Planning a trip to Atlantic Provinces

Getting Around

By Plane

There's a serious lack of competition for air routes in eastern Canada, which can mean you'll pay high fares for even a short hop to or around the region. Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com) and its puddle-jumping subsidiary Jazz (www.flyjazz.ca) are often your only choices for both domestic and international flights, though WestJet (tel. 888/937-8538; www.westjet.com) does connect Halifax with St. John's.

Newfoundland is the exception to this sorry situation, with an extensive system of small airports stitching together much of the far-flung province -- and a few small regional air carriers to match, useful if you're heading for the backcountry to seek out wilderness or native culture. Local carriers here include Air Labrador (tel. 800/563-3042; www.airlabrador.com) and Provincial Airlines (tel. 800/563-2800 from eastern Canada or 709/576-1666; www.provincialairlines.ca).

Note that smaller airports throughout the region -- such as Bathurst, Fredericton, Moncton, Yarmouth, and Sydney -- are starting to offer connections to the four main provincial hubs of Halifax, Saint John, Charlottetown, and St. John's. E-mail or call the local tourism authority in advance about such connections if you're interested.

By Car

Atlantic Canada's road network is extensive and generally well maintained. But 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 nearly always just two lanes (one coming, one going), albeit with frequent opportunities for passing due to the light traffic. The Trans-Canada Highway is the main road running through this region. It enters north of Edmundston, New Brunswick, and continues some 1,800km (1,120 miles) to St. John's, Newfoundland -- taking a break at the Atlantic Ocean, of course. Numerous feeder roads connect to the Trans-Canada.

A few rules of the road: As in the United States and continental Europe, drive on the right. You may make a right turn at a red light, provided that you 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.

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 short summer season, when demand soars. It's best to reserve ahead.

Remember that Canadian gas prices are higher than those in the U.S., though lower than they are in Europe.

If you're traveling by car, also be sure to investigate carefully about car-rental insurance before setting out on your trip.

By Ferry

There's an interprovincial ferry that can considerably shorten the slog around the Bay of Fundy. The year-round ferry, known as the Princess of Acadia, links Saint John, New Brunswick, with Digby, Nova Scotia. The ferry sails once daily year-round, with two crossings per day during peak travel months and days. A peak season one-way fare (charged June-October) costs about C$40 for adults, C$25 for children age 6 to 13, C$5 per child under age 6, and C$30 for students and seniors; the car itself costs C$80 (more for trucks, vans, and buses), plus a C$20 fuel surcharge. Fares are a bit cheaper outside the peak travel months, and if you walk on and return within 30 days, there are also discounts available on the round-trip. Note that AAA and CAA members receive C$10 discounts on the car fare. Tariffs on this route haven't budged in several years; nevertheless, up-to-the-minute schedules and fares can be found at www.nfl-bay.com or by calling tel. 877/762-7245.

A second interprovincial car ferry links Prince Edward Island with New Brunswick, though it doesn't save you time or money.

Finally, if you're going to Newfoundland by car, you must take a ferry ride -- and a long one, at that. Marine Atlantic Ferries (tel. 800/341-7981; www.marine-atlantic.ca) operates two routes from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Port aux Basques (a 4-8-hr. trip) on the wild northern coast and also to Argentia (near St. John's; a 14-15-hr. trip). Reservations are always required for these two ferries.

By Train

Once again, I stress: There's just one train in eastern Canada, VIA Rail (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.ca), which runs six times daily on an overnight route between Montréal and Halifax. You can theoretically connect between, say, Campbellton and Halifax in this way, though I've never met a casual tourist who did that. In New Brunswick, VIA trains stop at Campbellton, Charlo, Jacquet River, Petit Rocher, Bathurst, Miramichi, Rogersville, Moncton, and Sackville. In Nova Scotia, trains stop at Amherst, Springhill Junction, Truro, or Halifax.

By Bus

Decent bus service is offered between major cities and many smaller towns by Acadian Lines. For service between Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, contact Acadian at tel. 800/567-5151 or check the website at www.acadianbus.com.

Escorted & Package Tours

Learning Vacations

The Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts, St. Ann's, NS (tel. 902/295-3411; www.gaeliccollege.edu), offers programs for children and adults that specialize in local culture -- such as Highland bagpiping, dancing, drumming, and Cape Breton fiddling -- on its campus near Baddeck. The College also sometimes sponsors Elderhostel/Exploritas-associated programs and trips, such as half-day fall walking trips on Cape Breton Island.

At Kings Landing, near Fredericton, NB (tel. 506/363-4999; www.kingslanding.nb.ca), children dress up in period costume and learn about how the early Loyalist settlers lived. The programs range from a few hours to a week, from early June through mid-October. Admission is charged to all visitors. Adult programs are also offered.

Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre, St. Andrews, NB (tel. 506/529-3386; www.sunburyshores.org), offers day- and weeklong trips and classes on various topics: plant dyes, printmaking, mosaic work, raku pottery, and watercolor and oil painting. Some summer classes and programs are specially geared toward children and teenagers. The center is located on the water in St. Andrews; lodging can be arranged locally, as well.

At Village Historique Acadien, near Caraquet, NB (tel. 877/721-2200 or 506/726-2600; www.villagehistoriqueacadien.com), the lives and arts of early Acadian settlers are the focus of programs held at a re-created historic village. The continuous program of events includes various skits, theatrical performances, storytelling sessions, and popular reenactments of typical events in the Acadian settlers' lives (such as the arrival of the mail, or the birth of a child). The historic village is open from early June through mid-September.

Adventure Travel

Adventure travel is now a growth industry in eastern Canada, and specialized adventure tour outfitters can be helpful if you're arriving by air -- it's simply too much trouble for most of us to fly to Canada with our bikes, canoes, kayaks, and so forth.

Here's a sampling of well-regarded outfitters operating in Canada's Maritime Provinces.

• Backroads, Berkeley, CA (tel. 800/462-2848 or 510/527-1555; www.backroads.com): One of North America's largest adventure travel companies offers, for example, walking and biking trips through southeast Nova Scotia, among other programs in the eastern provinces. Pick according to your budget and inclination: You can stay at luxury inns or opt for more rustic camping trips.

Escorted General-Interest Tours

You can alternately choose to take an escorted tour of eastern Canada, a structured group tour with a leader. The price of this kind of tour usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

Despite the fact that these tours require big deposits -- and predetermine all your hotels, restaurants, and itineraries -- some travelers enjoy the structure they offer. Basically, you sit back and enjoy the trip without having to worry about planning (or local transportation). Be aware that such tours usually bring groups to a large number of famous sights in a short time, without lingering much. They're especially convenient for people with limited mobility, and can be a great way to make new friends. (On the downside, you get little opportunity for spontaneous interactions with locals; the tours tend to leave little room for individual sightseeing; and you won't see off the beaten track spots.)

Two firms offer especially good escorted tours of eastern Canada.

• Maxxim Vacations, St. John's, NF (tel. 800/567-6666 or 709/754-6666; www.maxximvacations.com): A big travel package outfit based in Newfoundland? Yes. The province's largest travel provider has a top-rate reputation and offers a huge range of trips throughout the four Atlantic Provinces, just as you'd expect, including plenty of both guided and unguided excursions. From a "PEI Golf Getaway" to a "Romantic New Brunswick" (thankfully unescorted) tour, Scott and Judy Sparkes' family-owned company offers it all, professionally and well. And the prices of your tours helpfully come with airfare from your home city already factored into the equation. Call and ask for their extensive and colorful brochure.

Tips for Families

Atlantic Canada is simply a great place to take the kids: It's safe, clean, and sprinkled with just enough amusements and outdoor jaunts to keep them engaged. The provinces vary, though, in their ability to entertain the young 'uns.

Prince Edward Island is the best destination for young girls, simply due to the proliferation of attractions related to Anne of Green Gables. New Brunswick abounds with easy adventuring (golfing, biking, kayaking, big-tide sightseeing, and so on), and it throws in a handful of amusement parks and museums (a chocolate museum? Natch) for good measure. Nova Scotia might frankly be a bit boring for the tykes, though -- unless you've rented a cottage where they can swim, paddle, and hang out. And Newfoundland and Labrador is potentially great for teens with an interest in polar bears or icebergs (or science and ecology in general), but probably not much fun at all for parents with toddlers and infants -- too many miles of open space in the car for a restless baby.

