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Best place to visit in Donegal without car??

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  • 17-06-2010 7:17pm
    #1
    MANUTD99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭


    Hi everybody,

    Will be heading to Donegal for the August bank holiday with my girlfriend.

    Will be getting the bus from Dublin as we dont have our own transport. Looking for some advice on the best place to visit in Donegal that have nice walks,near the beach, can go cycling, quiet with good views.l

    I know there is a festival in Ballyshannon this weekend so wondering if this has all of the above??

    Found a hotel in Crievy Peer which looks ok but not sure??

    Any tips are welcome:)


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    #2
    Durnish
    Registered Users Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    McGeehan's coaches go direct to Ardara where you can hire bikes from Byrnes.


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    #3
    Larrson
    Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭Larrson


    I think Donegal town would be ideal for you, Bike hire, Lovely walks beside beachs and it is always lively in August


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    #4
    irish1967
    Registered Users Posts: 3,516 ✭✭✭irish1967


    Festival in Ballyshannon ?? Not this weekend I'm afraid. Creevy is nice and peaceful but a little out of the way when you have no transport.
    Donegal town may be your best bet. Direct bus from Dublin ( Route 30). Good night life. Good restaurants. Great beaches not to far away.


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    #5
    MANUTD99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭MANUTD99


    The festival in Ballyshannon is on August Bank Holiday.

    How is Bundoran?? Is there much to do there??


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    #6
    North_West_Art
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭North_West_Art


    Bundoran has spectacular scenery with Ben Bulben in the background, and the south Donegal coastline across the bay. Tullan strand is breath taking when there is alot of waves. Im sure there is bike hire and there is an equestrian centre, lively night life, live music etc. The town itself is a bit like a large version of Tramore in Waterford, if you know it. Amusement arcades, funfair with rides and stalls, a place called Water World which is a large swimming pool. Its very busy with visitors every weekend during the summer.
    If you wanted to jump on a bus and visit Donegal Town, its only 20 minutes up the road.... but if you wanted to do it visa versa, and stay in Donegal Town, there are regular buses to Bundoarn if you wanted to visit there for a day.


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    #7
    MANUTD99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭MANUTD99


    How is Ballyshannon itself as a place to visit??

    Is it close to the beach etc etc:)


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    #8
    allandanyways
    Registered Users Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭allandanyways


    What about Ballyliffin? Lovely beach out that way and if you want to go out you can just get a taxi to Carndonagh for Tul na Rí or Buncrana for Liberties- McGinleys bus goes through Ballyliffin via Derry twice a day.


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    #9
    North_West_Art
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭North_West_Art


    your nearest beach to Ballyshannon would be Bundoran. Ballyshannon is good for the festivals (Rory Gallagher and Folk festival), but you would have alot more to see in other parts of the county.
    The towns that are walking distance from a beach that I can think of are Dunfanaghy, Rathmullan (you can take the ferry to Buncrana from there also), Bundoran, Bunbeg, Ballyliffin, Downings, Mountcharles... there are alot more places. You could always take a trip to Arann Mor Island, the whole Island is very walk-able plus there's really late opening hours in the pubs. :)


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    #10
    fontanalis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,619 ✭✭✭fontanalis


    Take McGeehans to Carrick, rent bikes see Slieve League and if it's decent weather it would be a nice cycle to Glencollumcille.
    And oh yeah Aran Mor as North West Art suggested.


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    #11
    MANUTD99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭MANUTD99


    Ballyliffin looks really great.

    Is it easily accessable to get around without transport?


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    #12
    allandanyways
    Registered Users Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭allandanyways


    MANUTD99 wrote: »
    Ballyliffin looks really great.

    Is it easily accessable to get around without transport?

    Well when I go to Donegal I stay in Carndonagh cos my OH lives there, but we've been out to Ballyliffin a load of times, the beach is just fab. For what you said you wanted to be doing- be somewhere quiet, walking, cycling etc, Ballyliffin is really good, and as I said, Carn and Buncrana are only a taxi journey away for nightclubs but it's mainly a local crowd.


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    #13
    MANUTD99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭MANUTD99


    allandanyways wrote: »
    Well when I go to Donegal I stay in Carndonagh cos my OH lives there, but we've been out to Ballyliffin a load of times, the beach is just fab. For what you said you wanted to be doing- be somewhere quiet, walking, cycling etc, Ballyliffin is really good, and as I said, Carn and Buncrana are only a taxi journey away for nightclubs but it's mainly a local crowd.

