Visiting Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route by public transport – a guide

Can you travel the Causeway Coastal Route by public transport?

While Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route is usually promoted as a road trip, you don’t actually need a car to explore it. Perhaps you don’t drive, would rather not tackle unfamiliar roads on the left, or have a concessionary travel pass you can use in Northern Ireland.

So, can you travel the Causeway Coastal Route by public transport? Yes — but it takes a little planning.

The dramatic nature of the coast means that public transport, on the whole, is about using buses as the terrain would be too challenging for trains. However, the stretch between Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry is served by train, giving you the treat of a very special train journey.

The tricky part is the spectacular Glens of Antrim between Larne and Ballycastle, where services are limited. Below, we explain the options and suggest several ways to put the journey together.

In this guide (click to jump to the relevant section):

An overview | Planning | Causeway Coastal Route itineraries | Ticket options | Accommodation

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The Causeway Coastal Route — an overview

The Causeway Coastal Route runs between Belfast and Derry~Londonderry and covers roughly 120 miles (190 km), depending on the detours and scenic loops you include. Broadly, it can be divided into four sections:

Section 1: Belfast Lough — Belfast to Larne

This section runs along the north shore of Belfast Lough, is served by a regular commuter train service, and provides access to attractions including Carrickfergus Castle and Whitehead Railway Museum, as well as The Gobbins near Ballycarry.

Section 2: The Glens of Antrim — Larne to Ballycastle

This stunning area is under-served by public transport, but there are occasional buses. The coastal road here is itself a major achievement of Victorian engineering and, before the road was built, this area was better connected to Scotland across the North Channel than to the rest of the country. Attractions include the beauty of the nine glens, Glenarm Castle, and small coastal towns and villages such as Carnlough, Cushendall and Cushendun.

Section 3: The Causeway Coast — Ballycastle to Coleraine

This is the section where most visitors spend their time, with major attractions including the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Bushmills Distillery, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and more. This section is well served by a local bus service.

Section 4: Downhill / Lough Foyle — Coleraine to Derry~Londonderry

This section still covers part of the North Coast — taking in Castlerock, Downhill / Mussenden Temple and Downhill/Benone beach — before moving along the Northern Ireland shore of Lough Foyle and finishing in the great city of Derry~Londonderry. This section is best travelled on the short but unforgettable coastal train journey.

Express bus services connect Derry~Londonderry to Belfast and Dublin, and there is also the train service that links Derry~Londonderry to Belfast. The City of Derry Airport offers flight connections to London and other major cities in England and Scotland, and in late 2026 the airport is scheduled to start a daily service to Dublin. If you want to continue your journey into the Republic of Ireland you can, with bus services into Letterkenny and on to Donegal town and other towns in Donegal.

For more details about things to see and do on each section of the Coastal Route, visit our more detailed overview below.

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Planning your public transport adventure along the Causeway Coastal Route

As outlined above, there is no single bus or train that will take you the length of the Causeway Coastal Route, so a little planning, coordination and time is called for if you want to travel the entire route by public transport.

If you are short of time, or would prefer to focus on visiting just one or two sections, that is also possible, and we have outlined some itineraries below.

It is possible to cover the whole route in a single day, but if you want to spend time at visitor attractions or towns and actually experience the Causeway Coastal Route, we strongly recommend staying a night or two along the coast. Jump to the accommodation section for recommendations on where to stay.

Use this Northern Ireland Holidays guide to decide your overall route, but use the Translink Journey Planner online or get the app to plan the actual detail of your journey. Timetables change during the year and can also be affected by public holidays, school terms, road closures and major local events.

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Causeway Coastal Route itineraries using public transport

1 — Easiest option: Train to Coleraine then take the Causeway Rambler bus 402 to explore the popular Causeway Coast section only

A popular and relatively stress-free option is to take the Belfast–Derry~Londonderry train to Coleraine (about an hour and a half) and use the Causeway Rambler (bus 402) to explore the popular Causeway Coast section between Coleraine and Ballycastle. In this option, visitors start and finish their Causeway Coast adventure at Coleraine before either returning to Belfast or continuing to Derry~Londonderry by train along the stunning Downhill / Foyle section.

