Earlier this year a client contacted me about want to travel to the Maritimes, but was having difficulty because she was in a power chair and could not find a tour operator that could accommodate her. After doing some checking myself and verifying that none of the tour operators I contacted had accessible options for the Maritimes, I contacted my client and asked if a self-drive option was possible. She indicated that it was and my next job was to find an accessible van for her needs.
Unfortunately accessible van rentals were not highly available either, but I did manage to find one through the website Turo. The only option available was out of Fredericton, but we made it work. The van was a converted minivan with a ramp extending from the side door. This option allowed for my client to sit as close to the front as possible, as she was to be the navigator with her father driving and her mother a passenger in the rear. This also allowed for easy luggage storage through the rear door.
The clients had no issues picking up or dropping off the van at the Fredericton airport. The renta provider gave us their contact information and was also fairly quick to respond to via the Turo website. The van worked well for the entire trip which was quite lengthy and involved all of the Atlantic provinces.
The itinerary was as follows:
Day 1: Arrive by plane in Fredericton, NB
The clients flew with Air Canada and as a result of their accessibility policies were able to travel free of charge with extra (required) luggage and mobility items, including the manual wheelchair, in addition to the power wheelchair. The airline assists with customer transfer from manual or transfer chair to and from the aircraft seats. There are also porter services that can be arranged in advance, available at a minimal cost that can meet you at Departures to assist with your luggage.
Day 2: Moncton, NB
Some possible Moncton activities include: Magnetic Hill, Bore Park and Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. At Magnetic Hill, you will see cars roll uphill. At Bore Park you can see water flow against the current when the tide comes in and at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, you can walk on the tidal flats at low tide then watch where you walked just hours before be covered by the ocean when the tide comes in.
Day 3: Annapolis Royal, NS
Annapolis Royal is a great jumping off point for whale watching or other marine tours in the Bay of Fundy. My clients saw a pod of Orcas while whale watching.
Day 4: Yarmouth, NS
A stopping over point on the way to Halifax. On the way is Lunenburg and Peggy's Cove.
Lunenburg - UNESCO World Heritage Site
Peggy's Cove - Home to Peggy's Point Lighthouse
Day 5/6: Halifax, NS
Some of the many activities to consider are the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Waterfront, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Canadian Museum of Immigration among many more.
Day 7: Sydney, NS
Take the ferry from North Sydney to Channel-Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland & Labrador via the Marine Atlantic ferry (about 6-8 hours)
Day 8: Channel-Port Aux Basques, NL
Day 9/10: Rocky Harbour, NL
Rocky Harbour was the clients' gateway to Gros Morne National Park. On the way from Channel-Port aux Basques, consider stopping at the Tablelands, a “a surreal barren, orange landscape -- the Earth's inner soul: the mantle - exposed to you the way few have seen it” (Government of Canada, 2026) and Cornerbrook. My clients had great things to say about the Ocean View Hotel.
Day 11: Gander, NL
Day 12/13: St. John's, NL
Worth checking out in St. John's: Signal Hill, Battery Lookout, Cabot Tower and Jelly Bean Row and don't forget to get ‘Screeched In’.
The overnight ferry from Argentia, NL to North Sydney, NS is state of the art with many cabins for comfort (book early to get a bed).
Day 14: Sydney, NS
Day 15: Antigonish, NS
Antigonish is a great stepping off point for a trip along the Cabot Trail. It is also host to the oldest continuously running Highland Games held outside of Scotland. Take a short ferry ride from Pictou, NS to Wood Islands, PEI via Northumberland Ferries.
Day 16: Charlottetown, PEI
There are any number of things to do in Prince Edward Island, such as Green Gables Heritage Place, authentic dining, wineries and public gardens to name just a few.
Day 17: Fredericton, NB
Back to Fredericton for the night to head home the next morning. The highlight is travelling over Confederation Bridge from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick.
Day 18: Home from Fredericton