Crossing the Northumberland Strait from PEI to Nova Scotia can can be a long drive through New Brunswick or a short jaunt on a car ferry.
The Northumberland Strait (French: détroit de Northumberland) is located in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada. It’s big. We were travelling through Maritimes and wanted to find an easy way to cross over this strait from PEI to Nova Scotia.
The only bridge crosses the strait between PEI and New Brunswick. We took that at the start of our travels to PEI. At this point in our travels, we wanted to leave PEI and go straight to Nova Scotia. Fortunately for us there is a car ferry that goes directly across the strait to and from Nova Scotia and takes only 75 minutes. FYI – plan ahead of your travels because of the limited availability.
With our resevervation in hand, we woke up bright and early and drove our RV to the Northumberland port at Wood Islands to board for departure from PEI to Nova Scotia (see schedule). We were in row 1 to get onboard, and ended up straddling rows 3 and 4 between big rigs. Cars were first in. They do a good job getting everybody onboard no matter what vehicle you are driving (review the vehicle dimension requirements in the reservation process).
Once we launched, we discovered we had to go upstairs. There wasn’t much to see on the way since it was raining.
Onboard Amenities
The boat offers amenities to travelers as noted on the website, “The journey is as significant as the destination. Make the most of your crossing with Northumberland Ferries, where dining, entertainment and amenities ensure a memorable journey. Enjoy locally inspired meals, relax in our spacious seating areas and take in panoramic views from the deck. Throughout the summer, our Seaside Experience Calendar adds extra excitement with live music, local creators, food producers and makers.”
This excursion went smoothly and certainly simplified getting off Prince Edward Island and on our way for more discovery in Nova Scotia. Plan ahead and enjoy your travels!