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[kilgiraffe]

So I'm planning on going to Ontario from the 21st to 31st August to meet with some friends. However due to conflicting schedules I'm going to be by myself from the 23rd to 26th. So I'm going to take this opportunity to go and do some independent travelling!

The question is.. where?

So I'm curious as to where the best places in Ontario are, and what there is to do there. My main city of interest is Toronto and I'm planning to have a day worth of touristy stuff in there somewhere. I'm also planning on going to Niagara outside of the independent period.

But I'm interested to go to Ottawa and Montreal [not Ontario I know.. but it's close!]. Is it worth staying in either of these cities for longer than one day + overnight? Are there any other cities I should sniff out? I need to have something of a firm itinerary planned out to figure out accommodation [couchsurfing!], budgets etc etc etc.

Any ideas?

[jacquesl]

Niagara Falls...certainly is a place you don't want to miss.

Heading East you might want to stop an do some visiting in Kingston Ontario..visit Fort Henry and various other places they have.

Ottawa is a must see....and stop by the TravelPod office to say Hello...we are at 377 Dalhousie 3rd floor...right in the middle of downtown Ottawa ..... a very short walk from the goverment buildings!

Depending on how much time you have, going to Quebec City just 2 more hours eats of Montreal would be a great place to visit.

Also North of Montreal are the Laurentians, beautiful area to go visit!

[kilgiraffe]

Thanks Jacques! I thought Quebec City was a LOT further away, hence why I didn't really consider it. What's the best way of getting between Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City? And what are the main things to see in each?

Would love to go visit the more picturesque parts of Canada, especially the west coast, but I just don't have the time which is a shame.. Next time!

[maxandtrudy]

Hi,

If you like picturesque things...make sure you go to Montreal and Quebec city and visit the *Vieux Quebec* it is such a beautiful place with a lot to do. Those 2 cities have a lot to do in the city itself but

The old cobblestone streets in some parts, the plains of abraham etc....

A good place for information is right here in the Quebec forum....

Look for the starter kits for each location.

If you want to travel fast from one place to the next then you should follow highway 401 from Toronto, ......Kingston is right off the 401 then highway 416 North to Ottawa.In Ottawa trhe main highway is Highway 417 that goes right through the whole city.

From Ottawa Highway 417 to Montreal then from Montreal you can either take Highway 20 (faster) or 40 (nicer) to Quebec city.....

If you want a more scenic route after after Kingston take the smaller Highway 10 that will take you through small town such as Westport (beautiful town), then through Smith Falls, then Carleton Place then highway 7 to highway 417 to Ottawa..this will not make you stuck on boring highways for the whole trip and makes for a nice drive.

For Ottawa see this site Ottawa Tourism.

But Parliament Hill, the museum of Science and Technology, the museum of Man,, the museum of Civilisation, the National Gallery, the War Museum, the Aviation museum, etc... there are lots of museums.....it is the nation's Capital after all ...etc... etc... etc....

Of course in Ottawa, there is the great and prestegious office of TRAVELPOD! Well...maybe not so G and P but stop by and say Hello...let us treat you to a coffee!

I could go on but you should really check all around the forums for a lot more infomratin. There is a ton of information in our forums!

It's a shame you only have a week! If I had to pick places worth going to from where you are I would go to Ottawa, Montreal and if time permits then I would go to Quebec city!

I also emailed you some data to your personal email address.

Cheers!

ps...Toronto is in the middle fo a strike by municipal employees right now and that means no garbage pick ups.,...they have had to turn municipal parks into garbage dumps ...so it can stink in toronto if you are near any of those areas!

[kilgiraffe]

Thanks for the advice I've worked it out so I get to spend about a day in each city, but unfortunately I'm not driving so I need to figure out public transport that isn't too hard on the pocket [like viarail, lol]. I heard of allostop but my French is terrible so I'm not sure if I'll be able to use it! Are there any other options?

[marian55]

Hi there from Niagara Falls, I would do sightseeing in the Niagara Falls (tourist area)and along the Niagara River. The Via Rail schedule may not suit your schedule, so I would check out The GO Train schedule which is supposed to run 4 times a day (on a trail basis this summer). When sightseeing in Niagara I would suggest looking for the package deals (tickets,passes, etc.), and the Maid of The Mist boat ride along with the sight of the coloured lights on the Falls at about 9pm. at night should not be missed.

[wakingdream]

Your plan sounds great. That's what I would do if I couldn't get west. I believe the most affordable option is to take the bus......maybe a bit long but the train can be very expensive, more than Greyhound for sure.

