Atlantic Canada: Where the Trans-Canada Begins

The Eastern Starting Point

The Trans-Canada Highway officially begins (or ends, depending on your direction) in St. John's, Newfoundland, but for mainland cross-Canada drives, most people start in Halifax. The Atlantic Canada section crosses three provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the edge of Quebec — before connecting to the main Highway 1/Highway 17 corridor that runs to the Pacific.

The Maritimes are often underrated by cross-country drivers who are focused on "getting to the West." That's a mistake. The driving here is relatively easy compared to Northern Ontario or the BC mountain passes, the scenery shifts between coastal bays, river valleys, and Acadian forest, and the provinces have a slower pace that makes for genuinely pleasant road-tripping.

Nova Scotia

The Trans-Canada designation in Nova Scotia runs on Highway 104 from Halifax to the New Brunswick border at Amherst. It's about 275 km and takes 3 hours. The highway is divided four-lane for most of the stretch through Truro and on to Amherst.

Halifax is worth a day before you hit the highway. The waterfront boardwalk, the Halifax Citadel, and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 are the highlights. For food, Argyle Street and the Seaport Market have the best options. Get a donair — Halifax is where the Maritime donair was invented, and it's different from what you'd get elsewhere.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick's Trans-Canada (Highway 2) runs 515 km from the Nova Scotia border to the Quebec border. This is the longest section and passes through Moncton, Fredericton (via a short detour), and the Saint John River valley. The highway is a modern divided freeway for most of its length.

Moncton is the commercial hub of the Maritimes and sits at the junction of Highway 2 (Trans-Canada) and Highway 15 to the Confederation Bridge for PEI. It's a bilingual city — about a third of the population is francophone Acadian. Magnetic Hill, where your car appears to roll uphill, is the famous roadside attraction.

North of Moncton, the Trans-Canada follows the Saint John River valley through Fredericton and on to Edmundston near the Quebec border. The valley is agricultural and forested, and the drive along the river is pleasant in fall when the hardwoods change colour.

PEI Connector

Prince Edward Island is connected to the Trans-Canada system via the Confederation Bridge, a 12.9 km bridge from Cape Jourimain, NB to Borden-Carleton, PEI. It's the longest bridge over ice-covered waters in the world. The toll ($49.50 for a car) is collected when you leave PEI, not when you enter. The drive across takes about 10 minutes.

The Trans-Canada runs across PEI from one end to the other, but most cross-country drivers either skip PEI entirely or make it a day-trip from Moncton. If you have the time, PEI is worth at least a night — the red sand beaches, fresh lobster, and Anne of Green Gables tourism (whether or not that appeals to you) make it distinctly different from the mainland.

Connecting to Quebec and Beyond

At Edmundston, the Trans-Canada crosses into Quebec and becomes the Trans-Canada Highway through the St. Lawrence valley. From Rivière-du-Loup on the St. Lawrence, you can connect south to the Moncton to Rivière-du-Loup route or continue west toward Quebec City and eventually Ottawa, where the Ontario corridor begins on Highway 17.

Fuel and Services

Fuel in the Maritimes is regulated by provincial governments, so prices are set weekly and don't fluctuate daily like in Ontario. You'll see all stations in a province posting the same price. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia prices are typically mid-range for Canada — cheaper than BC but more than Alberta. Services are regular along the Trans-Canada in all three provinces.