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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Clarenville
Stop one night on the Trans-Canada between Gander and St. John's, or use it as the last full-service base before the Bonavista Peninsula.
Clarenville is a town of about 6,300 on the Trans-Canada Highway, 190 km from St. John's, at the base of the Bonavista Peninsula. It is a service stop, not a sightseeing destination: fuel, groceries, a hotel bed and a ski hill. Most travellers pass through on the way to Bonavista or Trinity, or break the drive here.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for hiking and coastal driving; Jan–Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr for driving (ice, snow, moose on the highway)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$140–220 excl. bed · High C$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–4 |
| Fish and chips | C$16–24 |
| Chinese buffet dinner | C$20–30 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at a store | C$7–9 / C$2–4 |
| White Hills full-day lift ticket | Adult C$50, youth C$30, under 5 free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YYT · St. John's International
- About 190 km (118 mi) east; the nearest major airport. Rental car or DRL-LR bus onward.About 118 mi (190 km) east; the nearest major airport. Rental car or DRL-LR bus onward.
- YQX · Gander International
- About 2 h west by road; smaller, fewer flights.
Typical fares
- DRL-LR bus, St. John's → Clarenville
- about 2 h 45 min; fare on the DRL-LR site
- Taxi in town
- metered; short hops a few dollars
- Fuel, Clarenville → Bonavista
- about C$15–20 each way
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. The town is a narrow strip between the coastal ridge and the sea, and sights sit along Highway 1 and Marine Drive. Taxis (Clarenville Cabs, Benoit's, Seaview) cover short hops if you have no vehicle. DRL-LR runs a daily bus along the Trans-Canada between Port aux Basques and St. John's, stopping in Clarenville.
See and do
Known for
- Gateway to the Bonavista Peninsula
- White Hills Ski Resort
- Transatlantic cable monument
- Trans-Canada Highway services
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bonavista | Drive Highway 230 and Route 235 down the peninsula | About 1 h 45 min each way |
| Trinity | Drive Highway 230 to Route 239 | About 2 h each way |
| Terra Nova National Park (Port Blandford / Newman Sound area) | Drive west on Highway 1 | About 1 h to the park's eastern side |
| St. John's | Drive Highway 1 east, or DRL-LR bus | About 2 h 30 min by car; 2 h 45 min by bus |
Sleep
- Trans-Canada Highway strip
- Clarenville Inn, Quality Hotel and the Irving diner cluster here; easiest for one night with a car.
- Shoal Harbour / Marine Drive
- Closer to the water and the heritage museum; quieter, still a short drive from the highway.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the gas station? | Where's the gas station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Moose and caribou on the Trans-Canada, especially at dusk and dawn: slow down and scan the shoulder.
- Winter driving: snow, ice and sudden closures on Highway 1; check road conditions before setting out.
- Cell coverage thins on the Bonavista Peninsula beyond Clarenville; download maps offline.
- Fuel and grocery options get sparse east of town: fill up here before the peninsula.
Clarenville is a small, safe town; the real risks are the Trans-Canada Highway (moose, winter ice) and long, dark drives on the peninsula. Keep the tank full and don't drive tired.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Clarenville yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gateway to the Bonavista Peninsula
- White Hills Ski Resort
- Transatlantic cable monument
- Trans-Canada Highway services
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Town of Clarenville: clarenville.ca/
- DRL-LR bus: drl-lr.com/
- Wikivoyage: Clarenville, revision 5237727 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237727
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Clarenville
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Clarenville; the US consulate-general is in Halifax and most embassies are in Ottawa.
English is the everyday language here; Newfoundland English has its own words and a fast, friendly delivery.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/clarenville). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.