Has anyone drove from Portland to Bar Harbor

Hi a large group of folks are taking a Canada/New England cruise this coming September and a few are having difficulty in deciding which cruise. We lived on the East Coast and have been to Maine many times but the other folks never have been. That being said, a few want to take a Princess Cruise that stops in Portland Maine but not Bar Harbor (our choice!). Our other choice is a Royal Caribbean cruise that stops in Bar Harbor.

The Princess cruise is in port, Portland, 10 hours and the driving time per Google is 3 hours. Has anyone done this and did you have enough time in Bar Harbor? Some information would be helpful to convince folks that Bar Harbor is better than Portland.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Portland is ok.... No big deal in my opinion. It's pretty but don't think there is a lot to do. We tend to just walk around and eat. Never been to Bar Harbor, but that would get my vote.

So you have 10 hours in port, and it takes 3 hours to drive up and 3 hours back. That leaves maybe 4 hours in Bar Harbor. Not enough time to enjoy Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor in my opinion.

That total of 6 hours driving time is based on taking the inland highway, not the scenic coastal Rt. 1. Ugh. Who wants to spend 6 hours rushing on a highway?

I've spent a few vacations in mid-coast Maine (Brunswick north to Rockport and Camden, and day trips from there to Bar Harbor), and I always skip Portland on the way. Portland's good for restaurants and shopping, but Acadia is beautiful. Any photographers in your group would love Acadia and that part of the coast.

I've also been on a cruise that visited both Portland and Bar Harbor. BH wins again!

Hi a large group of folks are taking a Canada/New England cruise this coming September and a few are having difficulty in deciding which cruise. We lived on the East Coast and have been to Maine many times but the other folks never have been. That being said, a few want to take a Princess Cruise that stops in Portland Maine but not Bar Harbor (our choice!). Our other choice is a Royal Caribbean cruise that stops in Bar Harbor.

 

The Princess cruise is in port, Portland, 10 hours and the driving time per Google is 3 hours. Has anyone done this and did you have enough time in Bar Harbor? Some information would be helpful to convince folks that Bar Harbor is better than Portland.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

For driving Portland <> Bar Harbor, I'm assuming you would be going by the Interstates before the last 50 miles or so on 2 lane state roads. Somewhere at sometime, you'll have to stop for a meal. I know Google has the trip at 3 hours, but that is knowing where you are going. Here's how I look at it: travel time - 6 hours; meal - 1 hour; touring - 3 hours; and I'm being generous with my times.

IMHO, 3 hours is not long enough for a tour of Bar Harbor and certainly not enough time to tour Acadia National Park.

Portland is a nice little city, but Bar Harbor has it own quaintness that you can't find in a city. You could spend 3 hours in ANP and just scratch the surface there. Depending how late in September your cruise is, you may see a little fall foliage color. 3 hours is not enough time for an independent tour in BH either.

My vote is Bar Harbor; no C/NE cruise is complete without a stop there.

SBtS

I think it really depends on the age and interests of the people going. Portland is a city, Bar Harbor is a small tourist town. If you want to see the rocky coast of Maine, go to Bar Harbor. Yes, you can get glimpses of it around Portland, but it's not the same. If you like art museums and restaurants, Portland. If you like national parks, Bar Harbor. In Portland you'll dock, in Bar Harbor you'll tender. That can be a deciding factor for some cruisers. I like both, but it's a lot like comparing Fort Lauderdale and Key West. It really depends on the person and your interests.

As for driving from Portland to Bar Harbor... uh, no. You'd never make it there and back if you took the scenic route. By the highway you're 2 hours to Bangor and then a rotten 45 min to an hour drive to Bar Harbor. So not worth spending a day like that.

If you DO choose the cruise that stops in Portland you can rent a car and take a drive north on Rte 1... not national park type of scenery, but nice quaint towns to see once you get above Brunswick. Take a day trip to Boothbay Harbor. That will take you a little over an hour giving you plenty of time for photo stops, lunch, shopping, etc.

Hi a large group of folks are taking a Canada/New England cruise this coming September and a few are having difficulty in deciding which cruise. We lived on the East Coast and have been to Maine many times but the other folks never have been. That being said, a few want to take a Princess Cruise that stops in Portland Maine but not Bar Harbor (our choice!). Our other choice is a Royal Caribbean cruise that stops in Bar Harbor.

 

The Princess cruise is in port, Portland, 10 hours and the driving time per Google is 3 hours. Has anyone done this and did you have enough time in Bar Harbor? Some information would be helpful to convince folks that Bar Harbor is better than Portland.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

If you have not booked yet, we are on a RC ship that goes to both Portland and Bar Harbor (as well as Saint John and Halifax) leaving 9/4/14. This will be our first RC cruise so I am not sure of the difference between cruise lines, but we chose this cruise for the ports.

We have been to Bar Harbor several times, on our own and with a cruise ship. Our last cruise, last July, stopped at Portland instead of Bar Harbor and I am still scratching my head WHY?. We have also been to Portland and there is simply no comparison. Portland is nice, Bas Harbor is an adventure.

Even for a day off the ship, there is simply so much to see and do in Bar Harbor and in the neighboring Arcadia National Park.

Just forget driving, hopefully, 3 hours each way, for what, just to say you were in Bar Harbor. In the short time you will have in Bar harbor, you MIGHT have time for lunch and that's about it.

Just do the cruise that stops in Bar Harbor and enjoy this wonderful city. Everyone will be much happier.

Cheers

Len

I'm going to have to agree with everyone else --- too much time driving and not enough time to enjoy the Bar Harbor area. Jan

I live just outside of Bar Harbor, and I would say Don't do it. There is always a lot of construction in Maine during the summer, and that will slow driving time, plus just getting onto the island from the Ellsworth Trenton area sometimes gets very backed up depending on the time that you are traveling.

I hope you enjoy your cruise whatever you choose.:D