The Giants Causeway. Top tips?

[TwoGinScentedTears]

It's been on my list of things to take the kids to for ages, and we've booked to go. I'm so excited I could burst! Tell me all about it! What's good nearby? We'll hopefully be staying in Portstewart and we'll have a car. Staying for 4 days. I love planning a trip!

First tip - YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY!

I grew up near there so went often. Brought my DCs there last summer when we went on an Ireland trip and was surprised you have to pay (and how expensive it is!!!). But then we just walked around the side of the visitor's centre (through the tunnel) and there was the road down just as normal. The charge is for the visitor's centre but unless you know that, you would think it was for entry in general. Very sneaky of them!
Take a rain mac for all - within 1 hr you are likely to experience all four seasons! Comfy walking shoes obviously.
Be really careful near the edges. It sounds obvious but I was very nearly swept away once as a child by a bigger than normal wave.
The coastal walk is absolutely beautiful - have a Google and choose the length of your route.
Carrick-a-rede rope bridge is very close and well worth a visit.
Portstewart beach is lovely in all weather as well. Nearby port rush is great for the fis n chips/amusements/ice cream seaside town, especially if you have kids.
There are some really lovely restaurants around there too.
Enjoy! It's such a beautiful part of the world.

Agree you don’t have to pay just walk through the tunnel HOWEVER they get you with the car parking fee - I think there’s a free pub car park next door which was full when we went or down the road about 3 mins walk away is a small train museum which is free parking with a ticket (costs much less than GC car park). This was the case about two years ago!

Not an issue if you are members of the national trust.

Also recommend Harry’s Shack for fish and chips in Portstewart

I used to run along that coastline all the time when I lived in NI; as said above you don't need to pay - you can access the causeway from the coastal path on a walk or just from the road. A walk is well worth it along the coastal path; the causeway to me was a bit of a let down but the coastline itself is one of the most beautiful I have seen.

I'd go early - I often saw it deserted in the early mornings yet very busy from late morning onwards.

White Park Bay a little further along from the causeway is a large, sandy and beautiful beach and has cows on it which always seemed to really intrigue my friends' children!

I was coming on to say the same about paying but I've already been beaten to it!

I much preferred it before the NT 'took over' if I'm honest

The stones are still completely magical and you will love it but it used to be so much more peaceful and less commercial

I thought the Giants Causeway was amazing. It was one of those places that I thought might actually be a bit crap in real life, but I was mesmerised by it: hexagon shaped rocks! I thought the visitor centre was quite good, but didn't know you could get in without paying

The rope bridge at Carrick-a-rede rope bridge is awesome but fairly hairy!!!

The visitors centre is certainly not worth paying for. Before you come to the entrance for GC there are cars parked on the grass verges. Park there and also bring a rucksack with a bit of a picnic. When are you going OP?

Go late in the day if your trip is in summer. It gets insanely busy but quietens down quickly once the little train stops running in the late afternoon. We arrived at about 5 and it was still quite crowded but by the time we were leaving it was much nicer. There were signs saying parking was full and to use the park and ride but we sort of knew that was tosh and sure enough the car park was half empty. I've driven past during the day and it can be mayhem with cars seemingly abandoned in hedges.

It's not as big an area as I'd expected, just to warn you it might be a tad underwhelming if you have great expectations! The coastal walk is stunning if you get decent weather. The Glens of Antrim are not too far from there and are beautiful.

If the weather isn't great Belfast is not that far and has plenty to fill a day from Titanic museum to fab restaurants.

Lucky you! We went a few years ago and throughout enjoyed it! As you can see, the visitors' centre gets a bad press, however I disagree. It looks quite nice and has been built to blend in with the natural surroundings and I found it well-organised. There are so many tourists (go early) you need somewhere with facilities to cope with them all and more importantly, somewhere that helps put the causeway in to a context, especially for kids.
It starts with a film that plays on the legend of Finn and the giants, which my girls really enjoyed. The audio-guide is good and explains the history, points out features like 'the wishing-chair' and just helps get the most out of walking down. You can carry on to the cliffs behind depending on how adventurous your kids are. As with all these places, food is very expensive so I'd go elsewhere for lunch, but the visitors shop is nice for the kids to look around.
Carrick-a-rede has been mentioned, so I'd say Derry is very nice, you can walk on the walls all the way round. There are plenty of Game of Thrones related places used in the series if you are a fan. This was a few years ago, but we visited the dark hedges and Ballintoy harbour. I would have liked to have gone to Rathlin Island (to see puffins) but this time of year isn't the best and it would be quite a major day trip.
As has been said, the beaches in the area are stunning so if you have some nice weather, they make a great day out.
Sadly, the kids were too young for the Bushmills distillery tour!

I think it’s not so much the visitors centre that annoys people it’s the cost for the GC which is actually free / fully accessible on the public footpath - and the sneaky way they direct you through the visitors centre to relive you relieve you of your cash.

Oooh, you're whipping me into a frenzy! Can't bloody wait. We're going in February half term with the idea that although it might be dodgy weather wise, we'll pack waterproofs and hopefully avoid the worst of the crowds.

