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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Saint Andrews
St. Andrews by-the-Sea
Give Saint Andrews one full day and one night: walk Water Street, Kingsbrae Garden and the blockhouse, then drive to Ministers Island at low tide.
Saint Andrews is a small Loyalist seaside town of about 1,500 people on Passamaquoddy Bay, in the southwest corner of New Brunswick. The grid of 1783 streets and the wharf take half a day on foot; Kingsbrae Garden, the blockhouse and Ministers Island fill the rest. Most visitors come for one night between Saint John and the US border, or as a slower two-night base for whale-watching and the islands.
- Country
- Canada
- Local name
- St. Andrews by-the-Sea
- Best months
- Jun–Sep; late Sep–Oct for colour and fewer people
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (many businesses closed; Kingsbrae Garden shut mid-Oct to mid-May)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
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$150–240 excl. bed · High C$250+ 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 · RCMP non-emergency 506-529-3311 · NB Tele-Care health line 811
- 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$3–5 |
| Lobster roll | C$18–28 |
| Fish and chips | C$16–24 |
| Draught beer in a pub | C$7–9 |
| Kingsbrae Garden entry | C$20 |
| Huntsman Marine Science Centre entry | C$20 adult |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | C$12–18 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YSJ · Saint John Airport
- About 1 h 15 min by car; the closest airport with scheduled service.
- BGR · Bangor International (Maine, US)
- About 2 h by car; useful for US arrivals crossing at St. Stephen–Calais.
- YHZ · Halifax Stanfield
- About 4 h 30 min by car; the main international gateway for the region.
Typical fares
- Saint John → Saint Andrews, by car
- about 1 h 5 min on Highway 1
- Taxi in town
- C$12–18 for a short hop
- Whale-watching trip from the wharf
- about C$75 per person, 2–3 h
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
Downtown is flat and walkable, with streets meeting at right angles; the wharf, Water Street and Kingsbrae Garden are all within about 15 minutes on foot. For Ministers Island, Katy's Cove, the Huntsman centre and the Chamcook area you need a car or a taxi. There is no town bus service; check whether your accommodation runs a shuttle.
See and do
Known for
- Loyalist street grid and 19th-century houses
- Kingsbrae Garden
- Ministers Island at low tide
- Whale-watching on Passamaquoddy Bay
- The Algonquin Resort
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ministers Island | Drive or taxi about 10 min from the wharf, then cross the bar at low tide | About 30 min plus 2–3 h on the island |
| St. Stephen and the US border | Drive Highway 1 east, about 30 min | About 30 min |
| Saint John | Drive Highway 1 east, about 1 h 5 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Campobello Island | Drive to St. Stephen then Route 1 to the Roosevelt Campobello bridge | About 1 h 30 min |
| Grand Manan Island | Drive to Blacks Harbour, then the ferry | About 2 h 30 min |
| Fundy-St. Martins | Drive Highway 1 east, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 45 min |
Sleep
- Water Street and the wharf
- Inns, pubs and restaurants within a 5-minute walk; best for one night without a car.
- King Street and Adolphus Street
- Kingsbrae Garden and the Algonquin Resort; quieter, 10–15 min on foot from the wharf.
- Highway 1 and Route 127 approach
- Motels with parking; you need a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you / Merci |
| Where is the wharf? | Where is the wharf? |
| Is it open today? | Is it open today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| What time is low tide? | What time is low tide? |
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
- Ministers Island is reached by driving across the ocean floor at low tide only: check the tide table for the day and do not start across once the water returns.
- Many restaurants, inns and the garden close from mid-October to mid-May; in winter the town is very quiet.
- Cell coverage is fine in town but patchy on the coastal roads toward Chamcook and the border.
- Summer weekends and the Algonquin fill early; book beds and dinner ahead in July and August.
Saint Andrews is a small, low-crime town and feels safe on foot at night. The real risks are the Fundy tides, cold water, fog on Highway 1 and the lack of any service after dark outside the centre.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint Andrews yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Loyalist street grid and 19th-century houses
- Kingsbrae Garden
- Ministers Island at low tide
- Whale-watching on Passamaquoddy Bay
- The Algonquin Resort
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism New Brunswick — Saint Andrews: tourismnewbrunswick.ca/
- Kingsbrae Garden: www.kingsbraegarden.com
- Huntsman Marine Science Centre: www.huntsmanmarine.ca
- Wikivoyage: Saint Andrews (New Brunswick), revision 5300836 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5300836
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint AndrewsSt. Andrews by-the-Sea
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- RCMP non-emergency506-529-3311
- NB Tele-Care health line811
No embassies in Saint Andrews; the US consulate is in Halifax and most other countries keep embassies in Ottawa.
Tipping is expected: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-andrews-new-brunswick). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.