Driving from PEI to Burlington Ontarip
 

Hello, I live in PEI and would like to take my daughter on a trip to Ontario (we have family in Burlington). I am not brave enough to tackle Montreal or Toronto, so I am thinking going through the states and up through Buffalo is my best option. This is about a 19 hour drive from googlemaps and Id love to do the majority of it (13 or so) the first day and then finish up the 2nd. I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts or ideas where it would be best to spend the night (and maybe some time) after Portland (we have seen much of that area) and between Buffalo ...
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I can appreciate your hesitation about the big cities, but to target "Buffalo" and perhaps some aggravating border waits seems somewhat extreme.

If you absolutely must avoid Toronto, then I would try to do so from the north somehow. It's going to be tough to get to Burlington, ON from any direction and avoid considerable big-city environs.

Side note: I rather loved the path along the St. Lawrence from Riviere-du-Loup to Quebec City and even moreso the path from Quebec City to Trois Rivieres, along the north side of the river, but NOT on the main freeway (#138 instead).

I will admit, from the map here, that it ISN'T easy to avoid the two big cities you mention, while remaining in Canada on your drive.

EVEN IF you duck down into the USA, through Maine, you still don't have the greatest east-to-west paths.

If I had to answer your question, and pick a spot for an overnight, I would 'finesse' my way to an area in/near the Adirondacks in northern New York. For such a night, I'd begin your research in the area approximating I-87 north of Albany... and bordered also by the I-90 turnpike... Utica... and hwy #28.

SOMEWHERE in that general circle should be a great spot for an overnight. Your next day would be roughly Albany to Buffalo, @ 4hrs and 15 minutes... straight down the NY Turnpike.

The Canada-only path might entice you to leave the #401 near Bowmanville, then go north to Lindsay, and soon west to Orangeville, and then perhaps to Guelph, and finally to Burlington.

Unfortunately the various paths from your point of origin to your destination are not plentiful with direct and grand alternatives.

Good luck!

I can appreciate your hesitation about the big cities, but to target "Buffalo" and perhaps some aggravating border waits seems somewhat extreme.

If you absolutely must avoid Toronto, then I would try to do so from the north somehow. It's going to be tough to get to Burlington, ON from any direction and avoid considerable big-city environs.

Side note: I rather loved the path along the St. Lawrence from Riviere-du-Loup to Quebec City and even moreso the path from Quebec City to Trois Rivieres, along the north side of the river, but NOT on the main freeway (#138 instead).

I will admit, from the map here, that it ISN'T easy to avoid the two big cities you mention, while remaining in Canada on your drive.

EVEN IF you duck down into the USA, through Maine, you still don't have the greatest east-to-west paths.

If I had to answer your question, and pick a spot for an overnight, I would 'finesse' my way to an area in/near the Adirondacks in northern New York. For such a night, I'd begin your research in the area approximating I-87 north of Albany... and bordered also by the I-90 turnpike... Utica... and hwy #28.

SOMEWHERE in that general circle should be a great spot for an overnight. Your next day would be roughly Albany to Buffalo, @ 4hrs and 15 minutes... straight down the NY Turnpike.

The Canada-only path might entice you to leave the #401 near Bowmanville, then go north to Lindsay, and soon west to Orangeville, and then perhaps to Guelph, and finally to Burlington.

Unfortunately the various paths from your point of origin to your destination are not plentiful with direct and grand alternatives.

Good luck!

PS - this dumb thing gave me an 'error occured' message (happy to find my post here twice vs. not at all)

Have you done this long a drive before?

It's about 1000 miles from Moncton to Toronto; addanother 100 or so for PEI to Burlington.

I've driven the Moncton - Toronto trip at least a dozen times each way, and I don';t feel much like driving once I've put in 500 miles.

And if you take the US route, you'll either be bored to death by some of the big highways, or terrified to death.

And a lot of the trip is on smaller, slower, highways.

