Where should we sleep?
May 5, 2010 10:01 AM Subscribe
Where should we stay for vacation in the Halifax area? PEI area? Please help us plan our last 1-child vacation (before #2 arrives).
We're going for vacation in July to Halifax area for 5 days and PEI for 5 days or so. Traveling with a 2 year old, so we usually opt for 2 bedroom apartments.
I'm trying to figure out what area(s) of Halifax is most convenient, safe, logical to use as a home base for day trips. This website has a few places, but I am a bit lost about locations and am starting to panic because I fear things are booking up (I'm full blasted with morning sickness now and not at my organized best.) Are there sites like VRBO for Canada that are great to use? Does anyone think a place outside of the city is better (and why?).
My logic was to break up the trip to more a more beachy half, PEI, and more urbane half. Nothing other than plane tix have been booked thus far.
Yes, I have read all prior posts on NS/PEI etc, which is what narrowed those two locales down for us, but I could use some general guidance for accommodations from that point forward.
This is my first vacationfilter post so please go easy on me or I may vomit on you.
We're going for vacation in July to Halifax area for 5 days and PEI for 5 days or so. Traveling with a 2 year old, so we usually opt for 2 bedroom apartments.
I'm trying to figure out what area(s) of Halifax is most convenient, safe, logical to use as a home base for day trips. This website has a few places, but I am a bit lost about locations and am starting to panic because I fear things are booking up (I'm full blasted with morning sickness now and not at my organized best.) Are there sites like VRBO for Canada that are great to use? Does anyone think a place outside of the city is better (and why?).
My logic was to break up the trip to more a more beachy half, PEI, and more urbane half. Nothing other than plane tix have been booked thus far.
Yes, I have read all prior posts on NS/PEI etc, which is what narrowed those two locales down for us, but I could use some general guidance for accommodations from that point forward.
This is my first vacationfilter post so please go easy on me or I may vomit on you.
Halifax is great, but it's best as a living-there sort of city than a tourist destination. From there, take the Lighthose Route down the South Shore -- that's where all the good stuff is.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:25 AM on May 5, 2010
posted by Sys Rq at 10:25 AM on May 5, 2010
I'm a huge fan of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. It is absolutely gorgeous in the summer and a definite day trip possibility if you're staying in Halifax. I'd take the valley over Halifax any day, but maybe I'm just biased because I have roots there.
Here's the link to the TripAdvisor hotel page for Halifax - there's also a separate section for vacation rentals.
posted by futureisunwritten at 10:34 AM on May 5, 2010
Here's the link to the TripAdvisor hotel page for Halifax - there's also a separate section for vacation rentals.
posted by futureisunwritten at 10:34 AM on May 5, 2010
Kijiji has short term rentals listed.
Halifax is a good starting point for daytrips to the South Shore area (Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, etc.), the Annapolis Valley, some quite nice Eastern Shore beaches (Lawrencetown and Conrads), plus there are great restaurants and stores (and museums and theatres) in the HRM area. Hope you have a lovely visit!
posted by fish tick at 10:42 AM on May 5, 2010
Halifax is a good starting point for daytrips to the South Shore area (Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, etc.), the Annapolis Valley, some quite nice Eastern Shore beaches (Lawrencetown and Conrads), plus there are great restaurants and stores (and museums and theatres) in the HRM area. Hope you have a lovely visit!
posted by fish tick at 10:42 AM on May 5, 2010
This might be a good option for short term furnished apartments in Halifax.
posted by fish tick at 11:08 AM on May 5, 2010
posted by fish tick at 11:08 AM on May 5, 2010
Best answer: Staying in Halifax, I would recommend staying on the peninsula. Anything else is gong to be suburban. If you want to walk to the waterfront or downtown, I would stay north of Inglis and south of North St. and East of Oxford St. But anything on the peninsula is going to mean your cab fare will be less than $15-$20. There are B&Bs around, and furnished apts available downtown. Most of the apts I saw on the link you rented would be great, I would stay away from Clayton Park or Dartmouth if you want to be close to sights and museums.
posted by Gor-ella at 11:22 AM on May 5, 2010
posted by Gor-ella at 11:22 AM on May 5, 2010
One thing about Halifax: It's a University town, which means that in the summer there are a ton of empty dorm rooms, which you can rent for cheap. If that sort of situation appeals to you (admittedly, it's no 2BR apartment), call up Dalhousie or St. Mary's and ask around. Of course, for the same reason, there's no shortage of apartments (particularly university-adjacent ones) in the summer months.
As for safe areas in Halifax, you're pretty much good anywhere but Uniacke Square, but that's just one city block and actually not that bad.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:28 AM on May 5, 2010
As for safe areas in Halifax, you're pretty much good anywhere but Uniacke Square, but that's just one city block and actually not that bad.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:28 AM on May 5, 2010
As for safe areas in Halifax, you're pretty much good anywhere but Uniacke Square, but that's just one city block and actually not that bad.
Actually, that's not quite true.
Anything on Gottigen St. or north is a really rough, drug-addled area that is prone to routine shootings a few days a week (my sister is an ER nurse there.) Additionally, Clayton Park, parts of Dartmouth and virtually anything outside of suburban, residential areas and downtown are considered dangerous spots after dark. You just want to proceed with a degree of caution and when you get there, ask local servers/bartenders for tips on where to avoid. They'll point you in the right places on your map.
posted by Hiker at 11:46 AM on May 5, 2010
Actually, that's not quite true.
Anything on Gottigen St. or north is a really rough, drug-addled area that is prone to routine shootings a few days a week (my sister is an ER nurse there.) Additionally, Clayton Park, parts of Dartmouth and virtually anything outside of suburban, residential areas and downtown are considered dangerous spots after dark. You just want to proceed with a degree of caution and when you get there, ask local servers/bartenders for tips on where to avoid. They'll point you in the right places on your map.
posted by Hiker at 11:46 AM on May 5, 2010
I will always recommend checking out the tourisms sites for Nova Scotia and PEI. They provide links to places to stay. There's a bunch of chain hotels downtown Halifax that would probably make the most sense - they're close to restaurants, bars, museums, ferries. They are far from the airport but I think they provide shuttles (which is great because it's kind of far from the airport to Halifax and there aren't many ways to get there).
posted by hydrobatidae at 12:11 PM on May 5, 2010
posted by hydrobatidae at 12:11 PM on May 5, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you're deciding between places and/or things to do on PEI, MeMail me and I can help. I've not only lived here for a long time but also worked in tourism AND was a bartender for a while, which means I know just about everything related to traveling and enjoying here. Enjoy!
posted by Hiker at 10:16 AM on May 5, 2010