One of my goals on the blog is to provide real information on traveling costs for the trips I take. On every trip I take, I keep track of all of my expenses and write it all down—every beer, every bus ticket. My trip to Northern Ireland was no exception! I spent 5 days there, spending three days roadtripping the Causeway Coast, and two days in Belfast. Here’s how much money I spent on 5 days in Northern Ireland!

Day 1:

Carrickfergus Castle: £3.50 // $4.50

Dinner (including tip): £17 // $21.95

Total: £20.50 // $26.45

Day 2:

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (as I get in free as a National Trust member, this £9 fee was split in two as we just had to pay for Adam): £4.50 // $5.80

Lunch in Ballycastle: £7.90 // $10.20

Cake: £2.75 // $3.55

Pizza and candy for dinner: £1.50 // $1.95

Beer: £2.50 // $3.20

Total: £19.15 // $24.70

Day 3:

Museum of Free Derry: £5 // $6.45

Lunch (meal deal): £2.20 // $2.85

Parking (split between two): £1.25 // $1.60

Bushmills whiskey: £4.75 // $$6.10

Gas (split between two): £16.15 // $20.80

Airport bus: £11.50 // $14.85

Dinner: £11 // $14.20

Drinks: £6.70 // $8.65

Total: £59 // $75.50

Day 4:

Crumlin Road Gaol Tour: £10 // $12.90

Lunch at Maggie Mays (including tip): £12.50 // $16.10

Drinks: £8 // $10.30

Drinks: £3.75 // $4.85

Donut at Tim Horton’s: £1.70 // $2.20

Drinks: £8 // $10.30

Total: £44 // $56.65

Day 5:

Bus to city center: £2.10 // $2.70

Titanic Museum: £19 // $24.50

Food/drinks: £10.50 // $13.55

Shakes: £4.90 // $6.30

Total: £36.50 // $47.05

What about my major expenses—flights and accommodation? How much did they cost?

 

Return flights from Manchester to Belfast: £53 // $68.35

Rental car for 3 days, including insurance (costs split between two): £35 // $45.10

Airport Parking (split between two): £29 // $37.40

Accommodation at Giant’s Causeway (2 nights in a 6-bed dorm): £31 // $40

Accommodation in Belfast (2 nights in private room Airbnb): £39.25 // $50.60

Interested in a breakdown by category? Here’s how much I spent on accommodation, transportation, food/drink, and sightseeing costs!

Accommodation: £70.25 // $90.60

Transportation: £148 // $190.85

Food/Drink: £105.65 // $136.25

Sightseeing: £42 // $54.15

The Takeaway

I definitely could have done this trip a bit cheaper if I had wanted. Hostel prices in Belfast were low enough that I would have saved quite a bit in a dorm room as opposed to staying in a private room in an Airbnb. I also ate out a lot. I ate out for at least one meal each day, which meant I spent quite a bit more than usual on food. However, I did go cheap for some of the meals, and I had a basic breakfast included at all my accommodation, which saved a bit here and there. Throughout the trip, I drank lots of beer and cider and whiskey, which was great! But it also added up at the end of the trip.

I was really surprised by the cost of eating out however! I live in York, which is fairly pricey for the north of England as the city sees hordes of tourists every year. However, everywhere in Northern Ireland was cheaper than what I expected for food. Nearly every place I ate at did some sort of deal—free starter with your main course, main and dessert for £11, or half-off lunch during the week. I loved this! If you are visiting Northern Ireland in shoulder season or off-peak times of the year, definitely do some research and see what deals nearby local restaurants have on.

Adam and I traveled together on this trip, which meant we split a lot of our transportation costs. It was cheaper to drive to the airport and park our car there, than for us to both take the train. Our rental car in Belfast was also very affordable—£30 for the actual rental car, £40 for comprehensive insurance, and we spent just over £30 on gas. Being able to halve these costs made a huge difference! If I had been traveling solo, these transportation costs would have been a lot more of my budget.

I spent a fair amount of money on sightseeing, but not as much as I thought I’d spend. Most everything I saw on the Causeway Coast was free. I didn’t pay for the Visitor Center at the Giant’s Causeway, and we didn’t need to pay for parking anywhere besides Derry/Londonderry (which was great!). My big splurge was on the Titanic Museum in Belfast, which was excellent and worth the money I paid. I also walked around and saw the murals in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast on my own, as opposed to a guided tour. While in hindsight I wish I had joined a tour (both to get more information, and for safety reasons as some of the areas were a bit sketchy), it didn’t cost me anything.

As always, we booked our flights through Skyscanner to find the lowest prices. We booked our hostel through Hostelworld, and our room in Belfast through Airbnb. If you’re looking for hotels, I recommend looking at Booking.com to find the best deal. We didn’t book any trains on this trip, but I always use Trainline to get the best prices for rail tickets. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. If you’re interested in tours in Northern Ireland (especially the Causeway Coast), here are a few ideas!

So how much did my entire trip actually cost altogether? How much did I actually spend on my 5 days in Northern Ireland?

 

GRAND TOTAL: £365.50 // $471.85

It’s definitely possible to visit Northern Ireland on a budget! Visiting free sights and attractions, and finding good value deals on food would help to cut costs on any trip here. I hope this helps in planning and budgeting a trip to Northern Ireland!

Have you visited Northern Ireland before? What was your budget like?

You might like my other posts:

Exploring The Giant’s Causeway At Sunrise

A 3-Day Itinerary For The Causeway Coast In Northern Ireland

A City Guide To Belfast: What To Do, See, Eat, And Drink!

How Much Does It Cost To Spend A Weekend In Dublin?

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Iceland For 3 Days?

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Malta For 5 Days?

How Much Does It Cost To Travel The Baltics For 5 Days?

The Budget Travel Bible: 101 Tips For Cheap Travel

And all of my Northern Ireland posts!

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