Drive home

[Greg]

ya ya, thats the ticket!! Come and visit Jay and Smitty and myself in Ottawa!!!  BBQ and beer at my house!   

[Hodgey1]

This recommendation is based solely on you returning on a Saturday hitting the area in the afternoon.

Your recommendation and work are much appreciated. Also, you will be held harmless no matter what the outcome! 

[Hodgey1]

ya ya, thats the ticket!! Come and visit Jay and Smitty and myself in Ottawa!!!  BBQ and beer at my house!   

Hmmm. That may make the additional 200 mile worth while! 

[600 miles north]

    We got off late saturday morning heading home because of the rain and closing the cabin up, and a stop at webers. We were a few hours behind you on Saturday and it's actually the first time I haven't had a rough trip of stop and go traffic on the Q.E.W. getting home at 1 am. Sucked but we actually made better than usual time on the trip home with our stops.

Brad

[Hodgey1]

If as you say it took 2 hours to get to St. Catharines, then another 30+ minutes to peace bridge, total 2.5+ hours, the alternates are quicker and less stressful.

The Hwy 20 route is the quickest, and knowing you have a long drive every minute counts. Here is my recommendation. From Hwy 407 take QEW and exit at Centennial Parkway. If you need a rest stop, there’s gas stations, restaurants & coffee shops all along it until you turn left on Hwy 20 eastbound. From off ramp turn right (southbound) and take Centennial pkwy for about 15 minutes and then you will need to turn left onto Hwy 20 east. See the Google maps hyperlink I added, note the little jog at Thorold down to McLeod Rd to QEW.

There are countless variations but I think keep it simple in an unfamiliar place, so this is about the easiest.

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Queen+Elizabeth+Way+%26+ON-407,+Burlington,+ON/Peace+Bridge,+1+Peace+Bridge,+Buffalo,+NY+14213,+United+States/@43.0645613,-79.5102198,11z/data=!4m29!4m28!1m20!1m1!1s0x882b6201f5ff3133:0x6e0730c19a4d211c!2m2!1d-79.8308136!2d43.3423875!3m4!1m2!1d-79.7569578!2d43.1687972!3s0x882c97f204557e33:0xf4791d26302ec533!3m4!1m2!1d-79.6142685!2d43.1247909!3s0x882cbba77366181f:0x96cdf6bd8fbad2ee!3m4!1m2!1d-79.4072397!2d43.0430443!3s0x882cb4c2464601b3:0x211a14722175a274!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d3130ab7c0d809:0xf8662354cb148c30!2m2!1d-78.9060093!2d42.9069465!3e0

Hi @RoK

Its been a while since I've thought about our trip back to the states on a Saturday afternoon. So I've reviewed your earlier recommendations and wanted to just check and see if your thoughts were still the same as a potential bypass option, for the QEW back-ups? We will be traveling back from Kipawa toward Nagara falls on Saturday August 4th

On a side note, We  have made a few trips here in the states in the last few months using a phone app called Waze that has done rerouting around traffic and such, so I may see what that says also coming back?

P.S. You will be held harmless in regards to any advice 

[RoK]

Hey Hodgey

Funny, I was just thinking about what option you would try. Again you are going home on a Sat of a long weekend so absolutely the worst time for that stretch of QEW.

if it was me, I'd try the hwy 20 option below. I would get in the right hand lane on the Skyway and stay there until you exit at Centennial Pkwy (Hwy 20).

I have Waze, but don't use it often. You have lots of time as you get closer so the passenger can play with Waze and Google maps to see the travel times for the various options.

At least you are moving and not trapped in traffic with little escape routes, and if there is an accident on the QEW, look out.

Good luck, looking forward to your trip report. 329 days!

Ron

[Hodgey1]

Thanks Ron, I would much rather be traveling a slower back road with similar ETA's than what I experienced last Aug 5th. It's not that I'm  completely traffic-fobic, but last years QEW sucked. I'm a seasoned traveler "Oakland-DC-NJ-Chicago" and have learned that slower, longer routes at times can save brakes and worn nerves. I will have my co-pilot monitor waze and google maps before the Route 20 alternate and decide real time.

Three weeks from today, I will be headed to a week in heaven! Four weeks and 1 day from now I will be on the dreaded  ride back to reality...…………………..   

