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Atlantic Canada had been on my bucket list for a VERY long time. So when I was invited to spent 7 days in Atlantic Canada by My Canada Trips, I jumped at it. But this wasn’t just any road trip, it was an RV road trip through some of the most beautiful parts of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia with my wonderful friend Sima!!
I’ve been lucky enough to explore quite a lot of Canada, such as Banff, Calgary and beyond, but there’s just something different about Atlantic Canada. Maybe it’s the Celtic connections?! Whatever it is, let me tell you all about my RV trip of a lifetime. I’ll share my full 7-day RV itinerary, some essential tips for first-time RV travellers (don’t be nervous, you can do it!!!), and some of my favourite things about Atlantic Canada. Let’s go!
About Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada consists of four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Newfoundland & Labrador. Unfortunately, I only had time to explore PEI and Nova Scotia on this trip, but hopefully I can explore the others next year.
This part of Canada is known for its rugged coastlines, charming small towns, and friendly locals who are always up for a chat. On my adventures I found all of the above to be true, particularly the friendly locals! Everywhere Sima and I went someone would chat to us, whether it was at the RV campsites or in bars and restaurants, locals were friendly and curious.
The main reason I have wanted to visit Atlantic Canada for so long is the Celtic connection. Granted, Nova Scotia has a stronger Scottish connection than Irish one, but the culture is shared and there’s plenty of Irish history to be found. Irish immigrants were key in building Halifax (the capital of Nova Scotia) and this is reflected in the Celtic Cross that is dedicated to them in the city centre.
As we drove around PEI and Nova Scotia I saw signs for local ceilis (ceilidh is the Scottish Gaelic spelling), heard local folk music that sounded distinctly like Irish trad music and saw enough tartan lobsters to last a lifetime. In Sydney, Nova Scotia, they even hold a festival every year to celebrate the celtic traditions called Celtic Colours.
What I love about Atlantic Canada is that it feels laid-back and unpretentious. You can spend the morning exploring lighthouses and the afternoon kayaking in calm bays, followed by an evening of live music at a local pub. It’s that mix of nature, history, and hospitality that makes a road trip across PEI and Nova Scotia so unforgettable.
Tips for an RV Trip in Atlantic Canada
Before we dive into the day-by-day itinerary, here are a few tips I picked up that will make your RV adventure much smoother:
1. Book Your Campsites in Advance and Check Facilities
Atlantic Canada is popular in the summer, especially around coastal areas. Provincial parks and RV-friendly campsites can fill up fast, so make sure to reserve ahead of time. I highly recommend a serviced campsite. “Serviced” means that there are electric and usually water hook ups at each campsite and sometimes even sanitation hook ups.
“Unserviced” campsites are nothing but a parking space and essentially useless unless you have a generator and your own water storage tank that has already been filled. Even if you have a generator on board your RV, you’re only allowed to use them during certain hours due to the noise, so I would just recommend avoiding “unserviced” campsites all together. They’re not worth the stress.
Make sure you know your site number and are aware of check in times. Some campsites won’t have anyone at the check in desk after 7pm, so you’ll just need to drive in, find your site and park. Usually the site number will be on your booking. If you’ve never done motor camping before it can be a very steep learning curve.
2. Have a Co-Pilot
Driving an RV is definitely a two person job. It really cannot be done solo. You need a co-pilot not just for taking care of the tunes and navigation, but for helping you to reverse into campsites and make sure there’s nothing in your blind spot. Also, setting up at a campsite is much easier when you have two sets of hands to hook everything up to the services.
3. Avoid Night Time Driving
It’s generally not recommended to drive an RV at night as it’s harder to see hazards such as low hanging branches. We did it (due to unavoidable circumstances) on our first night of the road trip and it was somewhat harrowing. Reversing into the campsite for the very first time in the pitch black was also an absolute nightmare for us. Not to mention hooking up the facilities using only our phone torches. To avoid any chaos, arrive at your campsite before dark.
4. Stock Up on Groceries
Not every town has a large supermarket. Keep your RV fridge stocked, but also leave room to try local specialties—you don’t want to miss a traditional seafood chowder or a slice of PEI potato pie. We stocked up the day we picked up our RV and it was great to have breakfast bits ready to go so that we could have lazy campsite mornings, and picky dinner bits in case we got to our campsite and were too tired to go out again for dinner.
Just make sure you close the fridge properly before you drive off. We had the fridge fly open twice on our road trip because we forgot to put the extra lock on it. Again, RV life is a very steep learning curve. We were only getting used to it by the end of the 7 days.
5. Pack Layers
Even in summer, evenings can get chilly near the water. Bring light layers and a rain jacket. The weather changes quickly in PEI and Nova Scotia. Also, the convenience of an RV means that you can always just pop back to the RV and check into a more appropriate outfit depending on the weather.
