You can make Toronto to Montreal in about 5.5 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 335 miles on Highway 401 and A-20, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable close to the park gates.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Toronto
Aim to clear Toronto before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 158 miles to Kingston.
The headline stop on this route is Thousand Islands Parkway detour. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Kingston
Kingston sits about 158 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Fort Henry in Kingston is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Cornwall, the last stretch
Cornwall sits about 266 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Rolling into Montreal
The final 69 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Upper Canada Village near Morrisburg; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Thousand Islands Parkway detour, Fort Henry in Kingston and Upper Canada Village near Morrisburg, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Kingston, ON is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along Highway 401 and A-20 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
