Planning a Trip

Visitors to Nova Scotia would do well to spend some time poring over a map and this travel guide before leaving home. The hardest chore will be to narrow your options before you set off. Numerous loops and circuits are available, made more complicated by ferry links to the United States, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. Figuring out where to go and how to get there is the hardest part.

The only people I've ever heard complain about Nova Scotia are those who tried to see it all, and to see it within a week. Such an approach will leave you strung out and exhausted. Instead, prioritize your interests and decide accordingly. Looking for those picture-perfect scenes of coastal villages? Focus mostly on the south shore, specifically the trio of Chester, Lunenburg, and Mahone Bay. Drawn to hiking amid rocky coastal scenery? Allow plenty of time at Cape Breton. Looking for more pastoral ocean scenery? Head for the Fundy Coast. Want to spend a quiet day canoeing? Make your stop Kejimkujik National Park. Dying for some gourmet dining and urban buzz? Factor in a few days in Halifax. Above all, schedule plenty of time for simply doing not much of anything. It's the best way to let Nova Scotia's charms unfold at their own unhurried pace.

Visitor Information

Every traveler to Nova Scotia should have a copy of the massive (400+ page) official tourism guide, which is the province's best effort to put travel-guide writers like us out of business. This comprehensive, colorful, well-organized, and free guide lists all hotels, campgrounds, and attractions within the province, with brief descriptions and current prices. (Restaurants are given only limited coverage.)

The guide, called the Nova Scotia Doers & Dreamers Travel Guide, is available starting each March by phone (tel. 800/565-0000 or 902/425-5781), fax (902/424-2668), mail (P.O. Box 456, Halifax, NS B3J 2R5), and Internet (www.novascotia.com). If you wait until you arrive in the province before obtaining a copy, ask for one at the numerous visitor information centers, where you can also request the excellent free road map.

The provincial government administers about a dozen official Visitor Information Centres throughout the province, as well as in Bar Harbor, Maine; and Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island (PEI). These mostly seasonal centers are amply stocked with brochures and tended by knowledgeable staffers. In addition, virtually every town of any note has a local tourist information center filled with racks of brochures covering the entire province, staffed with local people who know the area. You won't ever be short of information.

In general, the local and provincial visitor information centers are run with cordiality and brisk efficiency. I have yet to come across a single one that wasn't remarkably helpful, although the press of crowds can sometimes require a few minutes' wait to get individual attention at the more popular gateways such as Amherst (outside Halifax) or Port Hawkesbury (entering Cape Breton Island).

For general questions about travel in the province, call Nova Scotia's information hot line at tel. 800/565-0000 (North America) or 902/425-5781 (outside North America).

Getting There

By Car & Ferry -- Most travelers reach Nova Scotia overland by car from New Brunswick. Plan on at least 4 hours driving from the U.S. border at Calais, Maine, to Amherst (at the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border). Incorporating ferries into your itinerary can significantly reduce time behind the wheel. Daily seasonal ferries connect both Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine, to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, at the peninsula's southwest end.

Bay Ferries (tel. 888/249-7245; www.catferry.com) operates the Bar Harbor-Yarmouth ferry. The Cat (short for catamaran) claims to be the fastest ferry in North America and since going into service in 1998 has cut the crossing time from 6 to 2 3/4 hours, zipping along at up to 50 miles per hour. Summer season rates are C$59 (US$47) adults and children age 13 to 18, C$54 (US$43) seniors, C$39 (US$31) children 6 to 13, and C$99 (US$79) and up per vehicle. Off-season and family rates are available. Reservations are vital during the peak summer season.

To shorten the slog around the Bay of Fundy, a 3-hour ferry (also operated by Bay Ferries) links Saint John, New Brunswick, and Digby, Nova Scotia. The ferry sails year-round, with as many as three crossings daily in summer. Summer fares are C$35 (US$28) for adults, C$25 (US$20) for seniors, C$20 (US$16) for children, and C$80 (US$64) and up per vehicle; off-season rates are cheaper, but fuel surcharges of C$20 (US$16) or more can add to your tab. Schedules and more information on Bay Ferries can be found at www.nfl-bay.com.

For those traveling farther afield, ferries also connect Prince Edward Island to Caribou, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland to North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

By Plane -- Halifax is the air hub of the Atlantic Provinces. Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com) provides direct service from New York and Boston, while its commuter partner Jazz (www.flyjazz.ca) uses smaller planes to serve Sydney, Charlottetown, Saint John, and St. John's. Routes that involve connections at Montréal or Toronto can turn a short hop into an all-day excursion, however. The regional airline Canjet (tel. 800/809-7777; www.canjet.com) flies to and from Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, St. John's, and even Florida (winter only).

By Train -- VIA Rail (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.com) offers train service 6 days a week between Halifax and Montréal. The entire trip takes between 18 and 21 hours, depending on direction. The fare is about C$200 (US$160) each way, with discounts for those buying at least 1 week in advance. Sleeping berths and private cabins are available at extra cost. VIA recently added a higher class of service on its overnight run; this new Easterly Class service is expected to operate from May through October in 2006. Standard overnight sleeper cabin service on the route will continue to be offered year-round. Check the company website for updates on routes, schedules, and online booking.