Dilemma resolved...car is sold. Ah well. Back to dreaming.
Vancouver to Toronto drive
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
We just did Saskatchewan return a couple of weeks ago so current data for this part.... Two days each way. If you are going through Canada the below will help...
Coming home (East), as this is what you are doing....
-Two day hop on the return (and out BTW). Two drivers but I did ~80%. Overnight in Thunder Bay each way.
-We drove 1250+ km from near Weyburn to Thunder Bay and stayed over night in Thunder Bay. Left around 6 AM, to get into TB during daylight (more on this).
-Manitoba has a 14 day mandatory quarantine so we took it to heart and did it entirely as a pass through. Fuelled in SK and ON, no stopping in MB.
-We were on the Redcoat Trail which is HWY 13 in SK and HWY 2 in MB, between ~Weyburn and Winnipeg. HWY 1 from Winnipeg to Ontario. Road conditions were very good and there was pretty much no construction or traffic on this part of the route. It is mostly just two lane 100 kph. The other option is the Trans Canada #1 the entire way via Regina for you.
-I drove the TB to TO leg the next day (1408 km), taking 17, left TB a little after 7AM, made many scenic stops on 17 north of Superior, arrived home just before 10 PM. The leg north of Superior is usually great driving when the weather is good. Taking 11 is a better, but longer and a lttle more time, option if bad weather is forecasted. I drove the entire leg as I was in the zone. Once you get past Sudbury you can almost feel home so I find the last push easier....
-HWY 17 had some construction west of Wawa. Gravel roads, stopping, one direction at a time, blasting and bridge work. Many different spots. It also sucks as traffic gets bunched up in the stops and you end up behind convoys of RVs which are hard to pass.
-I always avoid as much as possible driving the wooded area around TB and north of Superior at dawn/dusk or even night for safety's sake. Animal strikes are too common, moose and deer (and others). So I always time this route to be in daylight as much as possible. Take my time and stay behind someone night, dusk or dawn (like leaving at 7AM).
-We drove +15 to 20% speed wise most of the route to make up time but to stay under the radar ticket wise. Higher in certain areas if we had a "rabbit" setting the pace. In the end that takes 2+ hours off the TB to TO leg alone, makes a big deal.
-Watch for when the speed limit drops on the two lane highways when you go into the little towns.
-For fuel....we drove our new VW (gas), it gets 5.2l/100 km real world HWY mileage, close to 1000 km a tank. We filled up in SK (near Weyburn), drove to near Kenora (Clearwater Bay Market, was a nice stop), filled up again (skipping MB stops). Filled up in TB in the morning of the last day and once more in the Sault (Ste Marie) which got us to home. There are no fuel stops right on the highway around Sudbury as an FYI (made this mistake in a previous drive....).
-No significant construction and traffic for us except for the construction north of Superior and usual nightime traffic between Barrie and TO.
Hope that all helps.... (edit) if you find another car....
Coming home (East), as this is what you are doing....
-Two day hop on the return (and out BTW). Two drivers but I did ~80%. Overnight in Thunder Bay each way.
-We drove 1250+ km from near Weyburn to Thunder Bay and stayed over night in Thunder Bay. Left around 6 AM, to get into TB during daylight (more on this).
-Manitoba has a 14 day mandatory quarantine so we took it to heart and did it entirely as a pass through. Fuelled in SK and ON, no stopping in MB.
-We were on the Redcoat Trail which is HWY 13 in SK and HWY 2 in MB, between ~Weyburn and Winnipeg. HWY 1 from Winnipeg to Ontario. Road conditions were very good and there was pretty much no construction or traffic on this part of the route. It is mostly just two lane 100 kph. The other option is the Trans Canada #1 the entire way via Regina for you.
-I drove the TB to TO leg the next day (1408 km), taking 17, left TB a little after 7AM, made many scenic stops on 17 north of Superior, arrived home just before 10 PM. The leg north of Superior is usually great driving when the weather is good. Taking 11 is a better, but longer and a lttle more time, option if bad weather is forecasted. I drove the entire leg as I was in the zone. Once you get past Sudbury you can almost feel home so I find the last push easier....
-HWY 17 had some construction west of Wawa. Gravel roads, stopping, one direction at a time, blasting and bridge work. Many different spots. It also sucks as traffic gets bunched up in the stops and you end up behind convoys of RVs which are hard to pass.
