Newfoundland Links & Tips

I recently returned from a 2 week trip to Newfoundland. It would have been great if I’d found one small page on the Web that had all the information I needed, but, alas, there was no such page. So, I’ve decided to share what I found while preparing for the trip.

Driving from Washington, DC isn’t bad. We were able to drive up to the ferry in 3 days with a quick pick-up in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Good overnight stopping points are around Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Moncton, New Brunswick.). To get to Newfoundland from the States, you need to take a ferry from North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Below are the ferry schedules (Note: A new vessel - and undoubtedly other changes are coming this fall):

• To Argentia on the East Coast (The ride is approximately 14 hours - Note: ferry departs at odd hours – like 3:30am - not good overnight hours like 6pm - 8am)


• To Port Aux Basques (sometimes called Channel-Port Aux Basques) on the West Coast (The ride is approximately 6 hours)

You should book in advance (you can do so online) and cabins are available. If you’re traveling with a young child, a cabin is great for naps! One very important thing to note with the cabins, though, is that if you aren’t in line for the ferry an hour and a half before the departure time, they will mark you as a “no show” (even if you check in well ahead of time) and may give away your cabin.

‘Don’t know which coast to visit? If the ferry schedule didn’t make your decision for you, here are just a few of the places you can easily reach from each port:

West

• Gros Morne


• Corner Brook / Steady Brook


• Port Au Choix


• L’Anse Aux Meadows


• St. Anthony


• Twillingate Island

East

• Trinity


• Burin Peninsula


• Terra Nova


• Witless Bay


• St. John's


• French Owned Islands of St. Pierre et Miquelon

Below is a map (2 versions) to give you a better idea of where everything is located. You might notice that there is basically one main road). Some locations can only be reached by boat.

• Image View


• PDF Version

While you're in Newfoundland you can see whales (I hear the best time is around now), moose (any time), icebergs (usually spring - June/early July for best weather), and puffins (I was told October is the best time to see these guys). If icebergs are your thing, here are two sites for tracking where they are:

• Iceberg Finder


• Canadian Ice Service

By the way, if you're planning a trip, feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to suggest places to stay and books for more information.