1. Halifax works best for air travel. Porter is cheaper, but longer than AC as you have to go via Ottawa or Montreal, and West Jet is fine as long as you can fly direct.

2. True fall colours, yes and probably mid-October is best if that is a draw...otherwise, mid-May through mid-September is best for hiking. July and August are marginally more crowded but we were in Cape Breton (#1 on tourist agenda for Maritimes)early last August and were surprised at the lack of crowds. Reservations were no problem.

3. Acadia is charming, but the Cape Breton Highlands have it beat hands down for spectacular beauty. Also, Acadia, Mount Desert and Bar Harbour?now that IS crowded in high season.

I am more knowledgable about NS and will leave others to comment on NB and PEI-remember there are LONG drives involved here so plan carefully!

If you do come to NS, don't just go to Cape Breton. The South Shore/Lighthouse Route is great (Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg UNESCO World Heritage Site). Amazing beaches, great old fishing towns, Kejimkujik Park. Then heading east out of Halifax, even surfing. Halifax itself is well-worth a visit, grand views, great harbour, history of Pier 21, the Maritime Museum and Citadel, and the Hydrastone area, and wonderful restaurants.

Have fun wherever you end up going!

LJ,
Thank you so much for the detailed info and good suggestions!
If we choose early or mid-October to go for the reason of seeing the full fall colors, will it be too cold/windy/foggy/cloudy for other parts of NS and PEI? (some tour book says many B&Bs and hotels/motels will be closed by mid-October?)
What's the weather like in mid-May? Is it generally not a good time for first timers like us?

Hello, Rimwall,

Forget mid-May/June. It's too cold.

For good weather, the optimum time to visit is mid-July to mid-Sept. Don't worry about crowds. I would not plan my trip around leaves. But that's just me.

We always go to Cape Breton for Thanksgiving. Sometimes it is warm and sunny. Sometimes it is cool/cold, rainy and foggy. Sometimes it is all of the above over a 5 day period!

For good weather, optimize your chances by going mid-July to mid-Sept.

OB1

although the fall colors on cape breton would be fabulous...i would be leary planning my trip around that. if they get an early "cold", they could all be gone by the time you get there. i'd probably pick september, after the long weekend. that way, you would avoid most of the kids/tourists but the weather would still be nice and water still swimable. a lot of my friends grew up on pei and they traditionally say that mid august is the best time if looking for hot weather/water. personally, i would consider cutting out one of the provinces...you don't really have enough time.

Hi OceanBreeze1,ltt and LJ,
Your good suggestions help a lot in my planning for the trip. Now I have decided to go in end of Aug and early Sept, or all in early Sept.
If I need to cut off one province, should that be NB?
If we want to try one Acadian feast, any suggestion on which restaurant in which city is the best choice?
Many thanks!

Yeah, I wouldn't plan such a first trip around leaves either...

And given all you've mentioned, I think I would shoot for early-to-mid September. After Labour Day, and while the weather is still fine.

If flying in, and with 11 or 12 days, you should have time to see all of those places. PEI just simply can't occupy too much of your time. It is quaint, and un-trampled, but PEI just isn't that big...

Before I get lost here, let me suggest the hike to Cape Split, NS as a reasonable hike. You drive as far as you can, to a parking lot, and then hike a 5-mile round trip with no serious hills and at the end, you're out on a bluff, overlooking the Bay of Fundy, perhap with rushing tides all around.

Nowthen, if you fly to Halifax, Cape Breton is such a priority that you should probably get right to it upon leaving Halifax. Maybe 3 nights there, and then choose between Ferrying from Pictou, NS to PEI, or driving around and taking the Confederation Bridge. Visit PEI for 2 or 3 nights, and then leave via the bridge, cutting over to at least Moncton, NB, and down to Hopewell Cape, and potentially on a circle through Fundy National Park before returning to Moncton (unless inclined to visit Saint John or Fredericton) and then back into NS.

The northwestern shore of NS is worthy of your attention, and it is on the path there that you'd find Cape Split. Investigate the areas of Digby and Annapolis Royal as spots to stay for a night or two.

