Stu-pot

We're planning a family research trip to Belleville (Ontario) and Prince Edward County in May/June this year as this is where we think we might like to live! Please can anyone recommend any decent hotels or b&b's for us? Thanks!

iaink

Rent a cottage on the county near Sandbanks/ West Lake

http://www.pec.on.ca/pec_yellowpages...p3?category=45


If its your family coming it will be more cost effective to self cater (and more informative wrt cost of groceries etc), and they can dog off at the beach while you do all the work. June would be better than May from a beach perspective.

My brother stayed at west lake for a couple of weeks when they visited in 05..Im trying to remember the name of the place..it was OK and not too expensive considering. It was basically a house away from home for a week or two.

TBH none of the Belleville hotels set the pulse racing. The Ramada at least has a pool with a waterslide and nice views of the bay of quinte, and although its set adjacent to one of the nicer parks, its a 5 or ten minute walk into the downtown core along HWY2 if you want to shop or eat somewhere other than the hotel. Its where I was put up at the recruiting interview stage of coming here and was nice enough.

The Comfort inn and Suites has efficiency units, so you can cook in your suite, it was where I stayed when I arrived and is smack downtown. I went a bit stir crazy though and couldnt wait to get out. As you can see, after I had signed on they no longer felt they had to impress me

Best Western is like every other best western on the planet, has a pool but no slide or views). Brother stayed there one time too Its next to the main drag and was noisy as I recall. Its convenient for the mall and closeish to one of the other parks. The Marriot Courtyard or whatever it has been re-branded as is next door...bit close to the 401 for my taste. Both those are the 401 end of town, near the mall.

There is a new Holiday Inn Express about half way out of the downtown. Built new last year. Don't know much about it. Its convenient for Pizza Hut I suppose

Trenton is no better, the Days Inn has a boring pool, and is not close to downtown, The Holiday inn is right next to the 401 out of town and is being renovated, and there are a few other motels including one with efficiency suits (Econosuites or something?) close to the airbase that presumably accommodate new military personnel mostly.

There are other (motels) around, and a few B&Bs in the more residential part of Belleville (one near the rose garden sticks in my mind), but if it was me I would find a cottage to rent. If there is something specific you have in mind feel free to run it past me. I haven't covered picton as I dont know it all that well.

HTH

Stu-pot

Thanks iaink,
Wife has looked at some waterfront cottages on Prince Edward County that seemed reasonabley priced, might book one of those for a couple of weeks. I don't suppose you know what the commute is like from PE (Ameliasburg) to Belleville, i'm guessing it would be busy

Stu-pot

carolinedraper

Hi I agree with Iaink.

Nothing really more to add, other than you will love it.

We have been in Canada for 2 years and have now bought a farm on PEC. We are moving in next month, now just got to sell the house we have in NS!!!!!

Co-Writer

We stayed in a great B&B on PEC, it was a huge place with an interesting history, they guy who owns it is a bit of a wag, and likes to tell about the hall, the bedrooms are huge the bathroom is just ridiculous, but we enjoyed our night there just for the fun of it. Here is the link.

http://www.asenseofplace.ca/tara.htm

Also we always try to have a meal at Angelines when we go to see our Aunt over in Kingston, we stop back on PEC on the way back and I would reccomend Angelines as great food. Link belo

433 Main St.
Loyalist Parkway
Bloomfield
[email protected]
For dinner or room reservations
Phone/Fax: 613-393-3301

phodgson

From Bloomfield to Belleville is about 30 minutes commute.
Slight delays on the Bay Bridge between 8 & 9 am 4 & 5 pm but nothing like you
would see in a big city. "The County" is a great place to live, but so is Belleville and there are more places to shop and work.

Canada Jane

We stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Belleville on our fact finding trip for two weeks and again for a month once we landed. It is a very nice hotel and the staff are helpful. They serve a free breakfast of waffles, cereals, toast etc but is only over the road from Denny's who serve lots of different breakfasts. Also has a nice indoor pool.

Can definitely recommend this hotel, also if you are staying for any length of time try to get a suite as you get a separate bedroom and sleeping area as well as a microwave and tea making etc. When you book ask for a quiet room and you will get an internal room away from the 401 and you will not hear the road noise.

Have also stayed a couple of nights at the Best Western next door. This was roughly the same price as the Fairfield but not nearly as nice.

Jane

iaink

Ameliasburg is probably about 15-20 minutes...not far at all, and maybe 5 mins more to to Trenton, the other larger town around here. By UK standards traffic is light, the bridge can be a bottleneck, but its nothing too bad. Recently high winds blew a truck over on the bay bridge and everything stopped for hours as they closed one of the other bridges too as a precaution cos of the wind. Thats unlikely to be a problem in the summer.....Ameliasburg isnt on the (big) lake by the way

The county is OK to live in, although I prefer my area more. Right now the county is suffering from its Achilles heel...it sticks out into the lake and gets a ton of snow as a consequence. But as a base for a recie that might be a nice break for the family its a good bet. North of the Bay is not as touristy, so fewer cottage options unless you head up towards the lakes around Tweed, but its where most folks live I guess....

Dont wait too long to book as people are starting to think about summer hols, and the choice locations will book early.


PS. The Fairfield Inn was the one I was wrongly fingering as a marriot somethingelse...Its OK...just not very inspiring. It used to be a Days Inn before remodelling and rebranding.

Stu-pot

Thanks Iaink, didn't make that one to clear, OH has seen a house she likes in Ameliasburg hence my asking how long the travel time is from there

iaink

Only one

MLS makes for a nice candy store. The reality on the ground can be somewhat different, so tell her not to get too excited

For a half hours drive/ 45min drive to Belleville you are probably alright anywhere on the county...maybe not all the way down to Long Point, but to Picton anyway, and north up to Hwy7. Brighton to Napanee covers about 30mins east/ west of Belleville. Campbellford is about 45 mins I guess..I know people who commute that regularly.

Really traffic is a bit of a doddle compared to the UK. I live near the charming village of Stirling, and my drive to work is 20mins, 25 tops...at least untill they start to widen Hwy62 in the coming year or two.