    Sounds great:)


    Is it possible to rent bicycles there??


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    #14
    allandanyways
    Registered Users Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭allandanyways


    MANUTD99 wrote: »
    Sounds great:)


    Is it possible to rent bicycles there??

    Ah yeah probably. If you're staying in the Ballyliffin Lodge or the Strand, they'll defo sort you out.


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    #15
    Cpt Beefheart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 62 ✭✭Cpt Beefheart


    If you only have a weekend then you might want to think about reducing the amount of time it takes to get to your destination and back. You'd be settled into Donegal Town and getting your weekend underway while still on the bus to Ballyliffen. Both places are great, lucky you.


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    #16
    MANUTD99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭MANUTD99


    Cpt Beefheart wrote: »
    If you only have a weekend then you might want to think about reducing the amount of time it takes to get to your destination and back. You'd be settled into Donegal Town and getting your weekend underway while still on the bus to Ballyliffen. Both places are great, lucky you.


    Thanks for the info,

    Is there much scenery around Donegal town??

    When I think what it would be like in my head it seems like a rural town with 1 main street with about 20 pubs and not much else to to.No offence intended!

    As I was saying at the start of this post we have no car ourselves so things like the beach, nice countryside walks, cycle paths would have to be walking distance to hotel we stay in..

    Of course if Donegal town ticks all the above boxes it would make perfect sense to go there as its a shorter trip as you mentioned..


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    #17
    North_West_Art
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭North_West_Art


    Donegal Town is situated at the foot of the Bluestack mountains. Red Hugh O'Donnell's castle has been restored and is one of the main features of the town, you can do a tour of the castle. There is a boat that goes out on Donegal Bay called the Waterbus. It leave daily from the pier in town. It has an open seated area on the roof, and a bar on the lower deck. It holds 100+ passengers and goes out beyond one of Ireland's largest seal sanctuarys.
    There are regular buses that go over to Ballybofey passing through what is known as 'the Gap' which is really scenic.
    There is also a bike hire place in town; you could take a trip out around Lough Eske or cycle out to Murvagh Beach (8 miles).
    It also has a great night life; 3 or 4 good spots to go for live music.

    (Im originally from Donegal town so Im biased)

    http://wikitravel.org/en/Donegal_Town


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    #18
    Swingguru
    Closed Accounts Posts: 51 ✭✭Swingguru


    I would recommend Dunfanaghy. The town is right on the beach. You then have Ards Forest Park 2 miles down the road and Horn Head 1 mile up the road. Ards is the most spectacular park in Ireland, a mixture of secluded beaches and forest. You can walk straight from the village to Horn head and the cliff walk around the head. There are good bars and restraunts in the village. If you like surfing there is a surf rental shop. You could land there for a week and have no need for a car and keep yourself totally amused, walked, watered and fed.


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    #19
    fontanalis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,619 ✭✭✭fontanalis


    MANUTD99 wrote: »
    Thanks for the info,

    Is there much scenery around Donegal town??

    When I think what it would be like in my head it seems like a rural town with 1 main street with about 20 pubs and not much else to to.No offence intended!

    As I was saying at the start of this post we have no car ourselves so things like the beach, nice countryside walks, cycle paths would have to be walking distance to hotel we stay in..

    Of course if Donegal town ticks all the above boxes it would make perfect sense to go there as its a shorter trip as you mentioned..

    Have you seen Mad Max 2 or read the book The Road? Exactly like those.
    Seriously, it's a nice town with good things to see as North West Art explained. Only thing is if you're there on a bank holiday weekend the as*hole count goes through the roof from a nightlife point of view.


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    #20
    Durnish
    Registered Users Posts: 692 ✭✭✭Durnish


    Ardara ticks all the boxes, honestly. Bike hire on main street, not too many rowdies, excellent cycles and beaches. Look up the GAP website for some bike pics. And it's only an hour further on, by McGeehan's coach, from DGTown.


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    #21
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    MANUTD99 wrote: »
    Thanks for the info,

    Is there much scenery around Donegal town??

    When I think what it would be like in my head it seems like a rural town with 1 main street with about 20 pubs and not much else to to.No offence intended!

    As I was saying at the start of this post we have no car ourselves so things like the beach, nice countryside walks, cycle paths would have to be walking distance to hotel we stay in..

    Of course if Donegal town ticks all the above boxes it would make perfect sense to go there as its a shorter trip as you mentioned..

    Cycle paths?


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