Backroads Travel is an occasional series that focuses on out-of-the-way, lesser-known, or otherwise off-the-beaten-track travel destinations that are nevertheless well worth the time and energy it takes to get there. These are places that might not be highlighted in your travel guides or pop up in typical Google searches. They’re the hidden and unsung wonders of the world.

Except for the far north, Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada’s most far-flung province. The island of Newfoundland, otherwise known as The Rock (and the 16th largest island in the world), looks a bit like a bird in flight – taking off from the eastern coast of the Canadian mainland.

In a sense, it’s a bit like Alaska is to a majority of Americans. Most Americans know Alaska is there, but few ever make the journey. Likewise, most Canadians know Newfoundland is there, but no one we talked to while on the road (even in somewhat neighboring Nova Scotia) had ever crossed the Gulf of St. Lawrence to visit.

But The Rock was calling to me. It’s always been one of those places that held a mysterious allure, and it’s LONG been on my travel bucket list. But it always seemed just so remote and so difficult to get to. How wrong I was.

I’m on record with my love of maps and have been known to chart out an entire vacation just by zooming in and scouring Google Maps.

So it was a particular thrill when I zoomed in on the northern end of Nova Scotia and saw a couple dotted lines – indicating ferry routes – connecting it to Newfoundland.

Did you know you can drive to Newfoundland? You can! And we did!

OK, technically speaking, you’re driving your car onto a ferry, which transports you across the gulf, but it’s the closest you’ll get to actually driving there. And trust me – you’re going to NEED a car if you’re visiting Newfoundland. The island is huge, distances are deceptively vast, and public transportation is essentially nonexistent.

The Routes

Marine Atlantic operates two different routes from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland. The southern terminus is the same for each: North Sydney, Nova Scotia. But sailing north, you can choose either Port aux Basques on the southwestern corner of Newfoundland or Argentia, which is near the eastern end of the island and much closer to the provincial capital of St. John’s.

The trip to Port aux Basques (178 km) takes about 7 hours, and the journey to Argentia (520 km) is a considerably longer 16 hours. It’s worth noting that the Argentia route only operates from June to September, so if you’ll be traveling during the winter or spring, you only have one choice.

It’s also worth noting that it’s a 9+ hour, 900+ km drive from Port aux Basques to St. John’s, so if St. John’s or the eastern half of the island is your destination, you might want to avoid the off-season.

Since our time in Newfoundland was unfortunately limited, we stuck to the western coast of the island (focusing on Gros Morne National Park and the northern peninsula) and took the overnight ferry to Port aux Basques.

Exact departure times might vary depending on when you travel (so check the schedule here), but there are generally two sailings per day in each direction: one during the day and one overnight. We opted for the overnight boat so as to make the most of our daylight hours.

The ferry (MV Blue Puttees) left around 11:45 pm and arrived in Newfoundland around 7 am the following day. We also opted for a cabin on the way there since we’d be on the road for several hours – driving from Cape Breton Highlands National Park – that day.

The Cost

The tickets aren’t exactly cheap; I’m not going to lie to you. You have to pay a passenger rate that comes to about $45 Canadian (currently ~$34 USD), though children 5-12 are less than half that and kids under 5 are free.

If you’re bringing a vehicle (i.e., you are), then you need to pay a vehicle fee, which runs about $120 Canadian (~$90 USD). This is the rate for cars and pickups up to 20 feet. If you have a larger truck, camper, or van, the rates go up from there. (The Marine Atlantic website does a great job of breaking it all down.)

Finally, unless you want to stake out a random unassigned seat to spend your 7-hour journey, accommodations are on top of everything else. A 2- or 4-berth cabin on the overnight boat will set you back $126.50 Canadian (~$95 USD). Cabins on daytime sailings and reserved seats are considerably cheaper.

Finally finally, if you have a dog or other pet, you’ll need to kennel it (which of course costs extra). Pets aren’t allowed to roam free, even if you have a private cabin.

So, as you can see, if you’re a family, the cost is significant and really not any cheaper than flying. But if you fly, you don’t have a car. And for us, taking the ferry was part of the adventure.

A word of warning: If you’re planning this trip and know you want a cabin, reserve online as far in advance as possible. They DO sell out, and there’s always a waiting list.

The Journey

Before we get into the specifics of the trip itself, you might want to check out this video. It’ll give you an idea of what to expect, along with a glimpse into the boat and the “spacious” 4-berth cabins:

The Boat

Once you arrive at the port, you pull up and wait – along with everyone else – until they’re ready for you to get on board. Tractor trailers and other large vehicles are loaded first since they get put to the sides. Then all the cars come in and fill up the middle. Depending on where you are in line and when they tell you to go, you could park in several spots. We ended up at almost the extreme front of the boat, but that entire level is basically a big parking lot.

On our return journey, we parked on a lower deck beneath this main level that gets closed off and sealed. Marine Atlantic has the process down to a science, and the loading/unloading process is remarkably efficient.

After parking, you’re free to head on up to the passenger levels. You CANNOT return to your vehicle until the boat is docked at the other end of the trip, so make sure to take everything you’ll need with you.

The ferries are basically small cruise ships. In addition to the cabins, there’s a restaurant, bar, snack bars, gift shop, and cafe. There’s tons of seating. And the top level is an open-air viewing deck.

Both the MV Blue Puttees and the MV Highlanders (we were on both) are remarkably comfortable and surprisingly spacious.

A WORD OF WARNING: Make sure you have some (Canadian) cash on hand if you want to buy food, snacks, or drinks. Sailing in both directions, the Wi-Fi went down, so they couldn’t accept credit or debit cards. I assume this happens fairly regularly, so it’s best to work under the assumption that the ferry is cash only.

The somewhat sad “kids play” area

Accommodations

The cabins are tight quarters, but since you’ll likely be doing little other than sleeping here, they’re perfectly acceptable. (Watch the video above for a peek inside.) They’ve also got everything you need: bathroom, shower, hair dryer, pillows, sheets, etc. If you’re staying in a cabin, you’ll only need to bring personal items from your vehicle.

On our return journey, from Port aux Basques to North Sydney, the cabins were sold out. (I told you to reserve in advance!) But that was fine with us. We took another overnight sailing (aboard the MV Highlanders) and settled on reserved seats.

The reserved section is a “private” room toward the bow of the ship. You need a keycard to get access, and the seats are actually surprisingly comfortable. Bring your own sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows, though. All you get is a mildly reclining seat. Despite the relatively public nature of the reserved seating, we still got a good night’s sleep. Definitely bring ear plugs if you’re a light sleeper, though. There’s BOUND TO BE snorers.

In the End

This is totally in keeping with our style of travel. We intentionally seek out experiences like this and will actually drive out of our way to take a ferry, drive over a specific bridge, or the like.

Could we have flown to Newfoundland and then rented a car? I suppose. Would it have been cheaper? Maybe. But that’s missing the point.

The world is meant to be traveled, and I think it’s important to directly observe as much of that travel as possible. It’s why I traveled around the world overland when I was younger. It’s why I spent five days aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway watching the Earth slowly transform. And it’s why it was a no-brainer to “drive” to Newfoundland and extend an already amazing road trip into one of epic proportions.

Newfoundland is a phenomenal destination. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get off the proverbial beaten path. But like with so many worthwhile places, getting there is half the journey – and more than half the fun.