Twice daily, all year round, ships link North Sydney in Nova Scotia with Channel-Port aux Basques in Newfoundland, and each takes about 7 hours. Marine Atlantic's adult fare comes to $21.92 one way with fuel surcharge and security fee; a car up to 21 feet adds $57.12. Check-in closes two hours before departure.
Marine Atlantic passenger schedule, periods 4 October – 15 December, 16–23 December, 24–26 December and 27–31 December 2026 (published through 30 September 2027), cross-checked against the commercial schedule; checked 9 October 2026 Marine Atlantic – Passenger Ferry Schedule · 2026-10-09
7 hours is the figure Marine Atlantic gives for the crossing between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, and 2 is the number of departures from each port on almost every day of the year: one at 11:45 and one late at night, 23:15 from Nova Scotia and 23:30 from Newfoundland. The pattern holds through the autumn and into winter; the only days in 2026 without a midday boat are 25 and 26 December.
The service is run by Marine Atlantic, a federal Crown corporation, and it is the one Marine Atlantic route that sails all year. Four ships share the work: Blue Puttees, Highlanders, Leif Ericson and the Ala'suinu. Because the boats are large and the crossing is long, the rules look more like an airline's than a river ferry's: bookings paid in full, photo ID for each passenger, and a check-in deadline two hours before departure.
Fares are modest for the distance. An adult pays $21.92 all-in and a car or pickup up to 21 feet adds $57.12, figures that already include the fuel surcharge and, for adults, the security fee.
Marine Atlantic shows each fare in three parts: the base rate, a 13% fuel surcharge, and for passengers aged 13 and over a $1.75 security fee. The table below gives the totals the company prints, which is what you actually pay per person or per vehicle, one way, in Canadian dollars.
The vehicle rate covers the vehicle alone; the driver and every passenger need their own fare. Passenger and vehicle fares carry no HST. Cabins, pods, reserved seats and kennels do: 15% on sailings leaving Newfoundland and Labrador and 14% on those leaving Nova Scotia. Payment is taken in full when you book.
| Adult, 13 to 64 | $ 21.92 |
| Senior, 65 and over | $ 20.11 |
| Child, 5 to 12 | $ 10.17 |
| Child under 5 | Free |
| Car or pickup up to 21 ft | $ 57.12 |
| 21 to 30 ft | $ 86.33 |
| 31 to 40 ft | $ 122.21 |
| 41 to 50 ft | $ 157.92 |
| Motorcycle or ATV | $ 28.93 |
| Motorcycle or ATV with sidecar or trailer | $ 42.54 |
| Bicycle | $ 8.98 |
| Reserved seat | $ 20 |
| Passenger pod | $ 75.50 |
| Two-bed cabin | $ 126.50 |
| Four-bed cabin | $ 139.50 |
| Pet-friendly two-bed cabin | $ 156 |
| Kennel space | $ 16.75 |
Marine Atlantic rates for Port aux Basques – North Sydney, read 9 October 2026; they reflect the federal rate reduction announced on 1 August 2025 Marine Atlantic – Ferry Rates, Port aux Basques, NL – North Sydney, NS · 2026-10-09
The route crosses the Cabot Strait, the gap between Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland where the Gulf of St. Lawrence meets the Atlantic. Both terminals are on the Trans-Canada Highway: in North Sydney the vehicle booths open off it, and in Port aux Basques the terminal's address is on Route 1. Marine Atlantic quotes a sailing time of roughly seven hours and gives no figure in kilometres.
Marine Atlantic's second route, Argentia–North Sydney, operates only from June to September and takes about 16 hours; in 2026 the company advertised it as extended to 29 September. From October until next summer, Port aux Basques is therefore the only Newfoundland port on Marine Atlantic's passenger schedule.
Vehicles enter through four ticket booths beside the Trans-Canada Highway; Marine Atlantic publishes the booth position as N 46° 12' 50" W 60° 14' 49" for satnavs that struggle with the address. Pick-ups, drop-offs and foot passengers use the Prince Street entrance instead.
Inside are ticket and security offices, a lounge, a children's play area, an ATM, vending machines and a viewing terrace upstairs. Downtown North Sydney is a short walk away; to get back into the secure area afterwards you need your photo ID and boarding pass. Dogs have an off-leash park outside.
The Newfoundland terminal is on Route 1, at the south-western tip of the island. Four toll booths mark the entrance; after check-in and payment you get your boarding pass and a lane. Walk-on passengers and taxis take the service lane to the building, and buses use the east side, where baggage is handled.
This is the terminal with a hot meal: the cafeteria serves full meals from 06:30 to 22:30 every day. Upstairs there is a waiting room looking out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence and a public viewing terrace.
Passengers must be checked in at least two hours before sailing or risk losing the booking, cabins included. Marine Atlantic also asks you not to arrive more than four hours early.
Space for a passenger vehicle can be booked until three hours before departure, online, by phone on 1-800-341-7981 or at a terminal, if space remains.
Each passenger aged 5 or over needs one government photo ID, or two government IDs without a photo, matching the name on the booking.
On the 23:15 and 23:30 departures a cabin from $126.50 or a pod at $75.50 (plus HST) turns the crossing into a night's sleep. Pet-friendly cabins exist but are not on every ship.
On 8 October 2026 Marine Atlantic cancelled two restricted sailings because of the weather. Reserved customers are rebooked on the first available sailing and contacted.
Nova Scotia has other ferry gateways. On the Northumberland Strait the Wood Islands ferry from Caribou links Pictou County with Prince Edward Island until 20 December. In Newfoundland itself, the provincial government runs local island services such as the St. Brendan's ferry in Bonavista Bay.
The Marine Atlantic timetable is already published until 30 September 2027. We have not copied the 2027 periods here because the passenger and commercial versions of the schedule disagree on some of those departures.
About seven hours, according to Marine Atlantic. The schedule does not list arrival times, and departure times are in each port's local time.
Every day at 11:45 and 23:30 from Port aux Basques, and at 11:45 and 23:15 from North Sydney. The same times apply until 24 December and again from 27 December.
Only at night. On 25 and 26 December 2026 the single sailing leaves North Sydney at 23:15 and Port aux Basques at 23:30.
No. Marine Atlantic's vehicle rates exclude the driver and passengers. A car up to 21 ft costs $57.12 one way, and each adult adds $21.92.
Not to passenger and vehicle fares. HST is charged on cabins, pods, reserved seating, kennels and onboard purchases: 15% leaving Newfoundland and Labrador, 14% leaving Nova Scotia.
Check-in must be completed at least two hours before the scheduled sailing; after that your reservation, including any cabin, may be cancelled.
Yes, if you book it. Two-bed cabins cost $126.50 and four-bed cabins $139.50 one way, passenger pods $75.50, all plus HST; availability varies by ship.