Looking to do semi budget Maine, Canada road trip.

[amyy]

I can probably answer some of your Maine questions as we love Acadia, live in central Maine and I am from northern Maine. Where are you crossing over into Canada?

 

[DisneyPolve]

JFYI, last year we skipped Disney and did a New England trip for a week. We spent more on that trip than the year prior to Disney by over $750 easily...if not more! It was really really really easy to get DH to agree to Disney World this year!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Thanks everyone.
Swilshire that's what I always tell everyone , when I sit down and really figure out a budget somehow I spend less at Disney. Probably because I'm budget concoius when I go to Disney.We Share dinners, eat breakfast in room, bring ponchos, bringing all snacks and water, etc. I really buy very little when in Disney.

The rooms I'm looking at are $150-$200 a night. Renting a popup or trailer was $1000. So I see it will probably cost as much. But we want to try something different.

ITA and was about to write this! One year we decided to do the Maine thing and then we got a 59 rate at All STAR. We had had a left over annual pass and rented a car to drive. Whole thing cost us less than 1000 for six days. Now I know that the tickets are expensive but there are tons of great deals at WDW when it comes to rooms. Frankly when I look at what they charge for the rooms in ME etc I think of the condo I get in Fla and just cannot compare the value.

 

[elf]

DisneyPolve-I can believe it being more money, after another poster here mentioned the same thing, I began to really look at the money and realized it would have been cheaper at Disney, But we wanted to try something different. We've been going to disney every year for dozens of years and we lived in Orlando a year. Although it's been two years since our last family visit we miss it, but are forcing ourselves to try something new.
Plus a couple of days ago I remember my SPG points (for Quebec) and I think we are going to try camping (in Maine)to save money.

ammag, Tinetine, amyy Thank you for offers. I'm going to stick to Southern Maine (just decided yesterday). I think I will take 95 to around Waterville then route 201 into Canada. I have not picked a place to stay in Maine we are willing to camp (DH prefers camping), so if anyone knows a nice tent camping place near the ocean that would be good. I think between Wells and Brunswick.

Ammag-Haven't chosen places to eat yet, although I think the Maine Diner might be one. There's another place where you eat Lobsters on a lobster crates but that might be Glouster MA., We like lobster shacks, diners etc. For Quebec simpler the better, although we want to try local food.

 

[elf]

People think I'm nuts when I tell them the more you go to Disney the cheaper it is. LOL I go for SPG points and deals and when you do an annual pass and fit two trips in one year one in the beginning and towards the end of expireation and stay at a value hotel under $100, It's a great deal.

I better not get started or I'll be heading down south in two weeks instead of north.lol

 

[magsmum]

We love Ogunquit Lobster Pound. Never had a bad meal there. In Quebec (by the hotel) we ate at Chez Cora. It's a small chain that serves breakfast foods, crepes etc. Everyone enjoyed their meals and we ate there twice. Really fresh fruit and good crepes. There was a recommended crepes place in Quebec called Casse-Crepe Breton. We did not eat there but walked by it. We had a great dinner at Pizza Mag which is right near Cirque du Soleil. Individual brick oven pizzas and DH had a fabulous salad. We had HORRIBLE service (over an hour for the food, no check in from wait staff and we had to ask for bread to feed the kids something at 7:45 at night!!! Others around us were receiving their meals) at Cotes A Cotes. Half of our party thought the food was good when if finally arrived, but the other half thought it was just okay. Don't recommend them based on our experiences. Dijon, the Sheraton restaurant, ended up being really good. We also ate at Baton Rouge one night, a chain for BBQ. It was okay. Not so much traditional food as I have a very selective eater. If it were just DH and I, we would have eaten differently. We needed burger on every menu!

Also, I counted on having a laundry room in the Sheraton and they did not have one! A big of a scramble to find one, but spent some quality time chatting in poor French in a neighborhood laundrymat! If you are counting on laundry- make sure that is part of the hotel- I was stunned it was not!

 

[magsmum]

Thank you Magsmom what great info.

The first thing my kids asked when I mentioned Maine is "are we going to see any Moose?" That would be the highlight of any trip for them. Where did you see the moose?


QUOTE]

We saw the moose in the woods along the side of 201. Somewhere north of God's Country...

Tons of taxes applied to everything in Quebec really added to the expense...

 

[amyy]

We don't camp a lot but I will ask around. We know the area where you will be very well.

Meals will depend on where you are staying but this is a lobster place we eat at. It is on our way to Boothbay which we go to a few times a month. Right across the road is Red's Eat which is very famous but the lines are too long. Here you can eat by the ocean.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LNit...CSVcHvMle0NHS1otyGrjTQ#vN9GP3mmpWw0uJwNfGqorg


In Waterville this might be your best value if you don't want Subway or McDonald's.
http://governorsrestaurant.com/


This is a motel/hotel where the meals are included in the price. The buildings, grounds, activities are nice but the rooms are very basic. Posting it in case you want to try a weekend in a hotel.
http://www.polandspringinns.com/rates.html


LL Bean is a great place to visit. They are open 24 hours a day.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1000001703?nav=ftlink

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

...
First thing I would say is that Quebec city is very pretty ! But there are also a lot of hills, it can get very tiring. One other thing to not as well is that prices in Quebec are MUCH higher than those in the USA. Gas is at around 1.40$ a liter so I think 5,60 a gallon if my conversion is right. Food and every day things are also very expensive...

The exchange rate is also not what it used to be; it's very close to 1 to 1, with slight fluctuations. Not like years ago when you could get $1.25 CAD to $1.00 US.

 

[elf]

Thank you everyone for the advice, food and hotel rec's. I'm going to go through these and add to my itinarary. I really appreciate it.