Charlottetown is the capital and largest city in Prince Edward Island (PEI) and is located centrally on the South shore of PEI and bordered by the Hillsborough River, the North River, and the Charlottetown Harbor.

Population: 35,000 (estimated)
Area:  42.6 sq km.
Time Zone: Atlantic Time Zone (GMT-4)
Telephone Area Code: 902

Climate
As an island, Canada's Garden of the Gulf is surrounded by sea, located between the Northumberland Strait to the South and West and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the North and East. This oceanic influence delays the onset of the seasons several weeks. Winters can be eventful, but typically milder than most of Canada. Spring tends to be late and cool; Summer, moderate and breezy. Islanders will tell you they prefer Autumn most of all (although it may involve an occasional brush with the remnants of an Atlantic hurricane).

The seas around the Island function like a gigantic heat pump, drawing warmth from the waters in Autumn and early Winter and cooling the air for much of the Spring and Summer. From January to early April, when the gulf and straits become ice covered, the heat pump shuts down and the Island becomes as continental as the interior of nearby New Brunswick.
Average annual rainfall: 880.4 mm
Average annual snowfall: 311.9 cm

Average Monthly Temperaures:

	High		Low
	Celsius	Fahrenheit	Celsius	Fahrenheit
January	-2	28	-11	12
February	-3	27	-12	10
March	1	34	-6	21
April	6	43	-1	30
May	14	57	4	39
June	14	57	9	48
July	14	57	14	57
August	23	73	13	55
September	18	64	9	48
October	12	54	4	39
November	6	43	0	32
December	0	32	-7	19

Getting to Charlottetown:
Confederation Bridge
The Confederation Bridge is a 13 kilometre (9 mile) bridge connecting New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island. It is open 24 hours, year round. Visitors pay return bridge toll on the Prince Edward Island side prior to departure. Distance from Charlottetown is 56 km (35 miles) ? 45 minutes.

Northumberland Ferries
The ferry departs from Caribou, Nova Scotia and Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island. This 75-minute car ferry operates on a daily schedule from May to December. Distance is 61 km (38 miles) from Charlottetown ? 50 minutes.

For details see: Northumberland Ferries

CTMA Ferry
CTMA operates a car ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Les Isles de la Madeleine. Distance from Charlottetown is 82 km (51 miles) ? 75 minutes.
For details see: tourism eiles de la madeleine

Charlottetown Airport
The airport facility is located on Maple Hills Avenue, just minutes from downtown Charlottetown, off Route 15 on the Brackley Point Road.
Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, Northwest Airlines, Westjet and Prince Edward Air provide service in to Charlottetown. All departing passengers must pay a $15 per person departure fee. Distance from downtown Charlottetown is 8 km (5 miles) ? 5 minutes.

Visitor Information Centres
The Charlottetown Visitor Information Centre is located in City Hall, 199 Queen Street. The Provincial Information Centre is located at 178 Water Street, Charlottetown.

Currency:
Canadian currency is in decimal dollars. There are one dollar coins (called "loonies" because of the loon depicted on the gold colored coin); two dollar coins with a gold colored center and silver border ( called "toonies" because they are equal to 2 loonies); dime; nickel and penny. The paper currency comes in denominations of $5; $10; $20; $50; $100.

Exchange rates vary widely depending on where money is exchanged. Banks give the best rate. The easiest method of securing cash at the best exchange rate is to make withdrawals using a US credit card from the ATM machines found at major banks and stores. As in the US, some banks charge a fee and a transaction tax, so check with the banks to find the best value. Using credit cards is also excellent as most credit card providers will convert the CAD charge amount to USD using the prevailing international exchange rate at the time the transaction is processed.

Taxes for Travellers
In PEI, Sales taxes consist of 10% PST and 7% GST. The tax applies to most goods and services although in PEI, PST is not applied to most clothing and footwear (as well as most groceries, prescriptions and other essential items).

Non-Canadian residents are entitled to claim a rebate of all GST paid on accommodations and certain categories of goods purchases (see Canadian Travel Information on this site).