Has Anyone Been to Prince Edward Island?

[mjaclyn]

DH and I were thinking of renting a house on the beach in PEI next summer but don't really know where to begin. We've never visited there but have heard wonderful things about it. Does anyone have any information about renting or know where I can look? Also, what is the best time of the summer to go? Any help is greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much!

 

[Cruisin]

You might try posting your question on the Canadian board.

You might get more responses that way.

I have been there a couple of times but both as a young teenager so I'm not going to be much help with your questions

 

[ToTLaugher]

We went to PEI the end of the summer in 2005. We loved every minute we spent there!

You can find lots of information online at the PEI tourism site. (Sorry, I don't have the web address right now.)

Also, we stayed at Swept Away Cottages in Cavendish. You can check them out at www.sweptawaycottages.com.

If it wasn't for a constant desire to go back to Disney, we would go to PEI again in a heartbeat.

 

[shamrock30]

DH and I went there for 10 summers. We always stayed in rental cottages, mostly on their own property and not part of a cottage "colony". Order the guide from the Visitor's Bureau . (Or go to their website and view availability there.) They rate many of the cottages, and I found the ratings to be accurate. I haven't been in three years, and we switched around every year so I don't have any particular recommendation except we liked Brackley Beach and Stanhope best for location. If you have kids, you might prefer Cavendish, but it was a little too touristy there for us.

Some places we stayed in were a little worn, but the price and rating reflected that. We never had a single issue with cleanliness. The owners were uniformly nice.

We usually went in the shoulder season because it was a bit cheaper and not as busy. Their summers are very short though, so if swimming is important, you may want to stick to the high season.

 

[starrzone]

DH and I were thinking of renting a house on the beach in PEI next summer but don't really know where to begin. We've never visited there but have heard wonderful things about it. Does anyone have any information about renting or know where I can look? Also, what is the best time of the summer to go? Any help is greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much!

Both my parents and all my grandparents are from PEI, I live 3.5 hours away and have a cottage there, and I worked 4 summers in tourist information in Cavendish, so I consider myself qualified to recommend (although I'm by no means an expert!).

Cavendish is very popular with families, but as a PP mentioned, it's quite touristy. Plus, there are NO cottages on the beach there, as all beaches in the Cavendish area are part of the National Park. If you're looking to stay literally on the beach- i.e., walk out your front door and into the sand- I'd suggest staying in the Eastern part of the island. There are MANY different types of accommodations available, ranging from $500/week campers to $4000/week luxury cottages. Remember, too, that drives to various locations on the Island aren't very far; if you stayed in Eastern PEI, it wouldn't even take 90 minutes to drive to Cavendish, and less than that to Charlottetown. I also like the Stanhope/Brackley Beach area, but the prices are going to be higher than in Eastern PEI. The PEI tourism site is a start, but I'd also check on Kijiji for places to stay.

As for the best time of the summer to go, weather-wise, I'd say between the 2nd week in July and the 3rd week of August. There's a lot going on then, and for the most part, it doesn't rain all that much (but every year is different!).

If you need any more help, don't hesitate to ask or PM me!

 

[DeniseinNS]

We live fairly close to PEI so we have gone quite a few times, the last time being a month ago (we prefer to go in July) I highly suggest going to Cavendish, there is so much to do there!!! A few things that we enjoy in the Cavendish area:

-Sandspit (amusement park)
-Shining Waters (amusement/water park)
-Cavendish Beach
-The Boardwalk (shopping)
-The Toy Factory (the kids made their own wooden cars and wands)
-Avonlea Village (Anne of Green Gables)
-Ripley's Believe it or Not
-Wax World of the Stars
-yummy COWS ice cream

These are a few of the cottages that we enjoy:
our favorite http://www.greengablescottages.com/
http://www.cavendishlodge.com/

 

[mommasita]

HI. I just spent a week there with my father and his wife. We do this yearly. I love it.

I have a nice guidebook if you would like? I can mail it to you. It has many cottages, etc, prices, and more. I would be glad to do it, PM me if you are interested.

PEI is GORGEOUS. We had perfect weather with no humidity, and this week is Old HOme Week, with country fairs, rides for children, and much more.

 

[mjaclyn]

Thank you SO much for the information!! I've always loved Anne of Green Gables ever since I was a child and visiting PEI has always been something I've wanted to do. We have two small children so being right on the beach (or within walking distance) would be the best for us. We'd also like to be close to Cavendish by car because we do plan on seeing the sights as well. I was looking on the Canada Select website as well as Homeaway and a few others. I also ordered the brochures and books from the PEI tourism website. Has anyone ever heard of, seen or stayed in any of these properties?

http://www.peivacationrentals.com/gentle/index.html

http://www.peivacationrentals.com/angies/angies.html

http://www.peivacationrentals.com/victoria/index.html

They all seem to be beachfront which is great, I'm just not sure how close they are to Cavendish.

Also, what would be the best way for us to get to PEI? I definitely want to have a car while we're there, but I heard you have to take a ferry to get to the Island...is this true? Is it the kind of ferry that allows vehicles on it as well? We live in NY USA so it would be quite a drive so we would probably break it into two days.

Any info would be so helpful! Thank you!

 

[Northstar]

Also, what would be the best way for us to get to PEI? I definitely want to have a car while we're there, but I heard you have to take a ferry to get to the Island...is this true? Is it the kind of ferry that allows vehicles on it as well? We live in NY USA so it would be quite a drive so we would probably break it into two days.

Now there's a bridge. You may have heard about taking the ferry from someone who went there 10-15 years ago. The Confederation Bridge (hefty toll when you leave the Island) links PEI and Nova Scotia now.

 

[maddiel]

Now there's a bridge. You may have heard about taking the ferry from someone who went there 10-15 years ago. The Confederation Bridge (hefty toll when you leave the Island) links PEI and Nova Scotia now.

The bridge is actually from New Brunswick to PEI, although it's only a short drive from the Nova Scotia border. There's still a ferry from Pictou NS to PEI. It is a vehicle ferry and it's the same system where you only pay when you leave - so you can take the bridge one way and the ferry the other if you like.
The bridge would be your more direct route from the US, but NS is very nice too if you want to visit


M.