Visiting Labrador from Newfoundland
 

My wife and I will be taking a 3-week trip to Newfoundland. We are taking the Portland ferry to Yarmouth, then driving to Sydney for the ferry to Placentia.<BR><BR>We are also interested in visiting Labrador, but the ferry looks like a long trip. Has anyone been on this ferry? <BR><BR>Finally, we are looking at how to return to Maine from Newfoundland/Labrador. We are considering driving back through Quebec instead of retracing our steps back through Nova Scotia. Is this crazy or not? Thanks for the help!

I am not sure which ferry you are refering to. We have taken the ferry from St. Barbe to Blanc Sablon, Quebec. If I recall correctly it's about 90 minutes on a large old European ferry. The 500 year old Basque whaling station at Red Bay is worth a visit.

Driving back from Labrador isn't as crazy as it is unique. However, the only road linking Labrador to Quebec and the rest of North America is from the interior of Labrador in Labrador City then south all the way to Baie Comeau on the north shore of the north shore of the St. Lawrence. The ferry from Newfoundland to Labrador will take you to Goose Bay. From there it's quite a drive to Labrador City.<BR><BR>Accommodations and amenities are few and far between from Goose Bay to Baie Comeau, but the trip in itself can be amazing providing that you are well prepared.<BR><BR>The ferry trip to Red Bay with road link to Blanc-Sablon and Riviere-Saint-Paul in Quebec is another option. However once at Saint-Paul, you'll have to use the ferry to get to Sept-Iles. You'll need to time this as the ferries operate only once a week. (I assume the full ferry trip takes this long, or perhaps only half as long, depending on how many ferries they have.)<BR><BR>I'm sorry that I can't be of more help, but try checking out the Newfoundland and Labrador tourist website at www.gov.nf.ca/tourism/ or try calling them yourself at 1-800-563-6353. Also check out Quebec's website as for the road conditions and amenities along route 389 into Baie Comeau at www.bonjourquebec.com or 1-877-BONJOUR (266-5687).<BR><BR>Hope this helps, enjoy your trip! It should be quite memorable!

Gil.<BR>Thanks for the great info. My understanding is that the road from Goose Bay to Labrador City is pretty rough and dicey. It does sound like a great adventure.

Starting in 2003 the ferry service in labrador has changed. The 36 hour ferry from Lewisporte to Goose Bay has stopped service, due to the fact that there is a new completed road from Blanc Sablon to Cartwright.<BR><BR>Two ferrries are now required to travel Labrador. St. Barbe=Blanc Sablon (90 minutes) and Cartwright-Goose Bay (12 Hours). From there you can drive the Trans-Labrador highway across Labrador, a long gravel road (hundreds of kms) with no services. Also, bring your bug hats! Labrador is a serious breeding ground for Black Flys. They will probably be so bad in the summer that you wont want to get out of your car along the Trans-Lab. It is an adventure, just make sure you check the road conditions before you go, spring road flooding is common.<BR><BR>Check out: http://www.amxfiles.com/stoneji/97tr...otes.htm#route for a similar adventure.<BR><BR>The new ferry info should come available soon on : http://www.gov.nf.ca/FerryServices/ <BR>but I think it only shows the 2002 schedules right now. Otherwise contact NF tourism for more info. The ferry is long but scenic and not too bad of you get the right weather. Its better than it used to be with all that time in the open labrador Sea, at least now the bulk of the trip is in protected waters.<BR><BR>PS- there is no ferry from Sydney to Placentia, its from North Sydney to Argentia<BR><BR>

Just an update from a story I saw in the paper today (Service cuts in flights into Labrador). The road from Labrador City to Goose Bay is unpaved and takes eight hours to drive. Again, pit stops are few and far between so make sure you have whatever you need if you intend to take this route.

