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Major city · Canada

Gander

Give Gander one night on a Trans-Canada Highway run: the aviation museum and the Come From Away story fill a half-day, not two.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Sep
avoid Nov–Apr (cold, snow, short days)
Airport
YQX
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Gander is a small town on the Trans-Canada Highway in Central Newfoundland, 330 km west of St. John's, built around an airport that once refuelled almost every trans-Atlantic flight. Its draw is aviation history and the September 11, 2001 story, not scenery. Most travellers pass through in a car or on the DRL bus and stay a single night.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Gander, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeC$2–4 (≈ US$2–3)
  • BeerBeer: draught in a bar / can at the storeC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7) / C$2–4 (≈ US$2–3)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$20–40 (≈ US$15–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry, adultC$8 (≈ US$6)
  • Budget bedRV or trailer site, a night, per roomC$23 (≈ US$17)
  • Mid-range bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomC$160 (≈ US$120)
  • High-end bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomC$260 (≈ US$190)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$160 (≈ US$120) · High C$280 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Gander International Airport (YQX)North Atlantic Aviation MuseumCome From Away storyFestival of Flight
Airports
YQX Gander International Airport (About 5 km from the town centre; rental cars on site.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Gander: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−3°C

−12°C

14 rd

Feb

−3°C

−13°C

12 rd

Mar

1°C

−8°C

13 rd

Apr

6°C

−3°C

12 rd

May

12°C

2°C

13 rd

Jun

17°C

6°C

12 rd

Jul

21°C

11°C

12 rd

Aug

21°C

11°C

12 rd

Sep

16°C

7°C

13 rd

Oct

10°C

3°C

14 rd

Nov

4°C

−2°C

14 rd

Dec

−1°C

−8°C

15 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The town is spread out and the highway runs through it, so a car is the practical choice; Budget, National, Thrifty and Rent-a-Wreck have desks at the airport. Without a car, taxis (Busy Bee, M&S Limousine) cover short hops. The DRL-LR bus stops in town on its Port aux Basques–St. John's route.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Twillingate

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Drive north on Route 340, about 1 h 30 min

Icebergs and fishing-village museums; better as an overnight in season.

Boyd's Cove (Beothuk Interpretation Centre)

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive north on Route 340, about 70 km

Small centre on the Beothuk; pair it with Twillingate.

Terra Nova National Park

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive east on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 88 km

Coastal trails and camping; a full day if you hike.

Lewisporte

caution

Door to door: About 40 min

Drive north on Route 341, about 45 km

Ferry base for Labrador outports; little to see in town itself.

Grand Falls-Windsor

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Drive west on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 1 h 45 min by bus

Service town; a stop on the way west, not a destination.

Glovertown

caution

Door to door: About 45 min

Drive east on the Trans-Canada Highway

Small marina stop on the way to Terra Nova.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Airport Boulevard and Bennett Drive

Most hotels, both malls and the grocery store sit within a few minutes' drive of each other.

Trans-Canada Highway strip

Motels and the Albatross on the highway edge; convenient if you arrive late by car.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
C$90–140 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
C$150–230 (≈ US$110–170) excl. bed
High
C$250 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or hotel double room1 × 1 night × C$160C$160
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × C$160C$320
Rental car, one day1 × C$70 · checkC$70
North Atlantic Aviation Museum, adult2 × C$8C$16
Beyond Words tour, per person2 × C$99C$198
eSIM, about a week of data2 × C$25C$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$81
Trip total≈ C$448 per person per day, bed includedC$895≈ US$650

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; sales tax added at checkout. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeC$2–4 (≈ US$2–3)
Fish and chipsC$9–15 (≈ US$7–11)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at the storeC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7) / C$2–4 (≈ US$2–3)
Golf, 18 holes at Gander Golf ClubC$50–55 (≈ US$40)
Museum entry, adultC$8 (≈ US$6)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$20–40 (≈ US$15–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Gander is a low-crime small town and safe to walk by day; the real risks are winter driving on the Trans-Canada Highway, moose on the road at dusk, and long gaps between services outside town.
  • Distances between sights are driving distances: the aviation museum, the malls and Little Harbour are not walkable from one another.
  • Winter travel is weather-dependent; highway closures and flight delays happen.
  • Book the Beyond Words tour ahead: it runs on set dates and takes a group.
  • Cell coverage thins on the highway outside town.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

GanderGander

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Gander; the US consulate-general is in Halifax and most embassies are in Ottawa.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi, town centre to airport: about C$15–20 (≈ US$11–15) (check)
  • DRL bus, Gander to St. John's: about 5 h 15 min (check)
  • Rental car, one day: from about C$70 (≈ US$55) (check)

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Where is the airport? — Where is the airport?
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where is the toilet? — Where is the toilet?

English is the working language; Newfoundland English has its own accent and slang.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Gander. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep · avoid Nov–Apr (cold, snow, short days) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for YQX: taxi and rental-car desks field-checked, late-arrival rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Airport Boulevard and Bennett Drive, the highway strip, Little Harbour.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (North Atlantic Aviation Museum, Beyond Words tour) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and fog-delay fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources