sweltwoman

We will be driving from St Johns to Gros Morne and then to L'Anse Aux Meadows. I know it's a longish drive - is there any place great to break up the trip? We can do it in one day and only want to stop if there's someplace (even if it's somewhat out-of-the-way) that would be worth stopping for! We plan to fly from Newark to St Johns and then fly back from Deer Lake so any other ideas would be appreciated.

LJ

Perhaps I have misunderstood!

I don't think you should even think of driving from St. John's to L'Anse aux Meadows in a day...that would be close to 17-20 hours if you didn't even stop for gas. It is an 11+ hour drive from St. John's to Deer Lake, alone and thats without appreciable pit-stops or taking into account weather or time of year. Frankly, you probably shouldn't contemplate driving along the TCH after dusk in moose season (and the tourist season and moose season always co-incide!)

But beyond that you are racing past some of the most beautiful parts of the province: St. John's itself, Cape Spear, Salvage, Conception Bay, Terra Nova Park,Cape St. Mary's, Twillingate, Corner Brook, Marble Head Mountain, Cow Head.

Perhaps if you outline your timing, and time of year and interests, we can be of more help?

klam_chowder

Listen to LJ!

Enjoy-la!

laverendrye

St. John's to L'Anse aux Meadows in a day? Utter madness.

How long do you have to spend in Newfoundland?

sweltwoman

Didn't mean all that way in one day!! Sorry. I meant thinking of driving to Gros Morne, or to Deer Lake only- tho I know that's plenty far. Right now I'm thinking that we will fly to Deer Lake and rent a car there, partly to avoid expensive drop off fee and also there doesn't seem to be as much that's wonderful to see on the drive and thinking that we should spend our time at Gros Morne, rather than a day or more driving.

LJ

Do book your rental car as soon as possible after your flights are confirmed: Deer Lake flights are generally quite a bit more expensive than St. John's. Deer Lake does not have an unlimited supply of rental cars. In fact, at the height of the tourist season rental cars are scarce!

Then don't even think about going further than Marble Mountain, Strawberry Resort or Corner Brook the first day (or two). There is so much to see in this area.

Western Newfoundland is spectacularly beautiful, but you need a plan. It would be criminal to just rush right up to L'Anse aux Meadows without understanding what you are missing!

Do you have a good guide book?

What time of year are you talking?

laverendrye

sweltwoman--I'm not sure what you're looking for when you say that there's no much wonderful on the drive across Newfoundland. If you mean on the Trans-Canada itself, you're right. However, there are many places off the TCH that I wouldn't want to miss going from the east to the west of the island.

For starters, look at Brigus, Trinity, Bonavista, and Twillingate.

Regarding the drop-off fee? Can it really be more than the cost of flying from St. John's to Deer Lake?