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By car - 20
hours (exclusive of food and rest stops): The Canadian route
(1885 km)? Or the US route (1840 km)? One night on the road? Two? Or
more?
The
Canadian route: It's the most straightforward route from
Toronto. Whenever possible I opt for a relaxed pace with 2 overnight
stops. To avoid congestion in both Toronto and Montréal I
prefer to leave Toronto on a Sunday. Montréal is really the
only serious obstacle on the Canadian route. Monday to Friday wait
times at the Montréal bridges can be considerable during
peak traffic times. There are a number of ways to pass through
Montréal. I have often simply remained on Highway 20 (401
becomes 20), following it through Dorval into Montréal, and
then crossing the St. Lawrence on the Champlain Bridge. This tends to
be a slow route, but it does afford a spectacular view of the
Montréal skyline as you travel along the shore of the St.
Lawrence after exiting the bridge. On this route you have to watch
carefully for the signs to 20 East (Québec) because the
route requires a few turns. If you let your attention lapse you can end
up going to the U.S. or even back over the bridge.
A more
straightforward and sometimes faster (albeit less scenic) route
through Montréal is Highway 40. You will have an
opportunity to take 40 as you are approaching Montréal on
20. Follow 40 to the Louis-Hippolyte
Lafontaine Tunnel.
A caution: at peak traffic times you may
find this tunnel claustrophobic and suffocating. Keep windows closed
against fumes and avoid the center lane which is for trucks. Exiting
the tunnel you are on 20 and bound for Québec with no turns
required. If tunnels are not for you, just stay on 40 East. Outside
Montréal, Highway 40 becomes an excellent divided highway
running along the north shore of the St. Lawrence. It is somewhat more
scenic than the exceedingly bland 20 which parallels 40 on the south
side of the river. It is also about 20 km longer, and you will
need to watch the signs in Trios-Rivières as there are some
turns. If you opt for 40 you
will need to cross the St. Lawrence at Québec on the Peirre
Laporte Bridge instead of in Montréal, but it is a much easier
crossing than any of the options in Montréal. The
following map of
Montréal may help:
Toronto to
Québec City is a fairly relaxed day 1 drive. If you wish to visit
Québec I
suggest staying in or near Lévis, on the south shore.
Accommodation there is less expensive than in Québec City,
and
you will probably arrive in time to take the ferry across the St.
Lawrence for dinner in old Québec. A recent discovery is the Hôtel
Bernières (535 rue Aréna, at St.
Nicholas, Québec, 418-831-3119, 1-800-749-3119, email:
info@hotelbernieres.qc.ca). Conveniently located alongside Highway 20,
only 1 km from the Pierre Laporte Bridge, it offers rooms that are
superior to the Comfort Inn at Lévis and at much better
prices. And the garden-like setting is very relaxing. Another 200 km
east of Québec City is Rivière-du-Loup, which is
approximately halfway on the Canadian route. If you want to drive the
trip with only one stopover, then make Rivière-du-Loup your
day 1 destination. I suggest the Motel Boulevard Cartier (80 Boulevard
Cartier, 418-867-1830 -- take Exit 507). It is clean, reasonably
priced, and attached to a St. Hubert Restaurant. If you prefer more
upscale accommodation there's a Comfort Inn directly across the road.
From Rivière-du-Loup head south on the mostly 2-lane 185 to
Edmundston, New Brunswick. Put your watch ahead 1 hour to Atlantic time
when you cross into New Brunswick. From Edmundston drive the new 4-lane
and very scenic St. John River Valley route (Highway 2) to Fredericton,
an excellent spot for a day 2 stopover if you are ready. If Fredericton
is too far then I recommend the Auberge Près du Lac at Grand
Falls or the Econo Lodge at Woodstock. In Fredericton the Silverwood
Motel / Thistle Family Restaurant (take the Mactaquac exit) is
excellent. Of course, if you really want to punish yourself, you can
drive Toronto to Fredericton in one day. Leaving at 6 a.m. Toronto
time, and allowing for the 1-hour time zone loss, plus minimal time out
for meals, you will likely get into Fredericton about 9 p.m. local
time. A 10 a.m. next day departure from Fredericton will put you in
Halifax by mid-afternoon. Entering Nova Scotia from New Brunswick, take
Trans Canada Highway 104 to Truro, then take NS Highway 102 to Halifax.
