Our family (2 parents and kids ages 9 & 6) will drive from Boston via Acadia NP in Maine to spend 8-10 days in NS, NB, & PEI. I last went with my family as a young teen and can't wait to share it with my kids! We hope to save cash by camping as much as possible and prefer car ferries to land routes whenever feasible. Must sees are PEI (just read "Anne"), Cabot Trail, Halifax (little history buffs want to see the scene of the explosion), and Fundy tides. We all love history, hiking, sailing, and ocean swims. My challenge is ROUTES, since the Maine to NS ferry of my childhood was discontinued and i know nothing of NB. Suggestions welcome on driving routes, smaller ferries, better campgrounds, and kid-friendly stops along the way. Thanks!!
BTW, our entire trip can run up to 12 days, with the first 2 nights in Acadia in Maine, so 10 days max to go from Maine to Maritimes and back to Boston. I miss that ferry....
10 days, 2 kids, a tent, and the Maritimes!
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drive from Maine to Saint John, NB...take ferry to Digby NS...see NS then take Pictou NS ferry to PEI...take the bridge back to NB and home.
Thanks. I heard that there wasn't a NS-PEI ferry, so that's great!
Vacations are just too short! I have done the trip you describe many times as a kid and with my kids. Its totally possible. Of course its great if you can be flexible about weather but a lot of campsites do fill up. August is less busy than July. The provincial campsites in PEI are very good and the one in Cavendish is very near to the Anne of Green Gables site as well as being at the beach.
For your Cabot Trail trip there are nice campgrounds along the way from Parks Canada
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton/activ/camping.aspx
We have also really enjoyed this campground in Cape Breton-great beach and good spot for kids
http://www.macleods.com/campsite.html