Where to start! I'm actually all for paying for the GC (if you aren't NT members) we need to look after our national heritage, however the parking fees as well really annoy me!
Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is brilliant but scarey. The whole coast is peppered with interesting places. White Park Bay, Mussenden Temple, Rathlin Island, The Glens of Antrim, loads of lovely little villages (Cushendall, Cushendun, Ballintoy, Castlerock, etc), Tor Head, The Dark Hedges (from GoT)
I could go on all day but instead, have a look here www.discovernorthernireland.com/about-northern-ireland/destinations/causeway/causeway-coastal-route
Lovely places to eat and drink The Harbour Bar in Portstewart, the Cromore Halt nearby and Morellis ice cream in Portrush (and Barrys Amusements)

I don't know ZsaZsa and maybe it's a bit off-topic, but I do think the cost of visitors' centres is also a contribution that people can make to maintaining and preserving these types of sites, no? Like Stonehenge used to be fully accessible in the past, I think most would agree that you couldn't have people picnicking by the stones anymore! If loads of tourists just park up by verges and there is no active management of the site, areas would probably start to degrade and local people get annoyed. I see the cost as helping in that respect, but also getting the most out of it. If people feel underwhelmed, I'm sure it's partly because unless you're really knowledgeable about the area or you have a guide book as you go, they are just funky- looking stones! We went to the battlefield of Culloden and it is the same. The battlefield is free, but the visitors' centre is National Trust. When I read Trip Advisor reviews that say "it's just a field now", I think we'll yeah, unless you know loads about it or go through the whole exhibition first to get an idea of what it's all about!
Forgot to say Twogin we visited Dunluce Castle too and the kids enjoyed that.
Wrote this after gingercat, agree with all of that!

Carrick-a-rede rope bridge is fucking terrifying, never mind ‘hairy’ or ‘scary’.

I've been to the Giants Causeway dozens of times but we had the good luck to visit last winter in sub zero temperatures and the ice made everything look amazing. So don't be put off if it is icy.

I'd suggest driving on round the coast at some stage to Downhill beach. It's huge and you can drive into it, and it is right underneath Mussenden Temple on the clifftop (which I'd also recommend visiting). On a clear day it is absolutely beautiful.

I don’t disagree with you **LittleLebowski, I am all for the National Trust but I think it needs to be clearer that people have the option.

Stonehenge you can see almost as well from the road if you wanted to but £30 for a family is a lot of money for the GC so I think it should be clearer that it is on a right of way!

That we have been going to the GC for many years so when the new signage popped it did feel like a cynical ploy to funnel people through the visitor centre. But perhaps if I was visiting as a one off / on a big trip (and crucially could afford the entrance fee!) I’d be happy to pay.

I agree about the visitors' centre - am always happy to support NT etc but when you aren't expecting £50 charge, or if the entrance fee prices people out of ever seeing the causeway, then that's a real shame.

I haven't been to the centre but you definitely need context, especially for kids! The myths and legends are as much a part of the experience as the stones, so make sure little ones know the story beforehand, I say!

Also no childhood is complete without a trip to Barry's in Portrush.

I'll bear the visitor centre in mind-I don't normally mind paying if it helps to keep these places special and preserved but I hadn't banked in £50! Although I do want to educate the kids a bit, so maybe it's worth it-2 birds and all that!

Thanks all!

Both the Giants Causeway visitor centre and Carrick a rede bridge are National Trust so if you do visit both, it might be worth taking out family memership!

We live a short drive from the GC and the North Coast is usually our go to Sunday drive. As well as the GC there are so many other places to visit - Mussoden Temple/Bishops Gate is beautiful and the rope bridge is absolutely worth seeing (but terrifying every time). We have NT membership which still saves us a fortune and it might be cheaper to look into membership as so many attractions there are NT.

Dunseverick Harbour is just a few miles from GC and its lovely too, tiny beach pockets and rock pools. Would also recommend Harry's Shack in Portstewart and the Ramore in Portrush for food.

Have a fab time OP

Do NOT go to Barry's unless your dc have never visited a theme park. My SIL (from NI) raved about it and my dc were very cats bum faced when we got there. SIL was saying that the rides haven't changed since she was a child and that that was the lovely bit about it. I f you don't have any sentimental attachment it is just a very rough, overpriced afternoon.

Barry's won't be open in February anyway.

I'd agree, it's the nostalgia factor that makes us locals love it so.

I'd recommend getting National Trust annual passes - entry into GC (& I'm another who thinks the visitors centre is great & my DCs love it there), Carrick a Rede rope bridge & Mussenden Temple (& neighbouring Hazlett House) are all fantastic & NT properties.

The GC entry alone will cover the NT cost of annual membership (if you do it via Quidco or another discount site).

It's fab - great part of the country. Enjoy!

I'd also recommend joining the NT and visiting the GC and Carrick a Rede bridge for free. We went in the summer and, as well as free parking, we also got a great NT guide who was able to give us a lot of insight into the site.

The Antrim coastline is gorgeous so, if you are lucky with the weather, try to get some walks in.

If you've got time to go to rathlin it's definitely worth the trip. Harry's shack is lovely, and bushmills is also worth a wee visit.