Getting Here

From the USA

As of April 7th, 2020, the high speed car carrying CAT ferry is scheduled to start ferry service on June 26, 2020.  It travels daily between Bar Harbor, ME and Yarmouth, NS in just 3.5 hours.  Learn more about this option at https://www.ferries.ca/thecat/.

Get yourself to Bangor, Maine. From there, follow U.S. 1 S (the ‘airline’) to Calais, Maine. It’s about a two hour ride, not counting construction, on a nice hilly, twisty forested road.

From Calais, you will cross the river into St. Stephen, New Brunswick Canada. For information about entering Canada, visit this Canada Border Services Agency webpage.

Turn your watch ahead an hour here as the Atlantic Provinces are in a different time zone. Your cell phones should change themselves. You may now be charged roaming charges though – check before you leave home with your cell phone carrier about international rates and plans.

Now you’ll have two choices:

  • Take the ferry from Saint John, New Brunswick across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia
    • From Calais, Maine / St. Stephen NB, follow NB 1 E until you see the signs for Saint John. It’s just over an hour ride. The signs to the ferry are pretty good and they’ll take you through a subdivision to the terminal. You can find out about schedules and book your passage online here: https://www.ferries.ca/nb-ns-ferry/
  • Or drive around the Bay of Fundy (below)
    • If you decide to ride around the Bay of Fundy, continue on NB 1 East. It will eventually merge with the Trans Canada Highway (#2). Aim toward Moncton. The ride from Calais to Moncton is just under three hours. The Trans Canada will take you around Moncton and aim you toward Nova Scotia. It’s four lanes the whole way and 110 km/hr (65 mph).
    • Once you get into Nova Scotia, check the section below for in-province directions to the Rally.

From the Ontario, Quebec, and Northern New Brunswick

As of April 7th, 2020, the high speed car carrying CAT ferry is scheduled to start ferry service on June 26, 2020.  It travels daily between Bar Harbor, ME and Yarmouth, NS in just 3.5 hours.  Learn more about this option at https://www.ferries.ca/thecat/.

Get yourself to Bangor, Maine. From there, follow U.S. 1 S (the ‘airline’) to Calais, Maine. It’s about a two hour ride, not counting construction, on a nice hilly, twisty forested road.

From Calais, you will cross the river into St. Stephen, New Brunswick Canada. For information about entering Canada, visit this Canada Border Services Agency webpage.

Turn your watch ahead an hour here as the Atlantic Provinces are in a different time zone. Your cell phones should change themselves. You may now be charged roaming charges though – check before you leave home with your cell phone carrier about international rates and plans.

Now you’ll have two choices:

  • Take the ferry from Saint John, New Brunswick across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia
    • From Calais, Maine / St. Stephen NB, follow NB 1 E until you see the signs for Saint John. It’s just over an hour ride. The signs to the ferry are pretty good and they’ll take you through a subdivision to the terminal. You can find out about schedules and book your passage online here: https://www.ferries.ca/nb-ns-ferry/
  • Or drive around the Bay of Fundy (below)
    • If you decide to ride around the Bay of Fundy, continue on NB 1 East. It will eventually merge with the Trans Canada Highway (#2). Aim toward Moncton. The ride from Calais to Moncton is just under three hours. The Trans Canada will take you around Moncton and aim you toward Nova Scotia. It’s four lanes the whole way and 110 km/hr (65 mph).
    • Once you get into Nova Scotia, check the section below for in-province directions to the Rally.

Once In Nova Scotia

  • Once you get into Nova Scotia leaving Moncton, the highway number changes to Hwy 104 (it still has the little maple leaf signifying it’s the Trans Canada Highway). Right inside the Nova Scotia border there’s a great visitor information centre.
  • The Cobequid Pass is along this stretch of the highway and there is a toll fee – $4 for a motorcycle with or without a trailer.
  • Watch for Exit 14 (Hwy 102); there’s a sign that says “Exit to Halifax Only”. It means it.
    • If you miss that exit, you’re on your way to Cape Breton, totally opposite direction to the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby.
  • Once you take Exit 14, you’ll be on Highway 102 going south.

  • A little ways past the Halifax International Airport, Highway 102 will curve to the right (and Highway 118 will continue straight). If you’re planning to go into Halifax you can take either road.
    • Hwy 118 will take you into Dartmouth first and you’ll have to cross one of the bridges to get to Halifax. The bridge toll is $1 on either bridge but they’ll let motorbikes ‘caravan’ through together.
    • Hwy 102 will take you right into the city with pretty good signs for downtown.
  • When you leave Halifax, return to the 102 and take exit 4B for Hwy 101 – “Annapolis Valley”.  Digby (and the Wharf Rat Rally) is at exit 26 on the 101.
  • The ride from downtown Halifax to the Annapolis Valley exit on the 102 is approximately 25 minutes.  The ride from downtown Halifax to Digby is approximately 2 hours.

  • A little ways past the Halifax International Airport, Highway 102 will curve to the right (and Highway 118 will continue straight).
  • If you’re planning to avoid Halifax, be sure you stay on Highway 102 at the 102/118 split, and then watch for exit 4B with signs that say “Annapolis Valley”.
  • When you take that exit, you will be on Highway 101 and the ride to Digby is about 2 hours long. Digby is at exit 26 on Highway 101.
  • If you miss this exit, don’t fear, you can take the 102 to Exit 9 and follow the signs for Highway 14 toward Windsor where you can pick up the the 101 at Windsor.

The ULTIMATE Trip

We’re often asked the best way to make a full trip to Nova Scotia. Hands down, our favourite route is this!

Come into New Brunswick and head to the east side of the province. Travel over the Confederation Bridge into Prince Edward Island and follow the signs toward Charlottetown. Just outside Charlottetown, stop by Red Rock Harley-Davidson in Cornwall and pick up your registration kit for the Rally.

Drive through the province and head to Wood Islands to catch the ferry to Caribou Nova Scotia. You pay a toll to leave PEI but it’s the same whether you cross in New Brunswick by bridge or into Nova Scotia by ferry.  Be sure to book the ferry!

Turn east, across the Canso Causeway and toward Baddeck. Since you’re this close, you have to ride the Cabot Trail, exalted many times over as being one of the greatest riding/driving roads of all time! For some details, check out this website.

Once you’ve ridden the circular Cabot Trail, you have cross over the Canso Causeway again to get back on the mainland. From here, enjoy the ride through Nova Scotia and think about visiting the Annapolis Valley or the South Shore on your way to Digby and the Wharf Rat Rally. Again, be sure you have reservations for the Rally – empty rooms are few and far between at that time of year. Not booked yet? Check out novascotia.com and Yarmouth (a nice 55-minute ride) is probably your best bet closer to the end of August.

After the Rally, head back home either on the mv Fundy Rose from Digby to Saint John New Brunswick or the CAT from Yarmouth to Bar Harbor Maine. Have a great trip!