From Chicago to Upstate New York....VIA Canada???

Hey all,

Hopefully you can help me.  I am trying to plan a cross country trip and I am stuck on how to get from the Chicago/New York portion of my trip. 

I see Google Maps gives me 2 options - Route around Canada and go threw Cleveland OH to Rochester or a second option of going right threw Canada.  Says it only adds 10 miles to the trip by doing this?  And of course the benefit will then be able to go right by Niagara Falls.

It seams that the main portions in Canada would be spent on "402", "403", and "Queen Elizabeth Way".  Are these highways?  Navigable by 40ft RV?  Any idea on speed limits?  "tourist friendly"? 

I apologize if these are well known roads but besides for crossing the boarder and going to Niagara as a child I have no knowledge of these road and do not just want to take a wrong road because Google thinks its a good idea.

Here is the route it gives me for Canada:

14.Merge onto I-69 N
About 1 hour 40 mins

go 119 mi
total 905 mi

15. Keep left at the fork to continue toward I-69 E/I-94 E

go 0.7 mi
total 906 mi

16.Keep left at the fork, follow signs for I-94 E/I-69 E/M-25/Canada/Lexington and merge onto I-69 E/I-94E
Partial toll road
Entering Canada (Ontario)
About 4 mins

go 3.8 mi
total 910 mi

17.Continue onto Bluewater Bridge E
Toll road
About 49 secs

go 0.6 mi
total 910 mi

18. Continue onto ON-402 E
Partial toll road
About 58 mins

go 63.8 mi
total 974 mi

19. Merge onto ON-401 E
About 27 mins

go 31.1 mi
total 1,005 mi

20. Keep right to continue on ON-403 E, follow signs for Hamilton/Niagara Falls/Brantford
About 35 mins

go 40.0 mi
total 1,045 mi

21.Take exit 64 for Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway

go 0.5 mi
total 1,046 mi

22.Merge onto Lincoln M. Alexander Pkwy E
About 7 mins

go 7.0 mi
total 1,053 mi

23.Continue onto Red Hill Valley Pkwy N
About 4 mins

go 4.6 mi
total 1,057 mi

24.Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Queen Elizabeth Way/Niagara and merge onto Queen Elizabeth Way
About 28 mins

go 32.0 mi
total 1,089 mi

25.Keep left to continue on ON-405, follow signs for Queenston Lewiston U.S.A
Partial toll road
Entering United States (New York)
About 6 mins

go 5.9 mi
total 1,095 mi

26.Continue onto I-190 S
Partial toll road
About 14 mins

go 14.8 mi
total 1,110 mi

27...then on to Rochester.

Have driven this route a number of times.  You will have no problem.  The route is all major highways and available campgrounds along the route.  I go to Chicago often to visit family and take this route as an alternative to the southern US route for a change of scenery.  Only issues are the normal border crossing issues which can add time depending on the timing of your crossing. 

Bob

We also use Canada for travel between the Midwest and NY or VT but I would suggest I94/I69 and the Port Huron/Sarnia crossing to avoid the Detroit traffic.

Have taken both Canadian and Toll road routes to NY on different occasions.

I took the Bridge in Detroit on one occasion and the Tunnel on another.. Taking the bridge you basically are freeway all but the last quarter mile in Detroit (Take I-95 to I-96 east to Bridge/Porter Street last time I took it, may be a slightly different route with more city driving now but all main roads save for the exit ramp).

On the Canada side your tail lights may still be in customes when you pick up the main road (ok, not quite that close but not far from it) do not forget passport.

If you take the tunnell you have a couple miles of city driving.

On the Niagra side.. It's been long enough memory fades, but as I recall... It's all good roads.. I mean even the city roads are good. and it's a beautiful city too.    Major tourist town to they have good roads.

Last trip was back in the 90's.. I took the southern route to NYC (Toll road) Picked up my daughter at Julliard after the final concert and we took reverse route back to Detroit for a ":Gig" the next morning. (She plays flute.. rather well, it was a "Master's Class".)

Like Jeff, we have used the Canadian side for travel between the Michigan and Rochester, NY many times. I find that the Port Huron/Sarnia crossing to avoid the Detroit traffic is definitely the best route and the mileage is essentially the same. We have a trip planned in September from Rochester to Forest City, IA with a stop in Jackson, MI.

R

I agree with Richard and Jeff. We have used the Canadian route numerous times from Chicago to Vermont. We also use the Port Huron crossing.

ken

Just remember to fill you fuel tank before entering Canada...  Last time we  were there the cost difference was up to $.70 more per gallon. In liters, that comes out to..............

