U.K. and Ireland - visiting Bushmills

I am planning a trip to Ireland for about a week. As part of the trip I am going to go up to Northern Ireland for a day or two. Since I am a lover of Bushmills i wanted to tour the distillery. Has anyone been? What are the best options to getting to the distillery from Belfast? I have seen a few cabs that take you there for a tour but the price seemed awfully high....

I haven't actually taken the distillery tour (don't really drink the stuff), but I was in Bushmills in February and can give you some insight into the general logistics.

If you want to travel by public transport, it's very easy, although the buses run much more frequently during the week than on weekends. I took a bus from Belfast to Coleraine and then transferred to another one that goes directly to Bushmills. I think you can walk from the center of town to the distillery, but if not then you can easily grab a taxi for perhaps 1-2 pounds.

If you're in the area you should definitely check out the Giant's Causeway, but go early in the morning to avoid the tourist crowds. Also be aware that the weather can be ridiculously awful, depending on your luck. I got caught in a heavy wind/hailstorm while on the clifftop path. Not fun - although it was wintertime.

I stayed a night at the Smugglers Inn, which is between the Causeway and Bushmills. It was lovely, the service great, and the food excellent.

I live in the same county and have taken friends and family there often. It is a good tour for an enthusiast of the product ;).

Where are you planning to stay, and how are you travelling? The advice will be pitched accordingly! There is an excellent hotel nearby, The Bushmills Inn (http://www.bushmillsinn.com/default.aspx) that I can recommend. It is an ideal location for the distillery and for visiting the Giants Causeway. I usually take folks staying with me there for lunch as part of the day out, but have stayed there too.

If you are staying in Belfast area, car hire for a day will be easier than a cab. It is easy to travel to the North Antrim coast by car, and there is a beautiful drive up the east Antrim coast to get to or from Bushmills.

There are day trips by coach (http://www.allensbelfastbustours.com/giantscausewayirelandtour.php)that include a stop at Bushmills - you get a better view of the coastal scenery than in a car.

Or there is the slow but scenic "Antrim Coaster (http://www.translink.co.uk/Documents/PDFs/3746%20Antrim%20Coaster%20lft.pdf)" bus, which would follow a similar route - the route via Coleraine is probably faster, and more frequent. Either route you would leave from the Europa Buscetre in the heart of Belfast.

If you want to travel by public transport, it's very easy, although the buses run much more frequently during the week than on weekends. I took a bus from Belfast to Coleraine....

I stayed a night at the Smugglers Inn, which is between the Causeway and Bushmills. It was lovely, the service great, and the food excellent.

Smugglers Inn seems like a good option, I may use that. How long was the ride from Belfast to Coleraine? About how much £? And the bus from Coleraine to Bushmills?

There are day trips by coach (http://www.allensbelfastbustours.com/giantscausewayirelandtour.php)that include a stop at Bushmills - you get a better view of the coastal scenery than in a car.

Or there is the slow but scenic "Antrim Coaster (http://www.translink.co.uk/Documents/PDFs/3746%20Antrim%20Coaster%20lft.pdf)" bus, which would follow a similar route - the route via Coleraine is probably faster, and more frequent. Either route you would leave from the Europa Buscetre in the heart of Belfast.

Yeah, I am trying to decide if I should drive or take a tour. Driving seems cheaper but tougher to enjoy the scenery

Where are you planning to stay, and how are you travelling? The advice will be pitched accordingly! There is an excellent hotel nearby, The Bushmills Inn (http://www.bushmillsinn.com/default.aspx) that I can recommend. It is an ideal location for the distillery and for visiting the Giants Causeway. I usually take folks staying with me there for lunch as part of the day out, but have stayed there too.

If you are staying in Belfast area, car hire for a day will be easier than a cab. It is easy to travel to the North Antrim coast by car, and there is a beautiful drive up the east Antrim coast to get to or from Bushmills.

I'm not sure if I am staying in Belfast and making a day trip to the distillery and probably the Causeway or if I am going to stay in Bushmills for the day. The car hires I have seen so far have been about £150, looking for something cheaper.

Seems like lodging, if I stay near the distillery should be the Smugglers Inn or Bushmills Inn?

Is a day trip to the distillery and Causeway, staying in Belfast manageable? Or am I selling myself short?

Is a day trip to the distillery and Causeway, staying in Belfast manageable? Or am I selling myself short?

Perfectly doable but make sure you visit the Causeway first and that someone else is driving!

They sell a blend only available at the distillery which is really rather good.

Smugglers Inn seems like a good option, I may use that. How long was the ride from Belfast to Coleraine? About how much £? And the bus from Coleraine to Bushmills?

The bus trip was quite comfortable - perhaps a couple of hours to Coleraine, then as I recall a very short wait for the bus to Bushmills, which took perhaps 20 minutes to get to the Smugglers Inn. The cost was probably somewhere around £15, I think - give or take. I went back to Belfast on a Sunday, though, and was pleasantly surprised when the driver of my first bus sold me a Sunday pass good for all bus travel in NI for just £5.

Personally, I'd stay the night in Bushmills or the Causeway area unless your time is really tight or you need to be back in Belfast for some reason. While you certainly could do it all in a day, that would be a pretty tight day.

