(click here to find location on the map)
St. Barbe is just off Route 430 about an hour north of Port au Choix. A lot of people will go through St. Barbe on their way to Labrador. The Labrador ferry MV Apollo runs from St. Barbe to Blanc Sablon, QC for most of the year.
The centre of activity in town is the Dockside Motel, which is also where you will find the ferry ticket office. In the summer months, you should make a reservation in advance for the ferry especially if you have an RV. Even with a reservation, you have to stop at the ferry ticket office at the motel to pay and get your tickets for boarding. We got there early and had to park further down the road on the shoulder. There were quite a collection of transport trucks. The ferry only takes 6 tractor trailers at a time and there was obviously a back-up of trucks waiting for a spot on the boat.
Across the road from the motel, you'll see the RV park. We did not stay there, we drove up from the Oceanside RV Park in Port au Choix. The RV park in St. Barbe is basically a fenced compound. Some people prefer to leave their trailer in Newfoundland and just take their truck over to Labrador.
Once you get paid up at the ticket office, you continue on the same road down to the ferry dock. There is a yard marshall that will check your ticket and show you where to line up. You never know what you'll see in a ferry lineup. The off-road vehicle below was a guy from France that had a map of the world on the camper with all the places they had been. They were about to add Labrador to the list.
St. Barbe has a large natural harbour and as you leave for Blanc Sablon, you have some nice views of the town and Anchor Point across the harbour.
(click photos to enlarge)
Before you head to Newfoundland, you may want to consider one or more of the great field guides that are available. We have done short reviews of the following:
