In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Lubec
Lubec, Maine
Go for 1–2 nights between late May and mid-October: West Quoddy Head, Quoddy Head State Park and Campobello Island need a car and a full day.
Lubec is the easternmost town in the United States, on a peninsula at the mouth of Cobscook Bay, reached by Maine State Route 189 off US Route 1. There is no public transport and no town centre grid: you drive between the village, the lighthouse and the state park. The reason to come is coastal walking, birding on the mudflats and the border crossing to Campobello Island in Canada, which needs a passport. Two nights covers it; one night is thin if you want the park and the island.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Lubec, Maine
- Best months
- Late May–mid-October
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (many businesses closed, ice and snow)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $140–220 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Maine State Police (non-emergency) 1-800-452-4664 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a pastry | $4–8 |
| Lobster roll | $20–32 |
| Fried haddock or fish and chips plate | $16–26 |
| Draft beer in a pub | $6–9 |
| Gallon of fuel | $3.20–3.80 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BGR · Bangor International Airport
- About 2 h 15 min by car via I-95, I-395 and US 1; the usual arrival airport for this coast.
- BHB · Hancock County–Bar Harbor Airport
- Smaller, few airlines; about 1 h 45 min by car. Check seasonal service before booking.
Typical fares
- Fuel, Machias → Lubec and back
- about $12–18 (check)
- Quoddy Head State Park day-use fee
- about $6 per vehicle (check)
- Rental car, per day
- $55–140 depending on season (check)
Get around
A car is effectively required: sights are 5–15 min apart on rural roads with no bus service. Fill the tank in Machias or Whiting before the final stretch; fuel and food options thin out after Ellsworth. Watch for moose and deer at dusk on US 1 and SR 189.
See and do
Known for
- West Quoddy Head Light, the easternmost point in the US
- Quoddy Head State Park trails
- Roosevelt Campobello International Park across the border
- Shorebird and migratory-bird watching on the South Lubec sand bar
- Cobscook Bay tides and the McCurdy Smokehouse complex
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Campobello Island, New Brunswick | Drive SR 189 over the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge; border crossing on the island | 20–30 min from Lubec village |
| Eastport | Drive US 1 and SR 190 north around Cobscook Bay | About 45 min |
| Machias | Drive SR 189 to US 1 west | About 45 min |
| Calais | Drive US 1 north | About 1 h 15 min |
| Jonesport | Drive US 1 south-west then SR 187 | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Lubec village (Main St and Water St)
- Walkable to restaurants, the historical society and the waterfront; inns and B&Bs, mostly small.
- County Rd and Route 189 approach
- Motels and rentals with parking, a short drive from the village; best if you arrive late.
- South Lubec Rd
- Closest to the sand bar and the lighthouse road; cottages and rentals, very quiet.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the border crossing? | Where is the border crossing? |
| Is this road open in winter? | Is this road open in winter? |
| Do you take cards? | Do you take cards? |
| I have a reservation under… | I have a reservation under… |
| How far to the lighthouse? | How far to the lighthouse? |
| Is there fuel nearby? | Is there fuel nearby? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No public transport; without a car you are limited to the village.
- Many restaurants, galleries and inns close from late October to May: check before booking a winter trip.
- Campobello Island is in Canada: bring a passport or equivalent and expect a border stop both ways.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the outer roads and in the state park.
- Tides in Cobscook Bay are extreme; mudflats are not walkable at low water without local knowledge.
Very low crime; the real risks are driving distances on dark rural roads, fog, moose at dusk and cold water. Tell someone your route if you hike the park's coastal trails.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lubec yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- West Quoddy Head Light, the easternmost point in the US
- Quoddy Head State Park trails
- Roosevelt Campobello International Park across the border
- Shorebird and migratory-bird watching on the South Lubec sand bar
- Cobscook Bay tides and the McCurdy Smokehouse complex
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Lubec Maine (local tourism): www.visitlubecmaine.com/
- Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands — Quoddy Head State Park: www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/
- National Park Service — Roosevelt Campobello International Park: www.nps.gov/roca/
- Bangor International Airport: www.flybangor.com/
- Wikivoyage: Lubec, revision 5238943 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5238943
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
LubecLubec, Maine
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Maine State Police (non-emergency)1-800-452-4664
- Poison Control1-800-222-1222
No consulates in Lubec. Nearest consular help: Canada has a consulate in Boston; other countries: embassies in Washington, DC.
Print this card; cell coverage is patchy on the outer roads.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lubec). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.