Staying Connected

Though they're used less and less, pay phones are still scattered throughout Atlantic Canada and are self-explanatory. Local calls cost from C25¢ to C50¢. Calls made to the United States or elsewhere abroad on a pay phone can be very pricey; bring a calling card, and check in advance to be sure it works in Canada and what the per-minute rates will be to the U.S. or other countries. You can also ask locally at drugstores and convenience stores for home-grown Canadian versions of prepaid calling cards, which usually offer a much better rate for calling long distance than feeding coins into a phone. (There might be a "setup" or per-call fee hidden in the cost of such cards, however.)

The United States and Canada are on the same long-distance system. To make a long-distance call between the United States and Canada (in either direction), simply dial tel. 1 first, then the area code and number. It's no different from calling long-distance in the United States.

Remember that numbers beginning with 888 and 866 in Canada are toll-free -- so some of these numbers won't work if they're dialed from outside Canada. Just the same, some toll-free numbers in the U.S. won't work if they're dialed from Canada.

Cellphones

Yes, Virginia, U.S. cellphones work in Canada. But you'll pay roaming and long-distance charges that can push call costs above the US$1 per-minute level. Fortunately, the large U.S. carriers offer tack-on Canadian calling plans that reduce your roaming and long-distance charges while making calls from within Canada. (However, see below for a cautionary note.) Check with your carrier about switching on one such plan for the duration of your trip -- without any penalties for switching it back off after you get back home.

You should be able to make and receive calls in all the populated areas of eastern Canada, assuming your cellphone works on a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) system or you have a world-capable multiband phone. In the U.S., T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless (which includes customers of the former Cingular) use the quasi-universal GSM system; Sprint and Verizon don't. In Canada, Microcell and some Rogers customers are GSM. All European and most Australian phones come GSM-ready. GSM phones function with a removable plastic SIM card, encoded with your phone number and account information.

To use the phone in Canada, simply call your wireless carrier before leaving home and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account. Again, per-minute charges can be high, even if you do subscribe to some form of extended calling plan or international add-on plan that includes Canadian minutes.

If your cellphone doesn't work at all in Canada or is prohibitively expensive to use, renting a Canadian cellphone is another option. While you can rent a phone from any number of overseas sites, including kiosks at Canadian airports and car-rental agencies, it's usually best to rent the phone before you leave home. Check your local phone book or the internet for wireless rental companies operating in your area.

Such phone rentals aren't cheap, however. You'll pay a weekly rental fee, plus (sometimes) required phone insurance fees, plus airtime fees (sometimes up to a dollar a minute). And you might have to pay to ship the phone back at the end of your trip, though this cost is increasingly picked up by the renters. Ask carefully about what you will pay to use the phone inside Canada, both calling within Canada and when calling the U.S. or to another country.

Buying a Canadian cellphone is one last option, and might be economically attractive if you can locate a cheap prepaid phone system. Stop by a local cellphone shop in Halifax or wherever you're arriving and ask about the cheapest package; you'll probably pay less than C$100 for a phone and a starter calling card. Local calls might be as low as C10¢ or C20¢ per minute.

A final note on service coverage in eastern Canada: These provinces are very thinly populated -- and as such, cell towers are few and far between. You will not be able to use your cellphone everywhere you go; even driving the Trans-Canada Highway, you'll pop in and out of service for stretches. In the major cities, you will always be reliably connected; in the smaller towns, sometimes; and, in the wilderness of the big national and provincial parks, I doubt it.

Keep a phone on hand at all times for emergencies, but don't expect it to work anywhere and everywhere. And charge your battery every night if you can. Definitely ask park rangers about cell coverage before you venture into the backcountry.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

If you have access to the Web while traveling, you might consider a broadband-based telephone service (in technical terms, Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP) such as Skype (www.skype.com) or Vonage (www.vonage.com), which allows you to make free international calls if you use their services from your laptop or in a cybercafe.

Internet and E-Mail

Without Your Own Computer -- Cities like Halifax and Charlottetown are rife with Internet cafes; anywhere else, it's catch-as-catch-can -- but many towns in eastern Canada now sport at least one cybercafe. (Hey, even fishermen and sailors need to check e-mail while in port these days.) It might double as the town laundry/coffee shop, but it'll be there somewhere.

Most airports have Internet kiosks that provide basic Web access for a per-minute fee that's usually higher than cybercafe prices. Check out copy shops like FedEx Kinko's, which offers computer stations with fully loaded software (as well as Wi-Fi).

Many public libraries in Canada also offer Internet access free or for a small charge -- you might have to surrender a piece of ID first. Most youth hostels in Canada also have at least one computer with Internet access, though there is just a thimbleful of hostels in the Maritimes -- Halifax has one. But avoid hotel business centers unless you're desperate; you'll usually pay exorbitant hourly rates.

With Your Own Computer -- Most laptops sold today have built-in wireless capabilities. More and more hotels, resorts, airports, cafes, retailers, and even entire cities are going Wi-Fi, becoming "hotspots" that offer free high-speed Wi-Fi access or charge a small fee for usage. Sometimes an entire community will be blanketed by coverage -- the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, for instance, has won national awards for its free citywide Wi-Fi network -- but that's rare.

A hotel in eastern Canada is virtually guaranteed to offer Wi-Fi access; a motel, inn, or B&B in the region is about 50% likely to have it; coffee shops offer Wi-Fi in ever-increasing numbers; and even some campgrounds are now wired. Keep in mind that you'll often have to pay for the privilege, though: Wi-Fi is not always free. It's a good idea to search for Wi-Fi hotspots ahead of time -- there are various websites and mobile phone applications that can do this for you.

In some areas or hotels, though, there's no Wi-Fi and you'll be forced to connect to the Internet via much slower dial-up access. Most business-class hotels in Canada still offer a form of dataport to help laptop modems connect to a phone line. (But don't expect a phone in your room if you're staying at a B&B in eastern Canada.) Business hotels will also sometimes loan or rent a connection kit for around C$10, but again: Don't expect this service at inns or B&Bs. To be safe, bring your own connection kit. That means the right power and phone adapters (if needed), a spare phone line (easy to find at electronics shops), and a spare Ethernet network cable (ditto). Or find out whether your hotel supplies such items to guests by calling ahead.

All Canadian hotels, inns, and private homes use the same phone jacks and electrical current as the United States: Electricity is 110-115 volts, 60 cycles. If you're traveling from the U.S., you won't need adapters for your plugs. Coming from anywhere else, you probably will.

When to Go

Weather

All the Atlantic Provinces lie within the North Temperate Zone, which means that they have weather much like New England in the United States. Spring is damp, cool, and short, though it can get warm and muggy as it eases into summer.

Summer's compact high season runs from early July to early September. That's when the great majority of travelers take to the road, enjoying the bright, clear days and warm temperatures. The average high in the southern three provinces is in the upper 70s°F (around 25°C); in Newfoundland, it's more typically in the upper 60s°F (around 20°C). Nights can become cool, even approaching freezing, by late summer.

Be aware that there is no "typical" summer weather in Atlantic Canada. The only thing typical is change, and you're likely to experience balmy, sunny days as well as howling rainstorms -- quite possibly on the same day. Travelers who come here prepared for an occasional downpour, both psychologically and equipment-wise, tend to be happier than those who expect all blue skies. That's because the weather in all four provinces is to a large degree affected by the ocean. This means frequent fogs, especially on the Fundy Coast of New Brunswick, the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula. The ocean also offers an unobstructed corridor for high winds, particularly on Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

Note that the ocean does provide some benefits: Prince Edward Island's summer tends to linger into fall, thanks to the warm, moderating influence of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and you'll rarely experience a sultry hot, humid day because of the natural air-conditioning action of the sea breezes.

Fall is a time of bright leaf colors but also rapidly cooling temperatures, especially at night, and much shorter daylight hours. Bring winter sweaters and a heavy coat.

Few travelers tackle the Maritimes in the dead of winter, as frequent blustery storms sweep in off the Atlantic. But if you're one of those hardy souls who might, be aware that snow or ice storms are a very real possibility at any time during winter, and they can blow in suddenly; if you're driving, make sure your car is equipped with good snow tires and special antifreeze windshield wash (you can get it from any gas station). And drive cautiously: Outside the major urban areas, most of this region's high-speed arteries are two-lane roads sans medians. Watch for drivers coming your way.