The Causeway Rambler 402 runs most days of the year and offers a frequent service  during the day – usually one to two buses per hour – so you can hop off, explore an attraction, then hop on the next bus that comes along. There are bus stops close to major attractions such as Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and the bus visits towns such as Portrush, Bushmills (Bushmills Distillery) and Ballycastle. If you are a walker, you can also walk sections of the coastal path between attractions / bus stops.

There are additional bus services between Coleraine and Ballycastle which give you additional flexibility –

• the 172 which does not pass through/by Portrush and Dunluce Castle but instead joins the coast at Bushmills visiting Portballintrae, Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge before arriving in Ballycastle.
• the 171 which goes straight to Ballycastle cross country and takes just 1 hour. This service may be useful if you want to avoid a return journey along the coast.

This is the easiest option if your main priority is seeing the Giant’s Causeway and the other headline attractions, and it can be done in a day. However, as there is much to see, it’s worth planning an overnight stay on the coast so you’re not spending all your time travelling. Check the Translink Journey Planner for the latest schedules for the days you plan to travel.

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2 — A more adventurous option: train to Ballymena, bus to  Ballycastle then catch the Causeway Rambler along the Causeway Coast section to join the train line again at Coleraine

Rather than come back on yourself to/from Coleraine, a lesser explored option is to get off the Belfast–Derry~Londonderry train at Ballymena, then catch a bus (look at routes 131 and 217) to Ballycastle on the coast. The train journey from Belfast to Ballymena takes about forty minutes, and the bus to Ballycastle on the coast takes around an hour. You’ll find the bus station right next to the train station.

From Ballycastle, visitors can then catch the regular 402 Causeway Rambler (see details in the previous section) to visit the Causeway Coast section — Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and more — before joining the train line again at Coleraine.

This option gives you a taste of the Glens of Antrim, as the bus route from Ballymena to Ballycastle travels through Armoy, home of the Armoy Road Races, and through Glenshesk, one of the Glens of Antrim.

If you are a Game of Thrones fan and like walking, you can alight in Armoy and walk roughly two miles towards the Game of Thrones-famous Dark Hedges. Do not attempt this without checking the schedule for your onward journey, as services are infrequent.

Important notes: The 217 currently operates Monday to Friday, while the 131 also has Saturday services. There is no Sunday service. Timetables and individual journeys can vary by season and school term, so enter your actual travel date in the Translink Journey Planner when making plans.

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3 — The full Causeway Coastal Route by public transport

Making the whole Belfast to Derry~Londonderry journey requires detailed planning and time-keeping, largely because of the low-frequency service covering the Glens of Antrim section.

If you want to travel the entire route, allow at least two days, ideally three or more so you can enjoy the attractions along the way.

If you make the entire journey from Belfast up to Derry~Londonderry, you can return to Belfast using the cross-country rail route, or take a bus that brings you across the Sperrins through the Glenshane Pass, or take a direct bus to Dublin. Alternatively, you can do the journey in reverse, travelling to Derry~Londonderry first and then heading along the coast back to Belfast.

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Section 1: Belfast Lough — Belfast to Larne

The Belfast to Larne section is well served by a regular train service from Belfast Grand Central Station. The journey takes about 50 minutes and provides access to attractions such as Carrickfergus Castle, Whitehead and The Gobbins. Carrickfergus Castle and Whitehead Railway Museum are short walks from their respective stations, so you could consider stopping off for a bit of sightseeing.

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Section 2: The Glens of Antrim — Larne to Ballycastle

In the summer months of July and August, the seasonal 252 service runs directly along the coast between Larne and Ballycastle. This service runs twice a day, departing Larne at 10:00am and 4:00pm, and arriving in Ballycastle just over an hour and a half later.

