Giants Causeway

[barge1914]

Does anyone have any advice on where best to stay and how to visit the Giants Causeway without getting too tangled up with the commercialised tourist stuff?

 

[runnach]

I stayed in the car park, staff will try and send you through the touristy building where you paid when exiting to the causeway side. To the right of the building, and if my memory serves me well, there is another entrance where you just walk through.

I actually had an engine issue and had no choice but stay, other vehicles stayed over too. A wee tip, go visit when the tourists have gone for the day, then you can really see the tops of the basaltic pillars without the hoards swarming all over the tops of the pillars.

This was 2017, maybe 18, things may have changed since then?

 

[Pauljenny]

We parked up on the Bushmills carpark.
It's not mashing at this time of the year. All quiet inside.
Still the coachloads of Far Eastern Tourists arrive, pay for the tour, buy products in the shop.
When we went , I asked if the cafe was open and if we had to pay entry, without the tour, and if we could buy in the shop..
" Of course.. Come in !".
It was a damp morning, so I asked if I could have a malt with my coffee.. It came, a little later than the coffee and cakes. Delicious.
When I went to pay, they'd only charged is for the coffees and cakes. When I said that they'd forgotten the malt, she said" Oh, we don't have any way of charging for whiskey on our till's computer program.
.
I went to the shop, and selected 2 bottles of good malt..
I asked if I could sample, before buying.
There's a sampling bar .
It has bottles of Fanta, various colas and tonic water.. Not plain water in sight.
I explained that I usually add 5 drips to a double of good spirits.
The kid, was flummoxed and had to go and find a small jugful.
Evidently, the Yanks and far Eastern tourists, prefer to add soft drinks to top malts.
Mind boggling. How very sad.



If you get to the causeway,
There's good parking.
There's an endless stream of the same tourist busses.
They discharge from the buses, Stand in front of the stone columns, and take selfies, for a few minutes, before jumping back onto the coaches again.
There's a little CL. Nearby ,ok for one night and using the dump & fill.
Mind you, that was 6 years ago.
It could be different now.

 

[Pauljenny]

@trevskoda will be on here soon..
He's the guy who loves talking about his home region. A true expert.
Ps. You might end up in Lovely Donegal..

 

[trevskoda]

Yes dont pay to go through the shop as its tit tat and posters about mith and legend, not worth the full of my a-s of rosted snow, a little path up the top end and you can walk free to see the basalt pillers, parking is limited and all the roads near by are now plastered with yellow lines.
Far better to take a trip to the Bushmills distillery, there is a story that Paul drowned in the whisky vat when he fell in, his wife ask was it quick, well said the curator, not quite he got out 15 time to use the loo.
PS much better places to se in Donegal, try a day at the national park a few miles from Letterkenny, then a drive on up the road past the Errigal mtn.

 

[Wully]

we parked in the carpark last year total rip off glad I never paid. As already said there’s a better stop at Bushmills. If you get the chance give this place a shot if you like live music and great Irish hospitality. The blazing saddles saloon limavadi postcode for it is BT49 0LW has a motorhome aire you can find it on Searchforsites

 

[aross]

We were there a couple of years ago and I remember the parking charge was outrageous. We were on our scooter so just parked on the grass. Free.

 

[wildebus]

You have to pay to go to the Giants Causeway? times have changed since I was in Ulster!

If you have a head for heights, take a jaunt over the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge it was rather more basic when I went over it (my sister refused to go on it! I think I would have done if I had my old head on back then )
(no doubt have to pay to go over that as well now!)

 

[runnach]

We were there a couple of years ago and I remember the parking charge was outrageous. We were on our scooter so just parked on the grass. Free.

I don’t recall paying to park?

 

[Tezza33]

I don’t recall paying to park?

They probably thought you were going to put big furrows in it

 

[runnach]

They probably thought you were going to put big furrows in it

I did plan to plant potatoes

 

[Tezza33]

I did plan to plant potatoes

Don't mention potatoes in Ireland

 

[runnach]

Don't mention potatoes in Ireland

Tomatoes then

 

[TeamRienza]

The rope bridge is, I think, now has to be booked and has height barriers, so you need to park in the village or a lay-by further up the road towards Ballycastle.

As Trev and others have said, don’t pay to visit the visitors centre (unless you wish to), as you face the centre, go round the outside to the right, following the path, under the archway and down to the stones.

Overnight parking is or was allowed at the park and ride in the village of Bushmills. There is also a temporary Aire during July and August beside the juniper hill campsite Portrush (both council run) with services at the proper Aire in Portrush. The temp Aire is well placed for visiting Portrush and Portstewart by footpath which is also a cycle path.

Portstewart has a great strand run by Nat Trust, if you are prepared to park on the beach, not that I would let my van onto sand.

Davy

 

[trevskoda]

N Ireland has jumped on the fill my pockets bragade, better to p-ss of round to Letterkenney via lower span bridge at Derry, turn left and keep going.
Also try Oakfield park, nice walks and very good food served, campervans welcome.

 

[Debroos]

As said there is free public access. I think it was to the right and through a short tunnel. Evening definitely recommended and a nice walk if you carry on past with interesting rock formations.
The rope bridge thingy is now owned by the NT and was a right hassle. A really officious bloke was stopping everyone going down the path to a very nice purpose built waiting area. We went there anyway but gave up doing the bridge as the numbers of peeps was horrendous.
Disagree with Trev tho, I think the Causeway is well worth a night time visit.

 

[Debroos]

N Ireland has jumped on the fill my pockets bragade, better to p-ss of round to Letterkenney via lower span bridge at Derry, turn left and keep going.
Also try Oakfield park, nice walks and very good food served, campervans welcome.View attachment 121222View attachment 121223View attachment 121227

Whereabouts is Oakfield park?

 

[trevskoda]

Whereabouts is Oakfield park?

A few miles out of Strabane, and also look up N park n56

 

[trevskoda]

You can also get the ferry though expensive from Magiligin point to greencastle, goo feed at the cossy cottage moville.

 

[barge1914]

Yes dont pay to go through the shop as its tit tat and posters about mith and legend, not worth the full of my a-s of rosted snow, a little path up the top end and you can walk free to see the basalt pillers, parking is limited and all the roads near by are now plastered with yellow lines.
Far better to take a trip to the Bushmills distillery, there is a story that Paul drowned in the whisky vat when he fell in, his wife ask was it quick, well said the curator, not quite he got out 15 time to use the loo.
PS much better places to se in Donegal, try a day at the national park a few miles from Letterkenny, then a drive on up the road past the Errigal mtn.

Thanks for that. It just so happens we are near. Just had a great meal at the Caisleáin Óir Hotel. Settling down for a quiet but rather bloated night, so long as that tide doesn’t get any higher!
We were about to continue up the coast tomorrow, so maybe head inland to the National park instead (green route). Don’t know how much of the mountains we’ll see though, the forecast is crappy again.