-I always avoid as much as possible driving the wooded area around TB and north of Superior at dawn/dusk or even night for safety's sake. Animal strikes are too common, moose and deer (and others). So I always time this route to be in daylight as much as possible. Take my time and stay behind someone night, dusk or dawn (like leaving at 7AM).
-We drove +15 to 20% speed wise most of the route to make up time but to stay under the radar ticket wise. Higher in certain areas if we had a "rabbit" setting the pace. In the end that takes 2+ hours off the TB to TO leg alone, makes a big deal.
-Watch for when the speed limit drops on the two lane highways when you go into the little towns.
-For fuel....we drove our new VW (gas), it gets 5.2l/100 km real world HWY mileage, close to 1000 km a tank. We filled up in SK (near Weyburn), drove to near Kenora (Clearwater Bay Market, was a nice stop), filled up again (skipping MB stops). Filled up in TB in the morning of the last day and once more in the Sault (Ste Marie) which got us to home. There are no fuel stops right on the highway around Sudbury as an FYI (made this mistake in a previous drive....).
-No significant construction and traffic for us except for the construction north of Superior and usual nightime traffic between Barrie and TO.
Hope that all helps.... (edit) if you find another car....
Last edited:
That's really good. 1.4?
Yes, Jetta 1.4l turbo, manual transmission. We hit 5.2l/100km on every leg both reported on the dash and calculated via GPS/pump..
They are giving them away with 0% financing and a big bag a money in the trunk... They had a little trouble finding us a manual in our colour, but they did...
Last edited:
Priller
Well-known member
I did the drive alone last summer because I couldn't get a reasonable price to ship the car and bike. Bought a trailer for cheap and now have a way to do trackdays. I didn't stop except when necessary, and got through it in four relatively easy days, with stops in Calgary, Brandon, and Terrace Bay (past Thunder Bay).
Should the opportunity ever arise again, I'd highly recommend it, even if it doesn't really save you any cash. Things like podcasts and on-demand music make the hours go by much faster, and while I'd done the reverse trip a long time ago, there's nothing like driving 2/3rds of the way across Canada to help appreciate the scale of the place.
BC is gorgeous to Calgary, but everyone agrees on that. I actually really enjoyed the prairies, mostly because you can get across them in a day without too much trouble. The weather was spectacular, and the views are expansive. I set cruise at 120 and basically only touched the brakes for gas and through Regina. What got me was Northern Ontario, as it goes down to one lane and with the trailer, passing was more complicated than usual. Sitting behind rigs and RV's, chugging up hills at 60 kmh waiting for a passing opportunity was no fun. Ontario also goes on forever, eating almost half the trip, and the gaps between gas stops are the biggest in the north. Between Sault Ste Marie and Barrie is really nice, but then you get into GTA traffic to close out the trip.
I'd just invest in a CAA membership if the car was an unknown quantity...
Should the opportunity ever arise again, I'd highly recommend it, even if it doesn't really save you any cash. Things like podcasts and on-demand music make the hours go by much faster, and while I'd done the reverse trip a long time ago, there's nothing like driving 2/3rds of the way across Canada to help appreciate the scale of the place.
BC is gorgeous to Calgary, but everyone agrees on that. I actually really enjoyed the prairies, mostly because you can get across them in a day without too much trouble. The weather was spectacular, and the views are expansive. I set cruise at 120 and basically only touched the brakes for gas and through Regina. What got me was Northern Ontario, as it goes down to one lane and with the trailer, passing was more complicated than usual. Sitting behind rigs and RV's, chugging up hills at 60 kmh waiting for a passing opportunity was no fun. Ontario also goes on forever, eating almost half the trip, and the gaps between gas stops are the biggest in the north. Between Sault Ste Marie and Barrie is really nice, but then you get into GTA traffic to close out the trip.
I'd just invest in a CAA membership if the car was an unknown quantity...
Toronto to Manitoba (or reverse) is 1900 to 2000 km alone depending on 17 or 11! It is crazy how big Ontario is alone.
Some additions to my previous post...
We did it with our two kids (11 and 13). DVD players that mount on the headrests pay dividends. No neck strain like roof mounted ones in minivans/SUVs, hours are eaten for them by binge watching TV shows or movies.
