Bar Harbor Acadia NP Tour

Has anyone taken either the Oli's Trolley or the Acadia National Parks Tour bus? How much time do you stop at each place and did you feel rushed? Did you think it was a good value?

Thanks!

Since Bar Harbor is not a departure port for East Coast departures but a port of call on your cruise, posting your question at the New England board of the Ports of Call forum - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5 may give more responses including some that have taken those tours. Or you could search NE board on the tour names.

So here’s my view -

I’m sure they’ll give you amble time, but remember the long tours are only 2.5 hours.

Here are the links to the 2 independent tour companies you mentioned:

http://www.acadiaislandtours.com/

http://www.acadiatours.com/

If you want to spent more time at a particular spot than the tour will give you, check out the routes of the free seasonal bus service, the Island Explorer - http://www.exploreacadia.com/

SBtS

Sooorry! I posted in the wrong place on accident. Maybe the mods can move it for me?

Sooorry! I posted in the wrong place on accident. Maybe the mods can move it for me?

done.. you are now in the correct place to get information on Bar Harbor.. enjoy your cruise!!

We took the bus tour in September. The tour lasts 2 1/2 hours and there are 2 stops----Thunder Hole and Cadillac Mt. -----for 15 minutes each. While the tour was scenic and the tour guide knowledgeable, they should give you a minimum of 30 minutes at the summit. Yes, we felt rushed.

Which company did you go through?

We went with Acadia National Parks Tour in September. Like the OP said, you stop 2 times for 15 minutes each. Should have been at least 30 minutes, probably more. At one stop the 15 minutes wasn't enough time for someone to use the restrooms. It was very rushed.

On the up side. The driver was GREAT. A local who told us alot about the area. Your 15 minutes started at the time YOU got off the bus, not the time the bus stopped.

The company was also very good to work with. We had reservations at a certain time and had to call from the ship twice to change them because we had a hard time getting off due to tendering. They were very nice and we had no problems changing our tour time.

For $25 it was well worth the trip.

I can't choose between the tours. Oli's is more expensive, I've heard the seats are uncomfortable, but it looks easier to take better pictures from the trolley than it does on Acadia NP Tour's buses.

Did you have a hard time taking good pictures on the bus?

Which company did you go through?

We went with the excursion provided by the cruise line --- NCL. If I am not mistaken it was $44 per person. The 15 minutes at Thunder Hole was enough because there was really nothing to observe (no special effects provided by nature). The 15 minutes at the top was ridiculously short. The tour operators and customers would be better off charging a little extra for more time at the summit.

We went on Oli's 2.5 hour tour but ended up leaving the bus at Thunder Hole (2d stop) because my husband was so frustrated at the short stops (15 minutes). We ended up spending over an hour there just enjoying the walk along the coast and back, then we took the Island Explorer bus around. It doesn't go up Cadillac Mountain but we didn't care; we were just happy to be doing our own thing. The tour itself was fine and the guide seemed very knowledgeable, but we just wanted to have more freedom.

We went on Oli's 2.5 hour tour but ended up leaving the bus at Thunder Hole (2d stop) because my husband was so frustrated at the short stops (15 minutes). We ended up spending over an hour there just enjoying the walk along the coast and back, then we took the Island Explorer bus around. It doesn't go up Cadillac Mountain but we didn't care; we were just happy to be doing our own thing. The tour itself was fine and the guide seemed very knowledgeable, but we just wanted to have more freedom.

We thought about doing just the free bus on the Loop Route. Only problem is it stops running on Aug. 31st, and we'll be in Bar Harbor on Sept. 1st :(. I wish there was a tour that really spent some time at the different stops, the park looks incredible. Guess I'll see what the cruise line has to offer, blah.

.......Only problem is it stops running on Aug. 31st....

I'm not sure where you are getting this information from, but the IE traditionally runs to Columbus Day Monday. This year was to 10/13. BH gets inundated with leaf peepers in late September/early October. Still having IE running reduces congestion.

Check out the IE web site http://www.exploreacadia.com/index.htm but the 2009 schedule is not posted.

SBtS

I was on their website. For the Loop Road, it states:

Loop Road buses operate June 23 to August 31. There is no Loop Road bus service in the fall.

This is the route we'd be interested in, since it loops through the park.

