Has anyone driven this route lately - how long does it take? Also Mapquest recommends 402 to 403 to Hamilton and then QEW to NF. Has anyone ever gone route 3 from London to NF? It seems more direct, but is probably a slower road.

Thanks for any input!

I would take 402 to London (it merges there with 401) then get on 403. When you get to Hamilton take the Lincoln Alexander Parkway exit 215. Follow this until it hits 20 and take it North to the QEW to Niagara. Going this way avoids taking the 403 thru Burlington etc. and makes the trip a bit shorter. Also avoids driving the 403 thru Hamilton very far. The L-A Parkway turns into Mud Street but don't be alarmed by the name - it's actually a nice 4 lane road.
The trip from Sarnia to NF usually takes us 3 hours depending on traffic. I have never taken #3. $02 and 403 are very good easy to travel highways.

Take the mapquest route since it will be considerably faster even with construction, which is going on along the 401. The 403 is less busy and quite often the way I go into Toronto, living outside London.

I've taken #3 into Niagara Falls and it can be very slow since it's only 2 lanes with very few areas for passing. From St. Thomas it's at least 3.5 hrs to give you some idea. You would definitely be spending more time on the road, but if you want something other than expressway driving then perhaps you could try it.

But with driving the QEW once you're past Hamilton, there are wineries from Stoney Creek all the way into Niagara (and good signage) so you can stop in Vineland, Jordan or any of the other spots that might interest you to break up that last hour on the road. Some of the wineries have restaurants and that's a good way to plan lunch!

If that interests you at all have a look at:

http://www.20valley.ca/wineries.php

Hope that helps.

Thank you for the information. I thought it would be about 3 hours, but I think google maps said it would be more like 5! We are actually leaving from Grand Rapids and picking up our daughters in Oxford at camp so we have quite a bit of driving.
After NF we are going to Toronto, so I thought we would stop at a vineyard or 2 on the way and get some lunch. N on the Lake sounds like a cute town! Thanks for the link to the wineries - my DH likes sweet wine which I am assuming ice wine is, so we'll probably find a new favorite!

Sounds like a great trip though I thought I would mention that your girls would likely enjoy lunch in Niagara on the Lake far more than at a vineyard restaurant, though you can look at many of the menus online.

In Niagara on the Lake, there are several little cafes and spots for a family lunch....The Buttery and the Epicurean are two that come to mind along with the patio cafe at Queens Landing that overlooks the marina.

Hope you have an enjoyable time.