Need help planning trip driving from Boston to Prince Edward Island
July 25, 2017 9:19 AM Subscribe
Next week is my vacation, but my original plans fell through. I'm on a very limited budget, and I'll be doing this alone. As a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and having never been to Canada, it occurred to me it might be nice to drive up to PEI, but I need help figuring optimal drive times and stopping places.
I see it's a 9.5 hour drive straight through (that's to Cavendish, not just the southern edge of PEI). I was thinking of spending 2 days driving up, spending the 2nd night, the next day, and that night on PEI, leaving the next morning and spending 2 days driving back. what do you think is the best stopping point on the way up and the way back? It looks like the US/Canada border, going from Rte. 9 (US) to Rte. 1 (Canada) is about the halfway point, but on googlemaps I can see only little teeny towns, and I can't tell which are less likely to have hotels/motels and anywhere to eat.
Has anyone else done this trip? How did you break up your drives? And any other suggestions are very helpful. Thanks!
I see it's a 9.5 hour drive straight through (that's to Cavendish, not just the southern edge of PEI). I was thinking of spending 2 days driving up, spending the 2nd night, the next day, and that night on PEI, leaving the next morning and spending 2 days driving back. what do you think is the best stopping point on the way up and the way back? It looks like the US/Canada border, going from Rte. 9 (US) to Rte. 1 (Canada) is about the halfway point, but on googlemaps I can see only little teeny towns, and I can't tell which are less likely to have hotels/motels and anywhere to eat.
Has anyone else done this trip? How did you break up your drives? And any other suggestions are very helpful. Thanks!
I did a similar trip but stretched it over three weeks, also doing a good amount of hiking and camping and going to Nova Scotia (which was fantastic). As far as the points between Boston and PEI that I remember, I loved Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park in Maine (a bit out of the way of a direct drive) and Fredericton in New Brunswick (also a bit out of the way of a direct drive). Maybe do a low slower route on the way out and a upper faster route on they way back and hit both? I was less impressed with Saint John, which I stopped at on the way back. The Bay of Fundy was interesting to see and tour. I'd also make time for Charlottetown in PEI, which I loved too. Really a nice trip - I'm sure you'll have a blast!
posted by slide at 9:51 AM on July 25, 2017
posted by slide at 9:51 AM on July 25, 2017
That corridor is actually really touristy (/Canadians going south to shop at Target) so finding a place to stay and/or eat won't be difficult. They may not be the fanciest or most delicious places, but you'll be fine.
There are two routes that both take about the same time to drive (even though the northern route looks way longer). The southern route (via 1-US and 1-CAN) looks like it's more interesting, being closer to the water, but it's really not. Just a highway with woods on either side. Calais or St. Stephen have a couple places to eat and stay. St. Andrews is super touristry and has an amazing fancy hotel, the Algonquin. The northern route (95-US and 2-CAN) is fine. Houlton is the main town on the US side and then Woodstock, NB. Houlton looks like it's in the middle of nowhere and you start seeing rivers with only letters for names. But then you cross into NB and it's all rolling farmland and people.
You could also stay in Bangor, Fredericton, or Saint John (or even Moncton) - bigger cities with a lot more restaurant choices. If you want anything other than fish and chips, hamburgers, etc., those towns are you best bet.
posted by hydrobatidae at 10:42 AM on July 25, 2017
There are two routes that both take about the same time to drive (even though the northern route looks way longer). The southern route (via 1-US and 1-CAN) looks like it's more interesting, being closer to the water, but it's really not. Just a highway with woods on either side. Calais or St. Stephen have a couple places to eat and stay. St. Andrews is super touristry and has an amazing fancy hotel, the Algonquin. The northern route (95-US and 2-CAN) is fine. Houlton is the main town on the US side and then Woodstock, NB. Houlton looks like it's in the middle of nowhere and you start seeing rivers with only letters for names. But then you cross into NB and it's all rolling farmland and people.
You could also stay in Bangor, Fredericton, or Saint John (or even Moncton) - bigger cities with a lot more restaurant choices. If you want anything other than fish and chips, hamburgers, etc., those towns are you best bet.
posted by hydrobatidae at 10:42 AM on July 25, 2017
There are independent motels everywhere on the route through New Brunswick - most of the restaurants would feature lots of seafood and traditional Acadian cuisine to boot. For larger, more established chain hotels, Moncton or Saint John are right along the route and leave you a reasonable distance from PEI.
If I was you, I would aim to make it to Moncton the first night (7.5 hours or so, depending on the border) and get over to PEI as early the next day as you can - this way, you can aim to see not only the north shore of PEI, but also the very underrated eastern part of PEI - Fortune, Greenwich, Rollo Bay, Basin Head beach, Point Prim Chowder House . I would also see now if there are still tickets available for the Anne of Green Gables theatre show in Charlottetown - longest running show in the world and worth every penny. Accommodations tend to be limited in July/August but you should find something and everything east/central in PEI is a short drive from everything else.
Sources - I lived in PEI for 12 years and NB for 1.
posted by notorious medium at 12:07 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
If I was you, I would aim to make it to Moncton the first night (7.5 hours or so, depending on the border) and get over to PEI as early the next day as you can - this way, you can aim to see not only the north shore of PEI, but also the very underrated eastern part of PEI - Fortune, Greenwich, Rollo Bay, Basin Head beach, Point Prim Chowder House . I would also see now if there are still tickets available for the Anne of Green Gables theatre show in Charlottetown - longest running show in the world and worth every penny. Accommodations tend to be limited in July/August but you should find something and everything east/central in PEI is a short drive from everything else.
Sources - I lived in PEI for 12 years and NB for 1.
posted by notorious medium at 12:07 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
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posted by rtha at 9:36 AM on July 25, 2017