Best Maritime City and Region to visit (best city, to rent)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thinking of road tripping to the Maritimes this summer and I'm noticing there is a lot to explore and time would be limited, so I'm wondering what particular city and nearby region would be the best one to focus on. I narrowed it down to these four areas, would like to hear some insight from Canadians (and Americans who have visited) on what would be most appealing. Spending three nights which would give me one full day to explore a city and one full day to explore nearby coastline.
Saint John / Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick - seems like a nice old port city with some historic charm. Would be the most accessible place, but I may want to travel beyond it. Is Saint John fairly vibrant or is it relatively quiet?
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - Though Charlottetown itself seems small, it looks very cute and seems like a nice base to explore the island.
Halifax, Nova Scotia - Halifax is the big hub city of the Maritimes, no problems finding things to do in town. Outside of the famous lighthouse (Peggy's Cove) how is the nearby area in terms of exploring the coastline for a day or so?
Sidney / Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia - Of the pictures I've seen, Cape Breton appears to have the most impressive scenery to take in. Are there interesting towns to explore? Sidney on google streetview appeared rather ordinary, not a lot of character to take in, though I could be wrong.
It depends on whether the city or outdoors part is more important to you. Halifax is by far the best city to visit. Charlottetown, never been. Hear it's nice but also small. Saint John and Sidney are both kind of dreary, although the historic part of Saint John is kind of nice and they have a cool market there. The city does have a few attractions but no place you would want to spend a whole weekend or anything. As far as regions go, they all have a lot to offer but are each different so depending on what you are looking for...
West of Halifax (about an hour so past Peggy's Cove) are the uber-charming towns of Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. Definitely worth a day trip from Halifax.
Also on Cape Breton Island aside from the Cabot Trail drive the Fortress of Louisbourg is a must-see huge historical reconstruction if you're in that part of the world.
Worth noting is that all of Canada's national parks are offering free admission this summer for Canada 150. This includes the Cabot Trail and Louisbourg and tons of other parks and historic sites. Normally you need to pay to enter these places.
Check out the Parks Canada site to order a free pass.
I think I'll have to save Cape Breton (it looks amazing!) for another time. It's a longer drive out and if the weather is not decent for a day since I'm there a short time, I'd like a good town or city to fall back on for good times. Right now I'm torn between Charlottetown and Halifax. Lots of Nova Scotia looks familiar to me, very New England like and reminiscent of Maine. PEI looks different as more of a standout ,and at a minimum Charlottetown looks big a enough for a good fun little bar hop and good seafood which I could probably be contented with. I love the beach, so PEI looks very appealing, but I'd like to see Halifax. But I don't want to rush through it, so it's one or the other. I'll probably stop in Saint John, NB for lunch and an afternoon walk on my way to either place.
I would skip Halifax and hit Cape Breton. As one who lived in Halifax for 2 years, I found it to be a very unfriendly city. Cape Breton is even more spectacular and the folks are as warm and welcoming as can be. They are right up there with Newfoundlanders and Inuit/Dene for friendliness and hospitality.
I think I'll have to save Cape Breton (it looks amazing!) for another time. It's a longer drive out and if the weather is not decent for a day since I'm there a short time, I'd like a good town or city to fall back on for good times. Right now I'm torn between Charlottetown and Halifax. Lots of Nova Scotia looks familiar to me, very New England like and reminiscent of Maine. PEI looks different as more of a standout ,and at a minimum Charlottetown looks big a enough for a good fun little bar hop and good seafood which I could probably be contented with. I love the beach, so PEI looks very appealing, but I'd like to see Halifax. But I don't want to rush through it, so it's one or the other. I'll probably stop in Saint John, NB for lunch and an afternoon walk on my way to either place.
If you're looking for an afternoon stop, I would suggest Fredericton over Saint John. Much nicer city.
First of all, note that it is spelled "Sydney." Sidney is a town in British Columbia.
It's a tough call. I've been everywhere that you have listed, and each have their charms.
Halifax is a good place as a base. A daytrip can easily get to you to places like Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, and Peggy's Cove. There are many nice restaurants, shops, and things to see. Drop into the Old Triangle pub for a beer one evening--local talent is often playing traditional Maritime music. Or the Split Crow, where bands play also.
Charlottetown is a good place to explore Canada's founding history, and a good base for all of PEI, but there isn't much there. You can spend a day (at most) exploring Charlottetown and Province House; but if you have more time, you'll enjoy exploring the rest of the Island: Anne of Green Gables at Cavendish, and so on. Also, the best potatoes in Canada--"It's Bud the Spud," as the famous song goes, about PEI potatoes.
Saint John is for those who study history in fine detail. But for the casual visitor, once you've done the boat trip up the Reversing Falls, visited the market (I picked up a couple of used books there, for a fraction of what they would cost me elsewhere), and walked through the graveyard (yes, that's a thing), there isn't much else.
Sydney is fascinating. Not as a city--it's pretty average--but for what it gives you access to. The Cabot Trail, for one, which is a road trip one should take at least once in one's life. Access to the mining museum at Glace Bay, where they mined coal under the ocean. The Marconi Museum, from which radio signals were first sent across the Atlantic. And if you feel so inclined, get the ferry to Newfoundland.
If I had to pick between Halifax and Cape Breton I'd pick Cape Breton.
Cape Breton is not really out of the way and if you're coming from the US you'll go through NB. If you go to PEI (which it is true has the best beaches in Atlantic Canada - and arguably the warmest).
If you're going to either Halifax or Cape Breton you have to go through the same region which is where highways 104-102-106 meet.
Either you go one way towards Cape Breton or the other towards Halifax.
I do like Halifax and don't consider it unfriendly at all , but IMHO the Cabot Trail, the Miners' Museum, Louisbourg, Alexander Graham Bell and just the scenery in general tops what Halifax and environs have to offer.
Does it make sense to rent a car if going to Halifax or St. John? I'm coming from NYC and trying to decide among renting a car and driving up (for Halifax), flying and renting a car (for either), or flying in and not renting a car at all.
Rather than Charlottetown, I'd say Summerside for PEI... and it's too bad, but Moncton, Fredericton, and Caraquet are all worth a mention too.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
, but IMHO the Cabot Trail, the Miners' Museum, Louisbourg, Alexander Graham Bell and just the scenery in general tops what Halifax and environs have to offer.
