Nova Scotia trip - planning too much?
 

My mom and I are beginning to plan a summer trip (a week or so) to Nova Scotia, and would like to spend a few days each in the Halifax area, Cape Breton and PEI. Is that too much to do? If not, should we fly into Halifax and out of Sydney?

yes it's too much. in the search box above, type in nova scotia. there are a ton of suggested itineraries.

It depends if your "or so" would be about 10 days. Ten days would be enough time for this trip.
Where are you flying from?
Halifax-two days
Cape Breton 3 days
PEI 3 days
Final day to travel to airport
You could fly in to Moncton which is a close exit from PEI and not too far from Halifax

Looking at mapquest, Halifax to Cavendish, PEI is about 3 hours. Cavendish to Cheticamp is about 6 hours. Halifax to Cheticamp is about 5 hours.

Figure one day of your trip will be spent driving to Cheticamp.

I don't see flying into Moncton being a benefit. You would have to drive to PEI, then drive to Halifax, then drive to Cape Breton. Flying into Halifax means you would have to drive to PEI, then drive to Cape Breton. There's less backtracking with Halifax.

I would do:

day 1-3 Halifax (2 days if your flight in isn't so long you need to recoup)
day 4-6 PEI
day 7 drive halfway to Cheticamp and stop for the night
day 8-10 Cape Breton.

That would be 9-10 days (you did write "a week or so" :) ) and would break up the longer drive.

Thanks for all the help...

Here's my updated plan - please let me know what you think:

Day 1 - Fly into Halifax (coming from the east coast, so the flight won't take too much out of me!) - spend 2 days around Halifax

Day 3 - drive to Cape Breton - probably stay 2 days in the Baddeck area as a central point

Day 5 - drive to Pictou/New Glasgow, spend the night

Day 6 - take the morning ferry to PEI via the wood islands to Charlottetown - spend 2 nights

Day 8 - afternoon ferry back to Pictou/New Glasgow, spend the night

Day 9 - drive back to Halifax and fly home.

Should I reserve a rental car before arriving? Any recommended hotels or Inns?