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 (1,118 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 few exceptions, the highway system here is on a far smaller scale. Even 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).

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?

Also be sure to investigate carefully about car-rental insurance before setting out on your trip.

How to Buy Car-Rental Insurance (If You Need It) -- When renting a car, always ask your home insurer first if your coverage extends to Canada (often it doesn't), and be sure to find out whether your policy covers all persons who will be driving the rental car, how much liability is covered in case an outside party is injured in an accident, and whether the type of vehicle you are renting is included under your contract.

Most major credit cards provide some degree of coverage as well -- provided they were used to pay for the rental. Terms vary widely, however, so be sure to call your credit card company directly before you rent. If you rely on your credit card for coverage, you may want to bring a second credit card with you, as damages may be initially charged to the first card.

You can almost always buy car-rental insurance from an auto-rental agency, though this is expensive. The basic insurance coverage offered by most car-rental companies, known as the loss/damage waiver (LDW) or collision damage waiver (CDW), can cost as much as US$20 or more per day. It usually covers the full value of the vehicle, with no deductible if an outside party causes an accident or other damage to the rental car. Liability coverage varies according to the company policy. If you are at fault in an accident, however, you will only be covered for the full replacement value of the car, not for any liability. Most rental companies will require a police report in order to process any claims you file, but your private insurer will not be notified of the accident.

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 -- American drivers tend to get 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 is actually more expensive here than in the United States. Multiply the price you see by 3 to get a very rough idea of what it's costing you per gallon in U.S. dollars.

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. 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. 800/538-5696; www.westjet.com) and other airlines 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 an extensive system of small airports stitching together much of the far-flung province -- and a few 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 between Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, contact Acadian Lines (tel. 800/567-5151; www.smtbus.com).

By Train

Interprovincial rail service is now but a pale shadow of its former self. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland lack rail service completely, as does southern New Brunswick (you can no longer travel by train to either Fredericton or Saint John). There's just one train line: VIA Rail (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.com) stops in a handful of towns along its single route between Montreal and Halifax, which runs six times daily (no Tues departures from either terminal). In New Brunswick, VIA trains stop at Campbellton, Charlo, Jacquet River, Petit Rocher, Bathurst, Miramichi, Rogersville, Moncton, and Sackville. In Nova Scotia, you can get on or off the train at Amherst, Springhill Junction, Truro, or Halifax. And that's it.