Tour Ref: EU6/1
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From a quality base this holiday is the ultimate tour of Northern Ireland. Our route to get to/from the north itself is a holiday highlight with a first-class journey, and meals, on the most prestigious train in Ireland – The Enterprise Express.
We meet at Holyhead in time for the afternoon sailing to Dublin Port. Here we have arranged for your luggage to be transported north so that you can enjoy to the full the journey between the two capitals aboard The Enterprise Express. TRAVEL IS IN FIRST CLASS AND INCLUDES YOUR EVENING MEAL EN ROUTE. A short journey to Dunadry should see us settled in by about 21.45.
There are so many lovely trips to make it is difficult to know where to start. Perhaps, after a late arrival on Thursday, we should stay “local” today. So, we will take a coach trip up to Larne, then rail via Whitehead, Carrickfergus, and Belfast to Bangor. Near here we will have plenty of time for the main attraction of the day – the superb Ulster Folk and Transport Museum – truly one of the best of its type in the British Isles. Later we rail and coach back to Antrim.
We head for the border today, enjoying a scenic journey through the Sperrin Mountains on our way to Fintown in Co Donegal. Enjoy loch side, and extremely rustic, rail ride with the Fintown Railway before we head to Londonderry. On the way (sort of!) we will stop at Oakfield Park for the Difflin Lake Railway and some time to enjoy the estate’s beautiful gardens. Then, from Londonderry, we take NI Railways most scenic route back to Antrim.
Back to the station this morning for a rail journey from Antrim, via Belfast, to Lisburn – the finest surviving railway station in Northern Ireland. From here we are into Co Down and Downpatrick, where we find the inimitable Downpatrick and Co Down Railway. Special arrangements here will ensure we enjoy to the full the only standard (5’3”) gauge preserved railway in all Ireland. Our return journey to Antrim will be great fun because our day is not complete until we have visited Northern Ireland’s friendliest railway – Drumawhey Junction Miniature Railway – you will love it!
Have we saved the best till last? – join us to find out as we head north by train to Portrush. From here our Antrim Coast Tour includes the Giant’s Causeway (a World Heritage Site), the reinstated Giant’s Causeway Tramway and the Bushmills Visitor Centre, which includes a welcome dram!
You will probably have been excited all week in anticipation of our return “Enterprise” to Dublin. Again, it is first class (of course), enjoying a full Irish Breakfast in real comfort as the scenery whizzes by. Back in Dublin with a little time to spare we will do something in Eire before catching the early afternoon boat back to Holyhead and homeward bound trains.
15″ gauge line in a delightful country park setting.
Ireland’s only 5′ 3″ heritage railway in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
A three mile section of the former Co. Donegal Railway running amid highland and loughside scenery.
Miniature steam trains run by local independent owners.
A pioneering 3′ gauge steam railway running for 2 miles on the former Giant’s Causeway Tramway route.
This quality 4-star hotel is built on the site of an ancient fort and is situated amid landscaped gardens. There is a pleasant restaurant, a lovely wood panelled bar, and the bedrooms are stylishly designed, spacious, and equipped with all the facilities you would expect from an international class hotel. It also benefits from a lift, ground floor rooms and a leisure centre with swimming pool, sauna, and steam room.