Holidays

The national holidays in Canada are celebrated from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans; for the traveler, this means all government offices and banks will be closed at these times. (Shops remain open on some but not all national holidays.) National holidays here include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day (the third Monday in May, always 1 week before Memorial Day in the United States), Canada Day (July 1; this is a biggie -- expect fireworks), Labour Day (first Monday in September, same as in the U.S.), Thanksgiving (mid-October; the same as Columbus Day weekend in the United States), Remembrance Day (November 11), Christmas Day (December 25), and Boxing Day (December 26).

Locally observed provincial holidays include a civic holiday (August 2) in Nova Scotia; New Brunswick Day (the first Monday in August); and several holidays in Newfoundland and Labrador, including St. George's Day (April 26), Discovery Day (the third Monday in June), and Orangeman's Day (July 12). Check out the proceedings.

Acadian pockets of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island also celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day (June 23-24), which was actually pagan in origin (for the summer solstice, known in Europe as midsummer's night) but has since become associated with Catholic, Québecois, and Franco culture. Expect tons of Franco fun on this day.

Money

Frommer's lists exact prices in the local currency. The currency conversions quoted above were correct at press time. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic or www.xe.com/ucc to check up-to-the-minute rates.

Cost-wise, the eastern provinces of Canada are incredibly affordable -- among the most affordable such places in North America, I'd wager. You'll pay normal prices for food and gas, because those things are generally imported to the provinces, but hotel and transit rates are middling to lower than average. And shopping is a downright bargain.

Canadian currency, like U.S. currency, is denominated in dollars and cents, though there are some differences. Canada has no $1 bill, for example. Instead, Canadians use a $1 coin (called a "loonie" because it depicts a loon) and a $2 coin (sometimes called a "twoonie").

You'll avoid lines at ATMs and airports in eastern Canada by exchanging some money before you leave home. You can exchange money at your local American Express or Thomas Cook office, or at your bank. Exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel before you leave home, or withdraw money upon arrival at an airport ATM (automated teller machine).

If you're driving into Canada, you needn't worry about stocking up on Canadian dollars before or immediately upon entry into Canada. That's because U.S. currency is widely accepted here, especially in border towns, and you'll often see signs at cash registers announcing current exchange rates. These are not always the best rates, however, so it behooves you to visit an ATM or cash some traveler's checks as soon as you're able.

The easiest and best way to get cash right away in eastern Canada is from an ATM machine, sometimes referred to here as a "cash machine" or "cashpoint." They're widely available in most towns and cities. ATMs often offer the best exchange rates in Canada -- avoid exchanging money at commercial exchange bureaus and hotels, which usually have the highest transaction fees. If your card uses the Cirrus (www.mastercard.com) or PLUS (www.visa.com) networks, you'll surely be able to find ATMs throughout eastern Canada that connect to your bank.

Remember that many banks impose a fee every time you use a card at another bank's ATM, and that fee can be higher for international transactions (up to US$5 or more) than for domestic ones. I've found that members of the Global ATM Alliance usually charge no transaction fees for cash withdrawals at fellow Alliance member ATMs; these include Bank of America in the U.S. and Scotiabank in eastern Canada. So, if you have a BoA account, seek out Scotiabank ATMs.

Traveler's checks are another option. You can buy traveler's checks at most U.S. banks. They are offered in U.S. denominations of $20, $50, $100, $500, and sometimes $1,000. Generally, you'll pay a service charge ranging from 1% to 4%. The most popular traveler's checks are offered by American Express (tel. 800/528-4800), Visa (tel. 800/847-2911), and MasterCard (tel. 800/627-8372); you'll pay fees for each. American Automobile Association (AAA) members can also obtain traveler's checks for relatively low fees (for checks up to US$1,500) at most AAA offices. Auto clubs in other countries sometimes offer similar services.

American Express, Thomas Cook, Visa, and MasterCard also offer foreign currency traveler's checks in Canadian dollars. They're accepted at some locations where U.S.-dollar checks may not be.

Finally, credit cards are one last safe way to get or spend money. They provide a convenient record of your expenses and generally offer relatively good exchange rates. You can even withdraw cash advances from your credit cards at banks or ATMs (provided you remember your PIN), though high fees can make these credit card cash advances a pricey way to get cash. Keep in mind that you'll pay interest from the moment of the cash advance withdrawal, even if you pay your monthly bills on time. Also, note that many banks now assess a 1% to 3% "transaction fee" on all credit card charges you incur abroad.

Credit cards that are more or less universally accepted in eastern Canada include Visa, MasterCard, Interac (a Canadian card), and American Express. Diners Club and Discover cards are accepted by a few merchants, but not many.

Remember to bring some cash, in any case: Many small establishments still accept no credit cards. This isn't New York City.

Fast Facts

American Express -- American Express offers travel services, including check cashing and trip planning, through a number of affiliated agencies in the region. Call tel. 800/221-7282 for the nearest location.

Area Codes -- The area code for New Brunswick is tel. 506; the area code for Newfoundland and Labrador is tel. 709; and the area code for both Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is tel. 902.

Automobile Organizations -- The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) extends all member benefits, including discounts, maps, and emergency road service, to U.S. AAA cardholders. If you're a AAA member, bring your membership card on your trip. For information about joining CAA, call the eastern provinces office in Saint John at tel. 800/561-8807 or 506/634-1400; the association's website is located at www.caa.ca. For emergency road service in a pinch, call CAA's hotline at tel. 800/222-4357 (or tel. *222 from some cellphones).

Business Hours -- Business hours in eastern Canada are generally similar to what you'd find in the United States. Most offices are open from 8 or 9am to 5 or 6pm Monday through Friday and are closed on weekends. Boutiques and souvenir shops typically open up around 10am and stay open until 6pm or so, often later during the peak tourist season. Hours vary widely for general merchandise and grocery stores. In general, you can expect early and late hours in the larger cities (even 24-hr. groceries are cropping up), more limited hours in the smaller towns and villages. Most general merchandise stores are closed on Sundays.

Drinking Laws -- The legal drinking age is 19 years in all provinces. Restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages are said to be "licensed." If you want to tipple with dinner, look for a sign or ask whether the establishment is licensed. Do not drink and drive; Canadian law takes drunken driving very seriously, and you could do hard time. Also, don't let anyone carry open containers of alcohol in your car, and don't bring them into any public area that isn't properly zoned for alcohol consumption. The police can fine you on the spot.

Elcctricity -- Canada uses the same electrical current as the United States, 110-115 volts (60 cycles), compared to 220-240 volts AC (50 cycles) in most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Downward converters that change 220-240 volts to 110-120 volts are difficult to find, so bring one with you.

If you're coming from Europe, bring a connection kit of the right power and phone adapters, a spare phone cord, and a spare Ethernet network cable -- or find out whether your hotel supplies them to guests.

Embassies & Consulates -- All foreign embassies in Canada are in Ottawa, the national capital. The U.S. embassy is at 490 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, ON K1N 1G8 (tel. 613/688-5335). The Australian High Commission is at 50 O'Connor St., Room 710, Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2 (tel. 613/236-0841). The British High Commission is at 80 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5K7 (tel. 613/237-1530). The Irish Embassy is at 130 Albert St., Suite 1105, Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 (tel. 613/233-6281). The New Zealand High Commission is at 99 Bank St., Suite 727, Ottawa, ON K1P 6G3 (tel. 613/238-5991). The South African High Commission is at 15 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, ON K1M 1M8 (tel. 613/744-0330). If you're in the Maritimes and need help on the spot, there's also a U.S. Consulate General in Purdy's Wharf Tower 2, Suite 904, 1969 Upper Water St., Halifax, NS B3J 3R7 (tel. 902/429-2480).

Emergencies -- For fire, police, and ambulance, find any phone and dial tel. 911. If this fails, dial 0 (zero) and report an emergency.

Gasoline (Petrol) -- American drivers tend to get excited about the price of gasoline when they first cross the border into Canada, thinking it to be very cheap. It is not. Gasoline is priced by the liter here, not the gallon, and it's actually more expensive than it is in the United States. My quick and dirty guide? Multiply the price per liter on the sign by 3 to get a good idea of what gas is costing you per gallon in U.S. dollars.

