Living In Halifax....

[Terpnut]

Rick,

 

I have just read *all* of the posts regarding Halifax and want to thank you for the many hours you have spent getting information about your lovely city for Cruise Critics passengers! I hope you have received joy and pleasure knowing how much you have enhanced our cruise.

 

We will arrive Sunday, October 14 and only have from 10 AM to 6 PM which, of course, is much too short a stay.

 

My main question is about the time of year. In October does Fred Tourist Bus still operate?

According to the FRED link that Rick already posted (http://www.downtownhalifax.ns.ca/default.asp?mn=1.8.36), it will run through 10/27/07. And note that it stops running at 5:30 pm so don't count on FRED getting you back to the ship near departure time!

[lovnlivnnalaska]

I'll provide you with some links to look over,

 

http://www.novascotia.com/howtogetaround/halifaxdartmouth/default.htm

 

http://www.nova-scotia-kanada.de/en/halifax/index.html

 

http://www.nova-scotia-kanada.de/en/index.html

 

http://www.halifaxinfo.com/

 

Just about any route along the coast will give you some beautiful scenery,

as well the city its self has some amazing views.Which ones I would suggest,

the Peggys Cove loop and down towards Lunenburg along the old roads.

There is an information kiosk at the pier check with them regarding maps and possible other routes.

 

Sorry if this is alittle general, but it's hard to pick out the best routes as they all have something beautiful to see.

 

Rick1965

 

Rick...

How long is this loop?

Melissa

[lovnlivnnalaska]

If this is your first trip to Halifax, there's a ton of stuff todo all within walking distance of the ship. There are rental koisks at the dock.I would call the companies directly to make sure of avilablity.

 

http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/worldLocationSearch.do

 

http://www.dollar.com/world_locations/search.aspx#listTable

 

http://www.where.ca/halifax/subcategory_guide.cfm?subcategory_id=8&category_id=6&subtitle_id=47

 

http://www.halifaxinfo.com/explore-halifax.php

 

Is it worth it? thats a personal call. Myself I don't think I'd rent a car, I'd sooner sit back and let someone else do the driving.

 

Rick1965

 

P.S That would be the right side of the road, although I've met a few who tried the other side with very limited success.

 

If we do decide to rent a car...is parking readily available most everywhere?

Melissa

[Rick1965]

The Peggys Cove loop is about 67 km(43 miles) and about 1.5 hours, as for parking like most cities it's not to bad. Downtown can be a pain to park.

 

http://www.nova-scotia-kanada.de/en/halifax/index.html

 

http://www.nova-scotia-kanada.de/en/index.html

 

http://www.halifaxkiosk.com/halifax-tour/Pier-21.php

 

http://www.destinationhalifax.com/documents/DowntownHfxMap2006.pdf

 

Hope this helps, enjoy your stay in our city.

 

Rick1965

[Rick1965]

Thank you for reading thru all the post(thats alot of reading).The boardwalk should still be open in Oct, as for the weather.....it may be alittle chilly depending on where you are from. Here are a couple of links which may help.

 

http://www.halifaxinfo.com/

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=32

 

Have a great time.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

 

Rick1965

[Estelle]

Rick (and other NS posters) -

 

Thanks very much for your great posts. We are currently looking at booking a Canadian cruise on Explorer of the Seas for Sept 2008 with a stop in Halifax from 12-8. I had thought about renting a car and driving north towards Wolfville and wineries (if weather is good) - any comments on that idea? Probably will be us and 2 other couples.

 

Otherwise it certainly sounds like a great afternoon and early evening can be had visiting the harbor, museums, Citadel and pubs.

 

Any ideas on Sydney - I know it's a gateway to Cape Breton - which sounds beautiful but we are only in port from 1-6 - how much can we do realistically? - again renting a car.

 

Thanks for your help!

[copper6606]

Hi, I'm also a bluenoser and thought I would jump in [hope that's okay Rick.]:oWe actually live in the Annapolis Valley. This is the wine region you are speaking of . The winery that I would suggest is called , Grand Pre Winery[ http://www.grandprewines.com] This would be approx 1 and a half hours drive. It's worth the effort believe me. The food is top notch as well! There are many other small wineries in our area but this one stands out!

