Cape Breton Travel
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Cape Breton Transportation
Getting There
Cape Breton is connected to the mainland via the Canso Causeway, an 80-foot-wide, 217-foot-deep, 4,300-foot-long stone causeway built in 1955 with 10 million tons of rock hewn from an adjoining mountain (half of which remains). The causeway is 163 miles from the New Brunswick border at Amherst and 169 miles from Halifax.
From Canada
Follow the Trans-Canada Highway #2 to the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border, then follow the Trans-Canada Highway #104 to Cape Breton Island.
Follow Interstate 95 north to the US/New Brunswick border. Follow the Trans-Canada Highway #2 to the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border, then follow the Trans-Canada Highway #104 to Cape Breton Island.
From the US to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia:
At Yarmouth, follow Highway #103 to HIghway #102. Follow the #102 to the Trans-Canada Highway #104, which leads to Cape Breton Island.
By Sea
From Bar Harbour, Maine:
For schedules and reservations, contact Bay Ferries Ltd., 1-888-249-7245. Tickets must be picked up one hour before sailing.
From Portland, Maine
Daily service, May through October. Reservations required. In the US or Canada, call Prince of Fundy Cruises, 1-800-341-7540. In Maine only, call 1-800-482-0955
By Air
The Sydney Airport on the island is serviced daily by regular Air Nova flights via Halifax and on to New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto and St. John’s. During high season, air service is supplemented with direct charter flights from Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal to Sydney. Sydney Airport has several car rental kiosks.
By Rail
VIA Rail Canada offers service weekly to and from Cape Breton Island on its Bras d’Or Line. The train departs once a week from Halifax or Sydney. The special luxury train winds through picturesque communities and rolls along the shores of the Bras d’Or Lakes. Regional cuisine is served on board. VIA Rail (800/561-3949 in the U.S., or 888/842-7245 in Canada).