Getting to St Johns

St Johns recently lost direct flights to London and locals are hoping this can be restored. Despite this development, there are still several interesting transport options for people planning to visit the city.

By car

Getting to Newfoundland by car normally involves taking a ferry. St Johns is a reasonably car-friendly city. The only road that can get you into Newfoundland without a ferry is from Quebec into Labrador. Except for the downtown area, parking is in abundance in St Johns and there are rarely traffic jams.

The Trans-Canada Highway (Route 1) crosses 562 miles of Newfoundland, from Port aux Basques in the west to St Johns in the east. Secondary highways along the route can provide fascinating side trips.

By rail

Technically, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador still has railway transportation, although it is not provided on the island of Newfoundland. The Trinity Loop Amusement Park operates a miniature train for tourists on Trinity Loop, one of the few remaining places on Newfoundland to still have tracks. The last train operating in Newfoundland ceased services in November, 1988. The Newfoundland Railway station in St Johns is now the Railway Coastal Museum.

By bus

St Johns has several options when it comes to bus travel. The citys public bus transportation system is called Metrobus. Theres a good daily service to and from Port aux Basques and St Johns. DRL Coachlines operates a service which provides a connection with the Gulf ferry that joins Newfoundlands Port aux Basques to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Once you get onto the mainland in North Sydney, it is easy to connect to other destinations in the Maritimes and the rest of North America.

By air

St Johns Airport is 10 minutes by car from the centre of the city. Flights arrive from major centres such as Toronto and New York (usually via Halifax). The airport is served by Air Canada and Continental Airlines.

As it is the easternmost airport in North America, it has been of particular importance for transatlantic travel. However, unfortunately, Newfoundland recently lost its direct flight to London, striking a raw nerve with locals. This flight only took 5 hours to reach Londons Heathrow Airport. It takes about 3 hours to fly to Boston, 2 hours to Montreal and an 1 hour 30 minutes to Halifax.

By ferry

Marine Atlantic run year-round vehicle and passenger ferry services between North Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques, which takes about 6 hours. A second ferry sails from North Sydney to Argentia, bringing visitors to within an hour or two of St Johns, although the crossing itself is longer at between 12 and 14 hours.

The operator of these ferries offers a wide variety of onboard accommodation and services including deluxe cabins, live entertainment and child activity programmes. Advanced reservations are recommended.

In addition to these services, a variety of ferries and other vessels operating on year-round or seasonal schedules can transport visitors to islands and remote coastal communities. Ferries are like floating observation platforms. Wonderful natural spectacles, such as the humpback and Minke whales that appear in season, or the many varieties of seabirds that roost in huge coastal colonies, can be part and parcel of travelling by ferry. Along the eastern coastline, look for icebergs bigger than you ever imagined.

Taxis

There are more than a dozen taxi companies operating in and around St Johns. St John's has a number of limousine services to choose from, making traveling by taxi or limousine a convenient option.