Driving itinerary PEI- Please advise!

[Knc6552]

We will be in Charlottestown on Sept. 24, and have decided to rent a car to get a taste of PEI. Knowing that we will want to back in plenty of time for our 5:00 departure, can you advise as to a tour of the island? We don't want to feel rushed but would like to see some of the highlights. Any suggestions as to lunch places along the way would also be appreciated. Many thanks!

[NSgal]

Could you give some idea of what you mighth be intested in seeing? I have spent a lot of time in PEI and would love to help.

 

tourismpei has some great driving routes on their website.

 

Charlottetown has a lot of historic sites, being the home of Confederation.

 

Cavendish is the home of Anne of Green Gables, PEI National Park (with the famous red sand) and much more.

 

You can get from Charlottetown to Cavendish in about 35-40 minutes. North Rustico is just outside Cavendish.

 

New Glasgow was voted one of the Top 10 Prettiest Villages in Canada. they have a wonderful PEI Preserve Company there and a nice restaurant/tea shop on site. You can also see them make the preserves there. New Glasgow is also near Cavendish.

 

Let me know if I can help with any more information

[MonaCD]

We will be in Charlottestown on Sept. 24, and have decided to rent a car to get a taste of PEI. Knowing that we will want to back in plenty of time for our 5:00 departure, can you advise as to a tour of the island? We don't want to feel rushed but would like to see some of the highlights. Any suggestions as to lunch places along the way would also be appreciated. Many thanks!

 

I was born and raised on PEI and only moved away less then 2 years ago. NSGal has given you some pretty good highlights, I would add one more spot, Victoria along the south shore.

 

This route http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=46.233884,-63.121905&daddr=Victoria,+Prince+Edward+Island+to:New+Glasgow,+Prince+Edward+Island+to:PE-224+W+to:PE-13+N+to:Cavendish,+Prince+Edward+Island+to:Brackley+Point+Rd%2FPE-15+S+to:Water+St&geocode=%3BFRwawQId1Uw3_Cktc3XL6gdfSzGUH1L3_jJisQ%3BFeQsxAIdkV45_Cl9LCSL37tfSzHk4y3E4JpwUg%3BFcCvxAId_kU4_A%3BFRwhxQIdOgk5_A%3BFX1mxQIdDus4_Cn9MZARn79fSzHbNUdcyY43pg%3BFT2JwwIdsv07_A%3BFWh5wQIdRtY8_A&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=3,4,6&sll=46.232519,-63.108945&sspn=0.01517,0.038495&ie=UTF8&z=15 will take along to all of these places. New Glasgow and Victoria both have a couple nice spots for lunch or there are plenty of places to eat in Cavendish. Not too long in the car and you will have time to stop for a bit along the way and maybe have time left over in Charlottetown to visit a few spots there.

 

You can see the touring regions set up by PEI Tourism here http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-touring-regions

[jean s]

I spend a lot of time on PEI and absolutely love this Island. One suggestion would be to consider renting the car with a couple of specific spots to visit such as Green Gables and a nice restaurant for lunch and then returning early for a walking tour or double decker bus ride of Charlottetown. The countryside is lovely but Charlottetown is a charming city with lots of history, nice restaurants and good shopping.

[rsquare]

I was born and raised on PEI and only moved away less then 2 years ago. NSGal has given you some pretty good highlights, I would add one more spot, Victoria along the south shore.

 

This route http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=46.233884,-63.121905&daddr=Victoria,+Prince+Edward+Island+to:New+Glasgow,+Prince+Edward+Island+to:PE-224+W+to:PE-13+N+to:Cavendish,+Prince+Edward+Island+to:Brackley+Point+Rd%2FPE-15+S+to:Water+St&geocode=%3BFRwawQId1Uw3_Cktc3XL6gdfSzGUH1L3_jJisQ%3BFeQsxAIdkV45_Cl9LCSL37tfSzHk4y3E4JpwUg%3BFcCvxAId_kU4_A%3BFRwhxQIdOgk5_A%3BFX1mxQIdDus4_Cn9MZARn79fSzHbNUdcyY43pg%3BFT2JwwIdsv07_A%3BFWh5wQIdRtY8_A&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=3,4,6&sll=46.232519,-63.108945&sspn=0.01517,0.038495&ie=UTF8&z=15 will take along to all of these places. New Glasgow and Victoria both have a couple nice spots for lunch or there are plenty of places to eat in Cavendish. Not too long in the car and you will have time to stop for a bit along the way and maybe have time left over in Charlottetown to visit a few spots there.

 

You can see the touring regions set up by PEI Tourism here http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-touring-regions

 

We did pretty much the same route, following what PEI Tourism calls the Blue Heron Route on their roadmap (very well-marked with metal signs along the way). We did two deviations from MonaCD's suggested route. When we got to Brackley Beach, we continued north to the barrier island and turned right to Stanhope. The beaches were totally deserted in late May, and we got up close and personal with a lighthouse. If you do this, you need to turn around and come back to Brackley Beach and pick up the route.

