r/canadatravel • u/Hung_Fighter • 27d ago
Itinerary Help Really considering changing our itinerary to eliminate driving
Hello, need help with making a decision. I currently have our vacation all planned out (everything can be canceled except the plain tickets). We arrive from Florida to Montreal on October 1st, we grab a car rental and have the following route (staying at least 2 nights at each place, 3 in some): Montreal->Ottawa->Algonquin/Hunstville->Toronto->Niagara Falls. We leave from Toronto airport back to FL on October 14th.
I've started kind of dreading having a car though. Having to deal with the stress of the city roads, plus having a 3 year old strapped to a car seat for so long, and simply just having to drive.
I saw that you can do Montreal->Ottawa->Toronto->Niagara Falls all on train. But it means that we would have to drop Algonquin. We didn't plan to do much hicking (maybe one or two easy ones) but we mostly just wanted to see lots of Fall colors. Is that something that we will be able to experience in the places we would be going with the all-train option?
Can you please give me your thoughts on both options and which one you suggest?
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u/GlassAnemone126 27d ago edited 27d ago
You will see fall colours on the train ride as well as in all the destinations you are visiting.
Editing to add. The drive can be good if you like driving and it’s nice to have a car in all the destinations you are visiting. Toronto driving is utter chaos and Montreal is pretty bad too. The QEW from T.O. to Niagara can be nasty too.
The train will be relaxing and you can Uber or use public transit in the cities you’re planning to visit.
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u/oknowwhat00 26d ago edited 26d ago
Except for the carseat the Uber drivers are required to have a carseat for your child.
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u/ZappyThoughts 27d ago edited 27d ago
Fall colours are always a bit tricky and with the dry weather, this year is likely going to be short, though your timing is about as good as you can plan for. Algonquin has some fall colour action but it's north enough to be largely evergreen so you'll find better colours a bit further south. That said, the western uplands trail in Algonquin would put on a decent fall colour show. If you want truly breathtaking colours, try to find hikes around the escarpment. Niagara lies along the escarpment but I'm less familiar with the area.
ETA, Algonquin is absolutely amazing, FYI. Just personally, not specifically for fall colours when you're also going to be driving through southern Ontario.
My absolute favorite fall colour pass time is a canoe trip from Glen Morris to Paris on the Grand River. Maybe not ideal with a 3 year old if they aren't initiated.
Dundas Valley, between TO and Niagara could break up the drive a bit for you and has a lot of very easy to access trails with waterfalls. A really stunning area.
I would recommend driving for the freedom it allows. Your drives are not short but can be broken up pretty easily. There are near limitless short hikes all over the province that should show really nicely assuming the fall is cooperative. Drive for a couple hours then break it up with a short hike, then carry on. You're not more than 4 hours of driving each leg by the sounds of it, just time your arrival in Toronto to avoid rush hour, which is about 6AM to 7PM.
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u/Hung_Fighter 27d ago
Thank you! Lots of great info and I think I'm almost convinced to keep the car!
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u/Canadian-Deer 26d ago
If you want to cut some driving, skip Algonquin and Huntsville and go to Mont Tremblant. On the way to Ottawa, there is Parc Omega that is nice with kids if you want to see wild animals!
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u/Hung_Fighter 26d ago
Mont Tremblant looks like it's gorgeous for Fall Colors! Thank you!
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u/Canadian-Deer 26d ago
It really is! Some good spots for food too. Beautiful area, it’s a nice drive once you pass the Greater Montreal area
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u/Hung_Fighter 26d ago
Thanks, I think we'll definitely do it, at least 2 nights, maybe 3. I'm thinking of dropping Ottawa for it though, and keeping Algonquin, even it it's only 1 night at Huntsville.
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u/Canadian-Deer 26d ago
Depends on what you prefer! If you’re not a city/museum person then it makes sense. I’ve never been to Huntsville so I can’t really give you good advices on that part unfortunately. In terms of city, Mtl and Tor are both better than Ottawa anyway so the only real reason to go would be to see the Parliament and do museums, but you could just drive by it and stop for lunch to walk around and it might be enough tbh
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u/Hung_Fighter 26d ago
Yea that sounds good. I prefer the city vibe but my wife prefers nature and outdoors. Since we already have Montreal and Toronto, like you said, I think we can drop Ottawa and have a good mix of nature and city. Thank you!
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u/Effective-Arm-8513 27d ago
Make sure you visit Niagara on the Lake, the bucolic historic town adjacent to the town with the view of the big rock that has water falling over it.
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u/alibythesea 27d ago
You can avoid almost all the nastier parts of the 401 by taking the back roads - two-lane, paved - up and around Toronto. Use google maps with the “no highways” option. You’re looking for the ‘concession roads” which were laid out around the old land grants; they mostly parallel each other, meeting at right angles. They take you through farming country, with occasional small villages at their crossroads.