I suggest entering Halifax via the Hammonds Plains Road exit. Turn
right at the lights when you run out of road and then follow the Bedford Highway into
the city. This route gives you a great view of the Bedford Basin and
the McKay Bridge.
2009 Update: A Montréal Merry-go-around – The Road Less Travelled: If
you wish to avoid Montréal entirely, there is a way to
do it and still remain in Canada. The route offers a relatively
peaceful mix of 2 and 4-lane highways. It does pass through some
towns; however, given the time consuming traffic chaos in
Montréal, I would say this route adds only about an hour to the
overall journey. Going this way you will miss Montréal
entirely by passing to the north of it. From Toronto, drive 401
East to Lancaster, which is just east of Cornwall. At Lancaster,
take Highway 34 North (Exit 814 on 401) and drive to Hawkesbury.
At
Hawkesbury, cross the Ottawa River to Québec, and drive a short
distance north on Québec 344. Go past Highway 148 to
Highway 50. The fact that 50 has been extended to meet 344 may
not yet have found its way onto your road map. Drive
50 East to Highway 15. Do a short jog north on 15 and connect
with Highway 158 East at St-Jérôme. Now you will
follow 158
East all the way to 40; however, as you approach Joliette, watch for a
small, easy-to-miss sign that marks a turn for the continuation of 158.
Continue east on 158 and then
join 40 East at Berthierville (Exit 144 on 40 West if you are returning this way). You can then continue
east on 40, crossing the St. Lawrence on the Pierre Laporte Bridge at
Québec. If you have time, and wish to continue on quiet
roads for a while longer, try crossing the St.
Lawrence on a ferry
near Berthierville. To do this, just continue on
158, giving the exit to Highway 40 a miss, and continuing on to the
river at St. Ignace-de-Loyola. Then
cross on the ferry to
Sorel-Tracy. From there take 132 East and then pick up 122 East
(just
after Yamaska) and follow it to connect with 20 East at Drummondville.
I found that there is no significant difference in distance
between this route and taking the Pierre Laporte Bridge. Although
possibly somewhat slower, it is
peaceful and more interesting. The ferry trip takes about 15
minutes,
and one of the two boats in operation leaves every half hour from
either side – cost is $6 one way for car and driver. Have a look! By the way, if you
overnight at Hawkesbury you can easily make Edmundston, or even
Fredericton, NB, the next day.
************
The US
route: There are several advantages: you avoid the traffic
of Montréal; it is a more peaceful and slower journey; it is
very picturesque in places, especially in Vermont; there are more
opportunities for shopping as the route winds through many towns; fuel
prices are generally somewhat better than in Canada. The are also
disadvantages: you must have some American money; you may need extra
medical insurance in case of accident; there are border crossings to
manage -- a passport is now a very good idea, especially if you were
not born in Canada; "Peaceful and slow" can actually be frustrating if
you are in a hurry, and even if you are not. REDUCE SPEED AHEAD signs
are everywhere, and if you see a construction sign in Maine saying
PAVEMENT ENDS you know you are in for a rough ride. The route takes you
through four states (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). It
becomes the main street of several towns. On the highways, almost all
of which are winding 2-lane roads, the speed limit is 55 mph. But
nonetheless the route has its charms. I recommend crossing to the US at
Cornwall, well short of Montréal. You can also cross at
Montréal by following the signs to the US -- take Highway 15 --
but to me one of the main advantages of taking the US route is avoiding
the traffic chaos in Montréal. If you leave Toronto just
before noon, you can easily arrive in Burlington, Vermont, in time for
a leisurely patio dinner on the Church St. Mall.
