Nova Scotia 2: The Quickening

Killgrimage

Hi again guys. You may remember me from this thread about fun things to do in NS.

Welp, we still really want to go and have our passports all ready and we know where we want to go (Cape Breton mostly) but getting there has proven quite the conundrum.

Turns out the CAT is Super-Out-of-Business! Calls to the NS tourist agency tell me there are currently NO ferries between the USA and NS.

Question 1) OMGWTFBBQ why are there no ferries?! I mean, it's not like there isn't a demand (namely me!)

Question 2) What are our options here? Be aware that we absolutely 100% do not want to drive there. We live in Boston, and that's like a 12 hour drive. I know we could break it up, but that would mean eating into our honeymoon time (and that is time I would rather be doing something else :winky:) How about buses? Trains? Flights? How do other people get there now?

Corvus

I know you can take the train from Montreal to Halifax. So, I guess you could take the train from Boston to Montreal (I assume this is possible?) and then transfer to the Via Rail train to Halifax.

Train is going to take a long ass time though. Flying might be a better bet.

Robman

It's a really long train ride, and it's on a major freight corridor so you can be side-shunted for freight (delayssssss). Although, this would be expensive, but you could get a sleeper and could have sexy times while watching the New Brunswick trees fly past your window.

The best option would be a flight in, and then renting a car. Halifax International has the usual array of rental cars.

Corvus

Yeah, I often considered doing the train thing, but then I looked at the time of the journey and the cost and went "fuck that, I'm flying"

Though if you do fly, keep in mind that Halifax airport is in the ass end of nowhere, so you will need to rent a car as per Robman or get a taxi or something into town.

Robman

The cab ride is as expensive as renting a car for a few days, especially if your insurance covers rentals

Seriously it's fucking redic, but Robert Stanfield Airport is a fair haul out of town

Killgrimage

:^: on the train idea. It's been a longtime dream of mine to do the whole "ride in a train and sleep in it" thing. I'm not as worried about the time it takes as long as I'm not the one in charge of it (i.e. driving). Expense wise, I don't think it can cost as much as two round trip airline tickets, can it? Now getting to Montreal would be the bigger question, and I'll take a look at that link @corvus when I get back from work. Thanks all!

Shoe-Eater

I'm from the Canadian East Coast(Montcon, NB).

If you're looking to go on the cheap driving is your best bet. i've driven to Boston & Rhode ilsand a few times. Yeah it's a long ass drive, but bearable.

if money is no object then you should fly would be faster but more expensive. don't even think about the train its gonna be the same time as a car and more expensive.

the bus is another cheap alternative.

i recommend driving, there is lots to see on the way, not much for excitement in Main, but the scenery is nice.

once you cross into NB you can head for Saint-John and take the ferry to Nova-Scotia, or go trough Moncton and drive to Nova-Scotia. if your plan is ultimately to head to Cape Breaton, i'd avoid the ferry since it's expensive and doesn't really save you any time(it only saves time if you're heading to Halifax).

hope that helps,

Cheers.

SatanIsMyMotor

If you're worried about eating into your time why would you go all the way to Montreal and then take a train? That will take forever. I'd just drive it and take the Fundy Coastal Drive through New Brunswick (http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/FundyCoastalDrive.aspx) you'll see some of the best views the country has to offer.

Either that or fly.

SoulStalker

I'm from Cape Breton (Sydney), living in New Brunswick (Fredericton) now. If you're planning on flying, I wouldn't suggest flying into Halifax - it's a solid 3 hour drive to Cape Breton Island, and that'll just get you to the Causeway. There's an airport in Sydney, although it isn't big so you'll probably end up paying quite a bit extra to fly into it. Still, Sydney's rather central (and the biggest city on the island), so it'd be a great place to land, rent a car and then start exploring. Trains don't run up to the Island anymore either, so the closest you'd be able to get via that mode of transport would be Halifax. I suppose it depends on what you're heading this way for - like others have suggested, the views on some of the scenic routes here are beautiful. I'll actually be heading up that way later this summer, the girlfriend wants to do the Cabot Trail on the island. However you end up getting there, enjoy your trip!