We were there in early October and there were several IE buses running from Bar Harbor through the park. They do cut out several routes at the end of August and the frequency of the remaining routes decreases, but we had no problem riding the different routes and seeing quite a bit of the park. There is one route that does part of the loop road (then goes back to Sieur de Monts on Route 3, I think), because after we left the Oli's Trolley at Thunder Hole that's how we got back to Bar Harbor. There's another route that went past Jordan Pond down to Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor. So between the two you get pretty much the whole Loop Road.

We took Ollie's trolley and they only had 3- 15 minute stops. While we would have loved to come back on a vacation (non cruise) and spend more time here, we loved this tour. We saw a great deal of beautiful scenery from the trolley and the guide was interesting to listen to. The seats were just fine. They were lacquered wood and I personally liked the quaintness of a trolley rather than a school bus, but thats a personal preference.

We then had time to have a fantastic lobster roll lunch with blueberry beer and explore the many cute shops in the town. We found this tour an excellent value to get a taste of acadia on our limited schedule without any worries.

We booked online. The ticket pick up area is in the area you walk through when getting off the ship.

Jfultz81 -

Thanks for pointing out that different routes can have different seasonal schedules.

But

as ShipsandDipper pointed out, you could take a Route 3 bus which does the same coastal route as a Route 4 bus (Loop Road) but goes directly back to the BH town green by a state road. Then you could board a Route 5 bus to go to Jordon Pond and JP House Restaurant (http://www.jordanpond.com/ ) and then continue with a trip to Northeast Harbor. I would highly recommend a visit to JPHR for their delicious hot popovers and strawberry jam.

SBtS

We took Ollie's trolley and they only had 3- 15 minute stops. While we would have loved to come back on a vacation (non cruise) and spend more time here, we loved this tour. We saw a great deal of beautiful scenery from the trolley and the guide was interesting to listen to. The seats were just fine. They were lacquered wood and I personally liked the quaintness of a trolley rather than a school bus, but thats a personal preference.

CMM - Did they stop at the Jordan Pond House? It doesn't mention it on the website, but just curious. Were you able to get good pictures of the park?

CMM - Did they stop at the Jordan Pond House? It doesn't mention it on the website, but just curious. Were you able to get good pictures of the park?

No we did not stop at Jordan Pond House and we were on the 2 1/2 hour tour. We did take a few quick photos. It was just a nice day overall the tour and then the town.

We are considering the Acadia National Park Tours this October (thanks to all of your helpful hints). Is there a preferred time - 10:00 am or 2:00 pm? is one better than the other? Does it matter which side of the bus you sit on for photo opportunties?

What is the weather like in October? We are hoping to see a lot of color...

It seems like this tour offers a lot more than the ship's version. Do you all agree?

Any suggestions are welcome as this is our first visit to the East Coast.

The weather in October is very changable. Dress in layers and you will be fine. I hope you have a wonderful time. Jan

Many of you have recommended the tours available in Bar Harbor, but I see no posts where people have rented a car to make the loop through Acadia Park. Is there a reason?

......I see no posts where people have rented a car to make the loop through Acadia Park. Is there a reason? .......

The reason is that there are no car rental companies in Bar Harbor. The closest rental is at the Hancock County - Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton about 12.5 miles from the tender dock. The ride takes about 25 minutes in average conditions. I believe you can arrange to be picked up at the tender dock and driven to the agency to pick up the rental, and then the reverse when the rental is done.

Now I thought I had read a while back that there was going to be car rentals available in BH, but a search in Google just before I posted this reply came up empty. But I'm sure I read it somewhere.:(

SBtS

OK, so if the 2 or 3 15-minute stops on the tours are too rushed, and the free park buses aren't running yet (end of May), what other alternatives do we have to tour the park?

Can we hire a taxi at the pier? 4 people sharing a taxi for several hours shouldn't be that expensive, or is it?

Thanks for any suggestions you may have!

I called at your service taxi in Bar Harbor and the rate wasn't bad per hour. They told me we would need a minimum of 2 hours, but 4 would be a good tour with lots of time at each stop. Their website is http://www.atyourservicetaxi.com

and phone is: (207) 288-9222

Let me know if you get a quote from them.. we had planned on the trolley, but if they come close (rate wise) we might consider that instead.