Cabot Trail

[rookie10]

I have rented a car for 4 hours while our cruise ship is in Syndey, Nova Scotia. I would like to see some of the Cabot Trail. I would be most appreciative of any suggestions of what the "must see's" are.

Thank you.

[NancyIL]

I just responded on your other thread about Cape Breton! We're also on Explorer - and I decided NOT to rent a car to drive on the Cabot Trail, due to the short port time. Please report about your cruise after you return. If you are successful driving on the Trail in 4 hours, I may rethink our plans.

[rookie10]

I have made arrangements to be picked up and returned at the dock by the car rental agency. I will let you know how we make out with it.

Thanks

[sapper1]

I have made arrangements to be picked up and returned at the dock by the car rental agency. I will let you know how we make out with it.

Thanks

If we were sitting in Sydney with our own car, with no rental charge involved and no ship to catch, we would not consider doing the Cabot Trail in four hours. It would be a waste of time and gas. The trail is spectacular but you would not see much in the time you have available. You would have to drive up a little bit and then turn around and head back. It is a twisty, two lane road and you don't make good time. The trail is best appreciated when you have a full day to devote to a circle of the trail. I am not trying to rain on your parade, just being realistic. I know it doesn't look far on a map but it does take time.

[mchiasson]

If we were sitting in Sydney with our own car, with no rental charge involved and no ship to catch, we would not consider doing the Cabot Trail in four hours. It would be a waste of time and gas. The trail is spectacular but you would not see much in the time you have available. You would have to drive up a little bit and then turn around and head back. It is a twisty, two lane road and you don't make good time. The trail is best appreciated when you have a full day to devote to a circle of the trail. I am not trying to rain on your parade, just being realistic. I know it doesn't look far on a map but it does take time.

 

I'll second that - 4 hours won't even give you enough time to safely (r/t timeline - no delays/slow moving vehicles, etc...) go up to the entrance of the National Park and back. If you even just drove to Baddeck and back, there are some neat little things to do there, and you would get "some" of the views you get from the Cabot Trail as you go over Kelly's Mountain. Not quite the same views, but similar (mountains, etc...). I can't comment on what to do in the Sydney area because I'm not very familiar with the geography and such there - I live along the Cabot Trail, but on the other side of the island.

Enjoy your trip!

[rookie10]

Many thanks for the information. Much appreciated.

[tutuwahineLV]

Hi Rookie,

mind if I ask who you reserved the car thru? We want to rent one when we're there on the 22Sep to go out to the fortress but are having trouble locating any info.

 

thanks

[sapper1]

Hi Rookie,

mind if I ask who you reserved the car thru? We want to rent one when we're there on the 22Sep to go out to the fortress but are having trouble locating any info.

 

thanks

If you google "car rental in sydney nova scotia" you will come up with numerous listings.

[CabotTrail]

I agree with the other poster you need a min of 5 to 6 hour to cheticamp and back with the stops for photos, if you can do that in 4 hours I can start an Indie Racing team for you lol. good luck and please watch out for the RCMP they'll be lloking for you too.

[4_THE_HALIBUT]

I just returned from this cruise last week. We rented a car and made it just to the park entrance and back in about 5 1/2 hours, that includes taking a ferry to save time. We had to pay extra for mileage over 200 km. What we saw was beautiful, but really made us wish for more time. That being said, if we had not rented a car, I don't know what else we would have done! It's a shame we had to leave port at 5pm, since Halifax was only a 4 hour drive away! We did meet some people who took the 8 hr. but tour around the Cabot Trail and they said it was horrible, as they only stopped twice...once for a restroom stop and once to eat a boxed lunch. No photo ops.

[mchiasson]

Halifax is more than a 4 hour drive away from Sydney - closer to 5 (with no road construction, etc...).