Advice on finishing our itinerary

Hi! I'm very excited to be planning our first trip to Ireland!  We leave in 2 weeks- fly into Dublin July 22st, and we fly out of Dublin July31st.
I'm hoping for advice in two areas:  where to stay one night in Northern Ireland, and what to prioritize south of Donegal.
Here's our plan so far:
Night 1 and 2:  Dublin
Night 3:  ___?___
Nights 4, 5, 6:  Falcarragh
Nights 7, 8, :  ___?___
Night 9:  ? somewhere near Dublin for am flight

So- hoping someone might offer guidance on where to stay in the North, so that we can see Giants Causeway and Slieve League cliffs, before heading over to Falcarragh.  Hard to gauge how long it takes to get from Dublin to Belfast or Colerain.
Then, once we leave Falcarragh, advice on how to best optimize the next 3 days, before heading back to spend the last night in or near Dublin.
I know we want to do Galway, but it's hard to tell how long it takes to get from Donegal to Galway, or from Galway to Cork.  

Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!

Hello Diane, 

It is very exciting that you'll be here in just two weeks, and I'd love to see what I can do to help! :) Your itinerary so far looks packed with great destinations. How would you like to explore the island? Are you thinking of travelling by car, or without a car?

The trip between Dublin and Belfast takes around 2,5 hours, and from there you can explore the Causeway Coastal route in a day, but you can also spread it over multiple days, depending on what you'd like to see in the area. I really like this Causeway itinerary because it has a lot of options, including the Giant's Causeway, and it gives you an indication of how long to spend in each location.

How long it takes from there to County Donegal depends on your route, and where you'd like to make stops in between. This trip idea that combines the Causeway Coast and the Wild Atlantic Way gives you an idea on what to expect to see along the way, and how long the trip might take. The drive between the Slieve League Cliffs and Falcarragh takes under two hours, and you could also choose to stop at the cliffs on the way to Galway. 

From Falcarragh to Galway City takes about 4 hours by car, without stopping along the way. From there on it is about 2 hours and 45 minutes directly to Cork. Is there anything in particular you wouldn't want to miss in between during your trip along the Wild Atlantic Way? Are you thinking of staying in Galway for the night? 

There is a lot to choose from, and I hope our other members are able to provide you with their ideas, suggestions and tips for your upcoming trip as well. :) Please don't hesitate to reach out if there is anything else you'd like to know!

Thank you so much for replying quickly.  You gave some really helpful info, especially the drive times.  We've rented a car so that's how we'll get around.  
I'm going to search the community for suggestions now.
Thanks again!

You are most welcome, we love to help with itineraries as driving times and distances don't necessarily correlate that well as most of the west side of the island of Ireland is still rural. Add into the mix a deep desire to stop and take in the surroundings and your short journey can end up a long one!

Galway and the surrounding area is a perfect place to spend some time, there are plenty of previous community posts about the location, please feel free to have a look and see if there is something that helps with your plans.

It's not too long to wait now, we are sure wherever you decide will be a fantastic experience, please let us know when you are here and what you manage to see and do once you have been as we will love to hear all about your visit.

Speak soon,

Martin

Hello 

Why not try to fit in a visit to the historic city of Derry while you are here 
www.visitderry.com. That is where the Wild Atlantic Way meets the Causeway Coastal Route
www.wildatlanticway.com  and the https://www.causewaycoastalroute.com/ 

Kind regards

Bronagh

Hi Diane,

Sounds like you have a great trip planned!  Might I suggest spending the night in the Causeway Coast and Glens?  You mention The Giant's Causeway, which is central in the Causeway Coastal Route and is Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its hexagonal shaped basalt stones and columns. Other attractions include The Bushmills Whiskey Distillery, Dunluce Castle, Mussenden Temple and Game of Thrones filming locations.  You could possibly base yourselves in any of the nearby towns such as Bushmills, Portrush or Coleraine.  After which you could then continue west towards Derry/Londonderry and into Donegal which is home to the Slieve League Cliffs.

There is a wealth of accommodation in the Causeway Coast and Glens area.  However, I would suggest booking this in advance due to it being high season.  We offer an accommodation booking service and would be happy to help organise this.

Should you have any further questions surrounding your trip or indeed accommodation, Coleraine Visitor Information Centre will be happy to help.

Best Wishes 
Alison

Hi Diane,

So, tell us all, how did your trip go? 😀