Winter Roadtrip throughout the Northeast

Hey there,

I am a guy from Germany with some road trip experience in the States.

Over New years eve and the following week me and my gf want to fly over the US and do a trip throughout the Northeast. Starting in NYC, we want to go up to Boston, Portland, Bangor, then head over to Canada to Quebec City, Montreal, and from there back to NYC through Vermont or the State of New York.

Unlike my other trips, this one brings some challanges with it. Therefore I would kindly ask you for advice.

- Is it possible to go with a US rental car to Canada? Is it very expensive? Anything I should consider?
- How cold is it in this region in December / January? Will we freeze do death? ;) How likely will there be snow?
- Talking about snow, do you think it is a good idea do drive to this region at this time at all? (e.g. will it be very dangerous)
- Usually I do my road trips during the spring or summer, without a lot of planning and just doing things when I see them while driving by. Is this area, especially in winter worth a visit? I mean landscape wise and also attraction wise (are there any open at all)?

Thank you a lot!

Matthias

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

You should be able to find a rental car company that will allow you to drive into Canada without any extra fees. However, not every company will allow it, and you might have to ask about it. Booking through a UK/European consolidator like carhire3000 might be another option, as they often have very good rates with fewer restrictions than booking directly through the rental car companies. As you are starting in NYC, you might do some comparison shopping between rental car locations in New York and those based out of New Jersey, as it might help you find a better rate outside of the city.

It will likely be cool or cold during your visit, and there is certainly the chance of seeing snow. Temperature will on average be warmer near the coast, with places like New York and Boston having average daytime temperatures around 40F/5c while inland places like Montreal and Quebec have average temps of around 25F/-5C. Of course, there is no way to know what kind of weather you'll see during your specific travel days. You could hit a warm and dry spell, or you could hit a cold/snowy set of days.

Certainly you can visit, and thousands of people travel in these areas every day even in winter, so it certainly is not unsafe. It will require you to have more flexibility than a summer trip. There may be days where weather forces you to rethink or change your plans, but there will be plenty to see and do, as long as you understand it is winter.