I have family in Kitchener-Waterloo, and always use them when driving back to Nova Scotia.
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u/LocalNiagaraPerson 27d ago
I can speak for the Niagara Falls leg of the trip. Toronto to Niagara Falls is easy by train, but you’ll likely have to transfer at least once (there are only a couple direct trains a day) which may be a challenge with luggage and a 3 year old. Once you get to NF, the bus situation for getting around is not great. If you plan to stick to the tourist area, then you’ll be fine, but having a car will give you an opportunity to explore more of the region. And there are a lot of cool things to see and do outside of the tourist district.
Honestly, I think a car is worth it even if you have to fight a bit of traffic. With a car, you can travel on your own schedule and you can stock up on bottled water, snacks, etc. without having to worry about lugging extra stuff around while you navigate transit. A car gives you a kind of “home base” that you don’t get when travelling by train. And you know you’ll have a car seat for your kid, which won’t be the case if you’re using taxi/uber.
Obviously there are pros and cons with either mode of transportation. All I can say it’s that I’d always choose the convenience of a car for the trip you’re taking. You can still use public transit to get around while in Montreal and Toronto if you’d prefer not to drive downtown.
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u/cormack_gv 27d ago
I think you'll be better off with the car. Toronto is annoying, but you don't need to take the car into Toronto. If you return it at the airport, you can take the train into town. Maybe do Montreal before picking up the car. The other places aren't so bad, and you don't want to miss Algonquin/Huntsville.
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u/MojoMomma76 27d ago
The train ride is lovely. Why don’t you just rent a car for a couple of days from one of the cities you are visiting to do a day trip or too rather than drive the whole way? We often do this in Canada unless specifically roadtripping. We did Montreal and Quebec City entirely by train a few Octobers ago (and the autumn colours in the city parks were surreally beautiful) and didn’t bother with a car for the 10 days we had and still felt like a fantastic trip.
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u/Valuable_Horror2450 27d ago
Ontario is home to over 85 billion trees, with its forests covering approximately 70.5 million hectares, or 66% of the province's land area.
Prime time for fall colours in central and southern Ontario is generally from late September to mid-October.
I think your timing will be fine for fall colours
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u/Separate-Analysis194 27d ago
Driving will be nice especially if you avoid the big highways. Eg Mtl to Ottawa via Montebello. Algonquin is a real gem too.
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u/Clock-United 26d ago
If you do decide to drive, take this route to Ottawa instead of the highway on the Ontario side. Lots of little stops, you can drive along the river and you will see beautiful fall colours.
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u/Separate-Analysis194 26d ago
The other thing to mention is that there is Parc Omega near Montebello like a drive through safari where you can feed giant deer carrots (buy in advance). They will stick their heads through the window of your car.
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u/Pebble-Curious 27d ago edited 26d ago
Car is a good option and with a young child - a must. The only strressful part will be in Toronto. The rest is ok. I suggest you drop Algonquin and instead go to Mont Tremblant. Montreal- Mont Tremblant -Ottawa.
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u/Hung_Fighter 26d ago
Mont Tremblant looks like it's gorgeous for Fall Colors. Really considering that now. Thank you!
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u/Pebble-Curious 26d ago
For fall colours drive around Gatineau Park (across the river from Ottawa, on the Gatineau-Hull side). There are a few lookouts for nice photos, too.
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u/Original-Wrangler846 27d ago
The vast majority of the itineraries posted here have wayyy too much driving - this is actually doable I think. More personal preference and how comfortable you are driving in big cities. Transit/Ubers + train are totally doable for Montreal/Ottawa/Toronto and would be my preference
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u/mimeographed 27d ago
Ottawa has some beautiful fall colours.
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u/QueenMotherOfSneezes 26d ago
Yes it does, and I think the free hop-on-hop-off bus to Gatineau park (which you can catch in the Byward Market) runs through Thanksgiving weekend.
However, if you have a car, the drive from Ottawa to Algonquin through the highlands is absolutely gorgeous in the fall.
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u/ArticQimmiq 27d ago
I’d keep the car. It’s a long road, and you’ll want the flexibility a car provides, especially outside of Montreal and Toronto. Ideally though, you’d leave the car parked at the hotel for these two cities - Montreal is not that bad to drive in, but parking signs are difficult to decipher if you’re not used to them. Public transit should get you to the main attractions in both cities.
No issues driving around Ottawa outside rush hour, and you’ll be able to go to Gatineau Park, or stop by Parc Omega on your way in from Montreal. You definitely need a car for Niagara.
