Canada is a nice and beautiful place. I stay in Ontario, 3hrs away from New York. My family stays in the US but I choose Canada because I want peace of mind and a nice environment for my future kids.

Borgamaame:
Hello Nairaland Fam, hope you are recovering from the 'detty December'.
In the spirit of the new year, follow me on a road trip to Toronto, Ontario in Canada.

Itinerary: Columbus, Ohio - Niagara Falls - Toronto - Brampton - Windsor - Detroit (Michigan) - Columbus, Ohio - Penn State.

I happen to be in Ohio for a few days so I plan to take off from Columbus. The plan is to rent a car for three days (some options include Enterprise, Hertz, Alamo, etc). I think I will settle for Alamo. Got a quote for a mid-size SUV for $345 (does not include insurance) as long as I return at the same location and time as I picked up. If I had opted in for 4 days, I would have been charged a weekly amount. But since it is less than four, I was charged a daily rate which when you add taxes and some other charges adds up to $345.
Gas (fuel): The car's tank will be full on pick up and I'm expected to return it full (except I pay about $54 or so...or a little more or less) and I will not have to worry about returning a full tank. Well, I opted in for returning a full tank.
Insurance: To avoid stories that touch the heart, I will use a rental car insurance company I found online to cover my trip. I will use Bonzah and I got a quote for about $37.

When I decided to embark on this trip, the first thing I did was to map out an itinerary (not necessarily all that will take place in Canada but how to get there by road). I used Google and found several US states that border different parts of Canada. For those in Detroit, Michigan and environs, you can get in through Windsor, Ontario. Those in New York and environs can get in through Buffalo, NY (through the Peace bridge). I think one of the states in New England (comprises Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, etc) borders Montreal, Quebec. Since Pennsylvania is somewhat closer to New York and I was in Ohio at the time, I decided to enter Canada through Buffalo, New York. The plan was to get to Niagara Falls in Ontario first before moving to Toronto. Google said the drive from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) where I pick up my rental car to Niagara Falls in Ontario is approximately 5hrs 24m (352 miles). Kindly note that Ontario is a province while Toronto is a city. Then, from Niagara Falls to my Hotel in Toronto (Days Inn by Wyndham) is approximately 1hr 35 m (141km). U.S uses miles whereas Canada uses kilometers.

Immigration and Border: As long as you are not a U.S passport holder, you require a visa to enter Canada. When I applied, the turn around time was pretty decent. Thankfully, they no longer require covid-19 testing and quarantine as they did during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic. So, less worries.
Let's hit the road.

Pictures attached were taken at the CMH airport...the car rental section.

Nice thread Op.
Did you have to go to the Canadian embassy to get your visa?

Enjoy yourself man

I Love Canada

Reinamaria:


Is this sauteed onions on noodles or what?

I think it is noodles in black bean sauce...there's a lot of onions in it and small bits of pork.

dauntless15:
Threads like this make me feel like I'm not living up to my full potential, like there's more to me that I'm not aware of, what am I doing in this country for Christ sake, look at beauty everywhere, I could be here and starving and still feel extremely happy.

Be easy on yourself. Good things come to those who wait on God and are led by God- and take actionable good steps in the right direction. I think you can find joy wherever you are while anticipating better opportunities. If you don't, you'll be doing yourself disservice
I hope you play your part too...in the forthcoming elections.

For some, they're putting in the work and not getting their desired results. It might be comforting to know that things will add up sooner than you expect.

Keep faith.

dontbothermuch:
My bro, it's disheartening that my own direct elderly bro wey l follow for back no dey reason me & he stays at Alberta Canada. All my messages, asking what I did wrong, he never replied . I did him no wrong. I am pained. I am in Nigeria & I love him & his family so much. I am sad.

Bro forget about him. Husle hard, make money and sponsor yourself

lereinter:


Living a desired life

I envy you

Be careful what you wish for Not everything are as they seem...just a kind reminder

Borgamaame:
Hello Nairaland Fam, hope you are recovering from the 'detty December'.
In the spirit of the new year, follow me on a road trip to Toronto, Ontario in Canada.

Itinerary: Columbus, Ohio - Niagara Falls - Toronto - Brampton - Windsor - Detroit (Michigan) - Columbus, Ohio - Penn State.

