July trip

We are planning to visit Acadia in July. Would you recommend staying for one week in Bar Harbour or less days and adding a few days elsewhere. We have never been to Maine and will probably fly into Portland. Is the ferry to Nova Scotia a car ferry? Would a few days there be do-able? I have been looking at the forum and the Holland Inn B%26amp;B looks like a nice place to stay. Any other recommendations are welcome. Thanks!

July trip

We usually stay in Bar Harbor for two weeks. That gives us a chance to expirament with different types of hikes, find the quietest beaches, eat to our hearts content, gold at beautiful Kebo, and endlessly wander around the beautiful little town. We can%26#39;t get enought of it.

We%26#39;ve done the Nova Scotia ferry and didn%26#39;t find it to our liking.

July trip

As you already have seen, there are those---many, in fact---who find a week not enough time to spend exploring all of the options in Acadia and on the rest of the island.

The Nova Scotia ferry is a car ferry. In my view, to really appreciate Nova Scotia, you need to devote one trip entirely to the province. Most of the interesting and beautiful areas are well away from the ferry landing. The day trip on the ferry is not worth the money, unless you like fast boats and slot machines.

Whether to stay a couple of days or a week is going to depend on what you like to do. We%26#39;ve been visiting Bar Harbor pretty much annually since 1999. Of late we have been staying a week and this year we will be pushing two weeks. But these days, we like to hike. I enjoy outdoor/nature photography. Stuff like that fills the time. Acadia is beautiful.

But back in %26#39;99 and %26#39;00, we weren%26#39;t into hiking or photography. We drove around Acadia. Took a run over to Bass Harbot lighthouse. Walked the streets of the small village. Went into every store two or three times. And had had enough in three days. So we would move on to another area.

But once you discover the wonders of Acadia and you enjoy the outdoor, a week will only whet the appetite.

Oh, and despite what was said above, Acadia and Bar Harbor are NOT a beach lover%26#39;s parardise. There is one ';nice'; beach - Sand Beach in Acadia. The rest are, if anything, tiny and rocky.

Welcome to the forum.....we were in Bar Harbor about 3 years ago. We were only there about three days, and it rained the entire time. I think it%26#39;s beautiful. My joke is ';I%26#39;ve been to Maine, but I haven%26#39;t really seen Maine';. It was really raniny and foggy!! Anyway I would recommend at least 4-5 days if you are into hiking, biking, and outdoor activities. I guesss that you will have a car, so that you can explore the entire island. We stayed at the Holland Inn, and it was wonderful. I was looking at the reviews on TA, and it looks like Erin is still an excellent cook/hostess. I highly recommend this B%26amp;B.

I don%26#39;t know how long you have, but if you want to combine this with another beautiful area, then I would recommend the one day drive to the border of Maine and NH and spend some time in the White Mountains.

Good luck with your travel plans.

Thanks for all the info. I think we will book for a week after all the good comments. Hopefully we will get some good weather days for hiking. Can%26#39;t wait!

We stayed a week and I could have stayed another week. It%26#39;s so amazing up there. So much to do or not do. I was happy some days sipping coffee %26amp; reading a book on the deck of our cottage until noon and watching the lobster boat go in and out of the harbor. I%26#39;d say you have to stay at least 4-5 days.

If you really want to do a day or two somewhere else, look into the Ogunquit, Wells area. tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i19191-South_Co…

I recently posted a travel list on Trip Advisor for this area. It%26#39;s just south of Portland. You could add it into your trip before or after Bar Harbor.

Enjoy Maine! It%26#39;s an amazing state!

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