The Coolest Path Between Two Points

June 14, 2006 4:53 AM

What is the most interesting method of travelling from Toronto to New Haven, CT?

I'm an Australian who is visiting Canada with my partner for a working holiday. We'll be based in Toronto. My best mate lives in New Haven and I will be visiting him for a few days. I'd like to make the most of the trip from Toronto to New Haven. I have more time than money, but I am happy to spend around the same as the air fare.

posted by dantodd to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

I think it would be an interesting (but slow) trip if you travelled by Segway.
posted by blaneyphoto at 5:29 AM on June 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

Rent a motorcycle and take only windy, car-commercial-like two-lane roads.
posted by mdonley at 5:35 AM on June 14, 2006

My parents live in CT and I live in Toronto so I've done this trip a few times. It's a beautiful drive through the northern part of New York state so renting a car and heading down there is always an option. Depending on how long you're staying, or if you can drop the vehicle off at a rental depot in CT, this could get a little more expensive then the flight. You could also head a bit north from Toronto and drive through Montreal and then down through the north-eastern states like Maine or Vermont. I've never done that route but it's supposed to be incredible.

Besides that? Taking the bus is not recommended. I've had to do that a few times in the past and it's likely that I'll never do it again. I'd rather be on acid and ride a unicycle. It's a very, very long ride (16-20 hours) and you have to go through New York city (although, it does give you an opportunity to see the city if you have time). The buses do not smell nice at all and the port authority bus terminal in New York is not one of the nicer areas of the city to visit.
posted by purephase at 5:36 AM on June 14, 2006

If you go via upstate NY (through Buffalo, Rochester, then down and across the state to CT) be warned that NY State is quite large and boring. There are loooong stretches of hills and farms and not much else. That said, the George Eastman House museum in Rochester (founder of Kodak) is very nice. It's a world class photography museum, lots of Hollywood directors store their film prints in the vaults there, and it's also got a beautiful mansion/gardens as part of the museum. It's quite close to the Rochester Science Museum, which has lots of fun hands-on stuff, although it's not necessarily unique in the world. Then you could dine on a Garbage Plate, a local fast food delicacy. Ithaca, home of Cornell University, is a very cute college town, with nice parks, shops, etc. It's home to the world-famous Moosewood Restaurant (origin of the Moosewood Cookbooks), which is a great place for a delicious, relaxed, and not expensive (vegetarian) meal. It's not far off the Thruway (route 90). Oh yeah, and maybe you've been told his already, but the if you are going to visit Niagara Falls on your way, the Canadian side is supposed to be much nicer than the American side, for viewing, tourism, etc. (On preview - I would strongly second "do not take a bus".)
posted by chr1sb0y at 5:48 AM on June 14, 2006

You could take the Maple Leaf Amtrak train to New York. $82 one way, 12 hour trip (in theory). Then the local commuter rail out to New Haven which takes about 90 minutes and costs $14.
posted by smackfu at 6:54 AM on June 14, 2006

I used to do that drive quite a bit - I would take the QEW from Toronto to Niagara Falls (where you could stop, if interested in either the Falls or Casinos), then take the I-90 from Buffalo to Syracuse, then turn South on I-81 which takes you through hilly, windy Pennsylvania, instead of crummy, massive Interstaty-NY. Then I would somehow take the 280 or 380 East, through NYC where I'd usually stop, then go up the sound on the Merritt Parkway to New Haven, which is also a very nice, historical drive. A bit of a roundabout way to get there, but a much nicer drive than hitting the Interstate through Albany.
posted by loquax at 7:56 AM on June 14, 2006

"most interesting"? hitch hike.
posted by Izzmeister at 9:18 AM on June 14, 2006

You could also head a bit north from Toronto and drive through Montreal and then down through the north-eastern states like Maine or Vermont. I've never done that route but it's supposed to be incredible.

I have, and it is wonderful. We went through Vermont and took almost all small roads. What time of year will your trip be?
posted by booksandlibretti at 10:37 AM on June 14, 2006

If you are interested in nature, heading along the north shore of lake Ontario, crossing the boarder at Cornwall and driving through Vermont is beautiful. Notable stops are Kingston (ya, not nature) and the thousand islands. Once you are clear of Toronto there are hardly any people though..

If you are looking for less nature, head for the south shore and New York state.

If you have time, Montreal and Quebec City are definitely worthwhile, so you could stick with Canada all the way to New Brunswick, and then cross into Maine. definitely a much slower trip!
posted by Chuckles at 2:55 PM on June 14, 2006

Well, looking at the map, I guess you wouldn't see much Vermont / New Hampshire when crossing at Cornwall, since Connecticut is pretty much due south from there.. Oh well..
posted by Chuckles at 3:00 PM on June 14, 2006

Yep, forget the north shore, Montreal without Quebec City just isn't worth it, in my opinion. The geography just doesn't let you work Quebec City in; way too far out of your way to be sensible. I'll shut up now. And, it's about time!
posted by Chuckles at 3:07 PM on June 14, 2006