You’ll find our friendly Avis team inside the airport terminal, ready to welcome you and get you started on your car rental journey. If you are flying into Halifax Airport, head for the Avis counter in the baggage claim area. Our rental cars are parked outside the baggage claim area. If you are not arriving as an airline passenger, follow airport signs at the terminal entrance for "Arrivals" or "Baggage Claim". They will lead to the baggage claim area entrance. Head inside to find our Avis office.

Getting into the centre of Halifax from the airport is a 20-mile (34km) drive which depending on traffic and the time you are travelling should take around 30min via the NS 102 and NS 118 highways.

Nova Scotia’s capital city is a maritime delight. Savour the seafood at the various local farmers’ markets and culinary festivals held throughout the year in Halifax, like the Food Festival in February and the Cold-Water Seafood Festival in June. Stroll along the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk or see the gorgeous landscaping at the Public Gardens. Enjoy the Halifax skyline on the Harbour Ferry or take a tour of the original Alexander Keith’s Brewery.

While there is a lot to do in Halifax itself, there are some great road trips to enjoy around Nova Scotia. Head out to picturesque Peggy’s Cove home of the iconic lighthouse at the entrance to St Margaret’s Bay as well as art galleries and seafood restaurants. An hour and 15min away, check out Lunenburg, renowned as one of the most beautiful towns in Canada, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its preservation of local culture in 1995. Just over a 2.5hr drive away, the seaside town of Port Royal National Historic Site, Port Royal is the site of Canada’s first permanent European Settlement, founded in the 1600s by the French.

While Halifax has a good transport system and feels a very walkable city, there is so much to explore beyond the city, we’d say make the most of enjoying the freedom of the open road by hiring a car.

Driving is a good way to get around Halifax. The roads are good and relatively quiet in Nova Scotia with traffic hold-ups relatively rare aside from around the two suspension bridges that span the harbour during rush hour. Be aware that you will be driving on the right-hand side of the road in Canada. If you haven’t driven in Nova Scotia before, its worth familiarising yourself with the road rules in Canada with our driving guide.

Parking in Halifax can be at a premium so if you are staying in hotel or tourist accommodation, we would recommend using their onsite parking for sightseeing in the city.