This summer my wife and I would like to visit Nova Scotia but if it is crowded and loaded with antique shops we will skip it. Is there any way to get there from NY by rail. Want to visit in july or august. Thanks in advance.

Just to let you know, that all three Maritime Provinces combined have a smaller Population than New York City. Nova Scotia has a lot more than antique shops. If you are worried about it being too touristy but still want to go the Maritimes, go to New Brunswick instead.

There's only one way to get to NS entirely by rail. NYC-Montreal: 10 hours. Montreal-Halifax:20 hours. You could take the train to Boston (3 1/2-4 hours) and then the Downeaster into Maine; I don't know if this train stops in Bar Harbor (is this the place where the ferry leaves?), where you could catch a ferry to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Yarmouth is several hours from Halifax and the other side of the province from Cape Breton Island.

Have never found Nova Scotia to be touristy as compared with areas of the states. Not sure how to comment regarding your adversion to antique shops! I don't think that you'll find an overwhelming number of them though.

John,<BR>I've visited NS twice in July and never found it crowded or overrun with touristy shops antique or otherwise. Not sure about the rail situation but there are ferry's from both Portland and Bar Harbor Maine. The Portland ferry leaves in the evening and is an overnight ride with the return leaving in the a.m. It's a nice little mini-cruise - with small state rooms (ours had bunk beds and a small sink - bathroom down the hall), casino, entertainment, restaurants etc. If you can get to Portland from NY it would be the way to go. Once you're in NS you might want to rent a car it's a big island. You could check into tours from the town of Yarmouth where the ferry lands.

Just to correct Sandra NS is not an island

I was curious so I just did a little bit of research for you; it's approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to get from Boston South Station to Portland ME. Check out the schedule for the Downeaster train on www.amtrak.com. If you didn't want to drive the next part of the journey, you could either take the cruise from Portland to Yarmouth (11 hours) or take the Vermont Transit bus to Bar Harbor (3 hours, 25 minutes) and take the CAT ferry to Yarmouth (2 hours, 45 minutes).