[pike mike]

Scanning all replies quickly I don't think this suggestion was mentioned if so My bad . Living in the Hammer I would suggest 407 or QEW to 403 .Don't head Niagara bound 403 but keep right heading up the escarpment . At the top of the escarpment heading east on the Lincoln Alexander Parkway across the top of Hamilton .The "Linc" hooks up to 20 Hwy at the end by a short stretch of Mud St . Highway 20 eventually gets you directly to Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls  . Any suggestion of QEW to 20 Hwy or QEW to the Red Hill Expressway leads to certain traffic chaos at the best of times

[Hodgey1]

I would suggest 407 or QEW to 403 .Don't head Niagara bound 403 but keep right heading up the escarpment . At the top of the escarpment heading east on the Lincoln Alexander Parkway across the top of Hamilton .The "Linc" hooks up to 20 Hwy at the end by a short stretch of Mud St . Highway 20 eventually gets you directly to Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls

So Mike, take ETR to 403 to Lincoln A Parkway to 20 toward One of the US BRIDGE crossing near Buffalo?

Any suggestion of QEW to 20 Hwy or QEW to the Red Hill Expressway leads to certain traffic chaos at the best of times

Not sure where this is or exactly what you mean or are you suggesting that taking 20 to avoid QEW backups heading toward US is a bad idea?

[T-Bone]

Just took the quick Google drive on this route via 403 to the Linc to 20. Seems reasonable enough. Only real "tie-ups" I see are in the little towns like Smithville, Fonthill...etc. and closer you get to QEW in Niagara Falls area. I'll watch my GPS for the green/yellow/red indicator to decide which route would be best when we hit the end of the 407. That QEW from Hamiton to Niagara is really the only part of the trip that I don't look forward to...

[pike mike]

Hodgey1 -Sorry for the confusion .
Yes take Hwy 20 towards a Buffalo bound bridge.
The Linc to Hwy20 connection is aok but , connecting to Hwy20 from the QEW or Red Hill Expressway is always always a traffic nightmare 

[Hodgey1]

Hodgey1 -Sorry for the confusion .
Yes take Hwy 20 towards a Buffalo bound bridge.
The Linc to Hwy20 connection is aok but , connecting to Hwy20 from the QEW or Red Hill Expressway is always always a traffic nightmare

So Mike, am I going to be in a traffic nightmare connecting to Hwy 20 if I come into it via the Lincoln to Mud Street? Or does that route skirt some of the nightmare?

[T-Bone]

I'm think he's saying take the Linc off the 403 to AVOID the mess you may hit if you continue on the QEW to the RHV Expressway then to 20.

[FSZ]

So, I'm wondering if there is a day of the week the traffic between toronto and fort erie is at its lightest?  I just drove it sunday july 8 mid-afternoon and the traffic was terrible.  Can't imagine why, the weekend is over doesn't seem like folks from toronto would be driving to niagara falls sunday afternoon at 3 pm the weekend is over?  I have flexibility in my schedule I'm wondering if friday would be better?  Time would be the same, we usually hit the QEW at around 3pm . 

Also, going up(going north) do you guys have a preferred day?  Saturdays seem brutal during the day. 

I just can't understand the traffic patterns.  It seems like the weekend traffic is worse than weekdays (at least mid-day week days from 10 am- 2 pm).

Also, can anyone explain the 407 fees?  If you don't have a transponder It seems there is a camera fee, account fee and mileage fee.  I can't understand it I drove it once one way from hamilton to 400 it seem to be $50

[Jig and drift]

We have found heading north on Sunday is the best. QEW seems lighter and 407 is empty and heading north the majority are driving south. 407 fee is about $50 but it sure beats the old way of into Toronto to hit 400 north. I will pay it. Pricey but worth it. We just returned on Friday the 6th. Left Dumoine at 7 , Kipawa by 9 and North Bay a little past 10 for gas and Tim's and hit the QEW about 2? and it was very crowded but broke up and moved along fairly well only a few exits past the merger from 407.   As a side note the worst experience ever was when the Pope was in Toronto years ago.That has nothing to do with the Pope himself by the way. They had roads closed and I have never seen so many cars on the 400 and QEW.