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Driving Edmonton to MontrealI'm heading back home on Tuesday, going to be driving from Edmonton to Montreal. I've done Edmonton - Toronto and back many times, but never from Edmonton to Montreal.
Normally when I do the Edmonton - Toronto route, I take the north shore route from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste Marie. Google Maps is suggesting I take the further north highway 11 route.
What are the advantages to either route? I don't care about scenery, I've done this drive a dozen times. Would avoiding the great lakes give me a better chance with the weather? Are there a decent number of hotels/motels to stay at along highway 11? I'm not setting a schedule, just going to stop for the night when I need to/the weather forces me to.
EDIT: Nevermind the States, my passport has expired. |
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J E F F4Whatta Ya Think About Dat? Premium Member join:2004-04-01 Kitchener, ON |
J E F F4
Premium Member
2013-Jan-28 5:49 am
I think you go south once you hit North Bay. In the summer, different story. Go south from North Bay to 401, then 401 to Montreal. Montreal is 5 hours MAX from 400/401. I've done Kitchener-Montreal about 10 times. Average is slightly less than 6 hours. I've done country roads easterly past Toronto before, you only do it for the scenery. |
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elwoodbluesElwood Blues Premium Member join:2006-08-30 Somewhere in |
to quickdry21
17 SE is the preferred route, but it's a "scenic" route. At the same time why spend nearly 4hrs going down 11/400 to the 401 for another 5hr drive to Montreal. |
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LazMan Premium Member join:2003-03-26 Beverly Hills, CA |
to quickdry21
Having driven both routes several times, here's what I can add...
17 is slightly shorter (45-mins to an hour) between Thunder Bay and North Bay) but being right on the shore, you're more exposed to weather, if there is any... There's also pretty much nothing from Nipigon until Hearst - not that there's much on 17, either; but 11 can be a lonely stretch of road.
Once you hit North Bay - you've got a couple options... 17 is the most direct route, but also a lot of "nothing" - if you go a little further south, and take Hwy 60 to Ottawa, it's a beautiful drive through Algonquin - that's my preferred route. If you want to go through Toronto, then just take 11 straight down until you hit the 400 - or, if you took 17, hang a right at Sudbury, and take the 69/400 directly.
From there - it's the 417 until it turns into the 40, or the 401 until it becomes the 20 - either way, you're ending up in Montreal... |
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elwoodbluesElwood Blues Premium Member join:2006-08-30 Somewhere in |
Taking 11 , you have to watch out for Moose and Squirrel |
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to quickdry21
If you got via Hwy 60 into Algonquin Park watch out for moose. THere has been a couple of Moose MVA;'s in the past 2 weeks. |
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ZZZZZZZ Premium Member join:2001-05-27 PARADISE |
to quickdry21
Why the hell would you want to drive across the prairies in the middle of January? Bring some gas antifreeze. |
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to quickdry21
Take the 11, it's flatter and less hilly so better on gas, and 30mins shorter than the 17 to boot.
Secret: There's a reserve gas station right past where the 11 splits from the 17, on the right. No tax on that gas. Fill up there.
When you hit North Bay, take the 17 east, it's way faster than going all the way south to the 401. It turns into the 417 once you hit Ottawa.
Source: I've done this drive a million times. |
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LazMan Premium Member join:2003-03-26 Beverly Hills, CA |
LazMan
Premium Member
2013-Jan-28 1:37 pm
I've never found the 11 route to be quicker, myself... Can't disagree with the 'flatter' - 17's up and down a fair bit in spots. |
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Just finished my first day driving, made it from Edmonton to Winnipeg. Northern Ontario tomorrow, I think I'm going to take 11. With limited daylight I think flatter will be better.
Now I will have to see if I feel like going all the way from Winnipeg to Montreal tomorrow or if I'm going to stop somewhere along the way. |
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milnoc
Member
2013-Jan-30 12:50 am
I HATE Highway 11! I HATE it! I HATE it! I HATE it!
It's the MOST BORING ROUTE in all of Ontario!
If the weather is good, stay on the 17 for a more scenic and less sleep inducing route.
Once in North Bay (stay there for the night), head to Ottawa, then to Montreal. It should take you about 7 hours. |
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to quickdry21
Hehe I've done Calgary to Montreal last year at end of February! Make sure to check the weather, snow storms in the prairies are dangerous, with the wind visibility quickly goes to hell! I didn't try that kind of weather, but I saw videos! I made sure there would be no snow on my drive, I had a 3 day window with no snow, got lucky The shortest route from Winnipeg to Montreal is: - Transcanada East (of course) - Becomes 17, stay on that until Thunder Bay - 102 bypasses TB if you don't need anything there - Follow signs to 11 East (Branches north from 17 at Nipigon) - Stay on 11 until 66 (Kirkland Lake) ~800km - watch for those "next village in x km" signs, there's one stretch where there is _nothing_ for 2-3 hours - cell phones towers only. - Follow 66 east to 117 (Quebec border) - Follow to 15 south - You're home (No need to explain Edmonton to Winnipeg -> take 16 East ) From Calgary, could be done in 3 days, 1000+km a day, alone. The 11 (north) route is apparently flatter, there's not too much traffic, but still has villages every 30-45 mins (except that 2-3 hours stretch). There is some truck traffic at night, trucks use that route when they are heavy as it's less hilly than 17. Being further from the lakes, there is les chance of nasty weather. There is less time on the highway (100km/h), but most of the way is 90 (driven at 110 for me). Make sure to plan your stops, in the smaller towns the gas stations close at 10-11pm, if you fill up before then you're still good for many hours if you can take it! Be careful and good luck |
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Yea that is the route I had planned. Weather across Northern Ontario for tomorrow seems like a mixed bag. Most areas look ok, but Timmins area looks messy with ice rain tonight, 15cm of snow and ice pellets tomorrow. There may be a few hours of white knuckle driving.
I picked up a 12.5L jerry can today, so I figure as long as I always top up once I hit 1/2 a tank I should be fine. |
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quickdry21 |
to milnoc
I've done 17 close to a dozen times. Driving up and down the escarpment with all those trucks and not enough passing lanes sucks. Plus I'm going to be doing a large chunk of driving in the dark due to the limited hours of daylight. Unpredictable terrain like that is a chore to drive when it is pitch black out. |
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quickdry21 |
OK, upon looking at the weather along the two routes, I think I'd better go down 17. Cochrane, Timmins and Kirkland lake all have rain tonight, freezing in the morning and 10-15cm of snow/ice pellets tomorrow. That sounds like hell.
Wawa, Marathon and Terrace Bay are much more mild, I think 5cm of snow was the worst among the three. |
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to quickdry21
You're doing it in one straight drive? I wasn't courageous enough to try that! After driving 1200km I was so tired, a hotel bed in middle of nowhere in Manitoba or Ontario sounded good I kept 25L of gas in the car, at 110km/h it gave me 300km+ range in the trunk, don't need more than that. Don't need to refuel at half tank, the more you stop the longer it takes... I hope your car is more efficient than mine though: 9L/100km, 65L premium tank lasts at most 5.5 hours How long have you been in Edmonton? Don't be surprised when you see the price of gas rise every time you cross a provincial border, we're at 1.40$ today! |
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I was going to keep driving all night and punch straight through to Montreal, but the roads are too bad to drive all night.
I stopped in Kapuskasing tonight, the gas is $1.30 :/ It was $0.97 when I left Edmonton. |
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