Getting to the Trail
You can reach Ireland by either plane or boat. The closest airports to the trail are Donegal Airport, City of Derry Airport, Belfast International Airport and Belfast City Airport. The closest ferry ports to the trail are in Larne and Belfast.
Airports
- Belfast International Airport: https://belfastairport.com/
- Belfast City Airport: https://www.belfastcityairport.com/
- City of Derry Airport: https://www.cityofderryairport.com/
- Dublin Airport: https://www.dublinairport.com/
- Donegal Airport: http://donegalairport.ie/
- Ireland West Airport, Knock: https://www.irelandwestairport.com/
Ports
- Belfast Harbour (Those travelling from Cairnryan or Liverpool): https://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferries-to-ireland
- Dublin Port (Holyhead to Dublin): https://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferries-to-ireland
- Port of Larne: https://www.portoflarne.co.uk/
Getting around the Trail
Due to the remoteness of the IAT Ulster-Ireland, we recommend planning your transport in advance.
For those sections of trail which involve travelling along busy roads (i.e. from Castlerock to Portstewart and Waterfoot to Glenarm), we recommend using a car, public transport, a taxi or a shuttle service.
Public Transport in Northern Ireland
Translink are also the main service provider in Northern Ireland for bus and rail. You can plan your route by public transport using the Translink Website: www.translink.co.uk.
Translink also offer the following Rambler Services:
- Causeway Coast Rambler (Seasonal) – Service Number 402
- Sperrin Rambler (not currently operating)
Public Transport in Donegal
There are a number public transport providers in Donegal. Some of them also provide transport from Scotland into Donegal.
- Bus Eireann (www.buseireann.ie )
- McGeehan coaches (http://www.mcgeehancoaches.com/)
- John McGinley coaches (https://www.johnmcginley.com/ )
- Bus Feda (https://busfeda.ie/)
- Local Link (https://locallinkdonegal.ie/)
Taxis
Taxi companies can be found throughout the entire route. You can find many of them online although not all are listed online. For a list of list of taxis in Northern Ireland click here and for a list of taxis in Donegal click here.
For taxi numbers not listed online, please contact the local Visitor Information Centre.
Accommodation & Shuttle Services
The majority of accommodation is not located directly on the IAT Ulster – Ireland route and therefore it may be necessary to use public transport, taxis, or where available, shuttle services to travel to and from your accommodation. Some accommodation providers offer shuttle services as well as a number of tour guides.