Northern Ireland

*CAR RENTAL TIP  I like using Hotwire.com to rent cars abroad just as I do in the US.  I’m familiar with them, and their prices are almost always good.  You can rent from many of the same rental companies abroad like Enterprise, Hertz, etc.  It’s always less expensive to drop a rental car off in the same location that you pick up in, so try to plan your trip so that you can do that if possible.  We rearranged our Ireland/Northern Ireland/Scotland trip a bit in order to do that, and it literally saved over a thousand dollars.  We picked up in Dublin, made a loop and returned in Dublin and did the same in Scotland, picking up in Edinburgh, making a loop in Scotland, and returning in Edinburgh.  Also be aware that taking a car into other countries isn’t always allowed.  Going from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland wasn’t a problem, but it is in some cases.  Always check before making a reservation.

Ready for a road trip!

We pack light!

Our first stop was at Giant’s Causeway, a geological marvel along the northern coastline.  We bought tickets online on the drive over because you save a few pounds buying online.  The ticket price included parking.  It rained during our visit, but it really was not a deterrent at all.  It was beautiful and even kinda fun in the rain.  As long as you’re prepared with raincoats and appropriate shoes it’s all good.

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

Then we went to Ballintoy Harbour, otherwise known to Game of Thrones fans as the Iron Islands, the first of our geeky GOT stops (It gets worse!).

Ballintoy Harbour, Northern Ireland

We drove a short distance to Ballycastle to our apartment for the night and had dinner a few blocks away at The Central Wine Bar.  It was a traditionally Irish pub with good pub food and drinks.  The next morning (well 11:00ish which is morning to us on vacation) we had brunch at a very mom and pop-ish cafe in downtown Ballycastle called Thyme and Co. that served an Irish breakfast as well pancakes and other things.  A traditional Irish breakfast includes eggs, bacon (which is ham to us in the US), toast, sausage, beans, stewed tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, potato bread.  Then we drove to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge near Ballycastle.  It is a rope bridge that connects the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede, first erected by salmon fishermen in 1755.  We then got back on the left side of the tiny little road to go to Belfast.  We stopped along the way at the Dark Hedges, our second GOT stop, a beautiful row of trees made famous by its appearance in GOT.  Remember Arya’s escape from King’s Landing along this road?

The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland

We had dinner in Belfast that evening at The Barking Dog, a restaurant/wine bar near our apartment.  There were several restaurants, grocery stores, etc that were within walking distance in the area.

Dinner in Belfast

The next day was our really geeky Game of Thrones day!  We boarded a bus at 8:30am in Belfast with our guide who had been an extra on the show for almost every season.  He was great, and he had lots of stories from his time on the show.  We saw Winterfell, Walder Frey’s castle, the hanging tree, the spot where the Starks found the dire wolf pups, the place Robb Stark became King of the North, the Wildling Pit and more.  We posed for pictures with cloaks and swords, and we even got to meet the dire wolves from the show.  We returned to Belfast around 6pm— a full day of GOT nerdiness and lots of fun!

Dinner that night was at Robinson’s Bar, a typical pub in Belfast.  We chose that place because it was the first place we saw once we stepped off the bus.  We were starving!  Remember to pack snacks when you’re on a bus tour!  It was a fun but very long day.  We had no trouble falling asleep that night!

Where Robb Stark was crowned King in the North

Greywind and Summer, two of the dire wolves from Game of Thrones

Winterfell without the CGI

The Hanging Tree

The next day we went to the Titanic Experience, an interactive museum in Belfast that tells the story of the Titanic.  We had lunch at the bistro there to save time.  Afterwards we went to Titanic Studios, which is right behind the Titanic Experience.  This is the studio where most of the Game of Thrones was filmed and where most of the show’s costumes and memorabilia is currently housed.

Then we drove back to Dublin to return our car and flew to Edinburgh.  Dinner that night was a very memorable meal at the Dublin airport.