Holidays -- The national holidays in Canada are celebrated from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans; for the traveler, this means all government offices and banks will be closed at these times. (Shops remain open on some but not all national holidays.) National holidays here include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day (the third Monday in May, always 1 week before Memorial Day in the United States), Canada Day (July 1; this is a biggie -- expect fireworks), Labour Day (first Monday in September, same as in the U.S.), Thanksgiving (mid-October; the same as Columbus Day weekend in the United States), Remembrance Day (November 11), Christmas Day (December 25), and Boxing Day (December 26).

Locally observed provincial holidays include a civic holiday (August 2) in Nova Scotia; New Brunswick Day (the first Monday in August); and several holidays in Newfoundland and Labrador, including St. George's Day (April 26), Discovery Day (nearest Monday to June 24, for John Cabot's "discovery" of Canada), and Orangeman's Day (July 12). Check out the proceedings.

Acadian pockets of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island also celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day (June 24), which was actually pagan in origin (for the summer solstice, known in Europe as midsummer's night) but has since become associated with Catholic, Québecois, and Franco culture. Expect tons of Franco fun on this day -- and remember that the festivities actually begin the day before Jean Baptiste Day, on June 23.

Insurance -- I always recommend carrying some form of travel insurance, no matter how rudimentary, even when traveling to a place as incredibly safe as eastern Canada. The cost of this insurance varies widely depending on the destination, the cost and length of your trip, your age and health, and the type of trip you're taking, but you can usually expect to pay between 5% and 8% of the total cost of the trip itself. Make sure it covers against "carrier default" for your specific travel provider. And be aware that if a U.S. airline goes bust mid-trip, a federal law requires other carriers to take you to your destination (on a space-available basis) for a fee of no more than US$25, provided you rebook within 60 days of the cancellation.

Trip-cancellation insurance might also be a good idea. This form of insurance can help you retrieve your money if you need to back out of a trip or depart early -- or if your travel outfitter suddenly goes bankrupt. Trip cancellation traditionally covers such events as sickness, natural disasters, and State Department advisories. The latest news in trip-cancellation insurance is the availability of "any reason" cancellation coverage -- which costs more but covers cancellations made for any reason. You won't get back 100% of your prepaid trip cost, but you'll be refunded a substantial portion.

There's also lost-luggage insurance. On international flights (including U.S. portions of international trips), baggage coverage is limited to approximately US$9 per pound, up to about US$635 per checked bag. If you plan to check items more valuable than what's covered by the standard liability, see if your homeowner's policy covers your valuables, or get baggage insurance as part of your comprehensive travel-insurance package. If your luggage is lost, immediately file a lost-luggage claim at the airport, detailing the luggage contents. Most airlines require that you report delayed, damaged, or lost baggage within 4 hours of arrival. The airlines are required to deliver luggage, once found, directly to your house or destination free of charge.

For more information about travel insurance, trip cancelation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling visit the Frommer's website at www.frommers.com/planning.

Language -- Canada has two official languages, English and French. As such, you'll see signs and tourist materials in both languages throughout the four Atlantic provinces. English is universally understood and primarily used throughout Atlantic Canada, except perhaps in a few Franco villages.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen, and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two.

Visa's emergency number is tel. 800/847-2911. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 800/221-7282. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/307-7309.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Mail -- Canadian cities and towns of a decent size have at least one post office apiece. At press time, first-class postage rates for a normal-sized letter sent from Canada were C54¢ to Canada, C98¢ to the United States, and C$1.65 to any other country in the world. Postcards cost less; packages and express services cost more, sometimes considerably more. Remember that you will need to fill out a customs form, and possibly pay duty taxes, if you're mailing something of value back home from Canada. For full information on rates and postal requirements, go to www.canadapost.ca.

Express parcel services are also readily available in eastern Canada, including FedEx (www.fedex.ca), UPS (www.ups.ca), and DHL (www.dhl.ca). Package rates vary considerably according to the item being mailed, depending on such factors as distance to the destination, weight, and how quickly you want the item to arrive. Consult the websites of the carrier for specific shipping rates.

Always include zip codes when mailing anything to the U.S. If you don't know the relevant zip code, visit the postal service online at www.usps.com/zip4 to look it up.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Publishers in the major cities of the province -- including Halifax, Saint John, Fredericton, Charlottetown, and St. John's -- all produce very decent daily newspapers filled with information about goings-on around the town and province. Most also maintain websites, so you can scout out happenings before your departure. Canada's two national newspapers -- The Globe and Mail and the National Post -- are also widely available in most cities and many larger towns. U.S. papers such as the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times can be found in larger cities, but you shouldn't count on it. When available, they often sell out early. Newsmagazines such as Time and Newsweek are not difficult to find on newsstands.

Passports -- Consult our website, www.frommers.com/planning, for some important information on how to obtain a passport. Or contact the following agencies:

Residents of Australia -- Contact the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

Residents of Canada -- Contact the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

Residents of Ireland -- Contact the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh).

Residents of New Zealand -- Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

Residents of the United Kingdom -- Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of the United States -- To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website (www.state.gov) or call the National Passport Information Center's toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

Police -- For police, dial tel. 911. If this fails, dial 0 (zero) and report an emergency.

Smoking -- Smoking is now banned from all public places in eastern Canada, although that is a fairly recent change. Prince Edward Island banned the practice first, in 2003; New Brunswick followed a year later; and Newfoundland followed in 2005. Nova Scotia banned public smoking only in 2006 -- but with a minimum fine for smoking of C$2,000. (Bars and restaurants in Nova Scotia, however, can maintain smoking rooms, so long as they are completely separated from other public spaces and very well ventilated.)

The minimum legal age to purchase tobacco in Canada is 18. However, some provinces -- including all the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador) -- have raised that age locally to 19.

Taxes -- Canada's high taxes offset some of the advantages you gain when paying in Canadian dollars. Three of the four Maritime Provinces -- New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland -- use the so-called HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). HST combines provincial and federal sales taxes into one flat 13% tax charged on all goods and services. Local cities sometimes apply an additional tax for hotels. On Prince Edward Island, it's different: The national sales tax (5.5%, called GST on your bill) is folded into the hefty PEI provincial tax of 10% -- the highest in Canada -- for a 15.5% total tax on most items (including a tax on the federal sales tax). Footwear, clothing, books, and groceries are exempt from the 10% PEI portion of that tax, however.

Until very recently, non-Canadians could apply for a refund of their entire HST (or the GST only, on Prince Edward Island) upon leaving the country. That is no longer true: Canada's legislature made the Visitor Rebate Program go poof in 2007. Tear up those rebate forms. However, very importantly, those who tour eastern Canada on a tour package can reclaim part of Canada's taxes. Confused? You're not the only one. The website www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/visitors has more answers on Canada's national and provincial taxes.

Telephones -- To make a reverse-charge or collect call, and for person-to-person calls, dial 0 plus the area code and number you want to reach; an operator should then come on the line, and you can specify whether you are calling collect, person-to-person, or both. If your operator-assisted call is international, ask for the overseas operator.

For local directory assistance ("information") in Canada, dial tel. 411. For long-distance information, dial 1, the area code of the province you're seeking a number for, and then tel. 555-1212. These calls both cost money. Toll-free directory assistance, however, is free; dial tel. 800/555-1212.

Time -- Most of Atlantic Canada is on Atlantic Standard Time, 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (as observed in New England and the U.S. East Coast). The exceptions are Newfoundland and southeast Labrador, which are a half-hour ahead of Atlantic Standard Time.

Tipping -- As in the United States, tips provide a significant portion of the income for waiters, bellhops, and chambermaids. It's standard to leave 15% of the pre-sales tax total for basic service at a restaurant; more if the service is exceptional. In hotels, plan to tip bellhops around C$1 per bag (C$2-C$3 if you have a lot of luggage) and the chamber staff C$1 to C$2 per day (more if you've left a disaster area for him or her to clean up). Tip the doorman or concierge only if he or she has provided you with some specific service (for example, calling a cab for you or obtaining difficult-to-get theater tickets). Tip the valet-parking attendant C$1 every time you get your car.

In restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, tip service staff and bartenders 15% to 20% of the check, tip checkroom attendants C$1 per garment, and tip valet-parking attendants C$1 per vehicle.

As for other service personnel, tip cab drivers roughly 15% of your fare; tip skycaps at airports at least C$1 per bag (C$2-C$3 if you have a lot of luggage); and tip hairdressers and barbers 15% to 20%, depending on service.

Toilets -- Generally called "washrooms" in Canada, public bathrooms are typically abundant and clean. Many towns have a visitor information center, and most of these have washrooms for visitors. In larger cities, washrooms can be found in public buildings, major hotels, some larger shops, and restaurants.

Visas -- American travelers to Canada do not require visas and neither do residents of many other countries, including citizens of most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, and some present and former British territories in the Caribbean -- this includes anyone holding a green card in the U.S. or anyone who is a British overseas citizen of the U.K. Needless to say, bring your identification or the relevant paperwork on your trip. If you're still not sure about whether you will need a visa or not, consult the Canadian government's up-to-date listing of countries whose residents do need one at www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp.

Visitor Information -- It's well worth a toll-free call or postcard in advance of your trip to stock up on the free literature and maps that provincial authorities liberally bestow upon those considering a vacation in their province. Here's how to reach the official tourism folks who dispense these goodies:

• Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture & Heritage, World Trade Centre, 6th Floor, 1800 Argyle St. (P.O. Box 456) Halifax, NS B3J 2R5. tel. 800/565-0000 or 902/424-5000; explore@gov.ns.ca.
• New Brunswick Department of Tourism & Parks, P.O. Box 12345, Campbellton, NB E3N 3T6. tel. 800/561-0123; info@tourismnewbrunswick.ca.
• Tourism PEI, P.O. Box 2000, Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7N8. tel. 800/463-4734 or 902/368-4444; peiplay@gov.pe.ca.

  * Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Tourism, Culture & Recreation, P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NL A1B 4J6. tel. 709/729-0862; tcrinfo@gov.nl.ca.

  All four provinces staff helpful visitor centers at key access points, including the main roadways running into the provinces and their major cities. Expect cordial staff and exceptionally well-stocked racks overflowing with menus, brochures, and booklets. Excellent road maps are also available from all four provincial tourism authorities -- ask at the welcome centers. These maps are free except in Newfoundland, where the province has traditionally charged for them, though you can usually also obtain a Newfoundland map for free simply by phoning the province's tourism office in advance of your trip and requesting a visitor packet.

  Staff at these centers provide a surplus of information on local attractions, and they can also fill you in on what's happening anywhere else in the province so that you can plan a few days in advance. If the staffers don't have the information you need at their fingertips, they'll often make phone calls and track it down for you.

  The centers are most numerous in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; New Brunswick's information centers are equally helpful, though not as numerous. Newfoundland's visitor centers -- with the exception of the modern information centers near the two main ferry terminals -- are typically less polished than in the other provinces, yet authorities have been successful in making improvements. Look in the regional chapters of this guide for addresses and phone numbers of the main visitor centers in each area.

  All four provinces also publish free, magazine-size travel guides crammed with essential information on hotels, inns, campgrounds, and attractions. Nova Scotia's tome sets an international standard for high-quality information (and size), and the other provincial guides are excellent and unfailingly helpful, as well.

  You can also go online to get information in advance. Here are a few places to start clicking:

  • Nova Scotia's official website is a great whirlwind tour of accommodations and tourism sites; you can even download a bit of local music. It can be found at www.explorens.com or www.novascotia.com.
  • Nova Scotia Provincial Parks' website provides basic, up-to-date information about its many excellent parks at www.parks.gov.ns.ca.
  • The official New Brunswick tourism site offers a great place to start: www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca.
  • The official Prince Edward Island tourism information resource can be found at both www.gentleisland.com and www.peiplay.com.
  • Newfoundland & Labrador's official website can be visited on the Internet at both www.gov.nl.ca/tourism and the unwieldy (but much easier to remember) alternative address www.newfoundlandlabrador.com.
  • Finally, for information about travels in the region's national parks, a good first stop is the Parks Canada official website at www.pc.gc.ca.

Entry Requirements & Customs

Passports

Since 2007, U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States must show a passport to enter Canada and reenter the U.S. This is a big change from the past, when a driver's license and a smile were often enough to get you across the border. If you don't have a passport, get one before your trip, and remember it will take a few weeks to process your application.

Very frequent cross-border travelers should inquire about the government's NEXUS program, a joint Canada-U.S. effort which gives you a sort of quick-entry pass -- though it can only be used at about a dozen specific border crossings. Details on NEXUS may be found at the U.S. customs and border patrol website, www.cbp.gov.

For more information about traveling into Canada, browse the "Visiting Canada" section of the Canadian website www.goingtocanada.gc.ca. You can phone Canadian immigration officers at tel. 888/242-2100, but only from within Canada. Better to contact a local Canadian immigration office; they can be found in Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., in the U.S., as well as in cities around the world, such as London, Paris, Sydney, and Tokyo. For a full list of offices and lots more information, see Citizens and Immigration Canada's website at www.cic.gc.ca.

Visas

American travelers to Canada do not require visas and neither do residents of many other countries, including citizens of most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, and some present and former British territories in the Caribbean -- this includes anyone holding a green card in the U.S. or anyone who is a British overseas citizen of the U.K. Needless to say, bring your identification or the relevant paperwork on your trip. If you're still not sure about whether you will need a visa or not, consult the Canadian government's up-to-date listing of countries whose residents do need one at www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp.

Customs

What You Can Bring into Canada -- Customs regulations allow adult travelers (19 or older) to bring 1.5 liters (50 oz. or 1 bottle) of wine or 1.14 liters (40 oz.) of liquor or 8.5 liters (287 oz.) of beer (not all three) into Canada without paying any duties or taxes. Travelers can also bring in up to 200 cigarettes and up to 50 cigars without paying duty or tax. An automated phone service can answer most of your questions about Customs regulations; call the Canada Border Services Agency at tel. 800/461-9999 within Canada only, or 204/983-3500 or 506/636-5064 from outside Canada. Also consult the Canadian Customs website for more details on border crossing. It's located at www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.

Regulations regarding firearms, by the way, are more complicated; in short, it's best if you simply don't bring a gun. If you're traveling for hunting and need to bring a rifle into Canada, however, you should be traveling during hunting season and carry proof of your plans to hunt (a written confirmation from a guide service or hunting lodge would help immensely). There are also limits on how much ammunition you can bring in.

What You Can Take Home from Canada -- Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for at least 48 hours are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, US$800 worth of merchandise duty-free. (This allowance can be combined by family members traveling together -- US$1,600 for two family members traveling together, US$4,000 for a family of five, and so on.) You'll be charged a flat rate of 4% duty on the next US$1,000 worth of purchases above your allowance. Be sure to keep receipts handy to expedite the declaration process. On gifts mailed home, the duty-free limit is US$200. If you owe duty, you are required to pay on your arrival in the United States -- either by cash, personal check, government or traveler's check, or money order (and, in some locations, a Visa or MasterCard).

To avoid paying duty on foreign-made personal items you owned before your trip, bring along a bill of sale, insurance policy, jeweler's appraisal, or receipts of purchase. Or you can register items that can be readily identified by a permanently affixed serial number or marking -- think laptop computers, cameras, and CD players -- with Customs before you leave. Take the items to the nearest Customs office or register them with Customs at the airport from which you're departing. You'll receive, at no cost, a Certificate of Registration, which allows duty-free entry for the life of the item.

For more information on what you're allowed to bring home, contact one of the following agencies:

U.S. Citizens: U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP; tel. 877/287-8667; www.cbp.gov).

U.K. Citizens: HM Customs & Excise (tel. 0845/010-9000 or 020/8929-0152 from outside the U.K.; www.hmce.gov.uk).

Australian Citizens: Australian Customs Service (tel. 1300/363-263; www.customs.gov.au).

New Zealand Citizens: New Zealand Customs (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

Medical Requirements

Unless you're arriving from an area known to be suffering from an epidemic (such as cholera or yellow fever), inoculations or vaccinations are not required for entry into Canada.

