Going to Newfoundland?

Da Rock - AKA: God's Land

UpAlong.org has some tips and tools that might help you get there faster and save you some cash while doing so.

Travelling to Newfoundland can be expensive, especially during peak travel dates, such as the Christmas Season. For a lot of families, the high costs can prevent them from visiting Newfoundland during this fun time.

How much does it cost a person, or family, to travel to Newfoundland? Which method is cheaper, air or sea? What dates are most expensive and busiest, and on which dates can you travel that will save you money?

UpAlong.org has been researching these questions, and what we discovered might amaze you.

How to get to da Rock
There are currently only two choices for planning a trip to Newfoundland: by air or by road/sea. UpAlong.org has analyzed each of these choices in the hope that the results will help you and your family decide which is best for you.

Travel by Road / Sea
At first glance, the least expensive method to travel to Newfoundland is by sea. Marine Atlantic operates two vessels, the MV Caribou and the MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood, which can both carry 1,200 passengers and 370 automobiles the 96 nautical miles from North Sydney, NS, to Port Au Basque, NF. Normal passage costs $27.00 per adult, $13.50 per child (age 5-12, under 5 is free), and $76.50 per vehicle.

For updates and additional information, check the Marine Atlantic web site.

Travelling to Newfoundland by sea is the most time consuming method. The average crossing takes 6 hours, including boarding and disembarking times. Add to that, the time it takes to drive from Port Aux Basque to your Newfoundland destination, and the drive time from your starting point to North Sydney, and you could be looking at a trip that will take four to five days. Include the unpredictable winter weather, and the stress and possible delays this can bring with, and travelling to Newfoundland by sea may seem less desirable and more expensive than first appears.

What costs might one expect to encounter when driving to Newfoundland? UpAlong.org has categorized the most common costs, and provided a worksheet that can help you estimate the costs for your trip.

Fuel Cost Worksheet
Use this worksheet to calculate how far you are from your Newfoundland destination, and estimate how much it will cost to get you there.

Driving Tip:
When estimating, use an average speed of 70 km/hr. This includes fuel and bathroom stops and slower driving for areas of poor conditions.

Winter travel:
During the winter, all primary highways are kept open except for short periods during or immediately after a severe snowstorm.

For information on road conditions, contact these departments of Works, Services and Transportation regional offices:

Western Region - 709-635-4144
Central Region - 709-292-4444
Eastern Region - 709-466-4160
Avalon Region - 709-729-7669
Labrador Region - 709-896-7888

On the Internet: Road Conditions which also notes highway construction and slowdowns. Or dial 1-900-451-3300 for road conditions anywhere in the province.

Lodging Expenses:
Average costs for a hotel room run in the range of $70.00 - $110.00 per night. The longer in advance that you book a room, the lower the cost will be. Another way to reduce your lodging expense is stay with friends. For example, if you are leaving Toronto, call you friend in New Brunswick, ask if he can put you up for da night.

Food Costs:
There are some great ways to cut food costs. By bringing along snacks for the kids to eat while driving, and canned food and supplies with which to make sandwiches while stopped for the night, you can cut down your food costs by not having to dine out for every meal.

Travel by Air:

Airport Codes Mainland Airports YYZ - Toronto (Pearson) YUL – Montreal (Dorval) YHZ – Halifax Intl Newfoundland Airports YDF – Deer Lake YQX – Gander YAY –St. Anthony YYT – St. John’s YJT – Stephenville Labrador Airports ZUM –Churchill Falls YYR –Goose Bay (HV-GB) YDP –Nain YSV –Saglek (Saglek Bay) YWK – Wabush

Airline Web Sites Air Canada Air Canada Tango Air Canada Jazz Air Labrador Air Transat Can Jet Provincial Airlines Sky Service West Jet Travel Sites Expedia Orbitz Priceline Travelocity

Car Rentals Avis : 800-879-2847 Budget : 800-268-8900 Cabot : 866-738-2020 Discount : 800-263-2355 Enterprise : 800-325-8007 Hertz : 800-263-0600 National : 800-227-7368 RentaWreck : 800-327-0116 Sears : 709-778-2960 Thrifty : 800-847-4389

Without question, this is the quickest way to get on da Rock. The question, is with which airline to fly, and what dates should you choose that could save you some money?

Currently, the following airlines fly to Newfoundland: Air Canada, Air Labrador, AC Jazz, .AC Tango, Air Transat, CanJet, Provincial Airlines, Air Labrador, Sky Service, and West Jet (this list subject to change as airlines come and go as much as the people who travel on them).

Since Newfies live all over the world, the numbers of starting destinations are almost infinite. Rates vary daily and with redeemable points and fare specials, ticket prices vary greatly.

UpAlong.org has compiled some tools that will allow you to book a flight to da Rock, or, just see how much a flight will cost.