Highways in Canada

[SignalHillHiker]

It's not the time, it's just... the drive. The Trans Canada Highway across Newfoundland is like driving to the fucking moon. It passes through only the shittiest of towns that boomed as a direct result of its existence, dominated by motels and gas stations and bungalows. You can't see anything but woods until you're almost to the West Coast. It's torturous. It's hideous. It's unnecessary. And it's NINE FUCKING HOURS lol And then you have 7 hours relaxing on the ferry - comfortable seats, movies, entertainment, bars, whatever you like. And then you're in North fucking Sydney. There's not enough siding left in the whole town to finish a house properly. It's gross. And after 20 hours, voila, Halifax.

I would much rather drive a couple blocks down to the waterfront, park my car on the ferry, have a full day of comfortable seats, movies, entertainment, bars, whatever you like, and get off in Halifax 24 hours later.

There's no comparison to the experience of each, regardless of the ever-so-slight time difference.

And yes, I fly most of the time now, most people do, but it's outrageously expensive. It'd be nice to be able to pay $400-$700 for a ferry to Halifax consistently instead of often double to fly, maybe lucking into a seat sale for the same. Not that I'm going to Halifax as a final destination, but... if I'm heading anywhere in Canada, I'd much rather that to start.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It's not the time, it's just... the drive. The Trans Canada Highway across Newfoundland is like driving to the fucking moon. It passes through only the shittiest of towns that boomed as a direct result of its existence, dominated by motels and gas stations and bungalows. You can't see anything but woods until you're almost to the West Coast. It's torturous. It's hideous. It's unnecessary. And it's NINE FUCKING HOURS lol And then you have 7 hours relaxing on the ferry - comfortable seats, movies, entertainment, bars, whatever you like. And then you're in North fucking Sydney. There's not enough siding left in the whole town to finish a house properly. It's gross. And after 20 hours, voila, Halifax.

I would much rather drive a couple blocks down to the waterfront, park my car on the ferry, have a full day of comfortable seats, movies, entertainment, bars, whatever you like, and get off in Halifax 24 hours later.

There's no comparison to the experience of each, regardless of the ever-so-slight time difference.

Ah, ok. I can see that. Bring a tablet with movies, snooze if you want to, having a few drinks is far preferable to driving across wasteland. I've done chunks of driving across Northern Ontario - it's not far different from what you describe.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by thewave46

Ah, ok. I can see that. Bring a tablet with movies, snooze if you want to, having a few drinks is far preferable to driving across wasteland. I've done chunks of driving across Northern Ontario - it's not far different from what you describe.

Just curious. Do you get to go along Lake Superior Shore often?

[Architype]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It's not the time, it's just... the drive. The Trans Canada Highway across Newfoundland is like driving to the fucking moon. It passes through only the shittiest of towns that boomed as a direct result of its existence, dominated by motels and gas stations and bungalows. You can't see anything but woods until you're almost to the West Coast. It's torturous. It's hideous. It's unnecessary. And it's NINE FUCKING HOURS lol And then you have 7 hours relaxing on the ferry - comfortable seats, movies, entertainment, bars, whatever you like. And then you're in North fucking Sydney. There's not enough siding left in the whole town to finish a house properly. It's gross. And after 20 hours, voila, Halifax.

I would much rather drive a couple blocks down to the waterfront, park my car on the ferry, have a full day of comfortable seats, movies, entertainment, bars, whatever you like, and get off in Halifax 24 hours later.

There's no comparison to the experience of each, regardless of the ever-so-slight time difference.

And yes, I fly most of the time now, most people do, but it's outrageously expensive. It'd be nice to be able to pay $400-$700 for a ferry to Halifax consistently instead of often double to fly, maybe lucking into a seat sale for the same. Not that I'm going to Halifax as a final destination, but... if I'm heading anywhere in Canada, I'd much rather that to start.

I've done the drive numerous times, especially when I was in Halifax, and it's a 24 hour route, but the ferry provided a nice rest overnight.
I recommend buying a Porsche to make it somewhat better.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Architype

I recommend buying a Porsche to make it somewhat better.

Sirius Satellite Radio helps too.

So, 20-24 hours from St. John's to Halifax.

Moncton is so much more accessible to the rest of North America:

4 hours to Bangor.
8 hours to Boston.
12 hours to New York City.
15 hours to Washington DC (I've done this one several times).

In the amount of time it would take you to get to Halifax, I could be in Charlotte, North Carolina!

If I were a Torontonian, I could make it to Miami in 22 hours.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Sirius Satellite Radio helps too.

So, 20-24 hours from St. John's to Halifax.

Moncton is so much more accessible to the rest of North America:

4 hours to Bangor.
8 hours to Boston.
12 hours to New York City.
15 hours to Washington DC (I've done this one several times).

In the amount of time it would take you to get to Halifax, I could be in Charlotte, North Carolina!

