wendydenny

I think I finally have a tentative itinerary for our trip at the end of July. The end part is kind of sketchy, so any help and opinions are appreciated.
Day 1-Arrive and stay in Halifax
Day 2-drive to Mabou or Chetticamp
Day 3-Stay in Cape North or Neil's Harbour
Day 4,5-Stay in Sydney
Now is where I am lost. What next? Do I drive back to Halifax and use it as a base for the Lighthouse Route and visiting Wolfville and Peggy's Cove. Or, do we stay in one of those locales and use it as a base?
Also--any advice about cell phone usage? Can you rent one in Canada?
And-any advice about money--exchanging in Canada, using credit cards or traveler's checks would also be appreciated.

OceanBreeze1

I don't understand your plan. Are you thinking of going to Cheticamp & then going around the Cabot Trail & ending up in Sydney? If Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail are your main focus then you shd consider flying into Sydney. Beginning May 2009, Westjet will offer a direct nonstop flight from Toronto to Sydney so you don't have to connect/change planes in Halifax. You do not say where you are flying from.
You have Day 4, 5 in sydney. That's about 1 1/2 days too long!
Can't help you w/ the cell phone but depending on where your own cell phone originates you may just want to buy a phone card in NS & use that to call from your own cell phone. Your credit shd be good anywhere.

wendydenny

From Sydney we were planning on visiting the Fort in Louisburg and there is also an evening show to see. We will concentrate on the Cabot Trail but also want to do either the west or east coasts of NS-and need advice where to stay there. Is it practical to stay in Halifax and do day trips?
As to flying, we live in Ohio and will fly Delta through Boston to Halifax.
Wendy

mat54

I personally would chose Cheticamp for day 2. It is a gateway to a very scenic section of the National Park, and the town has services, restaurants, shops selling souvenirs and the local folk art. For Day 3 you might want to consider staying in the Ingonish area as an alternative (you can day trip most of the park from either Cheticamp or Ingonish). Baddeck is also nice although farther from the Park. For myself, I would plan several days in the Cape Breton National Park/Cabot Trail region as it is gorgeous and there are very scenic walks and nature trails in addition to spectacular scenic drives (if exploriong on foot happens to be of interest). Halifax is a very nice small city with a vibrant downtown Harbor district and can be used as a base for a number of day trips including Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg and probably Wolfville. If you want to explore the quaint and quieter Lighthouse Route fishing villages and wilder coastal beaches farther afield, you might want to spend a night or two down the coast, e.g. between Liverpool and Shelburne. Your own cell phone if with a major provider should work in Canada (ours do in the U.S.). Money won't be a problem, many (maybe most) businesses accept U.S. funds (although you may not like some of their exchange rates - banks often give better rates), I haven't used Travellers checks in years but should still be acceptable at larger hotels and businesses I would guess, your Visa will be accepted by most businesses except possibly some of the smaller ones, and your Bank Debit Card will probably work at most ATM/Bank Machines if it is compatible with the major international banking networks(e.g. Interac and Plus - you can verify this with your bank) - they will give you Canadian funds and charge your account based on an exchange rate.

outdoorssenior

I'd consider an extra day on the northern half of Cape Breton, if it's scenery you're looking for. There's so much up there, including the areas off the Cabot Trail which are in many ways better than the Trail itself, that you'll find yourself rushed.

For scenery lovers, that area is the highligt of the trip.

wendydenny

Thanks for all of the extra advice. I am actually happy I have procrastinated because airfares from Ohio have dropped considerably.
We will consider adding an extra day on the Cabot Trail and think we will stay in Halifax some extra time too.

Wendy