I think the other replies have provided the info you needed. I just wanted to mention that several years ago my wife &amp; I took the &quot;Prince of Fundy&quot; ferry from Portland ME to Yarmouth NS. It was one of the worst travel experiences of our life. We succumbed to the glossy advertising and booked a round trip. Like you, we were driving to North Sydney and on to Newfoundland. Having taken numerous ferries in Nfld (Marine Atlantic, Fogo Island, Labrador),Quebec,and Yarmouth to Bar Harbor ME, we thought we would give it a try. <BR>Unlike Marine Atlantic, etc. the autos are parked and packed with literally inches of separation between vehicles. When we docked in Yarmouth, people were walking over the hoods &amp; trunks of cars to get to their vehicles in a hurry to disembark. The staff was both surly &amp; rude.<BR>Everything on the ship is designed to extract money from you. The grandiose &quot;Cafe Royale&quot;, a snack bar, charged US$1.50 for a 6 oz. styrofoam cup of coffee. The sit down dining room is way overpriced and mediocre at best. Great if you have kids! There is no cafeteria.<BR>Unlike Marine Atlantic there is no place to quietly read, converse, or relax. The lounge is a continuous barrage of music, &quot;entertainment&quot;, betting on games of chance, etc. Constant noise! As far as the casino - well, just throw your money overboard!<BR>Yes, we made the return from Yarmouth to Portland. I figured we would play hell getting a refund if I cancelled.<BR>I sent a letter to the company but, of course, did not receive a reply.<BR>I would recommend taking the &quot;Cat&quot; from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth or driving the whole way to North Sydney.<BR>

Has anyone driven the road from Blanc Sablon to Cartwright (Route 510)? If so, what are the general road conditions? We are scaling back our Labrador plans, spending more time in Newfoundland. Still, it looks interesting to take the ferry to Blanc Sablon, then on to Cartwright?

Hi Alf,<BR>I Don't know anything about the Newfoundland-Labrador trip, but can offer another perspective on the Portland-NS ferry. <BR><BR>My husband and I have done this trip, both ways, twice in the last five years, and liked it very much each time. We enjoyed the afternoon movie and hokey games and entertainment, and had no problem finding a quiet spot when we wished to read, nap, or gaze out at the horizon. We elected to purchase the boat's breakfast/dinner buffet package {a bit more reasonable if you reserve with your tickets}, and thought it was better than most cafeteria food, but nothing special. We thought that the cost was reasonable, and were actually impressed with the non-rushed, polite service, given the volume of passengers served. <BR><BR>I can see how George might have disliked the disembarkation process, and possibly run into an abrupt staff person; it is a bit rushed and confusing, with some people scrambling to locate their vehicles {nobody walked on or leaped over the cars, however, on our trips, LOL!} Be sure to note the exact location of your car when you embark on your voyage, and you should have no problem.<BR><BR>NS and Newfoundland are two of our favorite places - good luck with your plans!

I drove from Blanc Sablon to Red Bay in August 2001. It's a good paved road. At that time beyond Red Bay it was unpaved but looked OK for a gravel road.

ttt

I am currently living in Newfoundland and getting to know the area. Most locals seem to prefer to fly into Labrador. While the ferry ride itself is not long (2 hours?)the drive across Newfoundland plus he drive across Labrador is long, thus eliminating any financial savings versus flying. While I know as a visitor your concerns are not financial, I think there is a message there.Though Labrador itself along the coast is reportedly magnificent, the roads across are very long and punctuated by very few facilities.<BR><BR>I asked around about driving back across Labrador and Quebec to avoid re- tracing your NS steps and received blank stares (I get that a lot- &quot;crazy mainlander&quot;).<BR><BR>IMHO, your best bet is to take the North Sydney/Argentia route into NL and then return Port aux Basques/North Sydney. If time is not an issue, vary your drive through Cape Breton by going up across the Cape Breton Highlands coming and straight across when departing. <BR><BR>If it makes you feel any better,you will have company, we will be driving St. John's/Gros Morne Park/Port au Basques/North Sydney/Halifax/Yarmouth/Bar Harbour and then on to our beloved Cape Rosier, ME at the end of July. <BR><BR>You will love NL, it is amamzing, beautiful, very historic and the people are &quot;right grand&quot;: have a ball!