A Day in Sydney / Cabot Trail?
 

Hi
Will be on a cruiseship end of Sept., will call on Sydney. Want to drive part of the Cabot Trail. Should we just rent a car?
(7 of us total). Get a taxi? Tour bus?
Is it too far? Advice?
Thanks,
Linda

Dear Linda, I assume that you will be be in port for approx 8 hours . This is not enough time to do the full trail from sydney. As for getting a taxi I wouldn't I would hire a local tour company who at least knows the history here. What I would suggest would be to go to the most scenic side of the island which is the cheticamp side at least you will see some scenery and you will have some time to stop in cheticamp to do a liitlle look around and have dinner it would be an approx 2 hour drive one way to cheticamp. As for tour companys I would suggest Tartan Tours located in sydney. I believe you can contact them at www.tartantours.ca or call them directly @ 902 578 4501

Thank you for the advice!
I've seen beautiful photos of the Cabot Trail, & have always wanted to see it. I didn't realize it was that far from Sydney, but I guess we could still see part of it. Any other pretty sites to see? I've heard Sydney isn't that special. Don't really want to go to the Fort on this trip. Would the Cabot Trail be the prettiest, and worth the drive?
Many thanks.

No, you really don't have time to see the best part of the Cabot Trail. Checticamp, which is the SW entrance to the Cape Breton Highlands Nat'l Park is 166km from Sydney. That'd take over 2 hours each way, as over half of that drive is on 2-lane roads. And that's just to the entrance!

Go to Louisbourg. It's the attraction that makes most sense for a layover in Sydney.

I did a limo (taxi) tour of the trail many years ago when I lived in Sydney. It was pretty quick, but that's what you need. You should call the local cab companies and see if you can book a tour. Tell them your requirements and they may be able to do it for you. I think it is doable, but you won't be lingering anywhere too long! As to which parts are the best, my wife (a Californian) says you should stop in Baddeck. Me, I always liked the East side of the trail.