Hotels in St. John's

St. John's has the largest range of accommodations in the province, offering a supply of everything from business hotels to simple B&Bs -- plus an unusually wide choice of luxury inns, for some reason.

If you're looking to save money, on the other hand, there's a small, 10-bed hostel (tel. 709/754-4789; all ages welcome) with communal kitchen and laundry facilities at 8 Gower St. You can even camp not far from the downtown and waterfront.

Sacks In the City: Tenting St. John's -- Camp right in the heart of a capital city? Only in Newfoundland. If you're heading to St. John's and want to rough it a bit, head straight for the seasonal city-owned Pippy Park Campground (tel. 877/477-3655 or 709/737-3669), a couple miles from the city center off Allandale Road. (Reach that road by using the city's ring road, signed in this area as Prince Phillip Dr.)

The campground has nearly 216 sites, most with full hookups, plus a sociable tenting area, playgrounds, and a 24-hour coin-op laundry. Some sites are in forested areas, while others are in an open meadow; rates range from C$20 per night (for a tent site) to C$40 (for a fully serviced pull-through site with electricity, water, sewer, and Wi-Fi access). This campground often books full in summer, so it's a good idea to call ahead for reservations. (You can also reserve a spot online, using a link from the park's main web page at www.pippypark.com.) The campground opens from May through October.