After you cross the
bridges at Cornwall, take Highway 37 to Malone,
NY. Turn left at the lights in Malone and take 11 North -- it runs
north for only a short distance before heading east. From here there
are a couple of possibilities, depending on your time and inclination. (1)
You could follow 11 North to 9, then take 9 South to Plattsburg,
continuing on to Port
Kent where you can cross Lake Champlain to Burlington,
Vermont, on a car ferry.
It's a very pleasant voyage and brings you right into downtown
Burlington. In Burlington I recommend dinner at any of the numerous
restaurants on the Church Street Mall. The Anchorage Inn, located at 108
Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403, 1-800-336-1869, is
a reasonable place to stay. (2) A second
possibility would be to follow Highway 11 North to Rouses
Point. Then take 2 South through the islands of Lake
Champlain. This is a very scenic route. Leave Highway 2 at Interstate
89 South to drive the last 10 miles into Burlington. From
I-89, take the South Burlington Exit (14 E) which exits onto Williston
Road. For the Anchorage Inn, drive Williston to Dorset Street, turn
right. The Anchorage Inn is on the left shortly after turning, just
past Barnes and Noble.
Leaving Burlington,
take the scenic I-89 South to Montpelier,
then it is Highway 2 all the way to Bangor.
Watch out for signs pointing to Highway 2. It is particularly easy to lose Highway 2 in St.
Johnsbury. A good place to stop for lunch is Welsh's
Restaurant in Gorham,
New Hampshire. It's located on 2 which is Gorham's main street, on the
left side. There is easy parking in front. At Bangor I now believe that
the best plan is to take Highway 9 straight across to Calais. Tank
up in
Bangor as Highway 9 is almost completely without services. On the
map, the Highway 1A/1 loop running from Bangor through Ellsworth,
Hancock, and Machias looks like a scenic coastal route. It is
not. The ocean is almost never visible and the countryside is
bland. If you do opt for this route, and it is time for a stop, I found
the Ellsworth Motel, 24 High Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605,
(207-667-4424) offers good value. From Ellsworth you could follow Highway 3
to Bar
Harbor, the US terminus for The
Cat. The Cat, as advertised by Bay Ferries,
"saves its passengers a full day's driving between Yarmouth, Nova
Scotia, and Bar Harbor, Maine, (over 600 miles or 1000 kilometers)
which means an extra day of vacation." The
Cat is a large catamaran that can carry some 300 vehicles
and upwards of 900 persons while still traveling at 45 knots between
the US and Canada, twice a day. I have heard, however, that crossing on
The Cat can be rough, and that sea sickness is not uncommon. So, unless
you do opt for The Cat, you will be crossing into New Brunswick at Calais
and then following Highway 1 to Saint John, NB.
Driving to Halifax
from Saint John you have two choices: (1) Take the
shortcut across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, NS, on board the Princess of Acadia. Bay Ferries
paints an idyllic scene: "So, instead of checking your mirrors, you'll
be able to check out the seabirds that soar overhead. Instead of being
strapped into your seat, you'll be able to roam free on the decks
looking for whales and dolphins. Instead of hearing groans from the
back seat, you'll hear your family's laughter as you enjoy your
adventure on the high seas." Yes, it is indeed a very pleasant 3-hour
voyage, but you will be lucky to see any whales. I have sailed the Princess of Acadia
twice. The first time there was dense fog the whole way. The second
trip was beautiful, but no whales. Nevertheless, I do prefer this way
of arriving in Nova Scotia. Once in Digby, Halifax is only 3 hours
away, a smooth ride on the 101 through the Annapolis Valley, Wolfville,
and Windsor. The alternative (2) is to drive from
Saint John to Halifax via Moncton, Amherst, and Truro, and certainly
this is a pleasant drive on excellent roads.
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