So I'll advance the argument for two and a half days.

Now, about the big cities -- the other day I was driving across the top of Toronto in rush hour in the rain, with the highway about a dozen lanes wide near the airport, and I got to thinking how awful this must be for someone from the Maritimes.

So I see your point.

About going through Buffalo -- you don't have to. Assuming you're on the NY Thruway, you just take the raod up to Niagara Falls, and the route the the border is really quite straight forward.

From there, the Queen Elizabeth Way is a direct route to Burlington, pretty straighforward, and not too worrisome.

There are a lot of chocies through Maine and then other new England states.

Assuming being ont he shore is no big deal, what with being an Islander and all...

Houlton - Bangor - Rumford - St.Johnsbury - south toWhite River Junction, then north-west to Montpelier and then Burlington, as your destination for the night.

The next day take the ferry across Lake Champlain and keep going.

You can go to Watertown, and then up to Canada, but that stillleaves the problem of getting around Toronto.

BAcktracking, you could keep going south from White River Junction to Chicopee and Springfield and take the Mass Turnpike to Albany, where there are lots of chain moderate hotels and motels.

From Albany it's straight west on the NY Thruway to Niagara Falls.

Hope this is helpful

When I have to get through Toronto I often take the 407 which is a bypass running slightly north of the city. In rush hour it can get busy and slow in sections, but not usually as bad as the 401 (the main Toronto throughway), and at other times of day and on weekends it's usually a relatively fast easy drive. It is a toll road though (they photo your license plate and bill you). You can get onto it east of Toronto by taking Brock Road off the 401 in Pickering (not Brock Street in Whitby) north several miles, and you can stay on the 407 all the way to Burlington.

Sometimes when coming back from out East we've avoided rush hour in Montreal by getting off Hwy 20 before Montreal and working our way to Chateaugay and Salaberry de Valleyfield, crossing over the St. Lawrence river there and getting on the 401 toward Toronto. Takes longer, and a bit of navigating, but keeps you away from the worst of Montreal expressway traffic.

Valleyfield is also a pleasant town for an overnight, although it may be a bit farther than you want to drive the first day.

I agree with Mat about taking the 407 across the top of Toronto. It's much less stressful than the 401.
It will take you right to Burlington, at Appleby or Dundas between Guelph Line and Walkers Line.
It's worth the price.

I'd do this rather than go through the US.

Hi, Trish:
I am from Cape Breton. I now live near Toronto. I would never consider the trip you are contemplating unless you really like to drive.

Why not consider flying & have your Burlington relatives pick you up @ the Toronto airport? Westjet has a seasonal direct/non-stop from Charlottetown to Toronto. I just did a random search (Sunday,June 26-July 3 & it's $430 per person return.)

the drive isn't that bad...long and lots of traffic but the highways are well marked....better still if you are flying go Moncton to Hamilton with Westjet...Burlington is close and they won't have to near the Toronto airport to pick you up...That is how we go when we fly to Ontario...also have relatives in Burlington.

jannie, she lives in Charlottown. Why wld she fly from Moncton?

Sorry, Trish lives in PEI ( she did not say Charlottetown)

would probably be cheaper and alot less traffic for her relatives at the Ontario end

Moncton-Hamilton $461

Charlottetown-Toronto $430

Random Search www.westjet.com: June 26-July 3, 2011

wow....we have always found Moncton much cheaper...must be when we are travelling

It sounds like there will be 3 of them. SO the cost to drive could add up.

I still think driving via Canada is the best, and taking the 407 across Toronto.
I'm not as familiar with getting through Montreal, but 18 months ago I received excellent help on this forum for the best way to get through Montreal. If you do a search you should be able to find the post.

The drive is quite enjoyable through Canada.

You could drive in a circle, too.

PEI to Burlington via USA and back trhough Canada, timing departure to have minimum Toronto traffic. That woud allow a visit to Ottawa, which may be important, in various ways, to your daughter, depending on age and interests.