Riding to Montreal n back, any advice?

Bettyvee

Bettyvee

Well-known member
I've ridden 3 hrs straight at most so far and to b honest the road was pretty empty at the time but i luvd it. this will be double so i know im being ambitious.. I'm leaving Friday returning Sunday . Any tips or suggestions on interesting rest stops or things to see/places to grab a bite on the way?

Ill be with two other ppl who are riding (well one will b on a spyder not sure if that counts ? jk!! )


I appreciate any advice/ words of wisdom from anyone that's done it ..tx
 
How much time do you have for the ride? Is the purpose of your trip the destination (Montreal), or the journey?

Highway 401 is a dull, lengthy, slow, mind-numbing drone. If I have to do that, I'm in a car with cruise control, A/C, and stereo.

Eastern Ontario has plenty of interesting out-of-the-way places, but it will add (a lot) to your journey time because it involves staying off highway 401 and highway 7. Try mapping out a route through Bancroft and Calabogie, and click "avoid highways".
 
I would take a car to go to Montreal. Like Brian P already said, you can go the LONG way to Montreal, but it takes your distance from 500 km to about 900 km one way

If I was given the option, I would ride 500 or 900km through Pennsylvania instead.
 
Blazing sun comes up in east use appropriate counter measures.
 
I just did that ride a few weeks ago. The purpose was to be in mtl not the ride. That said the 401 sucks. The route Brian suggested is much better to ride if you have the time.
 
The purpose is getting to destination (Montreal) was just hoping to make the journey a lot less dull
 
I've done this ride a lot (I'm from Montreal and have family there). Yup, 401 is dull but it gets you there. The En Route gas/food stations are soulless but clean and efficient. If you want to break up the ride a bit, try taking the Loyalist Highway from Trenton to Kingston and the 1000 Islands Parkway. Nice scenery and won't put you out of your way much.
 
Bettyvee said:
The purpose is getting to destination (Montreal) was just hoping to make the journey a lot less dull
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Dearth of information makes participation practicamente imposible. Bike? Skillz? Instrument rating? Preferred altitude? Special dietary requirements? Dental plan? Pro Life? 60/40 on/offroad certified? Sit down fancy or curbsider? Synthetic or natural?
 
inreb said:
Bike? Skillz? Instrument rating? Preferred altitude? Special dietary requirements? Dental plan? Pro Life? 60/40 on/offroad certified? Sit down fancy or curbsider? Synthetic or natural?
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Holy guacamole, really? lol ok lets see: ninja 250, newbie, umm instrument rating..huh, altitude? im confused..dental plan??? no entiendo..Im 100% all natural baby ;) Does that help you help me??


CanadianBiker said:
I've done this ride a lot (I'm from Montreal and have family there). Yup, 401 is dull but it gets you there. The En Route gas/food stations are soulless but clean and efficient. If you want to break up the ride a bit, try taking the Loyalist Highway from Trenton to Kingston and the 1000 Islands Parkway. Nice scenery and won't put you out of your way much.
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Thats more like it! Thanks CanadianBiker that sounds great.

I appreciate everyone else chiming in but for now ive stubbornly decided to ride it out..rain or shine (just praying to the rain gods they will hold off)
 
Bettyvee said:
Holy guacamole, really? lol ok lets see: ninja 250, newbie, umm instrument rating..huh, altitude? im confused..dental plan??? no entiendo..Im 100% all natural baby ;) Does that help you help me??
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I was just echoing the plaintive wail of post #2 in a jk!! fashion sans square, it's always helpful to include all data so those of us helming the touring file can custom tailor your motoring requirements. Seeing as you're on a 250 it's hardly worth it. haha jk!!, we love tiddlers. Enjoy the ride!
 
How much time have you allowed for the journey? If you don't care then take a side trip to Prince Edward County from Bellville and boot through Picton, take the ferry across to the start of highway 33.

when you get to Kingston take Montreal road all the way out to highway 15 via the locks on the rideau. You can then take 15 all the way up towards Ottawa, cross over to Gatineau and take the road along the Ottawa river for a while then enter montreal from the top.

lots and lots of options but it all depends on how long you have.
 
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Bettyvee said:
Thats more like it! Thanks CanadianBiker that sounds great.

I appreciate everyone else chiming in but for now ive stubbornly decided to ride it out..rain or shine (just praying to the rain gods they will hold off)
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Just out of curiosity, whereabouts in Montreal are you going?
 
dwntwnish i think (not really familiar) near Parc Jeanne-Mance, why you wanna ride with us :D we'r leaving mid morning and have to get there before 8pm everything in between is undecided.

Ferry sounds cool tho!
 
Bettyvee said:
dwntwnish i think (not really familiar) near Parc Jeanne-Mance, why you wanna ride with us :D we'r leaving mid morning and have to get there before 8pm everything in between is undecided.

Ferry sounds cool tho!
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Thanks but can't do it this weekend.
 
Bettyvee said:
dwntwnish i think (not really familiar) near Parc Jeanne-Mance, why you wanna ride with us :D we'r leaving mid morning and have to get there before 8pm everything in between is undecided.

Ferry sounds cool tho!
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That ferry is free too ;)
 
If you're going 401 to Montreal, it is *incredibly* boring. I took it the other way at the end of my NH/NB trip this year; it sucked, and I had to make rest stops for no other reason than to break up the monotony and have a coffee. I wasn't even tired, just bored out of my mind.

Myself, I would either go straight east and cross into NY just past Kinston, hitting some nice NY roads, and then head due north to Montreal. Or I would hit up Ottawa/Gatineau, taking the long way there, and get some interesting craft brews at Brou Ha Ha in Gatineau (because, you know, getting anything good in Ontario is pulling teeth sometimes.)
 
Parc Jeanne-Mance is in the area of le plateau mont royal which is close to McGill. If you have time go south to lasalle and go check out boul lasalle. There's an awesome park all along the St Lawrence. White water rapids, kayaking etc. The view is really nice
 
If you were going midweek I'd be willing to ride along and show you roads east or north east from the Bellville or Kingston region.
 
Bettyvee said:
The purpose is getting to destination (Montreal) was just hoping to make the journey a lot less dull
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I made it from burlington to montreal and back in 9 hours with an hour stop in montreal. This was in the early ninties. Wouldn't try it now. Lol.
 
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