Tips on Accommodations

Eastern Canada is a unique region, with a unique set of lodgings. You won't find many five-star resorts here, but rather a more homey hospitality -- a patchwork of B&Bs, simple country inns, motels, and aging chain and business hotels. Just downgrade your expectations a bit, focus on Mother Nature, and you'll be fine.

But this isn't a complete lodgings wasteland. Here and there, genuinely luxe resorts and inns appear out of the mist, serving amazing meals and offering top-tier rooms furnished in antiques and Jacuzzis.

Here's a primer on the region's lodging situation.

Canada Select Ratings

One of the joys of booking travel to eastern Canada is the useful ratings service supplied and constantly updated online (for free) by the Canadian government, a ratings system known as Canada Select.

Even better, you can view these ratings without leaving the comfort of your own home thanks to the Internet. Go to the website www.canadaselect.com to view their very complete listings and ratings.

It has to be said, however, that this system is different from Frommer's star-rating system, and completely unrelated to it. I have used my own judgment when assigning star ratings in this guide, without regard to the Canadian government's ratings.

Nevertheless, they can provide a useful yardstick. The Canada Select system assigns a star value to each property, based on the various amenities supplied at a property (somewhat like the AAA's rating system for hotels and motels in North America).

The specific Canada Select rating system goes as follows:

• One-star properties are considered to offer "clean and well-maintained accommodations" and "the necessary facilities for an enjoyable stay." Inspectors check for and must find an adequately sized room, plus working window screens and coverings, closets, linens, door locks, smoke detectors, and parking facilities.

It needs to be said, though, that this rating system isn't perfect -- and, in fact, it doesn't really reflect what I've seen out there in the field in eastern Canada.

For example, there are 21 Canada Select five-star properties in the four eastern provinces at this writing. Only one of these 21 properties appears in this guide and with Frommer's top rating (three stars). On the other hand, nearly all my top three-star picks are rated at less than five stars by Canada Select, or else they don't appear at all.

There are at least two reasons for these discrepancies: First, not all properties in Canada are members of Canada Select. (Properties have to pay a fee.) The majority of places join because it's tremendously useful as a marketing tool, so a Relais & Châteaux-affiliated property in New Brunswick, for example -- a five-star experience by every possible measure -- simply wouldn't bother joining, because they don't need the marketing boost.

Second, Canada's hotel inspectors seem to be looking for inclusion (of breakfast, dinner, alarm clocks, parking lots, and so on) first, quality second. A place missing one thing on a long checklist might be demoted a star or two, even if it's great.

Types Of Accomodations In Eastern Canada

Here are the various categories of lodgings you'll find in eastern Canada, as defined and classified by Canada Select.

Bed and Breakfasts -- Very common in eastern Canada, the B&B (code: BB) must satisfy certain minimum requirements to be listed with Canada Select: inside entry to at least half the rooms, no more than three shared bathrooms, personalized service from the owner or innkeeper, and a three-item continental breakfast as a minimum. Further subcategories distinguish "bed and breakfast inns" (BBI), which must have five or more rooms; "tourist homes" (BB/TH), which aren't required to supply any breakfast at all; and "farm vacation" (FV) B&Bs, which must be located on fully operating farms.

Everyone has dreamed of staying in a cute B&B on vacation, and indeed the majority of places I've visited and listed in this book probably fall into this category. They range from three-star experiences to places so simple I have included them but assigned no stars at all. These places are adequate sleeps, no more than that.

Also note that Canada Select's idea of an included "breakfast'' can mean anything from a croissant, a box of packaged breakfast cereal, a doughnut, or a plate of fruit (usually referred to as a Continental breakfast) to a buffet spread or even a choice of gourmet, fresh-cooked items (usually referred to in this book as a "full" breakfast).

Cottages -- According to the Canadian government, cottages (code: C) must have exterior doors and either Continental breakfast service or full kitchens.

There are numerous cottages for rent in Canada's eastern provinces, at all price levels, and these can be one of the very best ways to see the region, especially for a family. You save money because you can cook, and the cottages are usually set in a lovely natural setting (beside the sea, overlooking fields or a golf course, and so on).

On the downside, however, they are somewhat lightly regulated in these provinces, vary wildly in quality, and change details (owners, phone numbers, open status) from year to year. So I haven't included many of these in my recommended picks.

The provinces each keep detailed lists of cottages, though -- so contact the provincial tourist offices in the places you're going for lots more info, pictures, and listings. Nova Scotia does an especially good job of collecting and publishing cottage listings in its Doers' & Dreamers' Guide.

Hotels and Motels -- Hotels and motels (code: H/M) are lumped together in the same general category by Canada Select. Pretty much the only requirement is that the facility has four or more units.

In practice, these vary so much in eastern Canada that I hardly know where to begin. Check my rankings closely. Also be aware that, at some point, you might end up in a chain hotel that's boring as bread. It happens, especially in smaller cities and towns, when the few good options (those cute B&Bs are usually pretty small) are all filled up. Bring a book and your laptop; you'll survive, because chain hotels at least do deliver basic services -- a gym, an Internet connection, a breakfast room, a bellboy -- that rural country inns and B&Bs often can't provide.

Inns -- According to Canada Select, inns (code: I) must have "inside access" for at least 50% of the rooms and provide "personalized hospitality." The owners or innkeepers must live separately from the guest section, and they must serve a Continental or full breakfast, with a minimum of three items, plus dinner.

There are plenty of inns in the eastern provinces, but I'd quibble with many of the rankings assigned to them by the ratings board. I can tell you from experience that at least some of them are aging and fading. Again, check the Frommer's ratings throughout this book for my choices.

Resorts -- According to Canada Select, a "resort" (code: R) must have four or more rooms in a main building, a full-service dining room, and some form of recreational facility (sports equipment, a pool, a spa, a fitness club -- something).

Once again, there's sometimes a gap between appearance and reality. I've seen many a place in eastern Canada describe itself as a "resort," when in fact a quick glance at the building made it clear that it was anything but. Read my reviews carefully before booking.

Youth Hostels -- There are very few youth hostels in eastern Canada anymore (there used to be more), but I've found them to be generally pretty decent, especially the urban hotels. (Canada Select does not list or rate youth hostels.) I have listed just a few in this guidebook, because the quality can vary tremendously, but I can recommend the hostels in both Halifax and St. John's without hesitation. If you don't mind the communal atmosphere and possibly doing a few chores before checkout, budget-conscious travelers should give them a look.

Note that youth hostels once imposed an age limit on their guests (usually 25 or 26), but they no longer do in all except a few European countries.

The central office for "official" hostels in Canada is in Ottawa. Contact Hostelling International-Canada (tel. 613/237-7884) by mail at 205 Catherine Street, Suite 400, Ottawa, ON K2P 1C3, or check its website at www.hihostels.ca.

There are also some very good "independent" hostels, with no affiliation at all, in places like Digby.

University Dormitories -- In summer, when Canada's universities and colleges are (mostly) on break, many institutions open up their dorm rooms and communal spaces to traveling families for daily or weekly rentals. These rooms are almost uniformly spartan (don't expect Jacuzzis and marble vanities; these are students' rooms), inexpensive, and you often get the use of a private or shared kitchen in the deal. Dorm rooms are especially prevalent in Halifax, but you can find them in other cities in eastern Canada as well.

House Rentals -- Renting a house is also an option in the Maritimes, though it's far, far easier to rent a cottage. Once again, check with the tourist offices of these provinces to get a sense about the situation.

Another trick I've tried is to scour the listings of the top realtors in a given area. They often rent prime homes that are still on the market on a short-term basis -- and sometimes "short-term" can be as short as 1 week.

Getting There

By Plane

Airports around Atlantic Canada offer access via scheduled flights. Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ), 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 (YSJ); Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (YYG); and Gander (YQX) and St. John's (YYT), 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 local-commuter partner Jazz (www.flyjazz.ca), which is based in Halifax.

Several American carriers including Continental (tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com) are also jumping into the eastern Canada fray. Canada's own WestJet (tel. 888/937-8538; www.westjet.com) now connects to Halifax from Toronto, for instance.

By Car

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$5 maximum one-way for a passenger car), although it becomes completely toll-free past exit 113 at Augusta.