As far as you traveling to Sydney from Halifax - your looking at a min. 5-6 hour drive. Nova Scotia looks small but the distance to travel it always seems to surprise people. Hope you come back another time to experience Cape Breton Island , it's quite a unique place. Hope this has been of some help:)

[copper6606]

It just dawned on me that you probably weren't talking about traveling from Halifax to Sydney- you are probably stopping there for one of your ports!!! OH MY! Do I feel foolish:o. I should probably throw it back to Rick now and leave the advice to the pros !:o

[Estelle]

Copper6606 -

 

Thanks for your answers - Grand Pre is the winery I had heard about and hoped to visit - I'm glad to hear it would be worthwhile.

 

Sydney is another port - at the beginning of the cruise - Halifax is the last port, I believe, on the way back to NJ. No need to apologize - I appreciate all the assistance fellow CCers provide!

[Rick1965]

Sorry for not responding sooner Estelle, and thank you Copper for your answers, I welcome any and all help from fellow Maritimers(or anyone who wants to share their experiences and thoughts)

The winery Copper spoke of is the one I was trying to remember(thank you Copper). It looks like a great trip to go see it.(and as usual here's a link)

 

http://www.grandprewines.ns.ca/

 

As for Sydney, here's a few links which might help

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney,_Nova_Scotia

 

http://sydney.capebretonisland.com/

 

Hope this helps you alittle, please feel free if have any more questions.

 

Rick1965

[Estelle]

Rick & Copper -

 

Thanks again for the input. If we arrive on a nice day when a drive into the country would work out well, we will rent a car and visit the winery. If a less pleasant day we will enjoy the city.

 

Even with the ride into the country we should be able to walk around the harbor area for an hour or 2.

 

Thanks again - also for the links to Sydney - I just wish we had a longer time in port there, since I don't think the city itself has the attractions of Halifax. We'll just have to time something carefully - or take a ship excursion, which we usually avoid.

 

Best wishes!

[c breeze]

Hi, I'm also a bluenoser and thought I would jump in [hope that's okay Rick.]:oWe actually live in the Annapolis Valley. This is the wine region you are speaking of . The winery that I would suggest is called , Grand Pre Winery[ http://www.grandprewines.com] This would be approx 1 and a half hours drive. It's worth the effort believe me. The food is top notch as well! There are many other small wineries in our area but this one stands out!

As far as you traveling to Sydney from Halifax - your looking at a min. 5-6 hour drive. Nova Scotia looks small but the distance to travel it always seems to surprise people. Hope you come back another time to experience Cape Breton Island , it's quite a unique place. Hope this has been of some help:)

 

We are also sailing to Halifax this September and then later in the cruise will visit Sydney. This is a description of the four hour tour we selected in Sydney. Any input? This was the only tour that included the countryside:

 

Ciad Mile Failte - A Hundred Thousand Welcomes await you. Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland and nowhere is this more evident than on Cape Breton Island. This picturesque excursion takes you to the very Heart of Cape Breton Island. The route includes some of the Island's most dynamic scenery, weaving a route through rugged countryside, touching the shores of the famous Bras d'Or Lakes. Known as the Great Inland Sea (the lakes are salt-water) the Bras d'Or region is a major breeding ground for the bald eagle and other exotic wildlife. As your tour progresses, you'll stop at the geographical center of Cape Breton Island, Hectors' Point, Iona and visit the Nova Scotia Highland Village, a 50-acre historical site overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes. Take a chronological journey through 180 years of Cape Breton’s Scottish architecture, hosted by costumed staff trained in conversational Gaelic and local history. Here you will view a full-size replica of a Scottish Blackhouse, the original one-room structure occupied by the first Scottish settlers in the region, and the only one of its kind in North America. A hilltop panoramic view offers a beautiful blend of land, sky and water. Enjoy tea or coffee and oatcakes before returning to your ship. Note: There is a fair amount of walking at the Highland Village. However, the tour is very scenic and if you wish, you can enjoy the views from the motorcoach and the visitors Centre. Tea or coffee is served at Highland Village.

 

I am really looking forward to visiting your beautiful country in two months!

