Getting There

By Plane

Airports around Atlantic Canada offer access via scheduled flights. Halifax, Nova Scotia, the region's major air hub, has frequent flights in and out of the region, as well as onward connections to local airports. Other major airports include Saint John, New Brunswick; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Gander and St. John's, Newfoundland. All offer direct flights to and from airports outside of the region.

The main air carriers serving Atlantic Canada are Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com) and its commuter partner Jazz (www.flyjazz.ca), but American carriers such as Continental (tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com) are jumping into the fray.

By Car & Ferry

Overland access to Atlantic Canada from the United States is through Maine. The most direct route to New Brunswick is to drive to Bangor (about 4 1/2 hr. from Boston), then head east on Route 9 to Calais, Maine (about 2 1/2 hr.). Here you can cross into St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and pick up Route 1 to Saint John and beyond. If you don't plan to stop until you hit Moncton or points east of Moncton, a slightly faster alternative is to continue northeast on the Maine Turnpike -- which is the northernmost end of the Eastern Seaboard's famous Interstate 95 -- to Houlton, then cross the border and pick up the Trans-Canada Highway. Remember that the Turnpike is a toll road for a stretch (the toll is US$4 maximum one-way for a passenger car), though it becomes toll-free north of Exit 113 at Augusta.

Between early May and late October, travelers headed to Nova Scotia can save driving time by taking a ferry. Summertime ferries to Nova Scotia depart daily from either Bar Harbor or Portland, Maine. A daily year-round ferry also connects Saint John, New Brunswick (about a 4-hour drive from either Bangor or Bar Harbor, Maine) with Nova Scotia, as well.

Bay Ferries (tel. 888/249-7245; www.catferry.com) operates the ferries. The Bar Harbor-Yarmouth and Portland-Yarmouth routes use The Cat (short for catamaran), which claims to be the fastest ferry in North America and, since going into service in 1998, has cut the crossing time from Bar Harbor from 6 hours to 2 3/4 hours, zipping along at up to 50 mph. Note that the ride can get very bumpy depending on wave and ocean conditions, so if you're sensitive to seasickness, bring and take motion-sickness medicine.

Summer rates one-way from Bar Harbor in 2007 were C$63 (US$57/£32) for adults and children age 13 to 18, C$43 (US$39/£22) for children 6 to 13, C$58 (US$52/£29) for seniors, and C$105 (US$95/£53) and up per vehicle. From Portland, it cost C$89 per adult (US$80/£45), C$59 (US$53/£30) per child age 13 to 18, C$85 (US$77/£43) per senior, and C$149 (US$134/£75) and up per vehicle. Same-day return and weekend-getaway round-trip fares are cheaper. Reservations for both routes are vital during the peak summer season.

The year-round ferry, known as the Princess of Acadia, links Saint John, New Brunswick, with Digby, Nova Scotia. The ferry sails daily year-round, with as many as three crossings per day in summer. Peak season one-way fares (charged June-Oct) in 2007 were C$40 (US$36/£20) for adults, C$25 (US$23/£13) for children age 6 to 13, C$5 (US$4.50/£2.50) per child under age 6, C$30 (US$27/£15) for seniors, and C$80 (US$72/£40) and up per vehicle. Fares are a bit cheaper outside the peak travel months; if you walk on and return within 30 days, there are also discounts available on the round-trip. Complete up-to-the-minute schedules and fares for the Princess of Acadia be found at www.nfl-bay.com or by calling tel. 888/249-SAIL.

By Bus

Bus service into and out of the region tends to be slow and cumbersome. To get from New York to Halifax, for instance, you'd have to take the bus to Montréal (8-10 hr.), then connect to another bus line to Halifax (something like 18 hr.). A late-spring through early-fall alternative from the East Coast of the United States is to bus it from New York to either Portland or Bar Harbor, Maine (either 6 hr. or 10 hr.), stay overnight in town, and then take the early-morning ferry to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (less than 3 hr.). Remember that you must be certain which port the boat is departing from each day; it alternates between the two ports almost daily. From Yarmouth, you can then catch a connecting bus onward to Halifax (about 4 hr.).

Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222 or 214/849-8100; www.greyhound.com) offers service from diverse points around the United States to Montréal's bus station (tel. 514/843-4231), from which you can connect directly to Atlantic Canada-bound buses. Figure on spending 12 to 18 hours to get from Montréal to key cities in the eastern provinces; there is a 6am departure, for example, arriving in Halifax around midnight of the same day.

Acadian Lines (tel. 800/567-5151; www.smtbus.com) offers service from Bangor, Maine, to New Brunswick several times weekly and reliable daily services within Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. It's actually possible to circumnavigate the key points in those provinces entirely using Acadian buses.

By Train

VIA Rail (tel. 888/842-7245) offers train service 6 days a week between Halifax and Montréal (no service Tues), with several stops along the way. The entire trip takes between 18 and 21 hours, depending on direction, with a basic summertime fare of about C$240 (US$216/£120) each way, not including sleeping accommodations. Discounts for those buying at least 1 week in advance are possible.

Sleeping berths and private cabins are available at extra cost -- the cheapest bed, in a double-bunked cabin, is about twice the cost of the no-bed fare -- and VIA has also now added a higher class of service on its overnight run known as the Easterly class, which includes better beds, presentations from an onboard guide and other activities, and a private dome car.