Lots of FM and AM radio dead spots, when we did the east coast a few years ago I had satellite radio, that was nice. Not this time so I brought a large selection of MP3s on a USB stick for the radio dead spots.
Past road trips we would just pull up to a hotel or use our data on our phones to book just prior to arriving so when we felt like stopping we could stop, in case we went less or more than expected. We booked in advance this time due to COVID, just to be sure.
Hopefully the OP finds that next car to give it a go...
Some additions to my previous post...
We did it with our two kids (11 and 13). DVD players that mount on the headrests pay dividends. No neck strain like roof mounted ones in minivans/SUVs, hours are eaten for them by binge watching TV shows or movies.
Lots of FM and AM radio dead spots, when we did the east coast a few years ago I had satellite radio, that was nice. Not this time so I brought a large selection of MP3s on a USB stick for the radio dead spots.
Past road trips we would just pull up to a hotel or use our data on our phones to book just prior to arriving so when we felt like stopping we could stop, in case we went less or more than expected. We booked in advance this time due to COVID, just to be sure.
Hopefully the OP finds that next car to give it a go...
I drove from Tumbler Ridge BC to London ON in a 1978 VW Rabbit with 4spd manual in December 1989 with a Yamaha TW200 inside along with my worldly belongings. Stayed within Canada.
I just drove until I needed to rest. Found a cheap hotel and slept for a bit, got up and hit the road.
No GPS, just follow the road signs. Car ran like a champ. Encountered moose around Kenora ON. I had the car 20 km over the limit the whole way and was passed many times by other vehicles. The speedo could have been off by 30 Kms for all I know.
Took me 2 full days to make it. I ate while I drove and only stretched my legs when I fuelled up. There might have been some occasions I shouldn’t have drove.
I was young and stupid and I’d love to do it again. However, I had no wife or kids or any responsibilities.
With a modern toy and self proclaimed wisdom, I’d give myself 3 days. I need my nap being closer to a senior now.
Is it crazy? Sure! But, why not?! You see the country. You did the drive. And you get to really spend time with yourself. It’s actually good for your soul.
Just do it.
But, find the right toy first! Lol
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I just drove until I needed to rest. Found a cheap hotel and slept for a bit, got up and hit the road.
No GPS, just follow the road signs. Car ran like a champ. Encountered moose around Kenora ON. I had the car 20 km over the limit the whole way and was passed many times by other vehicles. The speedo could have been off by 30 Kms for all I know.
Took me 2 full days to make it. I ate while I drove and only stretched my legs when I fuelled up. There might have been some occasions I shouldn’t have drove.
I was young and stupid and I’d love to do it again. However, I had no wife or kids or any responsibilities.
With a modern toy and self proclaimed wisdom, I’d give myself 3 days. I need my nap being closer to a senior now.
Is it crazy? Sure! But, why not?! You see the country. You did the drive. And you get to really spend time with yourself. It’s actually good for your soul.
Just do it.
But, find the right toy first! Lol
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Last edited:
@backmarkerducati Thanks for that!
@Priller Appreciate the input as well!
thanks everyone for your input. Really appreciate the different viewpoints!
I’m going to keep looking but it’s hard to buy a car without driving it.
@Priller Appreciate the input as well!
thanks everyone for your input. Really appreciate the different viewpoints!
I’m going to keep looking but it’s hard to buy a car without driving it.
Another important point..... VW seats are no where near as good as Saab seats (Disney and East Coast trips were both in our old Saabs--9-5 and 9-3 in order)! We really noticed....
I find Vw sport seats to be much much better than the comfort seats. The bastards keep pushing them up the model tree so last I checked it was top trim only.
-Maverick-
Well-known member
This boring thread just got exciting! Can you just pick up a plane for sale and fly it? Don't you have to have inspections, a flight plan etc? I picture you nose diving over wheat fields with the Tragically Hip playing in the background.
The guy formerly known as Mladin.
I was support not main person involved. Afaik, you need a plane with a current annual inspection, insurance and a pilot type rated on that plane and off you go. We flew vfr so no filed flight plans. As with any adventure, it is smart to let an emergency contact know your daily plans.
If you want a really cool iron butt, one pilot on the trip previously flew from ON to Yukon in one day (sunrise to sunset) in a Harvard iirc. Chase the sunshine and keep fuel stops short.
