Looking for advice re: Halifax

[Frwinkley]

Looking for some guidance from you friendly folks.

We live on the east coast of the U.S. and are considering a trip to Halifax and other points east this summer/fall. We have traveled to many parts of your wonderful country, but the eastern part remains unvisited.

We are considering a cruise, but we’d have to include a few US cities that we’ve been to many times and that seems like a waste. The cruises that hit the most spots are 11 or 12 days and I’m just not sure that’s necessary. Cruising is not something we do regularly (hardly ever). We are more DIYers, but all the planning can get overwhelming.

Any advice? Should we just fly into Halifax and make our own trip? I’m also concerned that each port stop will look the same.

 

[yowcruiser]

Depending on the cruise line, there are a few variations to "Eastern Canada" cruises: Some may visit Saint.John (NB), Sydney (NS), Charlottetown (PEI) and some may even venture out to St.John's (NF) - in addition to Halifax. While all of these ports would indeed all have a "Canadian maritime" feel, the scenic views, people and port adventures would still be noticeably different.

Depending on the port of departure, US stops in Boston or Maine are not uncommon.

From Halifax, there are indeed a number of spots worth visiting, including Halifax itself

 

[Apiary]

Nova Scotia has a lot to offer beyond Halifax. Flying in and renting a car is a good option, or driving up and taking the Ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth (once a day each direction). You can also drive all the way around, but not everyone is as committed to a road trip.

 

[Frwinkley]

Nova Scotia has a lot to offer beyond Halifax. Flying in and renting a car is a good option, or driving up and taking the Ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth (once a day each direction). You can also drive all the way around, but not everyone is as committed to a road trip.

We are not at all opposed to moving every few days to see as much as we can. Our typical road trips have covered over 2k miles in 12 days or so.

Cruising limits us to only Sept or Oct and doing our own trip opens up other months.

We live in Western PA, so seeing foliage isn’t a huge attraction for us. Better weather is important.

From what I can tell, looks like the real “touristy” (for lack of a better world) are north of Halifax.

 

[migel]

Halifax is a great city to visit. I'm in Canada, about a half hour from Niagara Falls, and drive to Halifax annually, but have also flown in many times. If you go, consider driving to Cape Breton, a little over 2 hours from Halifax. Beautiful scenery, especially along the Cabot Trail.

 

[Frwinkley]

Halifax is a great city to visit. I'm in Canada, about a half hour from Niagara Falls, and drive to Halifax annually, but have also flown in many times. If you go, consider driving to Cape Breton, a little over 2 hours from Halifax. Beautiful scenery, especially along the Cabot Trail.

We would love to spend more time on the Cabot Trail than any cruise would allow.

Any suggestions of locations to stay in other than Halifax? We aren’t adverse to moving every 2-3 days, but want to make sure there are enough things to see/do

We enjoy hiking, are avid photographers, like walkable little towns, shopping, restaurants.

The appeal of a cruise is that there wouldn’t be a ton of planning involved.

Thank you for any help you can offer.

 

[Apiary]

There are touristy areas in every direction. Cape Breton is beautiful, and has wonderful scenery and tiny towns. As well as the fortress Louisberg, which is a really cool 18th century French fort complete with soldiers. The south shore has a UNESCO certified cute town (Lunenburg) and several other not certified cute towns. There's good shopping, cold water beaches, and wonderful roadside cafes (my favorite is the Lahave bakery). The fundy shore is cool, highest tides in the world, more cute towns, seasonal theaters.
novascotia.com is run by the province, and has some good info on what there is to do where.

 

[migel]

We would love to spend more time on the Cabot Trail than any cruise would allow.

Any suggestions of locations to stay in other than Halifax? We aren’t adverse to moving every 2-3 days, but want to make sure there are enough things to see/do

We enjoy hiking, are avid photographers, like walkable little towns, shopping, restaurants.

The appeal of a cruise is that there wouldn’t be a ton of planning involved.

Thank you for any help you can offer.

I own some land on Bras D'or lake, more or less central Cape Breton, but I've travelled most of the island over the years. Baddeck is a popular spot, and a great starting point if you plan on driving the Cabot Trail. It's completely walkable, has shops, restaurants, and a waterfront as well. Depending on which routes you take, there's also a couple of short ferry rides you can take that add to the enjoyment (the ferry at Little Narrows is very close to our land). The ferry's are now free as well. I also enjoy the Sydney waterfront, they've really improved it over the years, it's a fairly long walking path along the water, and depending on the time of year, there's often a cruise ship or two in port. The main drag in Sydney has lots of shops, places to eat and explore, all within walking distance. Along the Cabot Trail, Ingonish beach and the town of Cheticamp are great spots to visit. I'm also into photography and just recently upgraded my camera to a Canon 5D, so my last trip involved a lot of photography. There is no shortage of subject matter, no matter where you travel on the island!

 

[dcessford]

Many have mentioned Cape Breton so I will mention what we locals refer to as "the Valley" From Grand Pre to Digby is an area to explore. There are a few great wineries in the Grand Pre area. Also history wise, in the same area the is Grand Pre Historical Site which is a monument to the Acadians which were expelled by the English to areas like Louisiana. In Annapolis Royal you have Port Royal Historic site which is the first permanent French settlement in North America. In the Digby area you can go out on the Digby Neck and find a few whale watching companies to go see whales in the Bay of Fundy.

