Advice needed please, Chicago to Niagara Fall (Canada) from Michigan

Hi everyone, I am planning to take my FIRST road trip ever. I am planning to go to Canada and see the Niagara falls.. I am planning to go to Detroit Michigan, and from there head over to Canada. I am nervous and excited because I have NEVER done a road trip and have no idea what it would be like! Any advice would be greatly appreciated, if you have done this road trip I would LOVE to hear about your experience!! Also, I have a couple of questions

1) Do I need to have a special permit or insurance to drive my car over there?
If so what would I need.
2) How far is Niagara falls from the Michigan border?
3) Any suggestions anyone might have for the trip?
4) Any interesting things to see along the way? Any stops you would recommend
Thank YOu all soo much for your HELP and suggestions.. I greatly appreciate it!!!

mY VACATION IS FOR FIVE DAYS.. tHANK you

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

You need a Passport. There are no special requirements for the car, just be sure that you have the registration and proof of insurance and that they're up to date. But you will need a passport to cross the border and to get back into the United States. If you haven't already got one, start now, it is a long process to get your first one. If you have one, again make sure that it is up to date.

Once you cross the border, it's about 200 miles (320 km) to Niagara Falls. The entire drive is around 550 miles, so right around what would be a comfortable day's drive. But with having to fight Chicago's traffic in the morning and crossing the border, you won't have a lot of time for side trips or sight seeing if you plan to do it in a single day. In that case your most efficient route is just I-94/I-69 to Part Huron, ON-402/ON-403 to Hamilton and the QEW to Niagara. If you can take a couple of days, then you start taking more leisurely routes like following the north shore of Lake Erie.

AZBuck

You need to obtain a Canadian insurance card from your insurance company. Your US insurance is valid, but you need the card.

Back (in 2000) when I moved from the States to Canada, I drove my car up here and drove around town for a month or so before registering my car and getting my Canadian driver's license and insurance. During this period, I had my car insured by an American provider.

Before making the move, I called my insurance company to find the details and was told that I didn't need anything special to be able to drive in Canada, I was auto-magically covered.

I think it would be best to find out from your insurance company for any special requirement to avoid any surprises.

Official US State Department site:

Quote:

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Proof of auto insurance is required. U.S. auto insurance is accepted as long as an individual is a tourist in Canada. U.S. insurance firms will issue a Canadian insurance card, which should be obtained and carried prior to driving into Canada.

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While I'm sure the bureaucrats who came up with that had the best of intentions, and perhaps it is still true with some companies, its not really the practical answer for most people.

Every insurance company I've ever had has issued one card showing proof of insurance, and that card has been valid for both the US and Canada. I'm pretty sure I've even shown such a card when asked by a Canadian border guard without any problems at all.

By all means, a quick phone call to the insurance agent is a good idea before traveling to Canada, and they may have a different card, but I'd say at least 90% of the time, as long as you make sure you bring your regular proof of insurance card, you'll be just fine.

All it takes is a phone call and your insurance company will issue you one, no charge.