6. Research Parking
When you rent your RV they will tell you exactly how tall your RV is so that you can keep an eye out for signs about low bridges or height restrictions in car parks. Parking can be difficult in towns across Atlantic Canada, so make sure to research in advance. I found Google maps satellite view to be very useful when it came to finding car parks. A lot of towns have plenty of street parking, you just have to be patient and methodical, especially in summer. But be brave and stay calm, and you’ll find a spot eventually.
Our RV Itinerary: 7 Days in PEI and Nova Scotia
Here’s exactly how we spent our seven days exploring Atlantic Canada by RV.
Day 1: Arrival in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Our trip started in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. We spent some time wandering along the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, one of the longest urban boardwalks in the world. Lined with restaurants, shops, and attractions, it’s the perfect spot to stretch your legs after a flight and grab some poutine or a lobster roll.
If you have time, pop into the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which has fascinating exhibits about the Titanic and Halifax’s nautical history. If you prefer something more active, the Harbour Hopper tour is fun and a great way to see the whole city from both the land and water.
We stayed in the Moxy Hotel which was centrally located and beautifully designed.
Day 2: Halifax to Prince Edward Island
First things first we picked up the RV from Canadream. The pick up process take at least an hour, so make sure to allow for that.
The drive from Halifax to Prince Edward Island is one of the highlights of the trip. Crossing the iconic Confederation Bridge, which connects New Brunswick to PEI and stretches an incredible 12.9km across the Northumberland Strait, is an incredible experience. It’s one of those “bucket list” drives you’ll never forget; we did it at sunset and it was absolutely spectacular.
Once on PEI, we set up camp near Cavendish. This area is known for its sandy beaches, red cliffs, and, of course, Green Gables—the setting that inspired L.M. Montgomery’s classic novel Anne of Green Gables. Fans of the book will love visiting Green Gables Heritage Place.
We stayed at Cavendish Campground in PEI National Park. It’s a serviced campsite with easy access to Cavendish beach.
Day 3: Exploring Charlottetown and North Shore, PEI
We got up early to watch the sunrise on Cavendish beach (just a couple of minutes walk from our campsite) and have a coffee in the RV before heading off for the day. We headed straight to PEI Preserve Company for brunch. This picturesque spot if famous for its potato pie. In fact, PEI in general is famous for potatoes so make sure to try some potato based dishes if you visit.
Next we drove to Charlottetown, the capital of PEI. It is know as the “Birthplace of Confederation” due to it hosting the 1864 Charlottetown Convention which eventually led to the formation of Canada as we know it. This city is full of colourful buildings, independent shops and great happy hours. Grab ice cream at Cows, we absolutely LOVED the peach melba flavour. Try the chocolate-covered crisps (potato chips) from Anne of Green Gables Chocolates – trust me!
You can explore Charlottetown on an old-fashioned horse and carriage, or it is easy to explore on foot. Slaymaker and Nichols made us the most spectacular cheese board I’ve ever seen in my life as well as great cocktails. I also loved the Founders Food Hall for a smoothie, snack and some shopping. Overall, Charlottetown is a beautiful spot to spend the day.
On the way back to the campsite we drove along the North Shore at sunset, stopping at Covehead Harbour Lighthouse and Oceanview Lookout for spectacular views.
Day 4: Mysa Nordic Spa and St. Peter’s, PEI
We caught a final sunrise at Cavendish beach before leaving the campsite and heading to St. Peter’s. The drive is short and scenic. Once in St. Peter’s we headed straight for the Mysa Nordic Spa for a day of pampering.
Mysa is a spa and resort with a large thermal village. A full day thermal experience pass costs only $70 CAD which I think is really good value. The one thing I didn’t love about the spa is that it is essentially silent. Certain areas are completely silent, some areas are whisper zones and then in the restaurant you’re allowed to talk.
That’s just not how we do in spas or saunas in Europe. It wasn’t comfortable for me. I like to chat in the sauna and I certainly don’t like to feel like I’m not ALLOWED to chat. That being said, the restaurant was absolutely excellent and I was allowed to talk there. Their healthy smoothies actually tasted good and their veggie offerings were creative and delicious. I’d definitely recommend lunch or dinner here.
After a few hours here we checked into St. Peter’s campground for the evening. No local restaurants were open as it was late in the season, so we were glad we had stocked up in the supermarket on our first day.
Day 5: PEI to Nova Scotia
It was time to say goodbye to PEI and head back to Nova Scotia. We took the ferry from Wood Islands Ferry Terminal across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia. The sailing with Northumberland Ferries was quick and comfortable. I was a bit nervous about driving the RV onto the ferry but the staff guided us in and it was much simpler than I’d imagined.
The colourful fishing village of Pictou is less than 15 minutes drive from the ferry terminal once you land in Nova Scotia. I could have easily spent the entire day in Pictou; it’s full of independent craft shops, coffee shops and restaurants.