By Ferry

Between June and mid-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 year-round ferry also connects Saint John, New Brunswick (about a 4-hr. drive from either Bangor or Bar Harbor, Maine) with Nova Scotia.

Bay Ferries (tel. 888/359-3760; www.catferry.com) operates the two international ferries using The Cat (short for catamaran), which claims to be the fastest ferry in North America; it zips along at speeds of up to 50 mph. Since going into service in 1998, the Cat has cut the crossing times from Portland and Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia in half: From Bar Harbor, travel time has gone from 6 hours to 3 hours, and from Portland it's now a 5 1/2-hour ride instead of an overnight cruise. (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.)

The ferry operates from June through mid-October only on a staggered schedule, sailing from Portland two to four times per week (more in summer) and from Bar Harbor three times a week.

One-way summer fares from Portland at press time were C$99 for adults and children age 13 to 18, C$65 for children 6 to 13, C$94 for seniors, and C$164 per passenger car (more for trucks and buses), plus a C$25 fuel surcharge and a C$10 security fee -- more than C$1,000 round-trip for a family of four with two young kids. There are discounts for day-trips or weekend round-trips, though I don't recommend such a quick dip into the province.

From Bar Harbor, it costs C$69 per adult and child age 13 to 18, C$47 per child age 6 to 12, C$64 per senior, and C$115 and up per vehicle -- plus taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges.

Reservations for both routes are vital during the peak summer season.

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.ca), the national rail carrier, which stops in a handful of towns along its single overnight route between Montréal and Halifax. The train runs six times daily (no Tuesday 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.

Fares for the trip depend on which class of seat you buy, from an economy seat (sleep sitting up) to various configurations of cabins. A nondiscounted economy seat will run you about C$250 each way from Montréal to Halifax or back. 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 even added a higher level of summer service on its overnight run (known as Sleeper Touring class) which includes better beds, presentations from an onboard guide, and a private dome car. Discounts for those buying tickets at least 1 week in advance are sometimes possible.

The entire trip takes between 18 and 21 hours, depending on direction.

By Bus

Bus service into and out of this region tends to be slow and cumbersome. To get from New York to Halifax, for instance, you'd have to take one bus to Montréal (8-10 hr.), then connect to another bus line to Halifax (something like 18 hr.) -- not my idea of a fun start to a vacation week. 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 Maine, and then take the early morning ferry to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (3-6 hr.). Just 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 must then catch another connecting bus onward to Halifax (about 4 more hr.).

Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222; www.greyhound.com) offers service from diverse points around the United States to Montréal's bus station (tel. 514/843-4231), where 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.acadianbus.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.

A few local transit companies pick up the ball from there, such as Kings Transit (tel. 888/546-4442 or 902/678-7310; www.kingstransit.ns.ca), which can shuttle you cheaply among Wolfville, Kentville, and Digby.

Tips for Senior Travelers

Few countries are as attentive to the needs of seniors as Canada. Discounts are extended to people over 60 for everything ranging from public transportation to museum and movie admissions. Even many hotels, tour operators, and restaurants offer discounts, so don't be bashful about inquiring, but always carry some kind of identification that shows your date of birth. (It's always best to inquire before checking in or ordering.) This discount varies widely; in practice, the gap between senior prices and full price seems to be narrowing in recent years. But ask anyway.

Members of the AARP (tel. 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org) get discounts when traveling to or in eastern Canada on hotels, airfares, and car rentals. AARP offers members a wide range of benefits, including AARP The Magazine and a monthly newsletter. Anyone over 50 can join.

Elderhostel, now called Exploritas (tel. 800/454-5768; www.exploritas.org) arranges worldwide study programs for those aged 55 and over. They manage several great tours of Atlantic Canada, including a Nova Scotia-PEI combo (10 days) and a sweeping bus tour of Newfoundland (14 days). As a bonus, you can view the complete tour itinerary -- including the actual inns and hotels you'll be staying in -- online before laying down any cash.

Tips for Single Travelers

Many reputable tour companies offer singles-only trips, and some of them dip into the Maritimes. Singles Travel International (tel. 877/765-6874; www.singlestravelintl.com) offers singles-only escorted tours to faraway places like London, Alaska, Fiji, and the Greek Islands; in past years, its fall foliage cruise has touched down in Halifax.

The popular outfitter Backroads (tel. 800/462-2848; www.backroads.com) offers active-travel trips to destinations worldwide, including several hiking, cycling, and kayak tours in Nova Scotia and a fun bike tour of Prince Edward Island.

Remember that on some package vacations to Canada, as a single traveler you might be hit with the dreaded "single supplement" to the base price. To avoid it, agree to room with other single travelers or find a compatible roommate before you go from a specialized roommate-locator agency.

Tips for Travelers with Disabilities

Canada has made tremendous efforts toward eliminating barriers to mobility for its citizens and, by extension, its tourist visitors. City pavements feature curb cuts for wheelchair travel, and larger hotels and airports sport wheelchair-accessible washrooms. A growing number of restaurants and tourist attractions are now designed for wheelchair accessibility as well, although room for improvement remains.

The Canadian Paraplegic Association (www.canparaplegic.org) runs a helpful website and also maintains an office in each of the four Atlantic provinces. In New Brunswick, call tel. 506/462-9555; in Nova Scotia, call tel. 902/423-1277; in Prince Edward Island, call tel. 902/626-9523; and in Newfoundland and Labrador, call tel. 709/753-5901.

Travelers with disabilities headed for Nova Scotia can also ask locally about accessible transportation and recreational opportunities by contacting the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities (tel. 866/696-7536 or 902/455-6942; www.novascotialeo.org). The organization maintains a useful network of contacts throughout the province.

Some travel agencies offer customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities. One of the best is Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com), which can help you find a 10-day, wheelchair-accessible cruise touching Halifax and Saint John, for example.

Avis Rent a Car (tel. 888/879-4273; www.avis.com/access) has a good "Avis Access" program that offers services for customers with special travel needs. These include specially outfitted vehicles with swivel seats, spinner knobs, panoramic mirrors, and hand controls; mobility scooter rentals; and accessible bus service. Be sure to reserve well in advance.

Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

I love visiting eastern Canada, but I'd never want to see eastern Canada disappear just because a bunch of people like me visited it too much, or in the wrong way -- loved it to death, as it were.

There are ways to help ensure this won't happen. Here's a primer on some current environmental issues in the region, plus some tips on traveling as "lightly" as possible.

Fisheries

Fisheries have been the hot-button issue in eastern Canada since forever. This region depends upon fishing and shellfishing more than any other industry for both its economic lifeblood and its identity. Yet the native fishing stocks are seriously imperiled now, thanks to centuries of rampant overfishing; the national and provincial governments have enacted a series of emergency rules preventing fishing of certain fish.

These restrictions make old-timers' blood boil, but they're probably a necessary poison if the fish are ever going to rebound and provide a living for their kids and grandkids.

What can you do? Signing up for a fly-fishing or deep-sea fishing expedition isn't any different from joining a fishing crew, so don't feel guilty if you do. Just act responsibly. Don't fish for more than you need to eat; catch and release, if possible, if you're not planning to eat any of the fish you catch. Do not throw any trash overboard. And don't use any illegal fishing methods to coax out a bigger catch. (If you see your tour operator doing so, don't patronize them again. And you might think about writing a letter to the provincial authorities after you get home.)

Indigenous Culture

In Canada, they certainly don't refer to native peoples as "Indians," and they don't even call them "native Canadians;" as a sort of higher form of respect, they're referred to as members of the First Nation. There are native reserves in all four of the Maritime Provinces.

However, reservations in Canada are not the same as those in the United States. There are no casinos here, no public religious ceremonies, no tourist information kiosks, not even a single souvenir gift shop that I've been able to locate. In short: The native peoples of eastern Canada have decided they mostly want to be left alone.

Respect their wishes. If you pass through or past a marked reserve, do so respectfully. Don't snap photos of signs, people, houses, cars, or shops -- it's just not cool.

However, all is not lost. You can view indigenous art at many art galleries in eastern Canada (at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, in Charlottetown, to give just one example), and numerous museums throughout the region display artifacts from native settlements -- in St. John's, Newfoundland, for instance, The Rooms provincial museum is strong on indigenous history.

