Halifax and Saint John, NB - Suggestions for Car Rental Itinerary

We will be in Halifax and Saint John the first week of September. I have arranged rental cars for both ports and now I am trying to figure out what would be a good itinerary for each day. We prefer sightseeing types of things - we are a bit older so nothing very physically demanding. We can walk around but no rock climbing or hiking for us! We also like good food :)

I've searched the boards a bit but haven't been able to find a specific plan. Has anyone mapped out a plan that they used and would be willing to share?

Thanks!!

Where are you renting the car ? Near the port ?

We will be in Halifax and Saint John the first week of September. I have arranged rental cars for both ports and now I am trying to figure out what would be a good itinerary for each day. We prefer sightseeing types of things - we are a bit older so nothing very physically demanding. We can walk around but no rock climbing or hiking for us! We also like good food :)

 

I've searched the boards a bit but haven't been able to find a specific plan. Has anyone mapped out a plan that they used and would be willing to share?

 

Thanks!!

Tom Sheridan, a very devoted fellow cruiser, writes free port guides with no publicity. The good news is that he wrote two for Saint John NB and Halifax NS. Both contain car rental and itinerary suggestions. Here they are:

Saint John NB: http://www.tomsportguides.com/SaintJohn-NB-05-30-2014.pdf

Halifax NS: http://www.tomsportguides.com/Halifax-06-15-2011.pdf

I can tell you we reserved a car at the Halifax port this past September. The rental agency was maybe 2-3 blocks from where you exit the terminal. We drove out to Peggy's Cove, looked around the area a little bit and then had a wonderful meal at a restaurant that was close by, I think it was called Rhurbarb. We had rainy weather but enjoyed our day. If you return early, you can walk around the port area, there is a nice market there.

Maureen

Here are some notes I have taken from previous reports. Some of them refer to renting on Sundays and holidays:

Enterprise and/or National are in the Via rail station in front of Cruise port they are open 9-1 Sundays for Cruise ship passengers 423-0227

 

Thrifty's is open on Sundays in the Westin Hotel beside Via station.

982-3474

 

Budget is open 8-4 on Hollis St. at least 4 blocks good 15 min walk but will pick up at Pier if you have reservation just call as soon as you get in.492-7542

 

Avis is also open on Grafton if you have reservation will also come and pick you up. tel #492-2847 Note if calling out of province AREA CODE is 902 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1675903

We just returned. I had prebooked our car rental through Thrifty's in the Westin Hotel right across the street from the port. I had originally tried booking with other rental companies but none of the others were open on the recent holiday Monday. Turned out to be very fortunate as Thrifty's was so convenient to the port and price was the standard going rate. There is a gas station at the grocery store next door to the Westin Hotel so it only took us minutes to refuel before turning the car back in at the front door of the Westin at the end of our day. They provided us with driving maps and routes to Lunenburg and Peggy's Cove. Easy drive; just wished the weather had been a little more cooperative as we didn't spend much time out of the car (raining and gusty). If you are driving out to Peggy's Cove and love lobster, you have to stop at Ryer's Lobster Pound a few minutes West of Peggy's Cove...the best, freshest and cheapest lobster I have ever had...and I have had lots! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1802808&page=2

You do not need to rent a car if you stay in downtown Halifax and there is plenty to see and do there. However, many people go to scenic Peggy's Cove.

https://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=Terminal+Road,+Halifax,+NS&daddr=44.672407,-63.7905924+to:Peggys+Cove,+NS+to:Ryers+Lobster+Retail,+Peggys+Cove+Rd,+NS+to:Terminal+Rd,+Halifax,+NS&hl=en&sll=44.543505,-63.992615&sspn=0.572575,1.344452&geocode=FQ8SqQIdVAY2_CnddI0CRiJaSzExOT4ohdOaMQ%3BFZelqQIdAKIy_CnfVD-dOItZSzETHt-KdQ0HHg%3BFcnnpgIdIrIw_CnFyxzm9_hZSzGzNrkPHaGopw%3BFa8_pwIdL24w_CEmWIfX9onkGik9iQnauPlZSzEmWIfX9onkGg%3BFQ8SqQIdVAY2_CnddI0CRiJaSzExOT4ohdOaMQ&oq=+rye&mra=ls&via=1&t=m&z=11

