So after far too long, I’m taking an all-too-brief road trip to a country that is (sort of) ¼ of my ancestral homeland: Canada. (It’s ridiculous that I’ve been to Siberia, but not Canada…but I digress.) Plus this way, I get to do something I’ve never done, strangely enough – crossed an international land border in something other than a train. I should have the experience my clients do, no?
As it’s somewhat last-minute, the airfares are insane for the dates I’d need to travel. However, I have a car, and Mapquest says it’s only 8 hours and 20 minutes from my office in Chicago to downtown Toronto, which isn’t all that much longer than it would take to fly, if you take into account airport transfers, having to arrive ahead of time for international flights, etc. So, ROAD TRIP!
What’s the best way to drive, route-wise? Mapquest is telling me I should take I-94 to I-69 North, and cross the U.S./Canada border wherever the hell that route passes over. Yahoo Maps is telling me to take I-94 to I-75 North, to I-96 West, to I-94 East, which would apparently have me crossing the border at Port Huron.
Anyone know the pros and cons of either route, as well as of the respective border crossing points? (They supposedly take about the same amount of time.) Is one more scenic? Does one have a shorter wait or less obnoxious border personnel?
I’ve been from Toronto to Chicago and back a couple of times.
I’ve always gone the I-69 route that I think Mapquest is showing you. It still takes you up to Port Huron/Sarnia, and allows you to bypass Detroit/Windsor. Those are nice cities, but it’s much easier and faster, I find, to go through the relatively smaller towns of Port Huron and Sarnia.
I always found customs on both sides to be fairly quick and easy at the Port Huron/Sarnia crossing point, though things may have changed slightly since 9/11.
I can’t remember the route leading out of Sarnia to Toronto (402? Well, it’s 40-something anyway), but it will hook up with the 401 at around London, Ontario. From there, it’s straight eastbound into Toronto.
I’ll have to check my map, but I actually think it’s shorter to stay on 96 and cross into Windsor. The reason being that the expressway through Ontario goes northeast so it’s cuts a little time off.
However, the point of it taking longer to cross there then at Pt Huron might be valid.
I guess, looking at it, you would save the same time going along 69 than coming straight down 94.
The 401 is what goes from Windsor to Toronto. From Sarnia, it’s the 402 which meets up with the 401 about midway.
I say the best way to go is via Thailand or Hawaii or the French Riv, but maybe that’s just personal preference.
Toronto? Really? Unless there’s family that you need to visit there, may I suggest somewhere else? I mean, after 8 hours of driving, it’ll be kinda like you never left Chicago. Sorta. I say fly. Fly to Vancouver or Victoria. Or Calgary. Or Halifax. (But, make sure to go via Thailand. It’s a little more expensive, but well worth the layover.)
I’d say definitely go via Port Huron/Sarnia (via I-69, not I-75). Yeah, it’s a few miles further I-94 straight to the 401, but you avoid potential traffic snarls in Detroit/Windsor. I-94 is often rather slow, and Huron Church Road in Windsor is a pain in the ass - stoplights and 60kph (not that anyone drives that slow) on a long trip are not what the doctor ordered. If you do end up going through Detroit, I highly recommend leaving I-94 at Ann Arbor and taking 14 to I-96. When I was living in Ann Arbor and dating a Windsor girl, I found that 14/I-96 was almost invariably significantly faster, mostly because I-96 has five lanes a side instead of I-94’s three.
As for crossings, I only ever crossed at Sarnia once, ~25 years ago as a kid in the back seat on vacation, so I can’t compare it to Detroit/Windsor. I can’t imagine that it would be slower on a regular basis, though. Expect to spend more time waiting in line on the way back. For some reason (at least from 97-01) Canada Customs always seems to have more lanes operating.
I’ve always gone I-94 to Detroit, then over the big bridge (it’s called the peace bridge or the friendship bridge or some hippy name like that), then the good ole’ 401, which will take you straight to Toronto. By this route, you’re only in the City of Detroit proper for a few minutes. The less time spent in Detroit, the better. After you pass through customs, find the little park in Windsor on the river, and you’ll get an amazing view of Detroit. Detroit looks much better from Canada!
Every time I cross the border over the bridge at Detroit, it’s a breeze. But, on one of my road adventures my cousins (who live in Detroit) advised that I go a bit north at Port Huron. There, they searched my car and suitcases for an hour, so since then I’ve done the Detroit/Windsor crossing. Granted, I haven’t been to Canada since 9/11, so everything may be different now.
Actually, you’ll be surprised at how similar Toronto is to Chicago. It’s like a cleaner, safer version of the Windy City.
It’s the Ambassador Bridge, I can see the half-burnt out sign from my room. I can also see the backlog of trucks coming from Detroit . Avoid Detroit/Windsor and take Port Huron/Sarnia. Trust me, you’re not missing much by avoiding Windsor.
Another vote for the Sarnia route. No snarls as in Windsor: the 402 connects directly to the Bluewater Bridge, and is straight and flat and relatively-lightly-traveled towards London.
After London you’re on the 401, and after Kitchener-Waterloo, you start to get into the eternal snarl that is the 401 through Toronto, otherwise known as the Evil Death Highway of Doom.
Got a new job - this is my only chance for a break in between, and it’s too short notice apparently to get an airfare under $300, or that doesn’t leave at 6 am, or both. I’ll tell you the whole story in some other medium.
Toronto is driving distance, and I’ve never been to Canada, which is just silly. I wish I had time to go further - heck, with planning this time of year you can fly to Europe for not much more than $300, but there’s no time for that right now.
I-94 out of Chicago to I-69, then across to Port Huron/Sarnia. (I-69 can be a little frenetic at rush hour in Lansing as it is only four lanes, but it is nothing compared to wandering into Detroit.)
For variety (if you have the time), go back by way of Niagara Falls (ON/NY) and follow I-90 below Lake Erie and through Northern Indiana.
I should go drag the atlas out of the car and take a look, but I have an offer to crash for the night in Ann Arbor, which may sway my decision (I’m leaving after work, driving as far as I can that night, and then the rest of the way the following morning).
Niagara Falls probably won’t happen this time - I’d love to go, but this trip is slightly insane for 4 days as it is.
Nope - sorry. Starting a new job on the 15th, and will be busy as hell for the forseeable future. I actually wanted more time off in between, but my soon-to-be-boss is 8 months pregnant and wants to get me trained before she bursts. From the looks of her, she may not make it to full term (she is tiny - I’m 5’1", and she comes up to my nose - and her husband is something llike 6’2". This is going to be one biiiig baby coming out of one tiny mom, if her first kid is any indication.)
So probably no vacation time for a few months, at least. Oh well.
(Port Huron is preferred over Detroit because of the border crossing. Detroit traffic is no worse than Chicago traffic–I even find it a bit easier to drive.)
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