Also, instead of taking 13 south from New Glasgow, we went back to 6, which is also called 20, and took 20 through Malpeque and Hamilton to Kensington, where we had a nice lunch at the old railroad station, converted to a restaurant (there is a large CN diesel engine on display nearby). We then took 2 and 1A through Bedeque, 10 past the Confederation Bridge, and then picked up the Trans Canada Highway to get back to Charlottetown. Although the restaurant was nice, and we got a good view of the bridge, the scenery on this part of the drive was less impressive than along the north shore, so MonaCD's route might be better.

 

The day we did this drive was absolutely the best day of the entire cruise.

[MonaCD]

I spend a lot of time on PEI and absolutely love this Island. One suggestion would be to consider renting the car with a couple of specific spots to visit such as Green Gables and a nice restaurant for lunch and then returning early for a walking tour or double decker bus ride of Charlottetown. The countryside is lovely but Charlottetown is a charming city with lots of history, nice restaurants and good shopping.

 

The double decker buses are no longer in Charlottetown, they were sent off back to England. but there are still plenty of places to walk to in charlottetown!

[missjanet]

I'm reviving this thread in the hopes that someone will help us out. We are going to be in Charlottetown for one day in June on a cruise ship. We're thinking of renting a car in town, then driving around to see some of the beautiful places on PEI. We do not want to visit Green Gables again - we did that on a previous cruise.

 

I have made note of past suggestions on this thread. At this point, I think we would like to visit Victoria on the southern shore, as well as some northern spots, perhaps seeing some of PEI National Park. I've heard the names North Rustico & New Glasgow mentioned as possible stops. It would be nice if we could see a lighthouse or two, and some of those beautiful beaches.

 

I would appreciate suggestions on a driving itinerary that does not include Green Gables, but which does include lots of nature & beautiful scenery (and perhaps a lighthouse or two).

 

Thanks for the help. :)

[MonaCD]

I'm reviving this thread in the hopes that someone will help us out. We are going to be in Charlottetown for one day in June on a cruise ship. We're thinking of renting a car in town, then driving around to see some of the beautiful places on PEI. We do not want to visit Green Gables again - we did that on a previous cruise.

 

I have made note of past suggestions on this thread. At this point, I think we would like to visit Victoria on the southern shore, as well as some northern spots, perhaps seeing some of PEI National Park. I've heard the names North Rustico & New Glasgow mentioned as possible stops. It would be nice if we could see a lighthouse or two, and some of those beautiful beaches.

 

I would appreciate suggestions on a driving itinerary that does not include Green Gables, but which does include lots of nature & beautiful scenery (and perhaps a lighthouse or two).

 

Thanks for the help. :)

 

You can just follow the same route I posted above, it has lots of nature & beautiful scenery, a lighthouse or two, takes you through North Rustico, New Glasgow and Victoria and while it does go by Green Gables, you are in no way obligated to turn in :D I also included the link to the pages which map out scenic drives by PEI Tourism, they may take a little longer but you can adjust according to your schedule.

[maryann ns]

Mona's route is excellent. I would also add the side trip to Stanhope. You can get an online guide or send for a guide if you go here; http://www.tourismpei.com/index.php3

[missjanet]

Thank you, MonaCD, and maryann ns, for your replies. I have already requested info from the Tourism PEI web site (several weeks ago), but it hasn't yet arrived. That is a good itinerary though. DH is now not sure he would like to rent a car at all, so I'm trying to figure out what I can do if we don't. Almost every excursion through the ship includes going to Green Gables & I don't want to visit there again.

 

But we do know DH REALLY wants to find a good place in Charlottetown to try some PEI mussels (he gets them a lot down here in NJ) and maybe try some of those Malpeque oysters I've read about.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[maryann ns]

Here is a great place to eat with lobster and all the mussels you can eat: http://www.fishermanswharf.ca/

 

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/fishermans-wharf-lobster-supper-north-rustico

 

The best thing about PEI (imho!) is the scenery and you need to get out of town for that.

[Trvlingal]

If we rented a car here which companies are close to the port or which will meet you at the pier? Any of them?

[eh2zed]

If we rented a car here which companies are close to the port or which will meet you at the pier? Any of them?

Budget picked us up at the pier and when we returned it we walked back through Charlottetown back to the pier. They would have driven us back but we were more efficient with our time.

[itsanita]

Budget picked us up at the pier and when we returned it we walked back through Charlottetown back to the pier. They would have driven us back but we were more efficient with our time.

 

I realize that you wrote this quite some time ago....but do you remember which Budget location you used? There are 2, one at the airport and one in town.

 

And thanks to all of you....I am so looking forward to this day!

[maryann ns]

I would assume it is the office in town. Why not contact them both and ask if they will pick you up at the pier?

[itsanita]

thanks i did just that and am awaiting a response.