iles de la madeleine, QC

[nyx]

I'm planning on going to Iles de la Madeleine sometime this summer.

Any suggestions/advice from anyone who been there before?
What would be best weather wise month to go?
What's the gas station situation up north? My tank only does 200km.

And any tips about the ferry, or route suggestions to and from.

Briefly: about 1 week trip but will have extra days though, stopping Quebec city as never been there before, heading back through the States (maine, vermont, and the Adirondacks again).

And yes I will be packing rain/cold/hot weather gear. Most things in ziplock plastic bags
As well, I know nova scotia is very close to the madeleines, so haven't ruled it out yet with the extra days avaliable.

Thanks in advance!

 

[fearlessbob]

Been there a few times in the 80s. Going the Quebec route, take hwy 20 East until it veers right towards Edmunston, then follow the Trans-Canada hwy thru NB (Fredericton, Moncton) all the way to the Confederation bridge onto PEI. Make your way to the eastern tip of PEI to Souris, where the ferry to Magdelen Islands starts from. Ferry ride used to be around 5 hours IIRC, left Souris at 8AM, check the current schedule, they probably have a website. We used to travel at night, leaving Montreal around dinner time and get to Souris around 6-7AM the next morning. No heat, no traffic.

Unless you're a windsurfer (reason why I went there), there isn't much to do there, but this also implies it's usually fairly windy. The place is a big sand dune in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Upside is endless beaches and quiet surroundings. I rented various cottages for a week over the years, by the beaches there. I'd do August, as it is when the sea water is at its warmest (still on the nippy side though).

On the gas situation, there used to be a stretch between Edmunston and Fredericton where there were only fir trees for what seemed like hours. Dunno about what it is now. Study Google map to identify gas stations along the way.

Obviously, great seafood restaurants. My most vivid memory is that the islands had the best cheese cake ever, in most restaurant, light and fluffy.

In the 80s, I don't recall any English speakers there, not sure about how it is now. A little French would be certainly useful.

For the trip back, cutting thru the US northern states will be a shorter route but not necessarily faster as it is mostly side roads as opposed to highways.

Hope this helps!