Niagara Falls to Qubec city

FC wrote:
The highway 30 bypass of Montreal is a dream to drive on. It has a toll but its a minimum. For our car only it was less than $2 I think.
We drive the 401 through Toronto many times a year and if you steer clear of the Rush three hours its normally an easy passage.
We have done the NY state thruway many times in our MH, but prefer the Cdn side.

The 30 bypass is the only way to go now. Many of the interchanges leading into and out of Montreal are in a constant state of construction and will be for many years to come. Road and access losures often happen with minimal notice.

The highway 30 bypass of Montreal is a dream to drive on. It has a toll but its a minimum. For our car only it was less than $2 I think.
We drive the 401 through Toronto many times a year and if you steer clear of the Rush three hours its normally an easy passage.
We have done the NY state thruway many times in our MH, but prefer the Cdn side.

Myself living in the greater Montreal area (north shore), definitely avoid the Island with the TT during traffic time. I'm used to it, still when I head out for the week-end I leave early. Definitely use the new Highway 30 (as previously mentioned), great to avoid the Island mess. Same for Quebec City, great CGs on the south shore with bus access to the Old City.

We went to the Gaspe Peninsula last summer, great easy ride along Highway 20 / 132. Loved the area - and no worries about the language if you stick to the South shore of the St-Lawrence river, and the Maritimes are mostly English-speaking anyway.

Enjoy the trip, I sure did.

Using the Thruway is not necessary. The 104 is a real nice, easy drive. Just miss Rochester rush hours and you're fine along that route. Real nice small towns to drive through.

The tolls on the NY thruway are a killer - that is the disadvantage of going through the US - but the gas and camp fees are much cheaper - so it is a decision to be made.

When going to Quebec City, consider staying on the south side of the river and taking the ferry from Levis to Old Quebec. Parking is right at the ferry docks and is reasonable for the daily rate - also lots of campgrounds not far from the docks. It is a very enjoyable area to walk around, have lunch and/or dinner at a sidewalk cafe, etc. Most restaurants will have English menus so at least you know what you are ordering. For the most part, language in the tourist areas is a non-issue.

Personally, I would stay on the US side, even if only for the gas $ savings. I also totally despise driving in Toronto and would never do it with the MH or a TT.

If you're looking for a stopover along the way, there is a great campground in Massena, NY (Massena International Kampground) where we spend most of our camp time. Canadian $ at par - $34 all in (if you pay cash) for a FHU with cable. Can cross the border at Cornwall and scoot right around MTL on the previously mentioned toll highway, or continue further through the US and cross later.

No need to worry about Montreal traffic anymore. Autoroute 30 bypasses the city on the south side of the river. This is a new multi-lane highway. There is a toll on the west end when you enter or leave the highway. Saves over an hour and during rush-hour saves even more time.

Lots of places to camp south of Montreal where you can unhook and drive into the city.

Not my favorite city in Canada but if you haven't been there you should give it a couple of days, after-all it is the home of the best hockey team in the world!!

Merry Christamas

Hi,

Go through the States. It is faster, shorter, and you can pick up some cheap fuel while you are at it.

I often set up an exclusion zone using MS streets and trips to avoid driving through big cities. I hate express ways, and toll roads.

Living in southern Ontario we have travelled this route quite a bit.

The busiest times going through Toronto is your typical rush hour (hours) time.

From 6:30 to 8:30 am. and from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

The QEW and the 401 being the major routes into Toronto could be heavy at any time but take your time, relax and you will be fine. Give yourself some extra "tourist" time. You may want to stop along the way from Niagra to Toronto and visit the many vineyards.

Travelling through Montreal at anytime during the day will be hectic. Montreal is a beautiful place, the people are great but traffic, huge headache. I would plan to go through Montreal very early in the morning if you are concerned. The only thing is it will be dark and you would be missing a lot of the sites of Montreal. Remember, all signs are in French only so since you are not going until next fall you have a bit of time to do homework. Try getting a driver handbook online to review signs.

Old Quebec City is absolutely somewhere everyone traveling east needs to visit. Driving in the old city will be very hard with the RV. I suggest that you unhook at your campsite or take a taxi in. Parking would be impossible in my mind. If you were going to stay in a hotel/motel along your trip, this might be the place to. There are quite a few just off the major highway and within reasonable taxi cost. Book anything, campsites, hotels etc. around Quebec City as soon as you can and expect this area to be your most expensive on your trip.

Anywhere in Quebec we have found people to be very helpful with language. Most people living in the Montreal area are bilingual. The only issue with language we have had over the years was in rural northern Quebec. It was not that people were being rude, they just did not know any English. You will find many french speaking areas in eastern Ontario and northern New Brunswick.

Like you are doing, homework is the key. I am sure your trip will be a great one. Are you planning on doing all the Atlantic provinces and how much time do you have scheduled?

Well, I can tell you, first hand, that a trip through Quebec will be what you make of it. Leave your Western Canada English speaking attitude at home and you will find Quebecers for the most part a very friendly helpful bunch of fellow Canadians. I had similar concerns as you when we drove to the Maritimes a few years ago. Spent 2 days in Montreal, 2 days in QC, then 4 days going around Gaspe' Penninsula, and we are so glad now that we never bypassed Quebec because of a perceived attitude problem....just never happened. We ended up feeling a bit stupid that we could not speak any French, because people treated us so well. On St John Baptiste day we were invited to join a bunch of families at an evening beach bonfire to sing traditional songs while kids roasted weenies & marshmallows......the word went around that we didn't understand French so people spoke English to us to tell us what the songs being sung were about,....we were totally included and it was a pretty emotional feeling for us. Take your time and do the big cities, and Quebec. A trip across Canada is not complete without experiencing all of our Great Country. I know it certainly created an attitude adjustment in this old bigoted western boys eyes.....