Moncton On a Budget
Moncton is the largest city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Located in the Petitcodiac River Valley with access to the Bay of Fundy, and, by extension, the Atlantic Ocean, Moncton is also at the geographic center of Canada's Maritime Provinces. Today, the city's most famous attraction is Magnetic Hill, though there are also plenty of parks, museums, galleries, theatres, and other venues for entertainment.Sights
Moncton's major tourist draw is Magnetic Hill and all attractions associated with it. The fee is $5 per car entry to experience an optical illusion, during which the local topography gives the impression that you are going uphill when in fact you are going downhill. The complex includes the Magnetic Hill Zoo, a nationally accredited and award-winning zoo with over 400 animals displayed in themed exhibit areas with educational programs, as well as Magic Mountain, the largest water park in Atlantic Canada, featuring water slides, a lazy river, wave pool, children’s splash pool, and a mini-golf course. Magnetic Hill Concert Site and Magnetic Hill Golf Club are also associated with the attraction.Other sights include museums and parks. Moncton Museum houses a permanent exhibit on the history of Moncton as well as traveling exhibits, while the Moncton Acadian Museum, located at the University de Moncton, features one of the largest collections of Acadian artifacts in the world. The main park in Moncton is Centennial Park, located off St. George Blvd. at the city center. Admission to the park is free, offering outdoor playgrounds for kids, year-round recreational facilities, wooded walking and biking trails, creeks, and a lake. Paddle boats are available to rent on the lake, and there is also an outdoor beach that visitors can enjoy for an admission fee.
Neighborhoods
Moncton is fairly easy to navigate with two main streets into the city: the Trans-Canada and Wheeler Boulevard, connecting both ends of town. Main Street and downtown Moncton are just as easy to navigate, with plenty of signs posted to all the main attractions as well as a vast selection of shops, boutiques, restaurants, overnight accommodations, and opportunities for entertainment. Downtown and its attractions are mostly concentrated closer to the waterfront. There are also many establishments located along Mountain Road, which runs diagonally northwest to southeast through the city.Activities
Most tourists frequent the Magnetic Hill complex and all of the attractions it has to offer, like the zoo and water park. Visitors can also enjoy an abundance of parks like Centennial Park mentioned above, or Irishtown Nature Park, a 2,200-acre urban park that offers activities for all seasons. Hiking and biking is common throughout the park while many enjoy kayaking on the park's lake. In the winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the park are popular activities. Additionally, there are several golf courses (Lakeside Golf Club, Moncton Golf & Country Club, etc.), as well as theatres (Empress Theatre, MacSweeny’s Dinner Theatre, etc.). Capitol Theatre, located on Main Street is the oldest theatre in New Brunswick and holds shows regularly. And finally, Moncton is near a few beaches for those looking to go waterside. Parlee Beach, for example, is located on the Northumberland Straight northeast of town and boasts the warmest water temperatures in the country.Food and Dining
Like any major city, Moncton offers up a wide range of flavor both local and international from seafood, brew pubs, steakhouses, and cafes to Italian bistros, Japanese Hibachi, French, Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian, and more. With its location on a riverfront stemming from the Bay of Fundy, seafood is always quality and fresh. Moncton boasts some of the finest cuisine in Atlantic Canada. Some of the top restaurants on TripAdvisor include Little Louis' Oyster Bar for seafood, Calactus Restaurant for vegetarian, Tony’s Bistro & Patisserie for French/Canadian, Blue Olive for Middle Eastern/Mediterranean, Cinta Ria Malaysian Fusion Malaisienne for Asian, Gusto Italian Grill & Bar for Italian, and Taj Mahal – Flavor Of India for Indian. As you can see, many ethnicities are represented in the city's restaurants. Most of these, and many other options, are located in the downtown area.Transportation
Greater Moncton International Airport is the main airport serving the area, located in the Dieppe Industrial Park. Airlines serving this airport include Air Canada Jazz (Halifax, Montreal, Toronto), WestJet (Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Calgary), Continental Express (Newark), and Porter (Toronto, Ottawa).For more options for flights to and from other parts of Canada, the United States, and Europe, visitors also fly into Halifax Stanfield International Airport, located about two hours away in Nova Scotia.
The Moncton Via Rail Station is located on Main Street where rail service runs six days a week to Halifax and Montreal on a train called “The Ocean.”
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.