The Open Road Travel

A road trip to Prince Edward Island from New York City takes you from the most populous city in the U.S. to the least populous province in Canada.

An 800 mile road trip to Prince Edward Island from New York City takes 13 hours to drive and passes through 6 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces. You’ll see big cities give way to small towns and rural landscapes, as you go from NYC to PEI.

Read on to discover all there is to do on this incredible journey up the east coast of North America.

A road trip from New York City to Prince Edward Island covers a minimum of 800 miles (1,287.5 km) and takes at least 13 hours to drive. However, the best route for a road trip to Prince Edward Island from New York City covers 830 miles (1,335 km) and takes 13 and 1/2 hours to drive.

You will begin by making your way to The Bronx and joining I-87 where it begins. Drive north for 19 miles to Exit 7A, where you’ll join I-287 heading east and follow it to its conclusion in Rye.

Here you will join I-95 and drive north for 440 miles (708 km), to Exit 182A, near Bangor, Maine. You will then join Maine State Route 9 and use it to drive all the way to the Canadian border.

Once you pass into Canada you will be on New Brunswick Route 1 and drive its entire 148.58 mile (239.11 km) length. It will then merge with Trans-Canada Highway 2, near Moncton, New Brunswick, and you’ll follow it around the outside of the city to Exit 15.

Join New Brunswick Route 15 here and drive to Port Elgin, where you can exit onto the Trans-Canada Highway and follow it across the Confederation Bridge, to your destination of Prince Edward Island.

The best time for a road trip to Prince Edward Island from New York City is the months of July and August. This period is when PEI experiences its warmest, driest weather, helping you to avoid the freezing temperatures it experiences throughout much of the year.

Combined with the fact that the whole route from New York City to Prince Edward Island has a pleasant climate at this time of year, it is the perfect window to ensure you enjoy the drive from start to finish.

With a road trip from New York City to Prince Edward Island taking a minimum of 13 hours to drive, most people will want to break the journey up, to make it more enjoyable.

There are plenty of great options to do just that, but the absolute best place to stop on a road trip to Prince Edward Island from New York City is Boston, Massachusetts.

The capital and most populous city in both Massachusetts and New England, Boston is also the 24th most populous city in the United States. It was originally settled in 1630, making it the 6th oldest city in Massachusetts and one of the oldest in the country.

Founded because of its strategic port location, it became a central location in the United States War For Independence. Littered with historic attractions in and around the city, Boston is an ideal stop on the drive for history buffs, while its port is still among the most active in the nation.

With other attractions including famous sports teams and events, like the Boston Marathon, fabled higher education establishments and Irish American culture, and countless bars, restaurants, and entertainment activities, Boston is an incredibly diverse city with plenty to keep you occupied.

Boston Harbor Hotel is an exquisite, 5-star hotel on Rowes Wharf, in the Waterfront district of Downtown Boston. It has won countless awards and provides a perfect combination of style, luxury, incredible views, and easy access to many of Boston’s top attractions.

The rooms are all spacious, lavishly decorated, and boast comfortable furniture, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a Smart TV with Bluetooth audio streaming, an illy coffee machine, and a personalised mini bar. Some rooms also provide views of the water and deluxe rooms include a seating area.

The pet friendly hotel also has an award winning restaurant where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served, all of which can be enjoyed as room service. Facilities like a modern gym, bar, swimming pool, gift shop, concierge service, and private parking then make sure all your needs are catered to.

Moving on to the top attractions on a road trip to Prince Edward Island from New York City, I will now show you all the best things to do and see along your route. This will help you to plan a perfect travel itinerary and ensure you enjoy every second of the drive.

The small town of Sleepy Hollow lies in the Hudson Valley, on the east bank of the Hudson River, and shot to fame as the setting of Washington Irving’s iconic novel “The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow”.

The town boasts countless attractions based around the book, making it a great stop for fans, as well as sights like the cemetery where Washington Irving is buried and stunning, historic buildings,

These, combined with its reputation as one the most haunted settlements in the United States, make Sleepy Hollow a fabulous choice for anyone interested in horror or the supernatural, or those looking for the best place to spend Halloween in the United States.

Providence is the capital and most populous city in the state of Rhode Island and the 3rd most populous in the New England region. Located in Narragansett Bay, on the Providence River, it was originally founded in 1636 by author and minister Roger Williams, making it the state’s 2nd oldest city

One of the original Thirteen Colonies that became the United States, Providence is simply bursting with historic locations like buildings, cemeteries, and parks that history fans will love to explore.