If I were a Torontonian, I could make it to Miami in 22 hours.

From my experience, Toronto and North Bay are both 20 hours from Halifax.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

From my experience, Toronto and North Bay are both 20 hours from Halifax.

Toronto is 15 hours from Moncton (non stop). With pee, food and gas breaks, 18 hours is reasonable, so, yes, Halifax-Toronto would be 20-21 hours. Most sane people would do this in two days, with an overnight break in Edmundston NB (about 8 hours from Halifax).

[Architype]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Sirius Satellite Radio helps too.

So, 20-24 hours from St. John's to Halifax.

Moncton is so much more accessible to the rest of North America:

4 hours to Bangor.
8 hours to Boston.
12 hours to New York City.
15 hours to Washington DC (I've done this one several times).

In the amount of time it would take you to get to Halifax, I could be in Charlotte, North Carolina!

If I were a Torontonian, I could make it to Miami in 22 hours.

From Vancouver I can be at the Mexico border in the same time or less, than it takes from St. John's to Halifax.
But the Porsche would still help a lot.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Toronto is 15 hours from Moncton (non stop). With pee, food and gas breaks, 18 hours is reasonable, so, yes, Halifax-Toronto would be 20-21 hours. Most sane people would do this in two days, with an overnight break in Edmundston NB (about 8 hours from Halifax).

... or at Riviere -Du - Loup. I tended to do it in 2 days west, but 1 day east. Most fun was driving at night through a tropical depression near Dieppe.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by Architype

From Vancouver I can be at the Mexico border in the same time or less, than it takes from St. John's to Halifax.

Interesting. Inspired me to look at comparative distances.

The northern half of Mexico is the shitty part, though, so there'd be no point in stopping there if you're going to do such a long trip to see the country. The southern half of Mexico is the good part, basically starting with the states of Jalisco and Guanajuato.

Vancouver to Guanajuato (city): 4,511 km
Toronto to Guanajuato (city): 3,765 km

Having said that, I would never drive in Mexico for all of the standard third world reasons. My first-hand information may be from 1996, but nothing I've seen or heard from friends and media reports suggests that that impression is out of date.

[Denscity]

Including an overnight hotel stop and several stops along along way I can get to Los Angeles and Las Vegas in 24 hours by car.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Toronto is 15 hours from Moncton (non stop). With pee, food and gas breaks, 18 hours is reasonable, so, yes, Halifax-Toronto would be 20-21 hours. Most sane people would do this in two days, with an overnight break in Edmundston NB (about 8 hours from Halifax).

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

... or at Riviere -Du - Loup. I tended to do it in 2 days west, but 1 day east. Most fun was driving at night through a tropical depression near Dieppe.

Interesting. I’ve always thought that Quebec City or Levis would be a good place to stop going from Toronto to Halifax. Then again that’s what I did in both trips. On the way back, I would book it from Halifax to Montreal then leave Montreal the next day.
Then things will definitely change once I move to Upper Ottawa Valley after the pandemic.

Ps: Speaking of sanity, I’ve booked it from Chicago to Winnipeg in one go (with 3 breaks), and from Heron Bay to Ottawa (with 3 breaks).

[Innsertnamehere]

It's honestly interesting how much further Moncton is from Toronto than Saint John. I usually do Toronto - Saint John in 12-13 hours, though that includes a cut through the US. I'll do it in a single day for that one. Interesting how the US cut through is basically a time wash for Moncton, sort of defeating the purpose.

If I stop in New Hampshire for some sweet sweet sales tax free shopping, it's a bit longer, probably closer to 14-15 hours, but that one would include an overnight stay.

Now that I'm in Hamilton my drives to Saint John are going to get 90% American haha.. I-90 to I-95 and up.

[NS Bayman]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Interesting. I’ve always thought that Quebec City or Levis would be a good place to stop going from Toronto to Halifax. Then again that’s what I did in both trips. On the way back, I would book it from Halifax to Montreal then leave Montreal the next day.
Then things will definitely change once I move to Upper Ottawa Valley after the pandemic.

Ps: Speaking of sanity, I’ve booked it from Chicago to Winnipeg in one go (with 3 breaks), and from Heron Bay to Ottawa (with 3 breaks).

Have done this drive from Halifax many times to visit family in the Bruce/Grey County region.

The last trip we tried a single day grind to get to Brockville. Driving in the summer helps with extended daylight, so we got there just after sunset. This was also after we stopped in Brossard to do a little shopping and have a nice supper (Quartier Dix30 is a nice break). When we get to Grey/Bruce we then have a good half of a day to enjoy our destination.

AR 30 south of Montreal has been awesome for us. Before this highway it would be a guarantee that we would be stuck in traffic in Montreal adding a couple hours to our trip. The timing works out that we roll into Montreal just in time for the afternoon rush hours.

