Leaving Prince Edward Island by ferry means crossing the Northumberland Strait — a 75-minute passage that's one of the more satisfying transitions in Maritimes travel.
Up Early for the Ferry
We were up bright and early to catch the Northumberland ferry from Wood Islands on PEI to Pictou, Nova Scotia. Getting an RV onto a ferry requires some planning — you want to be near the front of the line, and you want to know where you're going once you're on the car deck. We ended up in row one, which felt like a small victory, though we eventually straddled rows three and four between a pair of big rigs. Cars loaded first, then the larger vehicles. It's organized chaos, but it works.
"There's something deeply satisfying about ferry travel even in bad weather — you're moving, you're between places, and there's nothing to do but watch the water."
The Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is the body of water separating Prince Edward Island from the mainland provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It sits in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and in summer it's one of the warmest saltwater bodies north of the Carolinas — a fact that surprises most visitors. The crossing takes about 75 minutes, which is just long enough to feel like a genuine passage rather than a quick hop.
Rain, Views, and the Simplicity of Ferry Travel
It was raining on our crossing, which meant the views were more atmospheric than scenic — grey water, grey sky, the occasional glimpse of a distant shoreline. But there's something deeply satisfying about ferry travel even in bad weather. You're moving, you're between places, and there's nothing to do but watch the water and let the miles accumulate. Seventy-five minutes later we were in Nova Scotia, and the next leg of the trip was underway.