You will also find one of the largest collections of coffee shops in the nation, one of the biggest LGBT communities in New England, and a huge number of art centres, groups, and installations. This ensures there is plenty on offer for people of all tastes and interests.

 Salem is a small city just north of Boston that was established in 1626. One of the oldest permanent settlements in the United States, it features an incredible collection of buildings displaying the iconic architectural styles that are synonymous with New England and the early United States.

Salem is, of course, most famous for the Salem Witch Trials, which occurred in 1692 and 1693. In this period, over 200 locals were accused of witchcraft, with many being tried and a number being hanged for their alleged crimes.

With numerous attractions and historic locations connected to the trials, Salem is a perfect place to take a break from the drive, delve into the dark arts, and explore both the good and bad sides of the early years of the United States.

The city of Portland is home to the largest population in Maine and the 2nd largest seaport in New England. Considered one of the most important cities in the region, both its industry and tourism revolve heavily around its port area.

The Old Port Of Portland district is bursting with historic buildings, nightlife, and ships that can take you out to explore the surrounding waters.

You then also have The Arts District and its amazing collection of galleries, museums, and studios, as well as establishments dedicated to the culture and history of Maine. This combination makes Portland a perfect stop for anyone interested in learning more about the state.

Augusta is the capital city of Maine but, with just 19,000 residents, is the United States’ 3rd least populous capital city, behind only Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota.

However, with the Maine State House and Maine State Museum both located here, it is a perfect stop to learn more about the state of Maine, and a great way to experience how a large government operates outside of the big city.

Even if you aren’t interested in politics, Augusta’s beautiful architecture and attractions like Blaine House, Fort Western, the University Of Maine At Augusta, Viles Arboretum, and the Lithgow Public Library, mean everyone will find something to enjoy here on their way to PEI.

Bangor is the 3rd most populous city in the state of Maine. Nicknamed the “Queen City Of The East” due to its wonderfully natural landscape, it boasts attractions like the 650 acre Bangor City Forest and the 2nd largest garden cemetery in the U.S., Mount Hope Cemetery.

Bangor is also famous for being the hometown of iconic horror writer Stephen King. From his uniquely styled Victorian mansion to over 20 locations featured in his books, it is a perfect stop for his fans. Scenes from the 1989 film “Pet Sematary” were even filmed in Mount Hope Cemetery.

With countless other parks, forests, and historic attractions, as well as opportunities to take part in activities like hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, sailing, skiing, snowmobiling, and hunting, there are plenty of options on offer for everyone.

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park both sit on Mount Desert Island, just off the coast of mainland Maine.

Acadia is the easternmost national park in the lower 48 states and one of the most visited in the U.S. overall. Known for its iconic scenery and viewpoints, historic sites, and a collection of both land and sea wildlife, it is a must visit location for anyone interested in the natural side of New England.

Bar Harbor, meanwhile, is a remote summer colony town that boasts countless historic buildings and tourist attractions. It is a great stop on the drive whether you want to take a trip out to sea, rest up after exploring the park, or simply relax and watch the boats on the water.

Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is a 28,751 acre nature preserve that sits right on the United States – Canada border and is one of the most northerly preserves on the Atlantic Flyway.

Its beautiful landscapes are incredibly diverse and feature bogs, hills, lakes, marshes, outcrops, and streams, as well as a number of forests that are home to an incredible array of different animals and birds. This has helped it to become an incredibly popular destination for hiking and photography.

Beyond the moose the refuge is named after, visitors can see bears, beavers, bobcats, coyotes, deer, foxes, lynx, mink, otters, racoons, chickadees, eagles, grouse, hawks, ospreys, and woodcocks, plus many other migratory birds of prey, gamebirds, shorebirds, songbirds, wading birds, and waterfowl.

Moncton is the most populous city in the province of New Brunswick and is known as the “Hub City”, due to its central location and historical links to both rail and road travel. It is not a common tourist destination, due to its isolated location, but is bursting with attractions.

These include Capitol Theatre, Moncton Museum, Moncton Market, Transportation Discovery Centre, Magnetic Hill, and Magnetic Hill Zoo, among many others. All in all, Moncton is a fabulous place to stop on a road trip before you do the final part of the drive to PEI.

A road trip to Prince Edward Island from New York City is a fabulous journey that takes you from a sprawling city to a more rural region, displaying the diversity on offer in North America. Our guide should give you all you need to plan the perfect travel itinerary when you make the drive yourself.

From the best time to go and which route to use, to the best places to stay and things to see along the way, you have all the ingredients for a dream vacation. All that’s left to do now is start getting things booked, so you can look forward to embarking on your own road trip to PEI.