Travel information and links for the 2022 expedition to Newfoundland & Labrador are provided below. Please be aware that travel to some destinations is remote and takes time. Read carefully.
NOTE: Be sure to be up to date on COVID vaccinations and bring your vaccine card and passport. Ensure your passport is up to date.
Canada Entry: All persons arriving in Canada, whether by boat or airline, must use the ArriveCAN app on their phone, available on both Apple and Android phones. Load the app well ahead of time and be sure to upload your passport information and a photograph of your vaccine card. The day before you travel you should create an ArriveCAN form in the app with details of your travel. Your form will need to be approved before you arrive in Canada. Note that to enter Canada, if you are fully vaccinated, you are not required to test; but, must supply proof of vaccination.
Returning to the US: Currently, the US still requires a negative COVID test certified by a recognized lab. There is a testing facility in the St. John’s airport which requires appointments. Tazzarin can also supply departing crew with a self-administered Antigen Test kit that includes video monitoring of your test by an accredited laboratory. While you test, you are online by video with a test supervisor. Results are then emailed to you within 20 minutes. These tests are accepted for re-entry to the United States.
Time Zones: Time zones in this region of Canada can be a little confusing:
Massachusetts (Boston): Eastern Daylight Time
Nova Scotia (Halifax): Atlantic Daylight Time – 1 hour later than Boston
Newfoundland (St. John’s or St Anthony): Newfoundland Daylight Time – 1 hour 30 minutes later than Boston
Labrador (Makkovik or Hopedale): Atlantic Daylight Time – 1 hour later than Boston
Please be sure when booking flights to use St. John’s, Newfoundland (YYT) and not St. John, New Brunswick; these are very different places.
Travel To/From:
St. John’s, Newfoundland:
Flights: You will fly in or out of St. John’s International Airport (YYT). Most direct options from Boston are on Air Canada with a stop in either Halifax or Montreal. United also has options through Toronto. Total travel is 5-7 hours and can be done in one day on commercial carriers, typically with one stop in between. Round trip tickets run $500 to $550.
The Boat: Tazzarin will be berthed at the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club marina on Conception Bay, about 20 minutes drive from downtown St. John’s. The yacht club has showers and a laundry facility.
Lodging: If you want to spend a few days exploring around St. John’s, you can book a room for a night or two in the city. The following hotels are good options within easy walking distance of downtown St. John’s: Alt Hotel St. John’s; Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland; The Murray Premises Hotel; or the Delta Hotels by Marriott St. John’s. There are many other options as well. Rates are $140 – $170 per night.
St. Anthony, Newfoundland:
Flights: You will fly in or out of St. Anthony Airport (YAY); it will take you two days to travel. The route is with PAL Airlines (Provincial Airlines) with a departure out of St. John’s, Newfoundland. You will have to book one flight between Boston (BOS) and St. John’s (YYT), Newfoundland on a major carrier such as Air Canada. You will then need to book the other segment between St. Anthony (YAY) and St. John’s (YYT) with PAL (Provincial Airlines), about $450 CAD/$360 US. Note that you will need to spend one night at a hotel in St. John’s in route. The airport in St. Anthony is about 50 kilometers from the harbor, about a 40 minute drive. There is a taxi (709-454-3500) and Woodward Motors (709-454-4000) may rent cars in town.
The Boat: Tazzarin will either be anchored in the harbor, or tied at a wharf. Contact the vessel by cell phone for details.
Lodging: If you are traveling to or from St. Anthony, you will need to spend a night in St. John’s. A downtown hotel will allow you to explore the city and busy harbor and provide access to good restaurants. Suggested hotels are: Alt Hotel St. John’s; Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland; The Murray Premises Hotel; or the Delta Hotels by Marriott St. John’s. There are many other options as well. You can, of course, split your trip up and spend a few days in St. John’s. Rates are $140 – $170 per night. If you want to spend a few days in St. Anthony, you can book a hotel room. Options for hotels in St. Anthony include: Grenfell Heritage Hotel & Suites for $140 to $160 per night; Haven Inn for $100 per night; or Hotel North for $130 to $175.
Makkovik or Hopedale, Labrador/Nunatsiavut
Flights: Travel between Boston and either of these two remote Inuit settlements will take you two days and require spending one night in Happy Valley/Goose Bay, Labrador. One leg of your travels will be between Boston (BOS) and Goose Bay (YYR) in Labrador. Your second day of travel will be between Goose Bay (YYR) and either Makkovik (YMN) or Hopedale (YHO). Each day a small plane leaves Happy Valley/Goose Bay and does a circuit stopping in five isolated Inuit communities and returns to Goose Bay. Air service between Boston and Goose Bay (YYR) is available through Air Canada and is about $450 one way with stops in two other Canadian cities with plane changes. Air Borealis provides air service from Goose Bay to Makkovik (YMN) and Hopedale (YHO); one way fares are around $450 CAD/$360 US. The plane is the propellor Twin Otter carrying 19 passengers, the workhorse of the far north. The flight will be over beautiful terrain.
The Boat: Tazzarin will either be anchored in the harbor or tied at the wharf. She will be easily visible in these small towns. Makkovik has about 375 residents and Hopedale has about 575.
Lodging inn Happy Valley/Goose Bay: You can get a room at Hotel North Two (which has Jungle Jim’s restaurant) or Hotel North One (they have two hotels, one with restaurant). Another option is Royal Inn & Suites. Rooms are about $170 Canadian.
Lodging in Makkovik: Hotel Makkovik has five rooms (709-923-2389) or bernice_garett@hotmail.com or hotelmakkovik@hotmail.com for about $165 CAD per night.
Lodging in Hopedale: The 33-room Amaguk Inn in Hopedale has rooms for about $180 CAD and can be reached at (709-933-3750) or amagukinn@gmail.com.