Morgandy

Hi all,

I have been trying to find a good route from Toronto up to Terra Nova and Gros Morne in Newfoundland. I want to start in the north of Newfoundland and then work my way down south.

Can you give input into what routes to head up north directly, and where ferry can be caught from there?

Also, any recommendations on points along the way, I plan to take 3 days to drive there, most likely, so would need to find a hotel for 1st night and 2nd night.

Thanks greatly for any help.

laverendrye

I'm not sure what you mean by a northern route to Newfoundland. There is no "good route", unless you wish to drive to Labrador City via Baie Comeau, Québec and then take the Trans-Labrador Highway for 1,100 km or so through Churchill Falls, Happy Valley/Goose Bay, and then down to Blanc Sablon to take the ferry to the island Much of the TLH is gravel road through sparsely populated areas with no services outside of the few communities along the way. There is no way you can drive there from Toronto in 3 days on this route.

You will need to drive to North Sydney and take the ferry to Port-aux Basques. With overnight stops in Québec City and Fredericton or Moncton, you should be able to make North Sydney in time for the overnight ferry. From there it's about a 4 hour drive to Gros Morne National Park.

nfldbeothuk

Listen to Laverendrye. You cannot start at the northern tip of NL unless you spend 5 days, minimum driving over terrain which needs a 4WD at most seasons of the year.

The ferry can be taken from NS to Port aux Basques, as explained above. If you do the western side of the island first, you can return from eastern Newfoundland via the Argentia to NS ferry, which is a 14-hour run (as opposed to 6 hours to Port aux Basques), but avoids driving back across the island.
Check the Marine Atlantic website for more details.

gerryc_75

Laverendrye, Can you tell me if there needs to be an update to your post from April? I read an article on the CBC website dated June 2016 indicating that the road between Labrador City and Happy Valley/Goose Bay is now fully paved. We are planning a trip from Quebec City to Blanc Sablon in our Roadtrek. Just wondering how much actual gravel road we will be driving on and also if there are areas where we can pull off and boondock for an evening. Thank you Laverendrye.

laverendrye

Yes, I understand that the section from Labrador City to Happy Valley/Goose Bay is now paved.