Maybe even circle around southern NS or, at least, cut across strategically so as to visit Lunenburg and Peggy's Cove enroute back to Halifax. There are many, many pleasant nature drives in and around the area (and FOG can do a number on just about any of them at times).

You should be able to cover most of the highlights with the time you have.

If Cape Breton is a priority, save it for last -- you'll remember it more vividly than the rest of your itinerary, and the drive back to the airport is a relatively easy half-day run from the Baddeck area. Allow yourself four nights in Cape Breton, so with 12 days, start with

Arrival Day: Overnight in Halifax

Day 2 Overnight Halifax, with a day of sightseeing around the city including Citadel Hill and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, walking along the waterfront and an inexpensive and very scenic ferry ride across the harbour and back.

Day 2 When you leave Halifax in the morning, drive to Peggy's Cove for breakfast at the restaurant by the lighthouse, the Sou'Wester, but check the cruise ship schedule before you do - cruise ships mean heavy visitor loads at Peggy's Cove, Travel along Nova Scotia's South Shore to Lunenburg and spend the remainder of your day/evening in this beautiful town.

Day 3 Across the "spine" of Nova Scotia via Kejimkujik National Park to Annapolis Royal area for overnight.

Day 4 Ferry from Digby, Nova Scotia to Saint John, New Brunswick and travel about 1 hour south to St. Andrews by the Sea for a two-night stay

Day 5 Sightseeing around St. Andrews including whale watching on the Fundy.

Day 6 Drive via Moncton and the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island for a three-night stay, taking in the North Shore of the Island and Prince Edward Island National Park, plus all kinds of culinary delights: lobster, oysters, mussels, etc.

Day 7 Take the ferry back to Nova Scotia and drive via the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton Island. Take the Ceilidh Trail along the west coast of Cape Breton to Cheticamp -- this is where you'll run into the fewest tourists -- and stop at the Genora Distillery to see how Nova Scotia Highland Whisky is made.

Day 8 Cabot Trail (clockwise) to Baddeck, with wonderful views along the way, for a three-night stay.

Day 8 Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, where you'll step back in time to the summer of 1744 and walk in the footsteps of the French soldiers who were stationed in this remote outpost. Be sure to have lunch on site in one of the restaurants, offering 18th-Century fare.

Day 9 A day to relax, take a boat tour on the Bras d'Or Lakes or golf, or perhaps take one of the hikes outlined in Nova Scotia's travel guide.

Day 10 Return to the airport.

Have fun!

Hi NorthwestMale and JeanKnowles,
Thank you so much for your detailed suggestions! They for sure will greatly enhance our first ever experiences in Atlantic Canada.

Another option is to fly into Moncton and use that as a base to see NB and PEI, and then drive to Halifax for the NS part of the holiday.

In the NB portion of your stay there are some great hiking trails in Fundy National Park (about an hours drive outside Moncton), as well as the Rocks at Hopewell Rocks (go during low tide to stroll the water area before the tide comes back in..don't get stranded!). There are beautiful beaches (Parlee Beach to name one) just 20 minutes outside of Moncton that will be wonderfully warm in August and Sept, as well as National parks , like Kouchibouquac, where there are more hiking trails, as well as the boardwalk in Bouctouche. For the nostalgic minded there is a drive in theater in Shediac that runs in the summertime until labor day, I believe.

From Moncton you can pop over to PEI (about an hour and a half drive to Charlottetown) for a day or two (it is a small island with lots of beaches, a great bike trail that follows the old railway line and stops at interesting little towns along the way, and live theater at the Confederation Centre). Lots of tourist stops like crafts, and food, and of course Lobster. From Woods Island you can catch a ferry to Pictou Nova Scotia, thus saving crossing NB again. And then all the other things that others have mentioned. You could fly out of Hfx and you will have had a great view of the Maritime provinces. Enjoy!

LOL @ "Don't get stranded"


I think the urgency of the posted sign gets that message across to most.

Thanks a lot, beba! I am reading the tour books and introduction to NPs in these provinces, trying to nail down my must-sees within my time limit. Your suggestions give me more options.