Going home we don't push as hard and break up the trip into two almost equal driving days. We will stop in Quebec City or Edmundston (and then a quick visit to the small depanneur for cheap beer on the NB/PQ border).

[Paper Boy]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Including an overnight hotel stop and several stops along along way I can get to Los Angeles and Las Vegas in 24 hours by car.

I have done YYC to Vegas many times in 19 hours. 5 AM - Midnight ( usually 2 stops. Helena and Provo

[jamincan]

I've done Owen Sound to Sydney in one go, slept on the ferry, and then drove to Corner Brook and slept again there. 0/5 do not recommend.

[Airboy]

Done the drive across Canada a number of times. Mainly From YEG to the Niagara region or TO. But a few times to Montreal and Quebec city.

Doing the drive sure makes you appreciate the size of the country.

One year heading to Quebec for the World Mountain Bike Champs. AC went on strike so I had to drive. Edmonton to Yorkton. (3 hours sleep) then to Sioux St Marie, (3 hours Sleep) then to Quebec city. I think it was about 42 hours.

Other times if there was a co driver we would only stop for gas. from Edmonton to Montreal. There were Husky stations every 400kms.

When it takes a full day to drive from TO to Kenora. and only 18 hours from there to Edmonton, it hits you the size of the country.

After doing those drives doing a straight through Drive to Vancouver or Victoria is quite easy. And you can sleep on the ferry as well to Victoria.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Interesting. Inspired me to look at comparative distances.

The northern half of Mexico is the shitty part, though, so there'd be no point in stopping there if you're going to do such a long trip to see the country. The southern half of Mexico is the good part, basically starting with the states of Jalisco and Guanajuato.

Vancouver to Guanajuato (city): 4,511 km
Toronto to Guanajuato (city): 3,765 km

Having said that, I would never drive in Mexico for all of the standard third world reasons. My first-hand information may be from 1996, but nothing I've seen or heard from friends and media reports suggests that that impression is out of date.

I've driven there several times. There's quite a few very modern highways that have opened within the past decade that have bypassed some of the narrow roads that sometimes had standards comparable to Ontario Secondary highways. My main complaint with driving there is the tolls; it wasn't so bad (at least for a Canadian tourist) a decade ago when their gas prices were dirt cheap compared to Canada, but nowadays gas there is a lot more expensive so tolls compound the cost of driving. The other issue I've seen there is lack of clear wayfinding signage, route numbers are only sporadically posted (and sometimes are wrong), and GPS isn't always an option as there's no mobile reception in some rural areas.

Highway driving there is different, but you just have to be more defensive. Drivers go a lot faster (while some trucks go notoriously slow).

And there are some things I've seen there that I've never seen in Canada or the US, at least in rural areas: pedestrians running across the highway; a dead cow blocking a road; donkeys chilling in the middle of the road (often with a big grin on their face); chickens walking on the road. And in Mexico City, people selling things at intersections, sometimes very random things. I once saw someone selling head-mounted lights that miners use.

[sonysnob]

Originally Posted by Airboy

Done the drive across Canada a number of times. Mainly From YEG to the Niagara region or TO. But a few times to Montreal and Quebec city.

Doing the drive sure makes you appreciate the size of the country.

One year heading to Quebec for the World Mountain Bike Champs. AC went on strike so I had to drive. Edmonton to Yorkton. (3 hours sleep) then to Sioux St Marie, (3 hours Sleep) then to Quebec city. I think it was about 42 hours.

Other times if there was a co driver we would only stop for gas. from Edmonton to Montreal. There were Husky stations every 400kms.

When it takes a full day to drive from TO to Kenora. and only 18 hours from there to Edmonton, it hits you the size of the country.

After doing those drives doing a straight through Drive to Vancouver or Victoria is quite easy. And you can sleep on the ferry as well to Victoria.

I had to get a tire replaced in Kenora a few years ago, and while sitting in the lobby at the Kal Tire location I overheard a staff member telling another customer that while they didn't have a particular tire in stock at the moment, it was in their warehouse in Edmonton and they could have it there later that week.

I obviously know that Kenora is a long way from Toronto (I had just driven to Kenora from Toronto), but it still made an impression on me that there are businesses in Ontario that are served by warehouses in Edmonton.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by sonysnob

I had to get a tire replaced in Kenora a few years ago, and while sitting in the lobby at the Kal Tire location I overheard a staff member telling another customer that while they didn't have a particular tire in stock at the moment, it was in their warehouse in Edmonton and they could have it there later that week.

I obviously know that Kenora is a long way from Toronto (I had just driven to Kenora from Toronto), but it still made an impression on me that there are businesses in Ontario that are served by warehouses in Edmonton.

Yah, Kenora is closer to Edmonton than TO by highway. People that live in TO don't get that, ........ no let me change that. people need to get out and cross the country by car to get an appreciation to what the rest of the country needs to do to survive.

While doing the drive you see the need for one standard for highway construction.