Canada Travelling Question

[SteveUK]

By travel, I dont mean the footler version. Question. I'm off to NYC on 28 Dec, staying a few nights with some friends. Rather than do my usual ramble down the east coast, I was thinking of nipping upto Canada, never seen it before. My hobbies include getting very drunk in dive bars, and using the train rather than flying where possible.

So, with that in mind, what would be a good 4/5 day trip? Toronto and Montreal look within striking distance of NYC ?

[NYGman]

I prefer Montreal for a quick trip. It's beautiful, but cold that time if year.

[wserra]

Montreal is indeed lovely, and easily reachable from NYC. Moreover, since you prefer to travel by train, the NYC to Montreal route (the Adirondack) is one of Amtrak's most famous and scenic trips.

[SteveUK]

Thanks chaps. Yes, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Niagra Falls, New York is looking a winner.

Are the land borders hideously busy or fairly easy to cross?

[AndyK]

In reverse order:

The Canada / USA border is easy -- if you have a valid passport, look like a nice person, and don't have the same name as an international terrorist.

Niagara Falls: The USA side is a strip of neon rivaling Las Vegas. The Canada side is beautiful, quiet, and has the better view of the falls (if they're not frozen up)

[Pottapaug1938]

If you choose to drive, try to avoid the major border crossings, if you can.

I live in Boston; and on several occasions, I've traveled to Scout summer camp, up past Montreal. One summer, I was talking with a Canadian Scouter who used to work for the Canada Border Services Agency; and he advised me to locate the border crossings on either side of the main crossings. You may have to travel a bit out of your way; but your wait, to cross the border, will be much shorter. In 2008, my daughter and I tried that approach, and saved over half an hour, each way, in our drives.

[Burnaby49]

Canadians tend to live on a north-south axis. We on the west coast go to Arizona and California in the winter and the east coast types go to Florida. Wife and I off to Palm Springs next month. So eastern Canada is a mystery to me, I know more, way more, about pubbing in Liverpool than I do about Toronto. That said I've heard that the New York-Toronto-Montreal train service is excellent and I can confirm that crossing the border to Canada is usually very easy. Be damn cold in Montreal and Toronto in December though. Lots of snow too.

[SteveUK]

Excellent stuff. Trying to decide what direction to do it in. I've got to spend NYE in either Toronto or Montreal. Which has the filthiest shit hole bars anyone?

Is it worth spending the night by Niagara or just pass through?

Thanks Again!

[Burnaby49]

From what I've heard about Niagra Falls I'd recommend just passing through. Just a crappy tourist town with no redeeming features (dive bars). I've gone pubbing in both Toronto and Montreal but it was decades ago. At that time Montreal won and I'd assume it's the same today because Toronto has become very gentrified.

[AndyK]

New Year's Eve? New York

You haven't lived until you've spent a cold night huddled with a few tens of thousands of your closest friends waiting for the ball to drop.

Did it once (in my twenties). Not sure I could survive it again.

[SteveUK]

Christ, I lived in NY for 6 years, and shudder at the thought of NYE there

[eric]

From what I've heard about Niagra Falls I'd recommend just passing through. Just a crappy tourist town with no redeeming features (dive bars). I've gone pubbing in both Toronto and Montreal but it was decades ago. At that time Montreal won and I'd assume it's the same today because Toronto has become very gentrified.

My thoughts as well, except Niagara Falls does possess one good dive bar - the Maple Leaf:
https://mapleleaftavern.webs.com
This is the ultimate grungy bar in the city, here's a copy of their last food safety inspection:

Corrected During Inspection
Washrooms are provided, properly equipped, in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner.
Not in Compliance
Cold holding is adequate and maintained at 4°C (40°F) or lower.
Not in Compliance
Equipment used for refrigeration or hot holding contain accurate indicating thermometers.
Not in Compliance
Mechanical dishwashing is properly constructed, designed and maintained.
Not in Compliance
Food premise is kept clean and sanitary.
Not in Compliance
Floors, walls and ceiling are well maintained and in good repair.
Not in Compliance
Premise is protected against the entrance of pests and kept free from conditions that lead to harbouring or breeding of pests.

https://www.niagararegion.ca/health/ins ... ec13c8181f
They don't mention it on the interweb, but they also usually have non-circuit Canadian Ballet so watch out for the inebriated visitors from across the border where it is banned - always good for a brawl or two.

[Pottapaug1938]

Christ, I lived in NY for 6 years, and shudder at the thought of NYE there

My wife grew up in the New Jersey suburbs, northwest of NYC. In the early years of our relationship, I was usually down there for NYE; and every time we thought of heading into NYC to see the ball drop, we asked ourselves why we wanted to subject ourselves to massive crowds, and also often severe cold, just to watch something which we could watch, in warmth and comfort, from her house.

