Bar Harbor Travel Forum

we've got 5N, 6D to make trip to Maine and possibly add Boston. Pl. advise:
1. Arrive in Portland Sat. 5th July Should we just drive up north closer to Bar Harbor or spend the night in Portland?
2. Spend 2N in Bar Harbor & Arcadia. Hotels/BB to recc?
3. Leave for Boston on 8th July - stay in cape cod area. What's the driving distance/time from Bar harbor/Portland to here? Any hotel to recc?
4. leave Cape Cod for Albany (stay with friend) on 11th July

Hi all,


My wife and I will be staying in Bar Harbor May 16th - 20th...this will be our first visit there. I realize that it's early in the season so I'm looking for ideas of things to do. We plan on a trolley and boat tour and we hope to check out Atlantic Brewery. From this site I see that Galyn's, Geddy's, and Rosalies are good places to eat. What about nightlife this time of the year?


If anyone has any other ideas or suggestions of places to see or do please let me know.


Thanks in advance,


jeff

We are planning to visit Acadia at the end of may/early june. I've searched all campground websites, but would love suggestions from others. We would prefer the National Park feel - very woodsy, but I notice there are no showers. Would love oceanfront as well, but having a hard time deciding if oceanfront sites are reservable and private enough, without that paved/grass feeling. Thank you!

What is the season for black flies? We'll be there in October.

Thanks.

I need to get from St. John's (Canada) to Bar Harbor. Does anyone know whether there is a bus service connecting them?
Thanks!

When taking the CAT to Nova Scotia from Bar Harbor do I need a passport?

I am trying to find the best and fastest way to get from Bar Harbor, to Saint John Canada, well, actually Fundy NP. I mapped it, and came up with a 5!!! hour trip. Can that be? Which road is the best one to take? How long does the border crossing take?

Thanks

We will be visiting Bar Harbor next October with friends (they will already be there). We will be flying into Bangor to save money (we think). My question is how to get from Bangor to Bar Harbor quickly and cheaply or should we just pay the extra money to fly into Bar Harbor? We really did not want to impose on our friends since they are already inviting us to their place in Bar Harbor. Does anyone know any transportation possibilities?

If you don't have a car, what do you suggest to get up Cadillac Mountain? The free Explorer Buses don't take that road.

We are thinking of renting scooters to see the park, any advice?

My husband,myself and our 18 month old daughter are planning to visit Acadia this summer. We are looking for a nice place to stay which will be close enough to the park for hiking during the day, close to restaurants for dinner and nice so when she goes to bed around 7pm we can enjoy a nice view. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hi All!

I'm very excited because I'm about to propose and want to do it in Maine, and more specifically in Bar Harbor!

My girlfriend loves maine but has never been to bar harbor; i have and want to share this with her and propose to her there!

What are some great places to stay and eat in Bar harbor? What I'm thinking of is staying at Atlantic Oaks and having a nice lobster dinner there on friday night, then going up early saturday morning to cadillac mountain and proposing as the sun rises. I realized it's going to be a bit cold (we're goind oct 20th), but we'll just bundle up!

Any suggestions on what else to see, places to eat, drink, etc. What are good trails to hike up cadillac mountain?

Thanks!!

Peter

On spur of the moment I decided on a short trip to Bar Harbor (my favorite place on earth) with my greyhound. I booked four night in Eden Motel. I know that the leashed dogs are allowed on trails, but what about boat trips, other activities and outdoor places to eat where I can have her along ? I am an older but active woman. Also did I chose a decent motel? It was one of the few that admitted dogs. I will be grateful for any advice. Sophie

Hi all,
Looking to do a 4 day packpacking/hiking trip in Acadia in the beginning of September. Having a difficult time with the planning (i.e. which trails I should hit). If anyone could help me out, I'd greatly appreciate it!
Many thanks,
Tracey

Bar Harbor Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort has some bad reviews online. At $160 per night, is the hotel as run down as I am reading online? Not many other accommodations are available the weekend I am in Bar Harbor.

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Bar Harbor. We travel often, and have both always wanted to visit Maine. We picked Bar Harbor for the simple reason that we wanted somewhere right on the coast with quaint little local bars. Simple pleasures, that's us. LOL. Our goal is to visit small cities or towns where we can get a taste of local small town fun and culture. Is Bar Harbor a right choice for us or does anyone know of another place on the coast that we would enjoy. Also, we would prefer a B&B or small hotel. Any suggestions?

Just booked a week in Bar Harbor (Bar Harbor Motel) for the last week in Sept (23-30th) and could use some advice!

While too early for peak, will there still be some nice fall color that time of year? I expect chilly AMs and evenings but how much layering should I plan for during the day?

We're planning on doing a lot of hiking in Acadia and have a rough idea trail offerings but how hairy (really) is west Beehive? It's listed as a strenuous but see that quite a lot of people have done it. My other half isn't crazy about heights but he's also handled stuff I didn't think he could if it's not a real serious stretch (I don't think Precipice is a good idea for us).

