PEI/Nova scotia

I’d fly to Halifax and out from Charlottetown. Drive Halifax to Cabot Trail to Ferry from NS to PEI. Ferry saves a lot of driving instead of using the bridge.

Driving around Cabot Trail is best done counter-clockwise. This way you’re in the outside lane with clear views to the ocean with no passing traffic to distract from the views. Allow at least 2-3 days around to Trail to allow for a leisurely driving pace to enjoy the scenery and make some stops for hikes. You should be able to find a park map that has walking trails noted with degrees of difficulty, time required, etc so you can do some pre-planning for hikes that might interest you.

Consider making a stop at the Cape Breton Miner’s Museum in Glacé Bay. They have a tour where they’ll take you underground to show you what it was like to work in a coal mine and there’s guides that can explain what life was like living in a Company House with a couple of houses to walk thru.

You might want to check the one-way rental car prices to see if there's a difference.

For hiking in the Cape Breton NP, it can depend on the weather. Last year in late Aug., the day we went it was very cloudy. We walked the Skyline Tr. It started out sunny but when we got to the stairs it was very cloudy, cannot see too far, definitely cannot see ocean. We decided to go back another day in Sept. It had slight rain, and was extremely windy. Some people walked a few steps down the stairs and decided to give up and turn back. We walked most of the way down. I had to hold the cellphone very tight, as it was almost flying out of my hand. You definitely don't want the kids to walk in that type of wind.

NS is pretty big, bigger than most people realise. From Halifax you'd also want to drive to Peggy's Cove and see the lighthouse. How much further south or even around the loop would depend on your liking. It's also some drive from Halifax to Cape Breton and that part doesn't have a lot of hotel accommodations.

Thanks for the suggestions. I found an base itinerary for 8 days and thought I would increase the time on Cabot trail. Haven't checked out the price difference for arriving/leaving from different cities

I am also doing the Halifax, PEI, Moncton run for a week May 23-30...hopefully staying at Hampton Inn by Hilton Downtown Halifax so can get close to waterfront without breaking the bank....will be there May 23 and leaving the 25th, then planning on PEI for the next couple days and then staying with friends after that (or they might be joining us on our trek)...any good/cheap eats places for seafood.....i think most of our itinerary is filled in, Peggys Cove, Boardwalk, PEI, Hopewell Rocks and some visiting...

At Hopewell Rocks, check the tide table for the days you'll be there, so you can spend enough time and be able to walk on the ocean floor at low tide, and see it fills up at high tide.

In the summer, there is a company staffed by high school teachers and students, who are knowledgeable and lead kayak tours. The best is just before high tide. We went on that and sat in the kayak when the first briefing was conducted. As the guy spoke, water was coming up, and soon they were able to easily push our kayaks out. We saw people retreating and climbing back up from ocean floor. When we are on the way back, all those places were filled with water.

Looking into this as well for the summer.

What do you guys think about St John's NL, feel like if we are going all the way to PEI/ NS - should NL also be on the list?
But I cant seem to wrap my head around the Ferry to SJ NL - 16 hours from North Sydney?
Other alternative is to fly everywhere and just rent a can when there - but cannot seem to find a car in SJ NL.

Or just leave NL for another trip...?

Steinbok wrote: ↑ Looking into this as well for the summer.

What do you guys think about St John's NL, feel like if we are going all the way to PEI/ NS - should NL also be on the list?
But I cant seem to wrap my head around the Ferry to SJ NL - 16 hours from North Sydney?
Other alternative is to fly everywhere and just rent a can when there - but cannot seem to find a car in SJ NL.

Or just leave NL for another trip...?

Thats kinda a lot to take in for one trip. Rentals are in short supply in the Maritimes. Its also very expensive to take a car on a ferry. Would probably make more sense to fly, assuming you can get a car in NL.

Steinbok wrote: ↑ Looking into this as well for the summer.

What do you guys think about St John's NL, feel like if we are going all the way to PEI/ NS - should NL also be on the list?
But I cant seem to wrap my head around the Ferry to SJ NL - 16 hours from North Sydney?
Other alternative is to fly everywhere and just rent a can when there - but cannot seem to find a car in SJ NL.

Or just leave NL for another trip...?

We are from NB and planning Nfld trip. So much to see there and would be one long trip. We are planning 2 over 2 different years(one for each coast ). Check L’Anse aux Meadows and Gros Morne on west side. And of course St Johns’ and icebergs going north if early summer for other trip.

I decided to fly in/out of Halifax due to cost and since I found out that we could drive from Charlottetown to Halifax is < 4 hrs. Car rental is crazy expensive!

Now I am pondering where to stop along Cabot trail. I have 7 nights to spread across Cabot trail and PEI and as suggested by an above poster, will be doing the trail counter clockwise. The last day we will drive back to Halifax for an evening flight. I have some ideas for Halifax, but haven't looked into hikes yet, though the famous one seems to be Skyline Trail/

baillieul wrote: ↑ Thats kinda a lot to take in for one trip. Rentals are in short supply in the Maritimes. Its also very expensive to take a car on a ferry. Would probably make more sense to fly, assuming you can get a car in NL.

cocreg wrote: ↑ We are from NB and planning Nfld trip. So much to see there and would be one long trip. We are planning 2 over 2 different years(one for each coast ). Check L’Anse aux Meadows and Gros Morne on west side. And of course St Johns’ and icebergs going north if early summer for other trip.

Thank you - looks like the consensus is to leave NL for another time.

