starfish1

Hello everyone,

I am in the very beginning stages and am very excited about planning our first trip to Newfoundland in September. We have 10 days but could possibly squeak out another one, possibly two if necessary. The plan so far is to arrive in St. John's and depart from Deer Lake. We have already booked our rental car but that is about all at this point. After getting some great suggestions from other threads, I have a very rough itinerary in mind but would love those who know the island to help me fill in the gaps and/or offer any comments. Recognizing we won't see it all in 10 days, I'm thinking we will focus on four areas - St. John's, Trinity/Bonavista, Twillingate and Gros Morne but I'm having trouble with how many nights to spend in each. We are looking forward to enjoying the sights and scenery, hiking, biking if possible, hearing some great music, eating great food and generally just experiencing the beauty and hospitality of "the rock". My first thought was that we would spend three nights in St. John's, two each in Trinity area and Twillingate and three in Gros Morne but I'm sure those familiar with the areas may have other suggestions/recommendations. We're very flexible at this point so if we should be considering any other ideas we'd appreciate hearing from you. Many thanks in advance for any input!

RVtraveler

I believe you can remain flexible and not bother with reservations - September should be quite open. You might get some ideas at www.drivecrosscountry.net/RouteM

laverendrye

10 days is not a lot to squeeze in everything you want to do, but your itinerary is certainly do-able. If you can add another couple of days, it would be worth it.

I think that your allocation of time is right but if you have extra time, I would add a night in St. John's to better explore the Avalon and an extra night in Trinity/Bonavista.

In another thread you wondered if Twillingate is worth a visit with no icebergs or whales to see. I would say so as Twillingate has some wonderful hiking trails that you could do. I might suggest one night in Twillingate and one night in Fogo on a beautiful and remote island. Even if you wish to reduce your time in that area, you should spend at least one night there as it is a long haul from the Trinity area to Gros Morne and this would break the journey nicely.

CapeRace

Ten days is enough to cover St. John's and Bonavista areas, but I do not recommend you travel too much further. Newfoundland IS a driving vacation and too much time in the car will prevent you from mixing with the locals- which is where the real fun is. With fourteen days you can get to Gros Morne but be sure to explore car rental transfer expenses. You can fly into St. John's and fly out of Deer Lake near Gros Morne. Alternatively, you can spend 4-5 days in Gros Morne and the remaining days around St. John's

Ken

starfish1

Thanks all for your comments. We've had to modify our time and have decided to spend three nights in St. John's, three in Trinity and three in Norris Point, Gros Morne. Yes, we'll be covering a lot of ground but enjoy being on the move and think we'll get a good idea of life on the rock in the time we've got. Appreciate your help!