[polydemic]

Toronto has many ethnic neighborhoods, an underground city, & offers various tours of the city. Ottawa has many historical sites & government buildings that look like castles & cathedrals. Take a tour of the Nicolas International Hostel, which was converted from a prison & said to be haunted. Across the river is Hull, which has the Museum of Civilisation & Gataneau Park. I've been to both & each kept me busy for a week.

[jacquesl]

Hi again,

Only 1 day per city you won't see much but if you want to spend a few days in each city then if you are going to go east, I would say ...go to Ottawa, spend a few days there and then go to Montreal. If you miss the other cities in between or farther, so be it, those 2 cities are the ones that you should make sure you visit in that one week you have.

Via Rail is great to take, they are not that expensive and their strike is over. In Ottawa the station is minutes from downtown and in Montreal it's right in the middle of downtown, inside one of the biggest business and retail complexes!

As for couchsurfing, you might want to contact our member *starlagurl*, she uses couchsurfing a lot plus she works for TravelPod......2 birds with one stone!

If you need a ride from the train station to downtown in Ottawa email me and I will be glad to pick you up and take you downtown...or even to Louise's(starlagurl) place.....I only live a few minutes from the train station and downtown Ottawa is no more that 10 minutes from my home! Starlagurl does not really live close to downtown but she really knows how to get around!

Just a note that 1 day in Toronto is probably not enough either!

Cheers!

support@travelpod.com

[azreal]

I wouldnt come to Toronto right now.... Garbage strike.... there is garbage everywhere on the streets downtown. Hopefully the strike is over before you come, but yes Toronto is too much for one day.

I grew up in Niagara and Now live in Toronto

Things to check out in TO.

-CN tower ($$$)
-Eaton Centre
-Queen Street
-Alan Gardens (keep an eye out for hookers and hobos [no joke])
-Distillery District (really nice place to sightsee)
-The Roundhouse (Steam whistle brewery tour)
-Kensington Market & Chinatown
-The Danforth (in the evening - BEST FOOD Options in the city)
-Canada's Wonderland (if you have a day to blow for some crazy rides)
-The Path (Worlds Largest Underground shopping Concourse)
-Ontario Science Centre
-Toronto Harbourfront
-THE EX http://www.theex.com/ (you are coming at the best time of the year (when the EX is on !!!!)

and my personal Fav when im downtown

Georges Chicken (possibly the best rotisseri chicken in the world)
if you want to know how to get here - PM me - however its not in the best area of the city.

And Niagara falls..... well... the place is a huge tourist trap.... so there is always something to do... but you probably wont need more than a day.... especially if your conserving dough.... since everything touristy in the falls costs $$$

Check out the falls of course.... Clifton hill..... Casino... Niagara Gorge.... However Niagara is best when you have a vehicle. Public transit is hard to come by... Niagara Parks does run a shuttle (The People Mover). And the intention is to take tourists from point A to point B. However most places it takes you to will require additional funds.

[kilgiraffe]

Woah, thanks for the wealth of info guys.. I plan on taking advantage of Viarail's post-strike discounts if I can get all this sorted out by Wednesday.. Depending on how it gets arranged, I may have 1 or 2 days in either Ottawa or Montreal or both!

And thanks azreal for the tip on the ex Sounds awesome.

[sqm]

Are you still looking to come to Toronto? The strike is over and the city is all nice and clean! And Toronto Tourism and Mirvish Productions (entertainment company in Toronto) will be pushing a package that will include a night's stay at a hotel, dinner, and a tickets to a show (like a musical). Details haven't been released yet, at least not to my knowledge. But I'll keep an eye out for it. If you need more information on Toronto, there's a Starter Kit available now.

I'm planning to visit Montreal from August 20th to 22nd. Maybe we'll run into each other : ).

Have a great trip.

[kilgiraffe]

I'm still going about a week later than I expected though.. Unfortunately I'm going to be in Detroit and Ottawa over those days, I head to Montreal on the evening of the 23rd!

[sqm]

Oh that's unfortunate. But it's okay, next time!

[wakingdream]

I'm still going about a week later than I expected though.. Unfortunately I'm going to be in Detroit and Ottawa over those days, I head to Montreal on the evening of the 23rd!

Fun! So, did you book with VIA? I was checking out prices....I found $198- from the 23rd to the 26th, return. Greyhound was only $47.50 with the 14-day refundable fare (so a decent option for anyone looking to save cash), $57- for a 7-day advance purchase and $71- for a refundable fare, in case anyone's curious. Both the train and the bus take approx. 5 hours.

I definitely agree that the train is the most enjoyable way to take the trip though. I didn't realize that VIA fares came down. Back when, train fares used to be, in some cases, more expensive than the train. Good to see the rates coming down and becoming more affordable

Have a great time!!

[azreal]

I thought the Via rail sale was only open to Canadians.