Bright Spark
Posts: 315 
Location: Atikokan, Ontario
Location: Atikokan, Ontario
August 13th, 2007, 08:23 PM
It's a very boring drive, especially in comparison to the other way, which winds around Lake Superior (which is beautiful in the summer), but if you are in a hurry to get somewhere, it's definitely worth it. The other way, while gorgeous, is ridiculously slow because of the hills and the curvature of the roads (it's usually about 9 hours from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie).
Quoting triedit
I can guarantee you didn't go the "northern route" through Northern Ontario, which would have shaved several hours off of your trip. I've done the trip from Thunder Bay to Montreal/Ottawa at least a dozen times each way, and this way is much, much faster than taking the Trans-Canada. For time comparisons, we left Ottawa at 7 a.m. and arrived in Thunder Bay just after 10:30 p.m.. Going the other way that trip is almost always two days.
Ive been the "cross Canada" route, and the scenery is quite lovely. And with the limited speeds on the trip you get lots of time to take it in. It may be the shortest in km, but its the longest in time!
It's a very boring drive, especially in comparison to the other way, which winds around Lake Superior (which is beautiful in the summer), but if you are in a hurry to get somewhere, it's definitely worth it. The other way, while gorgeous, is ridiculously slow because of the hills and the curvature of the roads (it's usually about 9 hours from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie).
Newbie
Posts: 1
August 19th, 2007, 01:38 PM
I'm about to try the full northern route on a journey from halifax to calgary.
Once in Montreal, take Autoroute 15 north into the Laurentians, then continue to Val D'or QC, joining Highway 11 east of Kapuskasing, and then proceeding to Nipigon on Hwy 17. All sources say it is at least 50 Km shorter and avoids the awful Hwy 17 from Madawaska Dam at at the end of Hwy 417 to Sudbury.
I'll keep you posted....
I'm about to try the full northern route on a journey from halifax to calgary.
Once in Montreal, take Autoroute 15 north into the Laurentians, then continue to Val D'or QC, joining Highway 11 east of Kapuskasing, and then proceeding to Nipigon on Hwy 17. All sources say it is at least 50 Km shorter and avoids the awful Hwy 17 from Madawaska Dam at at the end of Hwy 417 to Sudbury.
I'll keep you posted....
Newbie
Posts: 1
January 14th, 2008, 08:49 PM
Can I get a copy of that map everyone else was mentioning? My email is bluntedworm@gmail.com. So, with a trip like this, how long am I looking at? I saw someone mention at least 4 days!
Can I get a copy of that map everyone else was mentioning? My email is bluntedworm@gmail.com. So, with a trip like this, how long am I looking at? I saw someone mention at least 4 days!
