Four unhurried days by rental car: a Belfast evening, a day on the Causeway Coast, a slow Donegal day and an easy drive home.
This is a sample plan, made by Fingerpost for two example travelers who like a steady pace and a good pub, with a rental car and four days in late October. It shows what a Fingerpost plan looks like for a trip that crosses from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland.
Your own plan is built from your answers: your dates, who is traveling, your budget and what you love. It would not look like this one. Prices and hours below were checked in October 2026 and can change, so confirm them before you go.
Built from a 10-minute setup interview: dates, who’s traveling, pace, what they love and what to skip. See how the interview works.
Open any day to see every stop, with times, prices and sources.
Arrivals hall, most desks (Avis, Hertz, Enterprise, Budget, Europcar) are a short walk from the gate. Have your licence, card and confirmation ready.
About 30 minutes on the M2, no tolls. Drop bags at the hotel even if the room isn't ready yet.
3-star, central, free breakfast included — handy for an early start tomorrow. One night, one room, around £89/night (~$115).
Cobbled lanes, street art on Commercial Court, St Anne's Cathedral exterior — easy, flat, great for photos. No set route, just follow your feet.
Belfast's oldest bar, 1720, famous for a £10 bowl of Irish stew — it sells out by evening so go early. Guinness is about £5.20.
Live music usually starts around 8:30pm right where you're sitting — no need to move on. One stop, dinner and the pub session both done.
About 1h40 on the coast road (A2) with photo stops, faster on the M2/A26 if you'd rather save time for the Causeway. Breakfast and an earlier-than-usual start (9:00) to make room for the long day — worth it for a daylight arrival in Donegal.
Dramatic cliff-edge ruin, no pre-booking needed, pay at the gate. Allow 30-45 minutes. Open 9:30-5pm through October; senior ticket £4.50 each.
Cafés around the main street in Bushmills village, a few minutes from Dunluce — a travel-day lunch, no need to book.
The basalt columns are free to walk to, but the Visitor Experience (parking, exhibition, guided tour) is worth it — book a timeslot online, about £16/adult. Take the shuttle bus one way (£1pp) to keep today's walking down.
About 1h50 via Derry/Letterkenny (N56). You'll lose the light around 18:05, so the last stretch may be in the dark — main roads the whole way, nothing to worry about.
3-star, right on the Diamond, five minutes from Donegal Castle. Two nights, one room, around $140/night ($280 for the stay).
Seafood and Irish classics with water views over the harbour — the fish pie and crab linguine get the most praise. Popular on weekends, worth booking.
Ireland and the UK both end daylight saving in the early hours of today — you gain an hour's sleep, and from now on it gets dark noticeably earlier. Sunset tonight is around 17:03.
A compact 15th-century O'Donnell keep with a 17th-century manor wing — guided tour included, about 45 minutes to an hour. Senior rate about €4.
No plan on purpose. Options below, pick whichever suits the weather and your legs.
A proper Donegal seafood pub meal, right by the castle, relaxed and no fuss.
Guests mention a proper Irish music night here most weekends — right on the Diamond, an easy stroll home after.
About 2h20 via the N15/A6, no tolls. Leave enough buffer before your flight for the car return and check-in — aim to be at the terminal at least 3 hours ahead.
Cafés around Omagh or Enniskillen town centre, both roughly on the route — a simple travel-day stop, no booking needed.
Same desk you picked it up from. Fill the tank nearby first if your rate requires it, to avoid a refuelling charge.
Prices and hours were checked when this plan was made (October 2026) and can change. Confirm them before you go.
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