Nova Scotia — Travel Tips
International Travel
Getting There By Air
Air Canada (AC) (www.aircanada.com) offers direct flights from London to Halifax.
Main Airports
Halifax (YHZ) (www.hiaa.ca) is 35km (22 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Taxis and limousines are available. The Airporter bus serves various Halifax hotels. Shuttle buses operate to other destinations in the province, as well as to Prince Edward Island. Facilities: Duty-free shops, car hire, currency exchange, ATMs and restaurants.
Getting There By Water
There are regular sailings to Nova Scotia from Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine (USA), New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Ferry operators include Bay Ferries and Northumberland Ferries (tel: 1 888 249 7245; www.nfl-bay.com) and Marine Atlantic (tel: 1 800 341 7981; www.marine-atlantic.ca). Fast ferry The Cat (tel: 1 877 359 3760; www.catferry.com) operates between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor (journey time - 3 hours) and between Yarmouth and Portland (journey time - 5 hours 30 minutes).
Several ferries and shipping lines offer local services in and around the province. Enquire locally for further details. A growing number of cruise lines also visit Halifax as part of Atlantic Canada itineraries.
Getting There By Rail
VIA Rail (tel: 1 888 842 7245; www.viarail.ca) trains run from Montréal to Halifax (TheOcean line) six times a week.
Getting There By Road
The Trans-Canada Highway enters the province from New Brunswick and ends at North Sydney on the northeast coast (it continues on the other side of the ferry connection in Newfoundland). Smaller provincial highways branch off it and circumnavigate the coastline. The scenic routes include the Sunrise Trail, Lighthouse Route and Glooscap Trail. Ferry services or causeways connect most islands with the mainland. There are several toll bridges that operate in Nova Scotia. The maximum speed on highways in Nova Scotia is 100kph (60mph); in urban areas it is 50kph (30mph).
Coach: Acadian Lines (tel: 1 800 567 5151; www.acadianbus.com), a subsidiary of Québec-based Orléans Express, provides services throughout the Maritimes. There are connections with buses from Québec, Ontario and the USA.
Car hire: There are agencies at Halifax and Sydney airports and throughout the province.