[copper6606]

This tour does sound lovely . Is this tour a ship sponsored one? It's a fair distance from Sydney but the drive is quite beautiful . Don't forget to take in one of our many pubs, lobster and our great music while your here! [The lobster is far and above the normal lobster they serve on the cruise lines- if I do say so myself!] :o By the way- your coming to Nova Scotia at the best time of the year! Glad your looking forward to coming -We love visitors!:D

[c breeze]

This tour does sound lovely . Is this tour a ship sponsored one? It's a fair distance from Sydney but the drive is quite beautiful . Don't forget to take in one of our many pubs, lobster and our great music while your here! [The lobster is far and above the normal lobster they serve on the cruise lines- if I do say so myself!] :o By the way- your coming to Nova Scotia at the best time of the year! Glad your looking forward to coming -We love visitors!:D

 

I am so happy to hear that we will be visiting at the best time of the year!

 

The tour is a ship's tour. I hope we have time to taste a NS lobster while there!

 

The Canadian ports on our cruise include:

 

Halifax 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM

Quebec City 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Corner Brook 7:00 AM -6:00 PM

Sydney 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

 

We have ship's tours booked in all Canadian ports, except Halifax which we are still deciding about. We have been to Halifax once before and saw Peggy's Cove and walked on the boardwalk. We may return to Peggy's Cove, as it was so beautiful, but also want to see more of the city this time.

 

Can't wait to visit your beautiful country again!

[gaileeh]

Rick, have read your many posts, thanks for all the effort. We're planning a cruise for 08 and I'm starting the research early. All the info was very informative.

[Rick1965]

Thank you for your post, and I'm glad I could help.

If you have any questions please ask away.

 

Rick1965

[Janet524]

Hi Rick!

We'll be visiting Halifax at the end of August. If these questions have been answered before, I apologize (didn't want to read thru 13 screens of posts).

What can we expect the temperatures to be around that time? Also, I printed out a map of downtown Halifax and it looks like we should be able to walk to many interesting places from where the ship docks. In particular, I'm wondering if the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia are "walkable" from the ship. DH and I don't mind a good walk - just want to be sure it's no miles and miles away! Also, any suggestions you might have for a good place for lunch would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Janet

[Rick1965]

Here's a link for the temp in Aug.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/weather/longterm/historical/data/halifax_nova_scotia.htm

 

Both the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia are within walking distance of the ship. As for lunch, just about any place along the boardwalk would good.Here's a few links that might help.

 

http://www.answers.com/topic/downtown-halifax

 

http://www.homeandabroad.com/c/122/Site/170510_Halifax_Waterfront_Boardwalk_visit.html

 

Let me know if you have any more questions, and as always

I hope you enjoy your stay in our city

 

Rick1965

[Janet524]

Rick, thanks so much for the information and links. We're looking forward to our visit.

[coachj]

Rick, I will be in Halifax July 31. Can you give me the cross streets for Fairview Lawn Cemetary and the other Titanic related cemetaries? i will have a car but will be coming in by cruise line (carnival). I cant find that info on the Halifax web site. Thank You.

[Rick1965]

The Fairview lawn cmentery is located on Windsor st between Kempt Rd. and Connaught Ave.

The Mount Olivet cementery is on Mumford rd between Joseph Howe dr and Olivet St.

 

If you check google maps for Halifax NS you can see them listed on the map.

 

Hope this helps

 

Rick1965

[Maraprince]

RICK1965,

 

Does the City of Halifax still run the free port around the port? And if so, will it still be running in late Oct/early November? It really saved us a lot of walking -- especially getting to the shopping area and not having to go through an office building to cross the highway!

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[rickb]

RICK1965,

 

Does the City of Halifax still run the free port around the port? And if so, will it still be running in late Oct/early November? It really saved us a lot of walking -- especially getting to the shopping area and not having to go through an office building to cross the highway!

 

 

MARAPRINCE

 

 

I assume that you are referring to the free bus, AKA FRED. It appears that it is only running until Oct 27th. Here is a link to the website:

 

http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/fred.html

[Maraprince]

Thanks for the link. Seems like we miss FRED by one day!

 

Just sent them an email regarding local transportation recommendations.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[Kreuser]

I did a search on this thread to find what, if anything, has been said regarding the Tea at the Citadel. I only found the question, and not the answer.

Does anyone here know if this is a worthwhile tour? Or should we do the Citadel on our own?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Vada