Week-long Chicago-Canada trip. Advice?

[d-whee]

Hi,

My friends and I were talking about making a week-long trip up to Canada before we graduate from high school. It seems like an obvious destination from Chicago would be Toronto, but does anyone have any better ideas? The plan is to find a campsite or something where we can just pitch a tent and/or sleep in the van. I'd be happy to hear anyone's suggestions as to what to do or where to go in Canada.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

Bienvenue sur le forum de RoadTrip Amérique.

You're right. Toronto is the obvious destination from Chicago, but why not press on a bit farther (860 miles vs 525 miles) and go to Montréal? Chicago and Toronto are very similar in a lot of ways (Second Cities and all that) whereas Montréal would really give you the flavor of being in a foreign country. If you do ultimately plan on crossing the border, be sure to have your paperwork in order. While passports are not yet required (but they soon will be) you are required to show proof of citizenship and identification. That means that you should have with you, at a minimum, your original birth certificate, or a certified copy, and a government issued photo ID such as your driver's license.

AZBuck

[Midwest Michael]

I agree that Montreal could be fit into this trip pretty easily, and could be a great stop. You didn't mention your ages, but Quebec's drinking age is 18. Even if you aren't into alcohol, it does mean you can fully explore the city's nightlife without being worried about being shut out.

I've only camped in the Montreal area once at Oka Provincial Park. I will simply put it this way, it is one of the only campsites in the world where I can say without a doubt that I will never, ever, go back.

Toronto is a great city with lost of things to do. Check out this thread, for the suggestions I got and for the information on where I camped when I visited the area last summer.

Also, don't forget that Niagra Falls is a quick and easy detour if you are going to Toronto. If you haven't seen it, it is certainly worth a stop.

[PNW Judy]

If you do ultimately plan on crossing the border, be sure to have your paperwork in order. While passports are not yet required (but they soon will be) you are required to show proof of citizenship and identification. That means that you should have with you, at a minimum, your original birth certificate, or a certified copy, and a government issued photo ID such as your driver's license.

If someone in the party is still under age 18, it's a good idea to have a letter, signed by the parents and notarized, stating that it's OK for the minor to cross the border. When my son went to Canada with a couple of friends, he was the only one 18 years old. If the two 17 year olds with him didn't have those letters, they probably wouldn't have been able to cross over. And the letters should be signed by both parents. If the parents are divorced, you will still need signatures for both parents as named on the birth certificate because both parents need to approve.

You may not be asked for these but, if you are, it could stop your trip short.

[Quebec Gen]

Check out this link to find campgrounds in the Toronto area. En route to Montreal, a great place to camp is Ivy Lea Provincial Park (1000 Islands Region). Try to pick a spot on the waterfront. When in Montreal, you could pitch your tent at Camping Alouette (15 min from Mtl) or Camping Amérique on the south shore. There are also a couple of campgrounds in the Hudson area like Camping Choisy. I believe there's also a campground at Les Coteaux, close to the border of Ontario on I-20 and a Koa at Coteau-du-Lac. Nicer campgrounds are to be found in the north or in the east. Personally, I'd rather sleep at a small auberge, at a university's residence or at the Oratoire St-Joseph (~35-40$) when in Montreal.

Good luck!

[RoadTripper Brad]

I think Judy hit the nail on the head, but not just when it comes to crossing international borders, but even state boundaries aren't a bad idea. And, of course, the key word there is Notorized. You shouldn't have problems finding a Notory Public, as some banks will have one, and most AAA branch offices will try to have one on staff for their members.

Also, I'd recommend along with those letters allowing you to leave your state and country, letters designating another party in the group as able to authorize medical care. Usually this responsiblity should belong to the oldest person in the group, but I think its always a good idea to have a second person named, just in case.

Hope this helps a bit.

-Brad

If someone in the party is still under age 18, it's a good idea to have a letter, signed by the parents and notarized, stating that it's OK for the minor to cross the border.
You may not be asked for these but, if you are, it could stop your trip short.

[d-whee]

Thanks for your responses, as they've been very helpful. We might just go the extra mile to Montreal after all.

Thanks especially for the information on border crossing. We just saw that detail on a website recently and realized that one of our members is only 17. He's gotten permission from one parent and shouldn't have trouble getting the form notarized. His parents are divorced, however, and have been out of contact for a while, so it's a toss-up as to whether or not he'll get a signature from the other parent.