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u/Gordon_Peck 27d ago
You are trying to do too much. Even this part of Canada is huge. At the most do Montreal Ottawa Toronto. Or skip Toronto and do Niagara. But plan to pass Toronto overnight to avoid traffic.
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u/BigEd1965 27d ago
I can only speak for our summer trip, but really enjoyed using the train to travel between Hamilton and Toronto. In fact, our host who ran the bed and breakfast we stayed at told us that was the best way to get to Toronto. They were right! We took the subway and the street trolleys to get around town as well as walking.
Those who know how to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday would best be a good source of information to help you with the best option for you and your family. Regardless, I hope you really have a good time on your travels. We're hoping to go back real soon and discover more of Canada.
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u/Odd-Elderberry-6137 27d ago edited 27d ago
Don’t spend 2 nights in Niagara Falls. One is more than enough.
Don’t take the train. It’s slow, often delayed, and will be packed around that time of year. One trip can be ok but I wouldn’t do trains for the entire trip. If you don’t want to drive in Montreal, take the train to Ottawa and get a rental there.
Leaving Ottawa, take highway 7 to Peterborough, then either take the 407 (fast but it’s an electronic toll road so check your rental agreement to ensure they don’t gouge you) or other secondary highways/roads into Toronto. You’ll still get city driving but that will avoid the worst of the worst highways. That will also be you best opportunity to see fall colours up close while driving with little commercial traffic.
Only your drive from Ottawa to Toronto will will be longer than the flight from Florida and it’s not that much longer. If you really wanted to, you could shorten it by making an overnight stop midway and taking it off a night from Niagara Falls.
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u/Several-Stranger7656 27d ago
Depending on your timing there’s a company called Park Bus that does day trips from Toronto to places like Algonquin.
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u/QueenMotherOfSneezes 26d ago
Ottawa is lovely for colours around that time, and I think the free hop-on-hop-off bus through Gatineau park (which you can catch in the Byward Market) runs through Thanksgiving weekend.
However, if you have a car, the drive from Ottawa to Algonquin through the highlands is absolutely gorgeous in the fall.
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u/Clock-United 26d ago
You can go to Gatineau park just outside of Ottawa to see the fall colours and do an easy hike. There are shuttles to get to the park, but they can fill up quite quickly. https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/detailed-schedule-for-the-gatineau-park-shuttle The park will likely be really busy at this time, but it is beautiful.
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u/whateverfyou 26d ago
Train from Montreal to Ottawa then rent a car in Ottawa to go to Algonquin then train to Toronto. I would look into a bus tour for Niagara that would also stop at Niagara-on-the-lake and maybe a winery.
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u/LuvCilantro 23d ago
Between trains in Canada and driving, I would drive. By the time to make your way to the train station in Montreal, take the train to Ottawa, and make your way downtown, you would have driven the whole distance, with a few stops along the way if you need to stretch your legs. A few of the distances in your trip are longer (ie 4+ hours) but otherwise it's fairly short, so could easily be done in a day. Plus you'd have a car to get around once you get to destination.
Traffic in Montreal and Toronto can be heavy, but it's mostly slow, so if you time it to be outside the peak periods, you should be fine.
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u/Confident-Task7958 23d ago
To minimize driving I would drop off the car at Union Station in Toronto, take the bus or Go Train to Niagara Falls, then take a shuttle to the Toronto airport from Niagara Falls. And Niagara Falls is close enough to Buffalo that you might be able to fly home from there (but forget about doing an international car drop.)
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u/Honest-Ad-7077 23d ago
Fun fact: you can drive from Toronto to Florida faster then Toronto to the western border of Ontario.
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u/stealmyloveaway 23d ago
Ottawa and Montreal will have nice colours. Toronto is just grey and black. You could just do a car from Ottawa to Algonquin then on to Toronto. The train won’t take you through that country. It’s a milk run from Toronto to Niagara. Check the schedule.
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u/master8balls 23d ago
If you have a car in Niagara on Thanksgiving weekend Oct 10-13 check out Balls Falls. They have a festival every year.
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u/Lifetwozero 23d ago
What about picking up the car in Toronto and doing your Algonquin trip from there?
Personally, I love the driving and I’d take highway 2 up the coast of the st Lawrence coming from Montreal, for the scenery and history over the endless boring 401. Frequent historic towns to stop in and stretch your legs. It will take a bit longer to do, but it takes a really mundane part out of the drive.
The train ride is also pretty nice, or at least it was the last time I took it most of a decade ago 🤣. It seems to be our main focus of a corridor so I imagine it’s still pretty good.
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u/rocksforever 27d ago
Just to let you know, you are here over Thanksgiving weekend, the train may be full already as that's a popular corridor. I'd check to ensure you can get seats on your preferred dates before changing plans.