Newfoundland or Nova Scotia
 

We are planning a trip to Eastern Canada in early August. We have never been to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland. We will have a week. Plan to fly and then rent a car. We really enjoy hiking and historic sites. Any suggestions on which place we should focus on?

Wow- both of these destinations are very historic and have great hiking trails.
For a more 'unique' experience I suggest Nfld.
What other interests do you have? Culture? Wildlife? Music? Scenery?

Jerry

I suggest that you try Newfoundland. With only a week, you must choose between the east and west coasts.

On the west coast you could fly to Deer Lake, rent a car and spend some time in Gros Morne Park fantastic scenery and hiking) and then make your way up the peninsula to l'Anse aux Meadows, the site of the viking Settlement.

On the East Coast, spend a few days in Saint John's and then either travel around the Avalon Peninsula or drive to Terra Nova Park for hiking and then on to Trinity and Bonavista, both quite historic towns. You can also watch whales from either the Avalon or Bonavista.

There's nothing wrong with Nova Scotia, and much to see and do there, but Newfoundland is quite special.

Some people compare Cape Breton area of NS with NFLD. As mentioned above, one week pretty much restricts you to either the east or west coast of NFLD due to the long distances. But there are tons of things to do on both sides.
As for NS, you can pretty easily drive from, say, Halifax, and then wander north onto Cape Breton within that time and not be too rushed, giving you access to different things and places.
Suggestion: Access their respective websites and request a free copy of their "Doer and Dreamer Gudies." These vacation guides are extremely well made and most helpful in planning a vacation. Either choice will not disappoint.

Thanks for the input. Do you know how far it is to drive between Gros Morne and l'Anse aux Meadows. I am finding that all of the rental car agencies are limiting mileage on a weekly rental. Those are two places we definitely want to see. Also any recommendations on lodging in both of these areas?

I agree with others that Newfoundland is more different than NS and therefore more interesting. Nothing against NS, I quite like it there too but life imposes choices. Since you are flying in the greater remoteness of Newfoundland is not the problem that it is for people driving all the way from elsewhere in North America.

It is a fact of life that car rental agencies in Newfoundland charge per km after the "free" allowance is used up. It does not really add up to that much money in the big scheme of things IMO. The road from Deer Lake up the Great Northern Peninsula is good. You can figure your time by a 90 km/h speed limit.

Personally I prefer the Avalon Peninsula (east) but west is good too.

You can drive from Gros Morne to St. Anthony's in less than a day - I am thinking perhaps four hours straight through, but of course you will stop a lot as there is much to see. A fantastic place near L'ance Aux Meadows & St. Anthony's is the Tickle Inn in Cape Onion. I don't think you can find much better than that. If you do a web search, you will find them. There are whales & icebergs right out your door, plus warmth you receive there just makes the trip. We stayed at the Gros Morne Cabins in Rocky Harbor. I also recommend them. The cabins are lined up on Bonne Bay, so the view is beautiful and you get to see the Lobster Cover Lighthouse blinking at night. The cabins were much nicer than I thought they would be and very well situated. Rocky Harbor is a cluster of buildings and the cabins are at one end. Enjoy your trip!