Belfast - Does this make sense?

[suzski]

We'll be on Ruby Princess in April and The Titantic Museum is a "must do" for me....however, I also want to visit Giant's Causeway as I think that is something my husband might enjoy a bit more (he's still a bit upset because after adamantly stating "I'll never let you go Jack, I'll never let you go!", Rose sent Jack off to the depths of the sea in the movie:() - plus, I'm a sucker for UNESCO World Heritage sites. Anyway, would we do better to rent a car and do this ourselves? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[joemooch]

Take the ship's shuttle bus downtown and book one of several bus tours as you get off, including the Causeway. Not much else worth seeing, IMO. Don't know about the Museum.

[SixOneTwo]

You can see the Titanic museum from the ship, but it's not walking distance, if that makes sense. The Titanic dry dock and pump house are also right there.

 

As for the Causeway, we went this August. It is a bit of a drive, and if you want to get a scenic experience, you should consider taking the coastal roads rather than the freeway. You will need good driving skills on the scenic route, as the road is narrow and you will have to occasionally stop and negotiate passing an oncoming car. If you rent a car, make sure it's a small one, not an SUV...

 

Also some info once you get to the Causeway: it is a fairly long walk downhill from the visitor's center where you buy tickets to where you actually start seeing the rock formations. You can also take a shuttle there and back, but there's waiting time for that, especially if alot of visitors are there. We walked down and then took the shuttle back. If you're fit, you could probably walk one way in 20 minutes. So take into account the time you will actually need there.

 

Finally, take a look at the Titanic museum hours for the date you're going to be in Belfast. We had to skip it, because it was a Sunday and there was no way to do both due to limited hours. We ended up with a private tour service that took us to a variety of places along the coast, which was great!

 

Have a wonderful trip.

[KirkNC]

Having been to the Causeway, I would say it is mildly interesting, not sure it is worth the drive but I am sure others may disagree.

[paddyzim]

We'll be on Ruby Princess in April and The Titantic Museum is a "must do" for me....however, I also want to visit Giant's Causeway as I think that is something my husband might enjoy a bit more (he's still a bit upset because after adamantly stating "I'll never let you go Jack, I'll never let you go!", Rose sent Jack off to the depths of the sea in the movie:() - plus, I'm a sucker for UNESCO World Heritage sites. Anyway, would we do better to rent a car and do this ourselves? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

I live in Northern Ireland - if you only have a day, you may struggle to fit in both the Titanic Museum and Giants Causeway. The museum is definitely a must-see by all reviews, Giants Causeway is nice to see - the coastal drive is very pretty as you wind along the Atlantic. It is pretty slow though (at least 1 hour 40mins) There is a lot to see in the titanic museum and you could spend a long time browsing it. I think you might get more out of the museum unless the sun is shining! Then forget the museum and enjoy the pretty coastline to Giant's causeway. When the skies are blue, Ireland is at it's best. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

[suzski]

Thanks all! I think we'll plan on skipping the Causeway and enjoying the museum. We have several days in Ireland and this is a pretty port-intensive cruise so a day that isn't absolutely chock-a-block with activity will probably be a welcome respite.

[melody hounddog]

Thanks all! I think we'll plan on skipping the Causeway and enjoying the museum. We have several days in Ireland and this is a pretty port-intensive cruise so a day that isn't absolutely chock-a-block with activity will probably be a welcome respite.

 

I think we will do the same. Thanks for all the advice!

[capriccio]

Thanks all! I think we'll plan on skipping the Causeway and enjoying the museum. We have several days in Ireland and this is a pretty port-intensive cruise so a day that isn't absolutely chock-a-block with activity will probably be a welcome respite.

 

And if you have any interest in recent history ('the troubles') you might be able to combine the museum with a city tour of Belfast. We had a quick 45 minute drive thru Belfast after our day along tour of the Antrim coast (which is absolutely gorgeous). If we get to visit Belfast again we'll do the Titanic museum and more of the city.

[deb63]

I live in Northern Ireland - if you only have a day, you may struggle to fit in both the Titanic Museum and Giants Causeway. The museum is definitely a must-see by all reviews, Giants Causeway is nice to see - the coastal drive is very pretty as you wind along the Atlantic. It is pretty slow though (at least 1 hour 40mins) There is a lot to see in the titanic museum and you could spend a long time browsing it. I think you might get more out of the museum unless the sun is shining! Then forget the museum and enjoy the pretty coastline to Giant's causeway. When the skies are blue, Ireland is at it's best. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

Thank you for your insight. I have been going back and forth with the same thoughts as the original poster. Your post helped a lot.

[stag]

We organized a group tour at Belfast. Most tours go similar route. Some with slight deviations. We were on a minibus. Along the road, we saw many coach buses perhaps for cruise passengers. Our group went to:

 

Carrickfergus Castle

Carnlough Village

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Bushmill Distillation

Giant's Causeway

 

The rope bridge was a long walk from the parking lot. The Causeway was a short and gentle incline walk on black top. Some people chose to go on dirt trails which were more difficult walk. Our tour included the rental of radio guides at the Giant Causeway Information Center that made the walk more interesting.

[bubblesqueaker]

Hi there. I also am a local. Unless the Giant's Causeway is a must see for you then spend your time in the Titanic Museum and perhaps do a HoHo bus. A taxi from the port to the museum should only cost you around £5.