Here are some more links saved in my notes:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1866729

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1989879

http://destinationhalifax.com/visitors/things-to-do-in-halifax

http://www.halifaxseaport.com/pdfs/H..._July%2012.pdf

http://cruisehalifax.ca/

http://www.destinationhalifax.com/uploads/assetsfile/Hfx%20M&C%20Planner%202009-Halifax%20Map.pdf

http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/foodie+tour+Halifax/6423845/story.html

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1877808

http://www.peggyscoveregion.com/peggys-cove-area/

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1863077

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1840164

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1863077

the waterfront halifax.ca/rec/documents/HfxWaterfront.pdf ,

http://www.destinationhalifax.com/

historic properties http://www.historicproperties.ca/ ,

seaport market http://www.halifaxfarmersmarket.com/ ,

Alexander Keith's brewery tour halifaxkiosk.com/Alexander-Keiths-Brewery-To… ,

public gardens http://www.halifaxpublicgardens.ca/ ,

point pleasant park http://www.pointpleasantpark.ca/en/home/default.aspx which also hosts Shakespeare by the Sea http://www.shakespearebythesea.ca/ ,

Nova Scotia Art Gallery http://www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca/en/landing.aspx ,

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/default.aspx ,

Pier 21 http://www.pier21.ca/home/ ,

Citadel Hill http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/visit.aspx

We are thinking of renting a car so that we can get to Peggy's Cove more affordably. I notice the car rental places such as Thrifty don't open until 9. Is there a long line to get cars? What time should we reasonably assume we'll have the car by?

After Peggy's Cove, we might do things in town such as the Citadel, public gardens, Pier 21. How much would parking be?

Acadian Maple sounds interesting, but from what I hear, it's a tourist trap. Are there other places nearby that wouldn't be so bad?

I need some help understanding the time difference between ship's time of in port from 9 to 6 in Halifax and the local time. If we arrive at 9 ship's time, is it 8 in Halifax?

I need some help understanding the time difference between ship's time of in port from 9 to 6 in Halifax and the local time. If we arrive at 9 ship's time, is it 8 in Halifax?

If you are sailing on Carnival, they do not change to local time, so 9am ship time is 8am local time. Some other cruise lines do change to local time.

We are thinking of renting a car so that we can get to Peggy's Cove more affordably. I notice the car rental places such as Thrifty don't open until 9. Is there a long line to get cars? What time should we reasonably assume we'll have the car by?

 

After Peggy's Cove, we might do things in town such as the Citadel, public gardens, Pier 21. How much would parking be?

 

Acadian Maple sounds interesting, but from what I hear, it's a tourist trap. Are there other places nearby that wouldn't be so bad?

Just a bit of advice on renting. We also rented a car with Thrifty, put down 9:00AM pick up. The couple we were with were a bit late and by the time we got to the rental place, about 9:40), they had given away our car. Sure they didn't tell us this, but we aren't stupid. They always overbook. They ended up sending us over to the AVIS rental place, and by the time we got there, filled out the paper work and got on the road it was after 11. Valuable hours lost. I was reminded (too late) that we should have just called them and told them we were running a bit late and make sure they had our car.

If you reserve for 9AM, try and be there at that time. If you use Thrifty, sign up for their Blue Chip Service, so all your info is already in the system. Just show up, sign the papers and get your car.

Cheers

Len

Nova Scotia is in the Atlantic Time zone. When it is 10 am here it is 9 am Eastern time.

If your ship is on 'ship time' I assume that is Eastern time.