Getting Around

By Car & Ferry

Atlantic Canada's road network is extensive and generally well maintained. The Trans-Canada Highway enters the region north of Edmundston, New Brunswick, and continues some 1,800km (1,050 miles) to St. John's, Newfoundland. Numerous feeder roads connect to the Trans-Canada. American travelers expecting to find six-lane highways with high-speed on- and off-ramps will be in for a surprise. With a few exceptions, the highway system is on a far more intimate scale. Many main arteries -- such as the inland route from Yarmouth to Halifax and Route 1 across Newfoundland -- are just two lanes, albeit with frequent opportunities for passing.

If you're arriving by plane, the usual suspects offer car rentals at major airports. Despite the number of rental outfits, however, it can be difficult to reserve a car during the peak summer season when demand soars. It's best to reserve ahead. Try Budget (tel. 800/527-0700), Dollar (tel. 800/800-4000), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131), or National (tel. 800/361-5334).

Saving Money on a Rental Car -- Car-rental rates vary even more than airline fares. A few key questions could save you hundreds of dollars.

Are weekend rates lower than weekday rates?

Is a weekly rate cheaper than the daily rate?

Does the agency assess a drop-off charge if you don't return the car to the same location where you picked it up?

Are special promotional rates available?

Are discounts available for members of AARP, AAA, frequent-flier programs, or trade unions?

How much tax will be added to the rental bill?

What is the cost of adding an additional driver's name to the contract?

How many free miles are included in the price?

How much does the rental company charge to refill your gas tank if you return with the tank less than full?

Maps -- Excellent road maps are available from the provincial tourism authorities (ask at the welcome centers). The maps are free except in Newfoundland, where the province charges C$5 (US$3.55) for them. You can usually obtain a free Newfoundland map by calling the visitor information number (tel. 800/565-0000) before your trip and requesting that information on visiting the province be mailed to you.

Driving Rules -- As in most of the United States, drivers may make a right turn at a red light, provided that they first stop fully and confirm that no one is coming from the left. At some intersections, signs prohibit such a turn. Radar detectors are prohibited in all the Atlantic Provinces. Drivers and all passengers are required to wear seat belts.

Gasoline -- Some American drivers get rather excited about the price of gasoline when they first cross the border, thinking it to be very cheap. It is not. Gasoline is priced by the liter, not the gallon, and it is even more expensive than gasoline in the United States.

By Plane

There's a lack of competition in Eastern Canada, which can mean you'll pay high fares for even a short hop to or around the region. At the moment, Air Canada (tel. 888/AIR-CANA; www.aircanada.com) and its short-hop subsidiary Jazz (www.flyjazz.ca) are often your only choices for both domestic and international flights.

The situation is slowly improving, however. WestJet (tel. 888/WEST-JET or 800/538-5696; www.westjet.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), and the new regional airline Canjet (tel. 800/809-7777; www.canjet.com) serve small but growing segments of the Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island air market; check for rates that are competitive with Air Canada's.

Newfoundland is the exception to this rule, with a rather extensive system of small airports stitching together much of the far-flung province -- and a smattering of small regional air carriers to match. Contact Air Labrador (tel. 800/563-3042; www.airlabrador.com) or Provincial Airlines (tel. 800/563-2800 or 709/576-1666; www.provincialairlines.ca). Note that smaller airports throughout the region -- such as Bathurst, Fredericton, Moncton, Yarmouth, and Sydney -- offer connections to the four main provincial hubs of Halifax, Saint John, Charlottetown, and St. John's.

By Bus

Decent bus service is offered between major cities and many smaller towns. For service in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, contact Acadian Lines (tel. 800/567-5151), also known as SMT; in Newfoundland try DRL Coachlines (tel. 709/738-8091).

By Train

Interprovincial rail service is a pale shadow of its former self. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland lack any rail service at all, as does southern New Brunswick (you can't travel by train any longer to Fredericton or Saint John). VIA Rail (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.com) stops in a handful of towns along its single route between Montréal and Halifax. In New Brunswick, stops are Campbellton, Charlo, Jacquet River, Petit Rocher, Bathurst, Miramichi, Rogersville, Moncton, and Sackville. In Nova Scotia, you can stop at Amherst, Springhill Junction, Truro, or Halifax.