Staying Green

Yes, it's pretty hard to claim you're being "green" while you're staying in a resort hotel that pumps water into three hundred rooms and also sprinkles it onto a golf course -- or whose owners cleared off 20 acres of forest and marshlands to build it.

But you can minimize your impact as a traveler in eastern Canada. Here are just a few ways:

Stay in an accredited "green" hotel. Canada's official hotel association, the HAC, maintains a member-run "green" rating system called Green Key that assesses member hotels' practices, then assigns them a rating of two to five keys. This system doesn't differentiate a whole lot among properties -- the vast majority of hotels and motels are rated at three keys, or "medium" greenness -- but it might help you separate the greenest places from the least-green ones.

Interestingly, only one hotel in all of eastern Canada graded perfectly (five keys) on this scale: the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland. Visit the organization's website (www.greenkeyglobal.com) for more information.

Play golf on an eco-friendly course. Hundreds of courses in North America have been certified by the Audubon Society as wildlife sanctuaries, including about 80 in Canada. Of these, unfortunately, only two are located in eastern Canada, though both are visually stunning and historic: Bell Bay in Baddeck, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton and the Algonquin Golf Course in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

See the website of the organization Golf & The Environment (www.golfandenvironment.com) for more details.

Take public transit. Every major city in this book -- from Halifax to Saint John to St. John's to Moncton -- operates some form of metropolitan bus system. Use it.

Ride a bike. The parks of eastern Canada are unusually tailor-made for great bicycle riding. What's better than getting in shape and burning calories, while contributing exactly zero toxic emissions to the atmosphere? It's pretty hard to beat that for green travel.

I can personally vouch for the following destinations as superb cycling holidays: stretches of the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island (but watch carefully for touring cars); the outstandingly scenic Fundy Trail Parkway in New Brunswick, which has a dedicated bike lane; and the Confederation Trail, which stretches the entire length of Prince Edward Island -- the best parts are in northeastern PEI, around the area of Mount Stewart.

Eat at restaurants that source locally. The use of hyper-local or regional produce, meats, and fish -- this is Atlantic Canada, after all -- contributes to the local economy and cuts down on pollution by cutting out the freighters, trucks, planes, trains, delivery vans, and refrigeration units required to ship and preserve foods over very long distance.

Luckily, numerous good restaurants in eastern Canada now use this philosophy: Lot 30 in Charlottetown is one great example. Read my restaurant listings closely to find more examples.

Stay on the trail. Trails have boundaries for a reason: you're safer inside the trail (cliffs and handholds can crumble away in an instant), and sudden erosion is bad for a mountainside, because it creates a cascade effect: Each subsequent rain will wash more and more topsoil, forest duff, and nutrients off the hill, preventing future plant life from gaining a toehold (and the animals who depend on it). Stay on-trail.

Respecting The 'Bergs & The Bees

In eastern Canada you can get up close and personal with anything from a Titanic-sized iceberg with a polar bear on top of it to a sperm whale or a harbor seal. Sometimes outfitters even bring you right up beside the objects of your desire.

That might look cool in your video scrapbook, but it isn't necessarily best for the animal, whale, or landscape in question. Remember: these are wild animals, still unaccustomed to proximity with people.

Here are a few tips and resources for more respectful travel:

Don't collect. Resist the urge to collect things from the sea or forest. Pulling sea creatures out of the ocean and yanking up flowers for your hotel room (or your kids' aquarium back home) is both gauche and prohibited; sometimes the penalties can be very steep, approaching those for a federal crime.

Save the whales. Whale-watching is enduringly popular throughout the Maritime Provinces, but operators are lightly regulated; if you think your captain is heading too close in to the animals, complain (nicely but firmly). To learn more about the whales you'll be glimpsing, and how to respect them, before you get to Canada, visit the online resources of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (www.wdcs.org).

Use a respectful outfitter. You can find more eco-friendly travel tips, statistics, and touring companies and associations -- listed by destination under "Travel Choice" -- at the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) website, www.ecotourism.org. Ecotravel.com is an online directory that also provides a search for eco-friendly touring companies by category. Conservation International (www.conservation.org) is another useful resource. This organization presents annual awards to tour operators that have made significant contributions toward sustainable tourism. Take a look at the latest award-winners to see if any of them operate in eastern Canada.

Get educated. Finally, for more information on traveling lightly in general, check the websites of involved groups such as Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org) and Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com).

General Resources for Green Travel

In addition to the resources for eastern Canada listed above, the following websites provide valuable wide-ranging information on sustainable travel. For a list of even more sustainable resources, as well as tips and explanations on how to travel greener, visit www.frommers.com/planning.

• Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.

Health & Safety

Canada is one of the safest, cleanest countries in the world; as such, traveling in eastern Canada doesn't pose any special health threats. Poisonous snakes? Sharks? Tropical diseases? Not here. And the food and water are very clean and safe to consume. Of course, you should still prepare for every eventuality anyway. Here are a few guidelines on how to do that.

General Availability Of Health Care

Canada's health-care system is excellent; you shouldn't ever have trouble finding English-speaking medical help, unless you're in very remote areas of, for example, Newfoundland or Labrador. Travel Health Online (www.tripprep.com), sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, can offer helpful advice on traveling abroad. The group maintains a relationship with one physician in the eastern provinces, Dr. Frank Lo in Halifax. In addition, The International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org) lists one affiliated travel clinic on PEI and another in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Drugstores & Pharmacies -- Chain drugstores and independent pharmacies are located throughout Atlantic Canada. Stores in larger cities and towns are likely to be open later than those in more remote villages. One of the larger national chains is Pharmasave (www.pharmasave.com), with about 70 stores in the four provinces (though most of them are in Nova Scotia).

What To Do If You Get Sick Away From Home

If you become sick in Canada, you may very well need to pay all your medical costs upfront and seek reimbursement later. Medicare and Medicaid, for example, do not provide coverage for medical costs outside the U.S. Before leaving home, find out what medical services your health insurance covers. To protect yourself, consider buying medical travel insurance.

Remember that very few health insurance plans pay for medical evacuation back to the U.S. (which can cost US$10,000 and up), but a number of companies offer medical evacuation services anywhere in the world. If you're ever hospitalized more than 150 miles from home (eastern Canada is more than 150 miles from everywhere), MedjetAssist (tel. 800/527-7478; www.medjetassistance.com) will pick you up and fly you to the hospital of your choice virtually anywhere in the world in a medically equipped and staffed aircraft 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Annual memberships are US$250 for an individual, US$385 for a family; you can also purchase shorter-term memberships starting at about US$100.

Pharmacies are easy to find in eastern Canada . Still, if you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry them in their original containers, with pharmacy labels -- otherwise they won't make it through airport security. Carry the generic name of prescription medicines, in case a local pharmacist is unfamiliar with the brand name.

Medical Insurance

Canadians are covered when traveling within Canada. However, most U.S. health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid) do not provide coverage for travel to Canada, and the ones that do often require you to pay for services upfront and reimburse you only after you return home.

As a safety net, if you're a U.S. citizen, you may want to buy travel medical insurance, particularly if you're traveling to a remote or high-risk area where emergency evacuation might be necessary.

Safety

The towns and cities of Atlantic Canada are small, well policed, and generally safe. Rowdies and drunks may occasionally be annoying or even a bit threatening, especially late on weekend nights in downtown neighborhoods, but serious crime is extremely rare in eastern Canada.

Nonetheless, whenever you're traveling in an unfamiliar place in this region, stay alert, be aware of your immediate surroundings, and take precautions, such as locking your car and hotel room and not walking alone in dark, unpopulated urban areas late at night. Try not to drive late at night when there's likely to be no one else out on the road if you run into trouble. And carry a cellphone at all times if you have one; coverage in eastern Canada certainly isn't thorough, but it is improving year by year.

The emergency number for eastern Canada is tel. 911 throughout, the same as it is in the United States.

Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers

Canada as a whole is considered extremely friendly to gay travelers. Eastern Canada varies from place to place in the warmth of the welcome, but the cities are uniformly accepting.

Halifax doesn't have any one especially "gay" district, but GayHalifax (http://gay.hfxns.org) is a good online starting point to help you find out what's going on locally with activists. And Destination Halifax (www.destinationhalifax.com/rainbow) is the best online guide to the city's gay events that I've yet seen.