We headed straight to Acropole Pizza to try the famous Pictou County Style Pizza, which has a brown sauce base instead of the traditional red. The sauce, inspired by Greek cuisine, is made from a secret blend of spices, herbs and veggies and let me tell you, it is absolutely DELICIOUS.
I also highly recommend an iced coffee at Sea Glass Coffee House. The Nook and Cranny is a gorgeous spot for dinner and live music, they had some really great veggie options here. If you’re looking for souvenirs make sure to check out the Vendour Village on the waterfront. There are also some lovely photo opps around this area.
We stayed at the Caribou-Munroes Island Provincial Park which had great facilities and was right on the beach so it was perfect for a morning dip.
Day 6: Exporing The Northumberland Shore
Day 6 was spent exploring route 6, AKA the Sunrise Trail. The Northumberland Shore is known for its warm-water beaches, so we had to have a quick dip before we left our campsite.
There are lots of local crafts places to to explore along the route including Lismore Sheep Farm & Wool Shop, Sugar Moon Maple Farm and Seafoam Lavender Company. We spent the morning exploring the town of Tatamagouche where we tried the famous Appleton chocolates. They’re famous for their maple and wild blueberry hand dipped truffles. Nova Scotia is famous for its seafood and the Chowder House in Tata is the place to go if you’re into chowder. I was actually able to get a great veggie burger there too.
The Tatamagouche farmer’s market is also a great spot to visit for all sorts of snacks, local crafts and live music. It’s only open on Saturdays form 9am to 1pm, but it’s so worth a visit if you can make it. There was even a man playing the bag pipes outside, which just felt so quintessentially Nova Scotian to me.
Next, we popped into Frieze and Roy General Store in Maitland. This is Canada’s oldest general store, with a cute rest area that has great views over the Northumberland strait – perfect for picking up a souvenir and a snack before getting back on the road.
Finally when stopped at Burntcoat Head Park, possibly my favourite stop on the whole trip. This is the site of the world’s highest tides and the greatest tidal changes in the world. At low tide we waked on the ocean floor, which was surreal. The flowerpot islands and red earth make for incredibly dramatic and photogenic scenery. This place took my breath away.
We checked into Parkville Campground for the night and got the best campsite for sunrise views across the water.
Day 7: Grand Pre and Wolfville
Our final full day of the trip! We headed straight to Walton Lighthouse for some classic Nova Scotian views. Nova Scotia has more lighthouses than any other province in Canada, so there are plenty to see when you drive any costal route.
Once we arrived at Grand Pre we stopped at Just Us! Café and Roastery for an essential coffee stop and some breakfast. Their bagels are to die for and the iced coffee really hit the spot. Tangled Garden was next on the list. You can visit their garden where they grow all their own ingredients which they use to produce their jams, jellies, cordials and liqueurs. The garden and gift shop feel like something straight out of Practical Magic. Any green-thumbed garden witch will feel right at home here.
Wolfville was our next stop. This town is colourful, lively and FULL of great places to eat. Annapolis Cider Company was our must visit. We made a beeline there and tried their cider flights and picked up a bottle of our favourite to bring home, of course. We had dinner in Troy Restaurant and Grill which had the best veggie-friendly menu we’d seen on the whole trip, we absolutely LOVED it here.
I highly recommend spending some time at the Wolfville waterfront park for lovely views across the Bay of Fundy. They also have lovely hammocks which are perfect for chilling out and soaking up the sun. There are trails leading off the park as well if you’d prefer to get moving.
We stayed at Blomidon Provincial Park and Campground for our final night. The next morning we made the drive back to Halifax to return the RV and catch our flights home.
Why This RV Trip Was Unforgettable
What made this trip stand out for me was the freedom that comes with RV travel. We had the flexibility to change plans, chill at the beach, or take a detour towards the unkown. Atlantic Canada is made for this kind of slow, exploratory travel.
Though we were both anxious about the RV experience in the beginning, we completely fell in love with it and were sad to say goodbye to our RV in the end. It made us feel very capable and independent to be able to manage the RV life without any previous experience.
My favourite thing about RV life was the community feel on the campsites. Everywhere we went we chatted to our campsite neighbours and made friends. We met a lovely man called Ernie who invited us along on his morning sunrise walk along the Confederation Trail. We met another lovely man who invited us for wine and introduced us to his gorgeous dogs. It was just such an interesting and authentic way to travel and connect with people.
Final Thoughts
A 7-day RV itinerary through PEI and Nova Scotia is the perfect way to experience the highlights of Atlantic Canada. You’ll get a mix of coastal scenery, cultural experiences, and plenty of opportunities to slow down and enjoy life on the road.
Whether you’re a first-time RV traveller or a seasoned pro, this route has all the ingredients for an unforgettable journey. So pack your bags, grab a map, and get ready to explore one of the most beautiful corners of Canada.
You can check out my full itinerary on the My Canada Trips website here.