 

[deanimal]

We have family in Nova Scotia so we visit from the west coast every few years. The area really rewards people who take their time and explore the small towns and scenic drives.

It's easy to rent a car from Halifax but inventory is sometimes limited in summer so I usually book as soon as flights are confirmed. A few of the roads are a bit narrow in rural areas but for the most part it's an easy and relaxing place to drive.

We love the Annapolis Valley area on the Fundy side (west coast of Nova Scotia) with farm markets, wineries, great restaurants and historic sites. The Cape Breton area is much more rugged and driving times can be deceptively long, especially if you're following the coast.

If you have the time, Prince Edward Island is absolutely lovely and easy to access by bridge. It is a small island with limited accommodation though, so it's another place that can get booked up in high season. The Anne of Green Gables historic site is quite kitchy, but as a Canadian girl who grew up with the books and the miniseries it was a must do and a lot of fun.

And I have to say that Maritimers are some of the friendliest, most easy going people you will ever meet.

 

[Frwinkley]

Thank you everyone!! Sounds just lovely.

 

[peacefrogdog]

Here is the perspective of Halifax from someone who grew up there.

While Halifax isn't a large city, a cruise that stops here typically showcases the touristy downtown area, which features several historical buildings. Although they appear old, many of these structures are replicas because the originals were destroyed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917. You might find that food, particularly seafood, is overpriced and not as fresh as what you'd find if you ventured further out. However, since the original poster is from the Eastern U.S., they may already have access to fresh, quality seafood. If a cruise does not stop in Sydney, Cape Breton, it's unlikely that you'll be able to visit during a port stop in Halifax alone, as it's a 2.5 to 3-hour drive to get to Cape Breton. Once there, you could technically complete the Cabot Trail in four hours without any stops, but this would defeat the purpose of truly experiencing it. Fall is the ideal time for this drive, as you can enjoy the beauty of the changing leaves.

I briefly researched the cruise excursions available from Halifax. If you spend a week in Nova Scotia, you'll have the opportunity to visit all the destinations covered by these excursions at your own pace. This allows you to fully appreciate the charm that many small towns offer. You'll also have the option to drive to Prince Edward Island (PEI). Cape Breton is also known for great golfing; Cabot Links is a world-renowned course.

Here are some suggested destinations that you can easily explore at a relaxed pace in a week:

- Peggy's Cove (just to say you've been there). The drive to Peggy's Cove through the fishing villages is more interesting in my opinion.
- Mahone Bay & Lunenburg.
- Digby & Annapolis Valley (especially if you're interested in wineries); Wolfville is on the way and is known for its ciders.
- Cape Breton (Cabot Trail) and Fortress of Louisbourg (the French stronghold during colonial times. The British stronghold was Citadel Hill in Halifax, but the original was destroyed in the explosion, and what's there now is a rebuilt version that isn't as grand as the original).

Except for possibly Cape Breton, you can use Halifax as your home base to explore these destinations, allowing you time to discover different parts of Halifax in the evenings.

Feel free to send me a private message if you think it would help.

 

[peacefrogdog]

I agree with a previous poster regarding booking a rental car earlier, if planning to travel in the summer.

 

[Frwinkley]

Here is the perspective of Halifax from someone who grew up there.

While Halifax isn't a large city, a cruise that stops here typically showcases the touristy downtown area, which features several historical buildings. Although they appear old, many of these structures are replicas because the originals were destroyed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917. You might find that food, particularly seafood, is overpriced and not as fresh as what you'd find if you ventured further out. However, since the original poster is from the Eastern U.S., they may already have access to fresh, quality seafood. If a cruise does not stop in Sydney, Cape Breton, it's unlikely that you'll be able to visit during a port stop in Halifax alone, as it's a 2.5 to 3-hour drive to get to Cape Breton. Once there, you could technically complete the Cabot Trail in four hours without any stops, but this would defeat the purpose of truly experiencing it. Fall is the ideal time for this drive, as you can enjoy the beauty of the changing leaves.

I briefly researched the cruise excursions available from Halifax. If you spend a week in Nova Scotia, you'll have the opportunity to visit all the destinations covered by these excursions at your own pace. This allows you to fully appreciate the charm that many small towns offer. You'll also have the option to drive to Prince Edward Island (PEI). Cape Breton is also known for great golfing; Cabot Links is a world-renowned course.

Here are some suggested destinations that you can easily explore at a relaxed pace in a week:

- Peggy's Cove (just to say you've been there). The drive to Peggy's Cove through the fishing villages is more interesting in my opinion.
- Mahone Bay & Lunenburg.
- Digby & Annapolis Valley (especially if you're interested in wineries); Wolfville is on the way and is known for its ciders.
- Cape Breton (Cabot Trail) and Fortress of Louisbourg (the French stronghold during colonial times. The British stronghold was Citadel Hill in Halifax, but the original was destroyed in the explosion, and what's there now is a rebuilt version that isn't as grand as the original).

Except for possibly Cape Breton, you can use Halifax as your home base to explore these destinations, allowing you time to discover different parts of Halifax in the evenings.

Feel free to send me a private message if you think it would help.

Thank you so much! These tips are very helpful. I'd love to be able to use Halifax as a base, and then a few days in the Cabot Trail area.