northern tier - how to start in bar harbor

[pascale]

hello everyone
My bf and I are planning on crossing the US coast to coast in summer 2015. So far we think about doing the northern tier route. Since we live in Switzerland and need to get ourselfs and the bikes to the US first I wanted to ask what the best way would be to start the tour in bar harbor like the map says? Thanks

[John Nelson]

Bar Harbor is a tough place to get to via public transportation. What I did (in reverse) is to fly into Bangor, Maine and take the shuttle to Bar Harbor (check to make sure the shuttle can accommodate your bikes). You can also fly directly into the small airport just outside Bar Harbor (in Trenton), but that's expensive and I don't know if there would be room on those tiny planes for the bikes. Even flying into Bangor isn't cheap. If you're not adverse to riding there, you could fly into a larger airport like Portland, Maine, or Boston. Actually, you could fly into almost any place along the Atlantic coast and take the ACA Atlantic Coast route up to Bar Harbor if you have the time.

[pascale]

Thanks for the answer! Since flying in from Switzerland we might try flying direct into Boston and then maybe rent a car, drive up to bar harbor and return the car there. We might need a few days to adjust, get over possible jetlag and get everything ready to start the trip in bar harbor! For sure not the easiest place to start but if somehow possible I'd love to start there. Thanks, many more questions to follow PS: I searched through the forum for general discussion about the northern tier route, basically only found posts about selling maps and/or route alerts. Where can I find posts about doing the trip in general, pros/cons, what to think about when starting to plan this route etc? thank you

[jamawani]

Go to crazyguyonabike - -
There are a couple of hundred diaries on the Northern Tier
Plus lots of forum discussion.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com

May is generally early for northern New England.
Can be chilly, rainy, and dreary.

[John Nelson]

I agree with jamawani. Crazyguyonabike is definitely the best place to get first-person accounts of riding the Northern Tier. As of right now, there are 506 Northern Tier journals (one of which is mine). I think your idea of flying to Boston and getting a one-way car rental is an excellent way to get to Bar Harbor.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/categories/?o=Sh&category_id=83&doctype=journal

I know you didn't ask this question, but I would recommend that you consider the TransAmerica Trail instead of the Northern Tier. I've done both, and they are both good, but I think the TransAmerica Trail is better, especially if this is your first tour in the U.S. If you stay with the Northern Tier, you can spend most of your trip looking forward to Glacier National Park, clearly the highlight of the Northern Tier. The Cascades are pretty wonderful too. I also recommend spending a night or two in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota

[mdxix]

Renting a car one way is a good idea given bicycles & gear you will be hauling.

Alternatively, public transport is readily available from Boston airport to Bar Harbor:

• Airport to Bangor: take the Concord Coach Lines bus
• Bangor to Bar Harbor: take the Bar Harbor shuttle bus

[DaveB]

If you do decide to rent a one-way car be sure to check with the rental company about drop-off charges as these can be very high.  Contact several rental agencies to find the best deal. 

Several years ago we rented a car in San Francisco and dropped it off in Seattle.  Before the trip I contacted a bunch of rental companies and got quotes varying from; "we don't rent one-way" to a $400 drop-off charge to no drop-off charge at all.  Guess which car we rented? So be sure what you are getting before you rent.

[indyfabz]

Hertz rents oner way from Boston Logan Airport to Hancock County Airport, which is between Ellsworth and Bar Harbor. I priced a mid-sized SUV for May 19th and got a total rate of about $175 not including any coverages you might want. The next size up, which you might need for two people and two bikes and gear, up was about $250. This is based on age 25 or older. If there is no public transit from the airport, you could drop your gear, drive to the airport with the bikes and then ride back to Bar Harbor. Distance is about 22 miles.

The closest Avis gets to Bar Harbor is Bangor, ME.

[BikeFreak]

Summer 2000 I did the Northern Tier going East to West. I decided to go to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and bicycle the approx. 700 km from Halifax airport connecting with the Northern Tier just North of Bar Harbor. I never regret that choice and would do it again. You have direct flights from Europe to Halifax with Air Canada. The airport is 30 to 50 km NW of Halifax, it is a small airport and you are in the middle of nature within 500 meters of biking. It is very stressless. Approx 10 km from the airport you have Laurie Provincial Park where you can camp. In terms of hills, the 700 km from Halifax to Bar Harbor is not very demanding - most parts are flat or gently rolling, however as you enter US at Calais it becomes hillier. I stayed mostly on the Transcanada Highway which is a large 2x2 lane highway with very wide shoulders and low traffic.

Comment: When I did the Transamerica going East to West I arrived at Washington Dulles and started biking. All the hassle with domestic flights, rental cars, greyhound, amtrak etc is just too complicated.

PS: I am from Denmark, Europe.

PPS: As far as I know people usually dont have jetlag going from Europe to USA ... only the other way around. I for instance started biking right away and did not need time to adjust.

Lucas

[DaveB]

PPS: As far as I know people usually dont have jetlag going from Europe to USA ... only the other way around. I for instance started biking right away and did not need time to adjust.

Don't count on this.  Europe to the USA makes for a loooong day. If your flight leaves Europe at a typical 11:00AM CET, it will arrive at most East coast USA airports about 1:00 PM EST (8 hour flight  minus 6 hours time difference) so your day will be long and you will be ready for bed about normal dinner time here.  It's not necessarily a major problem but you will most likely take a couple of days to adjust.

[jcostanz]

One detail you might want to check into if you are doing the norther tier route is any documents that you might need to cross into Canada and back into the US near Buffalo, NY as you are from overseas.  I have given directions to avoid going thru Canada on this short section, the Canadian route is shorter than staying in the US and is much nicer scenery but avoids any issues with crossing the border twice in 1 day for overseas travelers.

[jamawani]

It's not Canada - it's those Canadians.
They are a wild and crazy bunch.

[indyfabz]

I recommend both Canadian portions of the route if it's not too much trouble crossing the border. Niagara Falls, ON was fun. We stayed two nights at the Rainbow Hostel in the old downtown area of the city and took a guided bus tour to places many tourists who come for the falls don't visit. Out west, the towne campsite of Waterton Village, AB is along the lake with a dramatic view of the mountains. It's another nice place for a day off. There is a popular boat ride/hike combination you can take if you like. The route back into Montana via Chief Mountain Highway is very nice, albeit difficult.

[PeteJack]

Don't know if this has been suggested yet. I flew into Bangor and rented a car at the airport, took my bike and panniers to a motel in Bar Harbor where I was staying the night, left them there, drove the car back to the airport to return it and caught the airport shuttle to BH. Quite simple really. I booked car, plane and motel with Expedia and saved a fortune. Make sure you rent a hatch back car that you can shove your bikes into.

Living in Switzerland you are presumably familiar with hills which makes the flat bit in the middle of the NT a different experience. Coming from the North of England and having lived in Seattle for many years I find the prairies are quite a nice change. To ride down a road that disappears to a point on the horizon especially if you ave a tail wind is never to be forgotten. I love it.

AND there is no right way to go, EW or WE. 2 years ago I was told by people in e.g. Ohio I was going the wrong way for the prevailing winds. I wasn't, eventually getting pushed across ND and MT. As best I can make out the NT is a coin toss with the winds unlike the TA where south westerlies prevail on the prairie (I think)