The bus trip was quite comfortable - perhaps a couple of hours to Coleraine, then as I recall a very short wait for the bus to Bushmills, which took perhaps 20 minutes to get to the Smugglers Inn. The cost was probably somewhere around £15, I think - give or take. I went back to Belfast on a Sunday, though, and was pleasantly surprised when the driver of my first bus sold me a Sunday pass good for all bus travel in NI for just £5.

Personally, I'd stay the night in Bushmills or the Causeway area unless your time is really tight or you need to be back in Belfast for some reason. While you certainly could do it all in a day, that would be a pretty tight day.

think i will have one day in Bushmills/Causeway, one in Belfast so was thinking of traveling back to Belfast to wake up there the next day

think i will have one day in Bushmills/Causeway, one in Belfast so was thinking of traveling back to Belfast to wake up there the next day

It's definitely doable - the distances in NI are not particularly great.

Some more unsolicited advice - IMHO Belfast definitely merits at least a couple of days. I actually like the city far more than I do Dublin - for perhaps obvious reasons it's got a lot of ferment bubbling underneath the surface, which you won't necessarily discover if you just rush through it.

Be sure to take a (free) tour of the city hall when you're there - the building is stunning. And I'd recommend wandering through the Falls/Shankill neighborhoods to check out the murals, even though some of them are disturbing.

And a night (or two) of pub crawling in Belfast is definitely worth it. There are a bunch of really neat, historic pubs (The Crown, the Spaniard...) worth hanging out in. I think the nightlife scene is much cooler than in Dublin - in Dublin so many of the pubs seem like someone transplanted McNasty's Irish Saloon from a strip mall in New Jersey back to Ireland, while the places in Belfast are much more varied and feel like they're not trying nearly as hard.

There are day trips by coach (http://www.allensbelfastbustours.com/giantscausewayirelandtour.php)that include a stop at Bushmills - you get a better view of the coastal scenery than in a car.

Or there is the slow but scenic "Antrim Coaster (http://www.translink.co.uk/Documents/PDFs/3746%20Antrim%20Coaster%20lft.pdf)" bus, which would follow a similar route - the route via Coleraine is probably faster, and more frequent. Either route you would leave from the Europa Buscetre in the heart of Belfast.

I did 1 of those day trips and basically most of the day is spent at Giant Causeway they do stop at Bushmills but we were told theres Not enough time to take the actual tour. They stop so you can say you were there and for the driver to get their free snack and drink and % from any tourist junk you purchase.

the views werte god since youre sitting high up but almost every stop I felt as if I was back in China, where they're hoping you purchase stuff so that they can make some % and receive their free food

Some more unsolicited advice - IMHO Belfast definitely merits at least a couple of days. I actually like the city far more than I do Dublin - for perhaps obvious reasons it's got a lot of ferment bubbling underneath the surface, which you won't necessarily discover if you just rush through it.

I think the nightlife scene is much cooler than in Dublin - in Dublin so many of the pubs seem like someone transplanted McNasty's Irish Saloon from a strip mall in New Jersey back to Ireland, while the places in Belfast are much more varied and feel like they're not trying nearly as hard.

you know McNasty's Irish Saloon, i love that place! it's right next to TGI McFunster's in Elizabeth, right?

given all that I've read about Belfast it seems like an extra day would be well worth it, thanks for the suggestion!

you know McNasty's Irish Saloon, i love that place! it's right next to TGI McFunster's in Elizabeth, right?

given all that I've read about Belfast it seems like an extra day would be well worth it, thanks for the suggestion!

You're most welcome. Another thought - if you're there over a weekend, there's a Belfast pub crawl/walking tour that I haven't taken myself but is supposed to be great (and something I very much want to do the next time I'm there.) I think they go on Saturday nights, and you can reserve a spot from the tourist office just north of city hall.

[...]Another thought - if you're there over a weekend, there's a Belfast pub crawl/walking tour that I haven't taken myself but is supposed to be great (and something I very much want to do the next time I'm there.) I think they go on Saturday nights, and you can reserve a spot from the tourist office just north of city hall.

Sounds like a great incentive for a quick weekend tripette to Belfast... thanks for spurring the imagination!

You're most welcome. Another thought - if you're there over a weekend, there's a Belfast pub crawl/walking tour that I haven't taken myself but is supposed to be great (and something I very much want to do the next time I'm there.) I think they go on Saturday nights, and you can reserve a spot from the tourist office just north of city hall.

any idea on the name?

http://belfastcrawl.com/
or
http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Belfast-Crawl-Guided-traditional-pub-crawl-Belfast-P27355

Tripadvisor reviews here:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186470-d2624537-Reviews-Belfast_Pub_Crawl-Belfast_Northern_Ireland.html

If you are staying in Belfast a few days, I recommend that you visit the Titanic Belfast building which opened in March this year.

If you are going to Bushmills, of course the Giants Causeway is a must as is the Carrick-a-Reede ropebridge which would all add up to a good day's outing.

If you are a golfer, then you are not far from Royal Portrush, reckons by many as the best golf course in the UK.

Enjoy yourself.