How about recommendations for other fun small towns in the area, or good 1/2 day to several hour-length hikes outside of Acadia? Looking for great out-of-the-way places, and we'll have a car.

Which of the nearby islands are best to ferry to, and which ferries are the best deal? The mail boat to the Cranberrys looked interesting....????

Where do the locals go in the area? Would like to avoid the most touristy of almost anything and eat/drink/play where the natives do. We won't be packing anything but jeans and hiking-type clothing so not big on dress codes.

Have never been to Maine so I'm pretty excited - thanks for any advice you can throw my way!

hi! my boyfriend and i are planning to take a vacation in bar harbor from may 7-12. is it a good idea or it's too cold for water activities like kayaking and fishing? anybody knows if kayaking rentals are open by that time? i'm looking at edgewater cottage for our lodging, any other suggestions for cottages or cabin? thanks!

My husband and I are planning a vacation to Bar Harbor/Acadia in July. We love visiting our national parks and have yet to get to Maine. I am trying to decide on whether to stay at a cottage outside of Bar Harbor or in a hotel outside or close to Bar Harbor to walk to town. I'd really like a bay or ocean view, just to sit back on our down time and enjoy, but I'm also trying to do this trip a little frugal due to recent unexpected expenses. I don't want to cancel my trip, but thought with some suggestions I could find a reasonable balance to fully enjoy the area and make our visit memorable. I'm not a shopper, so our major expenses would be meals (probably only one main meal a day), hotel/cottage, and perhaps a tour. Most cottages have fees imposed if changed or cancelled, so I want to be sure I'm making the right choice. Any suggestions?

I'd like to stay at the Ullikana Inn in Bar Harbor in October, in room 5 specifically. Is the room worth the detached bathroom (it's across the hall from the room). Any help or tips would be great. Otherwise, Audrey's room would be my next pick.

Dear VTer's, I have been researching Bar Harbor and the town looks great. This coming September I am tak8ing a cruise and will stop off in Bar harbor for only 8hrs. What are the must sees that I can do in that short amount of time? Acardia looks great, but what else.

Thanks,
Liz

We'll be in Bar Harbor for a day (9/22) as part of a cruise. Rather than taking the ship's excursions, we are considering taking either Oli's Trolley or the Acadia Tours bus. Has anyone tried either one? Which would you recommend? Thanks.

Does anyone know if there is a name for the mountain that you can see from Main Street in Bar Harbor? (You can see it from the Bar Harbor Grand Hotel.) It is located on the opposite side from the Bar Harbor Marina. Is that Cadallac Mountain?

Thank you!

I'm looking for some pictures of Schooner Head before it was dynamited and desecrated by a pathetic excuse for a mansion. If you've seen any on the internet or know where I can find them, let me know. Thanks!

Can someone recommend a kennel in Bar Harbor? We're staying in a hotel that does not allow pets at the end of July, and would prefer to board the dog closeby instead of at home, so we can take her out for part of the day. I have seen Acadia Woods Kennel mentioned on various web sites. Does anyone know if they're any good? other suggestions? Thanks.

Do a lot of places close down after Labor Day or is it business as usual through September and October?

When I was much younger, we visited Acadia Nat'l Park and Bar Harbor. It was one of my best camping trips ever. I remember we stayed at a campground that had some kind of relation to a dolphin. Maybe it was named Dolphin Campground or something like that, but I remember a dolphin being on the front sign. The campground was right near water, cuz our site was right across the road from the sites that were waterside. The sites were mostly grass, and it accomodated a lot of RV's and trailers. Does anyone know of the place I am referring to, or is my mind just filling in the blanks? Thanks.

We are planning a trip to Bar Harbor for a week from September 10th and are taking our labrador with us.
We have come across some camping sites that accept dogs but also would like to know if there are any inexpensive motels/hotels that accept well-behaved dogs?

Also, are there any beaches that allow dogs to run off the leash?

Any help much appreciated.

Hi,

My hubby and I are making our first trip to Bar Harbor next weekend - Sept 4-6 .. was wondering is it going to be really crowded at that time? We are going to be staying at the Best Western Inn at Bar Harbor.. got a good deal too! Has anyone been to that hotel, if so, how is it?

Also, can you please suggest some places that we can go there? We have never been to Bar Harbor before.

Thank you very much! :o)

My boyfriend and i will be in Bar Harbor area @ aug 19-22. We were planning on going on a whlale watching tour. Are they worth it? Are they too touristy or do you really see whales? Also we will be in the Cape Cod area a few days before that and the whale watching tours there are @ 20 cheaper a person. Is there a reason for the price difference? Are the maine tours alot better or just more expensive because of the area? Any advise will be much appriciated

Thanks sooo much for your help!
Have a great rest of the day:-)

ashley