Planning a Trip to Prince Edward Island

Colorful waterfront at Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
Colorful waterfront at Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Photo © Vadim Petrov/123rf.

Planning a trip to Prince Edward Island is very straightforward for many visitors; to most, Queens County is PEI. A typical itinerary would be to catch the ferry to Wood Islands, spend one day in the capital, Charlottetown, and another in Cavendish before driving off the island via the Confederation Bridge. This is enough time in the capital to visit major attractions such as Founders’ Hall and Province House while having enough time to end the day with an evening walk through Victoria Park. If your travels coincide with the late September International Shellfish Festival, you may want to stay longer.

Cavendish, the most popular destination on all of Prince Edward Island, is just an hour’s drive from the capital. This makes a day trip possible and means you can settle yourself into Charlottetown for two or more nights, taking advantage of the theater and many restaurants. Cavendish does have many accommodations, but good dining rooms are severely lacking. Regardless of where you stay, your trip to Cavendish should include a drive through Prince Edward Island National Park, the short detour to North Rustico Harbour, and a visit to Green Gables Heritage Place.

Getting to Prince Edward Island

Most visitors to PEI arrive by road, traveling either across the Confederation Bridge or on the ferry. You can also fly to Charlottetown.

Confederation Bridge

The impressive Confederation Bridge (902/437-7300 or 888/437-6565) is Prince Edward Island’s most important transportation link to the rest of Canada. From Cape Jourimain (New Brunswick), 80 kilometers east of Moncton, the bridge stretches across Northumberland Strait to Borden-Carleton, which is in Prince County, 60 kilometers west of Charlottetown. Driving across the impressive 12.9-kilometer span takes about 10 minutes (views are blocked by concrete barriers erected as a windbreak).

Confederation Bridge
Travelers can visit Prince Edward Island by crossing Confederation Bridge. Photo © Vadim Petrov/123rf.

The round-trip bridge toll is $45 per vehicle, including passengers. Payment (credit card, debit card, or cash) is collected at Borden-Carleton upon leaving the island.

By Ferry

Prince Edward Island is also linked to the rest of Atlantic Canada by ferry. The mainland departure point is Caribou (Nova Scotia), near Pictou, a two-hour drive from Halifax. The ferry docks at Wood Islands, a scenic 62-kilometer drive southeast from Charlottetown. The 75-minute crossing is operated by Northumberland Ferries (902/566-3838 or 800/565-0201) May to mid-December, with up to nine crossings in each direction daily during peak summer season. The round-trip fare is $69 per vehicle, regardless of the number of passengers. As with the bridge crossing, payment is made upon leaving the island, so to save a few bucks, take the ferry to PEI and return on the Confederation Bridge.

By Air

Air Canada (888/247-2262) has direct flights to Charlottetown from Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, and Toronto. WestJet (403/250-5839 or 888/937-8538) flies in from Toronto.

Prince Edward Island

Andrew Hempstead

About the Author

While writing Moon Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada, Andrew Hempstead traveled extensively through all four provinces. He feasted on traditional rappie pie along the Acadian Coast, viewed the wonders of Prince Edward Island through the eyes of his children, and drove the entire length of the Trans-Labrador Highway. These diverse experiences, along with input from untold numbers of locals and a love of the outdoors, created this guidebook.
 
As a professional travel writer, Andrew spends as much time as possible out on the road. During his travels, he experiences the many and varied delights of Nova Scotia the same way his readers do.
 
Since the early 1990s, Andrew has authored and updated more than 60 guidebooks, and supplied content for regional and national clients like Expedia and KLM. His photography has appeared in a wide variety of media, ranging from international golf magazines to a Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum.
 
Andrew and his wife Dianne also own Summerthought Publishing, a Canadian regional publisher of nonfiction books. He is a member of The Diners Club® World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy. Andrew has also spoken on travel writing to a national audience and has contributed to a university-level travel writing textbook.

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