Another option, which from September to June becomes the only option, is to use the 162/162c service between Larne and Carnlough, and the 162a service from Carnlough to Ballycastle.

In the summer, using both the 252 service and these more local services allows you some flexibility, which means you can get off and explore a place of interest before catching the next service to take you onwards.

Out of summer season the route becomes very restricted and you will need to spend a few hours exploring Carnlough, or stay overnight along the route – and you’ll still probably need to spend a few hours in Carnlough.

More about the local 162/162c and 162a services

• Larne to Carnlough: Bus services 162 or 162c, journey time around half an hour, Monday to Saturday most days of the year with around 8-9 departures a day mid-week, with fewer departures on Saturdays.
• Carnlough to Ballycastle: Bus service 162a, journey time just under an hour, Monday to Friday only. This service is extremely limited from 1 September to 30 June with just two departures a day (9:40am, and 12:10pm) with an additional service only on special days (e.g. 21 Dec to 31 Dec 2026). In summer there are three departures from Carnlough with an additional service at 2:46pm that will take you through to Ballycastle. Another option is to take the 4:55pm (summer) or 2:46pm (winter term times) service to Cushendall, stay overnight in this lovely town, and catch the 9:15am service from Cushendall to Ballycastle in the morning.

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Section 3: The Causeway Coast — Ballycastle to Coleraine

This section is well served by public transport, with the Causeway Rambler (bus 402) running along the coast with frequent services throughout the day, seven days a week. Always check the timetable for your travel date, particularly around public holidays or major local events.

You can therefore hop on and off to visit attractions along the Causeway Coast including Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, as well as towns such as Portrush, Bushmills (Bushmills Distillery) and Ballycastle.

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Section 4: Downhill / Lough Foyle — Coleraine to Derry~Londonderry

This is where you catch the train for an unforgettable journey of around half an hour. The line takes you down the River Bann, past Castlerock and Downhill Strand, with Mussenden Temple perched dramatically on the headland overlooking the beach, then beneath the cliffs of Binevenagh and along Lough Foyle with views over to the hills of Donegal. On arrival, you can explore the historic walled city of Derry~Londonderry.

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How much will it cost – all about tickets

Tickets can be bought at train stations – either from ticket machines, or ticket offices at main stations. If there is no option to buy a ticket at the station, you can buy one on the train when from the onboard inspector when they come down the train. There are frequent ticket inspections on the trains so be sure you do purchase a ticket when you can.

On buses you can buy tickets on the bus, or sometimes at the bus stop from a machine, and you can pay with cash or card.

Types of ticket

• Tickets as you go: You can buy tickets as you go and these are quite reasonably priced with the train journey from Belfast to Coleraine, for example, costing £15.50 for an adult single, or £24 for a day return (available after 9:30am). Local bus journeys cost between about £3 to £8 depending on the distance.
• iLink tickets: As we are talking about hopping on and off, these little journeys can soon add up so an iLink ticket makes sense in most cases. You can buy these at main stations.
  • iLink Adult Day £20.00
  • iLink Adult Week £67.00
• Ticket offers: Check the Translink’s Offers web page as they usually have a range of attractive offers. For example, as we write this in September 2026, Translink has a ‘Family and Friends’ offer which allows a day of unlimited travel on all Translink services for two adults and four children for only £24.
• Senior travel passes:  Residents of Northern Ireland who are 60 and over can use their 60+ SmartPass on all Translink services mentioned. Residents of the Republic of Ireland who have the purple ROI Senior Smart Pass can also travel on all Translink services within Northern Ireland. The ordinary ROI Free Travel Public Service Card (PSC) is not valid in Northern Ireland, except on the cross border train.  You need to apply for the ROI Senior Smart Pass by completing and submitting an FTNI1 form which can be collected from an Intreo Centre, a Social Welfare Branch Office or  Citizen’s Information Centre. You should allow at least six weeks for processing. Find all the details about making an application on the Gov.ie website – scroll down to the section on Northern Ireland.

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Making the most of your visit to the Causeway Coast, Glens and Loughs