ireland’s best known attraction, Giant’s Causeway. Over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns stretch from here all the way to Scotland. According to legend the causeway was built by a giant, Finn McCool to join the north channel so that he and a Scottish giant could fight. We loved that an audio tour was provided with admission and enjoyed walking around the exploring the grounds. Make sure you walk past where the causeway juts into the ocean to take a seat on Finn McCool’s boot!
Inside the visitor’s centre is a little museum (free with entry) with interactive exhibits, a short film explaining the legend behind how the Causeway came to be and a great and affordable little café.
Tip: If you have little legs, opt to walk down (or use your stroller) from the visitor's centre to the causeway and then catch the bus to bring you back uphill. Your legs, and theirs, will thank you!
Just 10 minutes down the road from Carrick-a-Rede is probably Northern Ireland’s best known attraction, Giant’s Causeway. Over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns stretch from here all the way to Scotland. According to legend the causeway was built by a giant, Finn McCool to join the north channel so that he and a Scottish giant could fight. We loved that an audio tour was provided with admission and enjoyed walking around the exploring the grounds. Make sure you walk past where the causeway juts into the ocean to take a seat on Finn McCool’s boot!
Inside the visitor’s centre is a little museum (free with entry) with interactive exhibits, a short film explaining the legend behind how the Causeway came to be and a great and affordable little café.
Tip: If you have little legs, opt to walk down (or use your stroller) from the visitor's centre to the causeway and then catch the bus to bring you back uphill. Your legs, and theirs, will thank you!
Derry
We spent a half day exploring the city of Derry whose Bogside neighbourhood was the site of Bloody Sunday in 1972. We opted to take a short walking tour of the Bogside area as opposed to a tour of the whole city. In hindsight it might have been nice to hear about the history of the completely intact walled city and to hear about some of the other gorgeous buildings (like the guild hall) but given our toddler attention span for tours, the shorter Bogside tour was probably a good choice.
We stopped at a little family friendly café, The Sandwich Co., for lunch, and walked down to the waterfront where the peace bridge, guild hall and the Shipquay entrance to the walls is. We wandered the walls and played in the fountains in front of the guildhall. Derry was surprising to us – a really beautiful city that where we wished we could have stayed longer!
Tip: if you’re looking for a spot to eat dinner we loved the super family friendly brewery and restaurant called Walled City Brewery. It was a bit tough to find by car (follow their website's directions, not Google!) but you can also just stroll across the Peace Bridge to Ebrington Square. There was a great view of the city and Peace Bridge from the restaurant and space in the square outside for little ones to run.
We spent a half day exploring the city of Derry whose Bogside neighbourhood was the site of Bloody Sunday in 1972. We opted to take a short walking tour of the Bogside area as opposed to a tour of the whole city. In hindsight it might have been nice to hear about the history of the completely intact walled city and to hear about some of the other gorgeous buildings (like the guild hall) but given our toddler attention span for tours, the shorter Bogside tour was probably a good choice.
We stopped at a little family friendly café, The Sandwich Co., for lunch, and walked down to the waterfront where the peace bridge, guild hall and the Shipquay entrance to the walls is. We wandered the walls and played in the fountains in front of the guildhall. Derry was surprising to us – a really beautiful city that where we wished we could have stayed longer!
Tip: if you’re looking for a spot to eat dinner we loved the super family friendly brewery and restaurant called Walled City Brewery. It was a bit tough to find by car (follow their website's directions, not Google!) but you can also just stroll across the Peace Bridge to Ebrington Square. There was a great view of the city and Peace Bridge from the restaurant and space in the square outside for little ones to run.
Strandhill Beach
Probably my favourite stop on our trip was Strandhill beach located just outside of Sligo. We had just stayed in the most wonderful and family friendly Bed and Breakfast and the sun was shining. We walked along the beach, Hannah played in the sand with some other brave beach goers and we had the most incredible lunch at Shell’s Café followed by the famous honeycomb ice cream at Mammy Johnston’s next door.
Probably my favourite stop on our trip was Strandhill beach located just outside of Sligo. We had just stayed in the most wonderful and family friendly Bed and Breakfast and the sun was shining. We walked along the beach, Hannah played in the sand with some other brave beach goers and we had the most incredible lunch at Shell’s Café followed by the famous honeycomb ice cream at Mammy Johnston’s next door.
County Clare and Cliffs of Moher
The fog was thick the morning we planned to see the Cliffs of Moher. Since we had accommodations booked in Dublin that evening I was afraid that we would miss seeing it altogether. We decided to start our day wandering around Lahinch, a surf town near the Cliffs with a beautiful strip of coast line, and super cute coffee and book shops.
As the fog cleared – and more surfers jumped into the water – we jumped into the car and headed to the cliffs just in time to watch the fog clear revealing an absolutely stunning view. There are trails that run all along the top of the cliffs in either direction with beautiful views out toward the Atlantic and inland back toward Lahinch. We would have loved another day (at least!) to walk the beach at Lahinch and take a boat ride for another perspective of the cliffs!
The fog was thick the morning we planned to see the Cliffs of Moher. Since we had accommodations booked in Dublin that evening I was afraid that we would miss seeing it altogether. We decided to start our day wandering around Lahinch, a surf town near the Cliffs with a beautiful strip of coast line, and super cute coffee and book shops.
As the fog cleared – and more surfers jumped into the water – we jumped into the car and headed to the cliffs just in time to watch the fog clear revealing an absolutely stunning view. There are trails that run all along the top of the cliffs in either direction with beautiful views out toward the Atlantic and inland back toward Lahinch. We would have loved another day (at least!) to walk the beach at Lahinch and take a boat ride for another perspective of the cliffs!
Dublin
We only had one full day in Dublin, opting to stay outside the city in the beautiful town of Malahide, and so we took full advantage with the self guided tour of the Guiness Storehouse followed by a walk through St Stephen’s Green and a tour of Trinity College. It was a busy day but we really enjoyed each part.
The Guiness tour was totally worthwhile even when two of the three of us weren’t drinking. I loved seeing the history of the ads and Hannah loved all the Guinness characters. There’s a beautiful view of the city from the tasting room on the top floor but we were there around lunch time and it was PACKED! My recommendation would be to go there first, whether it’s for a drink or just to take in the view, before doing your tour.
St Stephen’s Green was great for walking around, bringing a snack and people watching. I loved that it was quiet enough to let Hannah run a little bit.
The tour at Trinity College was a little more expensive than I had been looking to spend but I wanted to see their famous library and it ended up being both entertaining and informative. The library was stunning and definitely worth seeing (or in my case gawking at!)
We only had one full day in Dublin, opting to stay outside the city in the beautiful town of Malahide, and so we took full advantage with the self guided tour of the Guiness Storehouse followed by a walk through St Stephen’s Green and a tour of Trinity College. It was a busy day but we really enjoyed each part.
The Guiness tour was totally worthwhile even when two of the three of us weren’t drinking. I loved seeing the history of the ads and Hannah loved all the Guinness characters. There’s a beautiful view of the city from the tasting room on the top floor but we were there around lunch time and it was PACKED! My recommendation would be to go there first, whether it’s for a drink or just to take in the view, before doing your tour.
St Stephen’s Green was great for walking around, bringing a snack and people watching. I loved that it was quiet enough to let Hannah run a little bit.
The tour at Trinity College was a little more expensive than I had been looking to spend but I wanted to see their famous library and it ended up being both entertaining and informative. The library was stunning and definitely worth seeing (or in my case gawking at!)
