rental cars

[gail campbell]

we will be on the explorer oct 15th. we are thinking or car rentals has anyone done this. if so which dealers did you do. also what are excellent places for lobster and lobster rolls in the different ports. bar harbor portland, st john halifax thanks for any info we are so excited.

[whale-watcher]

Portland: rented from enterprise; lobster roll (excellent) at Gilberts

Saint John: rented from Avis (just down the street from where we docked in '05)

[SailBadtheSinner]

Unless there recently has been a car rental agency opened in Bar Harbor, this is what you will have to do. I found this at the North American Homeports board about car rental at BH:

 

Question:

Can anyone tell me if Enterprise Rent a Car at the Bar Harbor Airport offers delivery or pick up for rental car service. They and Hertz seem to be the only service in Bar Harbor.

 

Answer from smeyer418:

Yes they will pick you up at the pier and you can leave the car by the cruise tender terminal with the keys in it! They are at the airport …………

 

The rental agency is located at the BH airport at Trenton, about 20 miles from the tender dock. I know you want the freedom an auto gives you but what do you want to do?

 

There are 2 independent tour companies that offer 2h 30m tours of Acadia National Park:

http://www.acadiaislandtours.com/

http://www.acadiatours.com/

 

Plus you have free bus transportation on the Island Explorer:

http://www.exploreacadia.com/ which has 7 bus routes on Mount Desert Island.

 

 

 

SBtS

 

[ilovhywd]

Be careful - the free Island Explorer buses only run during the height of the tourist season. They were not running on May 29 when we were just there.

 

The 2.5 hour trolley tour was excellent, but we would have liked more time to explore the picturesque coast on our own, especially since we had 7 hours in port. Acquaintances who rented a car were able to explore at their own leisure.

[rfische1]

For Portland, if you are renting a car, try the Two Lights Lobster Shack in suburban Cape Elizabeth, ME. DW and I ate there on Saturday. Prices may be on the higher side due to the view. You eat on paper (the Maine way) on picnic tables right next to the water. No beach here, just rocks to climb around on. If the surf is good, you'll get some good crashing of the waves on the rocks. Part of the fun is fighting off the seagulls looking for an easy meal. Oh, there is a lighthouse here and the remains of another. Have fun. Just follow the signs to Rt 77 across the Casco Bay Drawbridge.