My husband and I are leaving on Dec 23rd to start this journey. Overnight in NYC and then on to Montreal. 3 nights in Montreal and then overnight in Niagara Falls (Canada side) before we come back to Columbus, OH.
Most Driving will be done in daylight. He is very comfortable driving our Camry in the snow and we have all weather tires. I am worried about the road conditions in December and wondered if anyone had any advice.
Thanks,
Rae
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I live north of Montreal and have driven to NYC, NIagara and Toronto, so I feel a bit qualified to give you some advice.
NYC to Montreal is at least 6 hours drive in perfect weather and it can be very snowy through the mountains, that can mean slow traffic and a very long ride. The border waits can be hours long and as it will be xmas that can have a big effect.
The drive from Montreal to Toronto is about 5 hours on dry pavement, but the highway is very exposed and the weather conditions can be awful if it is snowy or freezing rain. The drive throughToronto to Niagara Falls can take 1-3 hours depending on the traffic around Toronto, it is a huge city and has so much traffic.
In Quebec we do not drive on all seasons in winter, it is illegal, even rental cars must have winter tires after Dec 15th. We have already had snow and we will have more. Quebec does not have nice, well maintained roads like in much of the US, we have huge cracks and potholes, even on the highways. Tourists of course do not have to have winter tires, but the law is there as it is so dangerous to drive without them.
Please consider your road trip very carefully, to drive the almost 8 hours to Niagara Falls for one night seems a bit crazy to me as the weather conditions can be rough and it is not the best time of year to see the Falls as it will be very cold.
If you do decide to go on your trip please check the following link that lists what you should have in the car with you . www.kanetix.ca/ic_auto_info_auto_articles_10
These items are essential for winter driving conditions, being stuck by the side of a highway in a snow storm can be deadly.
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What advice are you asking about? You say he is comfortable with driving during the day and that you have the correct tires. I'm not sure what you are asking.
I assume you have a hotel in NYC - why just one night in NYC and 3 in Montreal? There's so much more to do and see in NYC - Montreal is lovely but is there a reason you only want one night in NYC? If not, you may want to reconsider that - also, I'm sure you are aware of how long the drive is to Montreal and that you are more likely to hit inclement weather the further north you go - we haven't had much snow in NYC for a few years now but northern New York and northward does seem to get more than its fair share.
I saw the falls at Niagra years ago in early in late March and the falls were frozen - it was pretty amazing to see but I didn't drive there - I flew from NYC and back - made it very easy to do - short flight.
Edited: 9:59 pm, November 30, 2009
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Just my opinion, but this itinerary does not make much sense to me. Let's add up the hours inside a car -- 8 Columbus to NYC, 8 NYC to Montreal, 7 Montreal to Niagara Falls and 6 Niagara Falls to Columbus. That's about 30 hours inside a car -- and that's if the weather is good. Seems to me you'll be spending most of your "daylight hours" trapped in a car.
I do not even understand why NYC is even on this itinerary as it is not "on the way" to Montreal and you are just planning on an overnight.What are you planning on seeing and doing after an 8 hour drive one day and facing another 8 hour day in the car the next. Since Montreal seems to be your main objective, why not just eliminate NY?
My advice? I would not attempt any leg of this trip by car in the winter unless I were in an SUV with AWD and serious snow tires. And even then, I would probably not bother to attempt it. It just doesn't sound like fun to me.
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