trip to canada

[MS. ANDERSON]

I'm planning a trip to Canada and this will happen in April we have planned to take 8 days to do this road trip mainly wanting to see the Falls is this enough time and will this be an expensive road trip to drive so that we can stop in between. Is there any suggestions

[PNW Judy]

And welcome to the RTA forums!

We really don't have enough information to advise you. Like, where are you starting from?

[MS. ANDERSON]

Thank you for the welcome.

My family and I will be starting from St. Augustine, Fl and my point of interest is Niagra Falls and then a few other places in Canada I'm looking to spend 2-3 days and then drive back down making stops going home. I'm not looking to make reservations for hotels i'll just stop to find a motel once we get there i mainly looking for cabin types something where we can perpare our own dinner and not waste money eating out but more on enjoying the attractions and having a nice time. Thank you for any information that you can provide me with. I've done a lot of traveling but no where as far as this driving it was aways flying or by ship.

Thank you again

[Quebec Gen]

I'm planning a trip to Canada and this will happen in April we have planned to take 8 days to do this road trip mainly wanting to see the Falls [...] and my point of interest is Niagra Falls and then a few other places in Canada I'm looking to spend 2-3 days and then drive back down making stops going home.

It is doable, but you won't have much time for stops along the way. According to Mapquest, the lenght of the entire trip is 1116 miles. You could do it in 2 long days (558 miles per day) or at a more relaxed pace in 3 days (372 miles/day). In the first case, you'd have 4 days to spend in Canada and in the second case, you'd have 2 days to spend around the Niagara Falls area.

then a few other places in Canada

Canada is one of the largest countries in the world that has a lot to offer but with your limited time frame, I guess you will want to stick to the southern Ontario area? What other plans did you have in mind? Toronto? Here's some advice and a field report on the Queen City.

mainly looking for cabin types

April is still pretty chilly north of the border so I doubt you'd be comfortable in a small cabin-type accomodation unless they have a fireplace or any other heating device. You could check with the Ontario Provincial Park Services for roofed accomodations or try out a cottage rental service or campground chains that usually offer cabin rentals (ex. Koa). Another option would be to look for motel rooms with kitchenettes, that would probably be cheaper than most of the alternatives listed above.

Even though our cold seasons have never been so warm since a few years (at least in the north easter part of Canada), you still have to keep in mind that April is still like winter in Canada and you should be ready to face any kind of weather : from snow, to icy rain, to high winds and most importantly, you'll be travelling during thaw season so beware of potholes.

Don't forget to bring proper I.D. for everyone including at least :

-a driver's license or a health care card issued by the State AND a birth certificate;

OR

-passport.

Have a great trip!
Geneviève

[Midwest Michael]

8 days will give you enough time to cover the distance, but not much else.

If you plan to stop and see things along the way, you're going to need a full 3 days each direction to drive from Florida to the Falls. That only gives you 2 days in the area around the falls. You could try to squeeze it down to a two day trip, but you would pretty much have to drive straight through both days, and since you will be with your family (assuming kids here) and since you haven't taken a long distance driving trip, I wouldn't recommend it for you.


As far as cabin type lodging, I'm not sure what you'll be able to find. I suspect if you do find something like that, it will cost about the same as a hotel room with a kitchenette. Those costs are usually quite a bit higher than a cheap motel, so you while you might save some money on your meals, it might not save much money overall. However, another option is to buy a camp stove and each outdoors at places like parks and picnic areas. I frequently do this during my roadtrips, however, you are at the mercy of the weather, and sometimes eating outside in the springtime isn't the most comfortable option.

[PNW Judy]

I agree with Michael and Gen on the travel time you'll need to get to Niagara and back. You won't have much time there. But if you enjoy the drive, it will be worth it. Those of us here tend to enjoy the drive just as much, if not more than, the destination. But, if you don't think you'll enjoy the roadtrip itself, you might want to look into someplace closer to explore. Or alternate transportation. A train trip might be fun if you don't want to fly.

Anyway, if you do go, and I hope you do, you can eat cheaply without getting a cabin or hotel room with kitchen facilities. We often talk here about eating out of your cooler as a way to save money while traveling. You can move this into a hotel room even if you don't have cooking facilities.

To load your cooler, I often start out by frying chicken at home and taking some with me. I then get things like sliced luncheon meats, granola, protein bars, tuna, cheese, bread, bagels, crackers, fruits, sliced veggies, condiments, cream cheese, a few tupperware-type bowls/lids, plastic utensils, a sharp knife, and a small cutting board (a large plastic lid works good), and I'm good to go.

This gives you a nice variety of healthy foods you can eat in a wide variety of ways. Replenish at grocery stores. Deli sections offer some great things to add like hard-boiled eggs.

At the hotel, just bring your cooler into the room. Add some milk, cereal, and you're fairly set. If you want something warm and if your room has a coffee-pot, you're really set. Just buy some ramen soups where you just add hot water and stir, or Lipton cuppa-soup type packages. Soup, sandwich, and a piece of fruit makes a nice, light dinner.

Anyway, if you're not an experienced road-tripper, please consider doing this trip with the idea that the sightseeing along the way and the roadtrip itself is just as fine as the destination. It's really a kick if you're open to it.

[Sean David]

I used to live in Toronto, and made the trip to Jacksonville a few times. It is a pretty solid 24 hour drive, (we used to drive it straight). Now I would agree with others that you need two days there and two days back.

As far as Niagra Falls in April, it is a littel cool but definately Spring in the wine region, which is Niagra and area as everything is greening up by then.

Toronto is close to an hour from Niagra Falls. Worth going if you want to see a show or event there but otherwise you probably wont see much in your time frame. Even though it's only an hour, its usually a couple weeks behind in the season.

Let me know if you have specific things you want to do and I could suggest some things. I will assume since you will be in a wine region you will take in a couple wineries? There are lots there.