My wife did a trip to Halifax last summer. She did a one way rental with Enterprise. Picked up at YHZ (Halifax) and dropped off at YSJ (Saint John). The added cost (drop fee) was $38.67.

If you are going in the summer make sure you book your rental well ahead of time.

Has anyone take the ferry from Nova Scotia (Caribou) to PEI? I will probably be leaving from Cheticamp or Inverness which takes about 3 hrs to get to Caribou + ferry ride + driving to Charlottetown. I read that we should get there early for the ferry as well.It doesn't seem to save a huge amount of time if we just drive all the way around (and in which case we could take the Confederation bridge). Thoughts?

Also is Baddeck worth stopping for, or should we drive directly to Ingonish from Halifax (there's a hike around Ingonish I've tentatively planned for)

Thanks!

stack1 wrote: ↑ Has anyone take the ferry from Nova Scotia (Caribou) to PEI? I will probably be leaving from Cheticamp or Inverness which takes about 3 hrs to get to Caribou + ferry ride + driving to Charlottetown. I read that we should get there early for the ferry as well.It doesn't seem to save a huge amount of time if we just drive all the way around (and in which case we could take the Confederation bridge). Thoughts?

Also is Baddeck worth stopping for, or should we drive directly to Ingonish from Halifax (there's a hike around Ingonish I've tentatively planned for)

Thanks!

If you have the time you might want to drop in at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck.

https://visitbaddeck.com/alexander-grah ... oric-site/

Steinbok wrote: ↑ Thank you - looks like the consensus is to leave NL for another time.

Agreed … Newfoundland and Labrador really deserve a separate trip.
It’s a good sized province with plenty to see. But cuz of the geography it’s slow going / spread out (all those peninsulas & inlets). One way in and out.
And no true circle route around the Province or back to the mainland (well unless you do the adventurous Labrador Hwy )
One can easily spend 3 weeks or more in NL.

Also, while in the area … it worthwhile to consider a quick getaway to St Pierre & Miquelon too
A bit of France on Canada’s doorstep

RideGuy wrote: ↑ My wife did a trip to Halifax last summer. She did a one way rental with Enterprise. Picked up at YHZ (Halifax) and dropped off at YSJ (Saint John). The added cost (drop fee) was $38.67.

If you are going in the summer make sure you book your rental well ahead of time.

A few things very true about The Maritimes

The Scenery is breathtaking … and Tourist Season is relatively short … so everyone wants to be there at the same time.
This makes two things important to do …
Book your rental vehicle ASAP … along with any ferries you may wish to take.

Car Rentals down east this Summer are gonna be nuts.
They are always busy … but expect this Summer to be more expensive … IF YOU EVEN FIND ONE

A lot of Car Rental Cos sold off cars during Covid rather than have them sit month after month on their lots not being rented and depreciating daily.

Now cuz of supply issues … vehicles are in short supply … so car rental companies don’t have nearly the amount they used to have.
Consequently you may not find one for when you want it / need it
Or you’ll be bowled over by the price.
So glad we got our travel in last year …
Cuz a buddy told me the amount he was quoted for a week … and it was more than double (almost 3x) what I paid last year !!!

stack1 wrote: ↑ Has anyone take the ferry from Nova Scotia (Caribou) to PEI? I will probably be leaving from Cheticamp or Inverness which takes about 3 hrs to get to Caribou + ferry ride + driving to Charlottetown. I read that we should get there early for the ferry as well.It doesn't seem to save a huge amount of time if we just drive all the way around (and in which case we could take the Confederation bridge). Thoughts?

Also is Baddeck worth stopping for, or should we drive directly to Ingonish from Halifax (there's a hike around Ingonish I've tentatively planned for)

Thanks!

Yes. We did that. We did Charlottetown and then took the ferry to Nova Scotia. It was great. Easy.

stack1 wrote: ↑Has anyone take the ferry from Nova Scotia (Caribou) to PEI? I will probably be leaving from Cheticamp or Inverness which takes about 3 hrs to get to Caribou + ferry ride + driving to Charlottetown. I read that we should get there early for the ferry as well.It doesn't seem to save a huge amount of time if we just drive all the way around (and in which case we could take the Confederation bridge). Thoughts?

Also is Baddeck worth stopping for, or should we drive directly to Ingonish from Halifax (there's a hike around Ingonish I've tentatively planned for)

Thanks!

speedyforme wrote: ↑ Yes. We did that. We did Charlottetown and then took the ferry to Nova Scotia. It was great. Easy.

This

Been going to PEI for decades … long before there was a bridge.
So ya I have come and gone both ways.
Each has its pros & cons.
So ya it’s worth doing both.

Ferries are a big part of life in the Maritimes
Have been on many of them.

EDIT / ADD … Also be aware that going to & from PEI ain’t cheap.
For the Bridge tolls are only charged when you leave PEI. That’s around the $ 50 mark.
For the Ferry they sell Round Trip tickets primarily. They run around $ 80.
IIRC you can get a one way ticket from NS to PEI by special request. See their website for more info
https://www.ferries.ca/ns-pei-ferry/fares/

Been to PEI around 10 times, every summer. We would rent a cottage for a week and spend time like a proper vacation in PEI. Small island, and if you are in a hurry, you can drive through the entire island within a day, but if you plan to enjoy, it should be a 5-7 day trip.

Thanks all

I had heard the same about car rentals, so that was one of the first things we reserved. Yes, it is crazy expensive! Almost as much as the plane tickets, lol. Booked half the hotels, working on the remaining ones.