[NYGman]

Christ, I lived in NY for 6 years, and shudder at the thought of NYE there

My wife grew up in the New Jersey suburbs, northwest of NYC. In the early years of our relationship, I was usually down there for NYE; and every time we thought of heading into NYC to see the ball drop, we asked ourselves why we wanted to subject ourselves to massive crowds, and also often severe cold, just to watch something which we could watch, in warmth and comfort, from her house.

You can always just pee in you pants to keep yourself warm. Considering you are penned in with other revelers, I have heard this is a popular way to keep warm, and a side effect from drinking all day, waiting for the minute until midnight to watch a shiny ball decend a pole atop a building.

If you want to see the actual ball drop, they do have a few practice drops the days before, with much less fanfare. I have seen them test it, but years ago and unintentionally, when walking between offices in the late 90's.

[Randall]

If you choose to drive, try to avoid the major border crossings, if you can.

I live in Boston; and on several occasions, I've traveled to Scout summer camp, up past Montreal. One summer, I was talking with a Canadian Scouter who used to work for the Canada Border Services Agency; and he advised me to locate the border crossings on either side of the main crossings. You may have to travel a bit out of your way; but your wait, to cross the border, will be much shorter. In 2008, my daughter and I tried that approach, and saved over half an hour, each way, in our drives.

Years ago I used to drive from Michigan to Boston and back rather routinely. There are essentially 3 crossings in the Niagara area. Buffalo to its south, Niagara, and Lewiston to the north. Buffalo was always out of my way so I've never tried it. Lewiston was always easy going into CA but slow coming out (I usually hit it mid to late morning). I found that crossing into the US from Niagara, ON was rather easy and you got a view of the falls as a bonus.
Also beware of the lake effect snow on the NY side. I have seen blizzard conditions on the NY side and barely a flurry once you cross into Canada.

[Pottapaug1938]

Years ago I used to drive from Michigan to Boston and back rather routinely. There are essentially 3 crossings in the Niagara area. Buffalo to its south, Niagara, and Lewiston to the north. Buffalo was always out of my way so I've never tried it. Lewiston was always easy going into CA but slow coming out (I usually hit it mid to late morning). I found that crossing into the US from Niagara, ON was rather easy and you got a view of the falls as a bonus.
Also beware of the lake effect snow on the NY side. I have seen blizzard conditions on the NY side and barely a flurry once you cross into Canada.

In November of 2004, my son and I went to Toronto, over Thanksgiving, to check out a college to which he wanted to transfer (he got in, but not into the film program, so he never went). On the way back, we took a wrong turn; but seeing a sign which said "to the USA", we figured that we were at least going in the right direction. We stopped at the duty-free shop, before crossing the border; and on the way out, my son noticed a man leaning over a railing, with a camera, and guessed that the falls were down below. He was right.

Ironically, my wife has never seen the falls, despite having a set of grandparents in Buffalo. Her parents and grandparents always refused to take her there, saying that "it's one big tourist trap".

[lurker9000]

The trip up interstate 87 to Montreal is very pretty. Plattsburgh is a quaint college town. Toronto and Niagara Falls is nice. Niagara on the Lake is an area a lot of people go to. IMHO, one really should see and experience Niagara Falls once the awesome power of falling water is something to behold. Montreal is beautiful and I've been told Quebec City is too.

Can I double dog dare you to tell US customs you're not driving you're traveling. Especially if the agent is named P Barnes.

[Pottapaug1938]

If you take I-87, to get to Montreal, you should consider getting off at the US Route 11 exit (exit 42), and heading east until you reach New York Route 276. Turn north. That will take you to the border, in short order; and since there will likely be little if any backup, you can breeze on through customs. Take Quebec Route 221 north, and turn left onto Montée Guay. Shortly afterwards, you are at the on-ramp for Autoroute 15 and Montreal.

Oh -- there is also a winery on this road. Get some nice local wine; see a bit of the countryside; and the time you spend on this detour will probably be less than the time you'd have spent going through the main border crossing at Lacolle.

Of course, being a New Englander, I'd suggest that you make time for Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts; but I know that you have only so much time.

[fortinbras]

Used to be that you didn't need a passport to visit Canada, a US driver's license (or an expired passport) was sufficient. But then 9/11 happened and we all became paranoid, and now a current US passport is needed. Depending on where you live, there are passport offices in at least a dozen big cities, and passport applications can be handled (with an extra week's waiting time) at Post Offices. Spring and summer are very busy seasons for the Passport Office so give them plenty of time (three weeks should be enough).

[Pottapaug1938]

Passport cards are also good for land entry into Canada; but regular passports are the better option, in case an airplane flight is necessary for the return.