Driving to Saint John is usually not a hassle, unlike many other cities. However, during recent years, traffic has been steadily increasing. And for travellers driving from Fredericton to Saint John on Highway 7, care is required because of the risk of moose collisions at certain times of year and certain times of the day.
Saint John is only 107 km 66 miles from the Calais/St. Stephen border between Canada and the United States of America. Driving distances from major cities are 496 km 310 miles from Portland, Maine, 940 km 588 miles from Montreal, Québec and 424 km 265 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
For residents of western Nova Scotia planning to visit Saint John, your best bet is the ferry from Digby. There are three crossings daily from mid June to mid October, these take two and a half hours on average. During the rest of the year there is at least one crossing daily and they usually take two hour and forty-five minutes.
There are eleven car rental dealerships in the city including an Avis Rent A Car at the Saint John Airport.
Saint John Airport IATA: YSJ is served several times daily by flights from Montreal, Toronto, Fredericton, and Halifax. Bus service with Acadian Bus Lines deposits travellers at 199 Chesley Drive (http://maps.google.ca/map...) just a short walk uptown along the Harbour Passage paved walking trail. Train service is not available to Saint John directly, but is available to the nearby city of Moncton, where travellers can then make the two hour SMT bus ride into Saint John.
Saint John also boasts a booming cruise ship industry and has cruise ships enter the city's dock on a regular basis.
Saint John's Market Wharf also provides a convenient if unserviced space within the harbour for pleasure boaters, making it easy for power or sail vessels coming in from the Fundy to berth and enjoy the Uptown shopping or dining. Longer term moorage is not available in the harbour, although it is available several miles up the Saint John River. Unfortunately, there are no fuel or marine services at the wharf, and the wharf is used by local fishing boats as well as pleasure craft.