Thank you all (as usual great thought out advice and knowledge).

I think we def will take this route and go Port Huron crossing as advised.  I think this will be much better then just the standard drive to Cincinnati and then on to Rochester early that AM.  Not that there is anything wrong with OH of course but that is how we get to Rochester from Tennessee so have done this road numerous times and its a pretty dry ride.

Mike

Do not forget to add at least 30 minutes for each border crossing. Summer time and staffing cutbacks.
9 dollars for each bridge if you have 4 axles.
Gas and Diesel is 1.20 a liter in Ontario right now, about 4.50 a gallon.
I agree that Port Huron is the less congested crossing at the west end, Fort Erie is a good one on the East end.

It seams that the main portions in Canada would be spent on "402", "403", and "Queen Elizabeth Way".  Are these highways?  Navigable by 40ft RV?  Any idea on speed limits?  "tourist friendly"?

All good 4 lane highways with a 100KM or 62MPH speed limit. "tourist friendly" We are just trying to leave or get back home but there are several tourist spots on the route, Niagara Falls being the most visited.

As Wasoki says, fill your tanks before entering Canada.  We do pay more for our gas here.  That is because after we sell our oil to the US (largest 'foreign' supplier of oil to the US now), it is refined in the US and bought back from you as gasoline.  Transportation charges and profit to the supplier add to the final price.

By the way, I hope you are considering that the US gallon is 128 fl. oz. while the Canadian (Imperial) gallon as is used in Canada, is 160 fl. oz. even though it is dispensed in litres (liters). In liters, your Gal. equal 3.78 liters(thanks Harris155) while the Imperial Gallon in Canada equals 4.5 liters.  Doesn't seem like a huge difference but with a 100 gallon tank (I don't know what your MH has) it would soon add up. I'll bet the difference is not quite as great as you may be thinking it is.  Our current price/liter in British Columbia(not the Vancouver Region, which has many local taxes added / liter) is $1.19.  Diesel about $1.27/liter here.  It always rises in the summer due to supply and demand...commercial competition, if you will. 
Don't get me wrong.  I am only spouting off about having to buy "our own oil" back from the US in gasoline at an inflated price, when we should really be refining our own.  We can thank multi-national Corporations for that.  In the end, it is not really worth worrying about.  People without RVs are probably saying "What are you worrying about?  If you can afford a nice big motorhome, you certainly can afford the gas to run it." It's just the nature of the beast.  Just come and enjoy the country, and Welcome to Canada.

Oh by the way, Target stores have just opened in Canada in about 400 locations.  Whoopie, the prices are only about 30% higher than they are in the US!  I'm still trying to figure what "free trade" really is.  I guess it did eliminate tarifs in both countries, but not the idea that any commercial entity can charge whatever the traffic will bear.  Obviously that is the reason why large numbers of Canadian people cross the border every day to shop in the US.  Go figure!

The latest study by Homeland Security is to charge a fee ($5.00 or so/person) to cross into the US.  The uproar on this side of the country from Washington merchants was loud and long.  40% of their income is apparently derived from Canadian shoppers, and they don't want anything to interfere with that.  (I think it is called 'shooting yourself in the foot'.    )  I hope the nine month study will show them that might not be the best way to pay the border guards' salaries.  :-[ 

Sorry for the rant.  Very un-Canadian of me.  ;D

Gord

The conversion for 1 US gallons is 3.78 liters.

If you are in no hurry I would like to add that the North Shore of Lake Erie is very lightly developed and has some charming fishing villages.
There are several scenic designated routes that are easily driven in a Motorhome. Talbot trail, Lakeshore trails.
We are in one of the larger towns, Port Dover, Population 5000, doubles in summer.

    Ontario has designated its Interstate equivalent roads as their 400 series highways, so the 401, 402, 427, etc are all limited access, divided highways with limited grades and at least 2 lanes in each direction.  As others have suggested, you won't have any difficulty navigating them with your coach.
    Our last trip that way, we boondocked at a Flying J in London ON which had a set up identical to Flying J's in the Eastern States, plus as an alternative Walmart has hundreds of locations all along that route.
    I'm not sure about crossing back over at Niagara.  My gut tells me that you might be better off going the few extra miles to Buffalo which I can confirm is limited access divided highway, I'm not sure about the other bridges, maybe someone knows and can comment.

Ed

Buffalo can get really busy, we spent 45 minutes in line there. The 405/I190 exit has been practically deserted the two times we have used it for crossing back into the US. You DO NOT want to use the main crossing in downtown Niagra with an RV.