I happen to be in Ohio for a few days so I plan to take off from Columbus. The plan is to rent a car for three days (some options include Enterprise, Hertz, Alamo, etc). I think I will settle for Alamo. Got a quote for a mid-size SUV for $345 (does not include insurance) as long as I return at the same location and time as I picked up. If I had opted in for 4 days, I would have been charged a weekly amount. But since it is less than four, I was charged a daily rate which when you add taxes and some other charges adds up to $345.
Gas (fuel): The car's tank will be full on pick up and I'm expected to return it full (except I pay about $54 or so...or a little more or less) and I will not have to worry about returning a full tank. Well, I opted in for returning a full tank.
Insurance: To avoid stories that touch the heart, I will use a rental car insurance company I found online to cover my trip. I will use Bonzah and I got a quote for about $37.

When I decided to embark on this trip, the first thing I did was to map out an itinerary (not necessarily all that will take place in Canada but how to get there by road). I used Google and found several US states that border different parts of Canada. For those in Detroit, Michigan and environs, you can get in through Windsor, Ontario. Those in New York and environs can get in through Buffalo, NY (through the Peace bridge). I think one of the states in New England (comprises Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, etc) borders Montreal, Quebec. Since Pennsylvania is somewhat closer to New York and I was in Ohio at the time, I decided to enter Canada through Buffalo, New York. The plan was to get to Niagara Falls in Ontario first before moving to Toronto. Google said the drive from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) where I pick up my rental car to Niagara Falls in Ontario is approximately 5hrs 24m (352 miles). Kindly note that Ontario is a province while Toronto is a city. Then, from Niagara Falls to my Hotel in Toronto (Days Inn by Wyndham) is approximately 1hr 35 m (141km). U.S uses miles whereas Canada uses kilometers.

Immigration and Border: As long as you are not a U.S passport holder, you require a visa to enter Canada. When I applied, the turn around time was pretty decent. Thankfully, they no longer require covid-19 testing and quarantine as they did during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic. So, less worries.
Let's hit the road.

Pictures attached were taken at the CMH airport...the car rental section.

Yep … 2 major border crossings around Montreal.

Saint Armand/Vermont—- fairly or less busy especially on weekends.
St Bernard /New York —- busy place

Xfactor88:
How many hours drive? Going on the same trip from the Midwestern region.

I'm really not conversant with the map yet...but let me see. Okay..just checked and I see your area.


Well, it was approximately 8-9 hours with several stops from where I took off from. You know it also depends on where you will be going to.
You could check google maps. It helped me a lot!

Love this journey experience. I will be visiting US & Canada this year immediately after my last school assessment for the year. I hope to update the Nairalanders as well. Nice job brother.

drololaaof:

Story story , of what use is it to us ,we are not novice ,you are not the only one in USA, nobody is asking you for direction . The road is not even shown in detail . Why not trek there and tell us your experiences?

Ah...emabinu oo. No vex

Lamanii22:
ameeeen ooo…. Our politicians are so wicked, they travel everywhere but cant Build their own country

I think it takes both the politicians and the electorate to build the country. Yes, they have the money and the laws to back them but if we do not hold them accountable, they get to misappropriate public funds and go Scott free. Also, there has been times where people have been caught destroying public properties and looting offices. Rebuilding or even maintenance costs a lot. And as you know, maintenance has been a problem for several governments since time immemorial.

In nobody's defense, I'll say that we (the people) need to start holding our elected officials responsible for their actions and inactions and also taking good steps to protect the little we have. We could stop littering the roads, urinating in public places, and a long list of things. You may think these little actions do not matter in the grand scheme of things, but they do. Yes, we do not have public toilets and bins in a lot of places but if we get to change age-long habits, our environment will improve.

Lamanii22:
awww the rice and stew look so appealing… better than south Korea’s… I can still try this when I go there

Hehehehe...now you make me want to try a similar Korean dish. Hope I find somewhere around me.
But hey, the food was good! I enjoyed it.

ElijahIme1992:
loool you asking the wrong person o... I hate to travel, the only time I have traveled out of my state was for nysc service to Niger state...

Hahahaha...and you travelled to Niger because you had to, I guess
Well, traveling is fun, expensive and stressful irrespective of your mode of transportation. However, it provides you lots of networking opportunities and you get to learn a lot too...if you have an open mind and if you travel safely too.

ElSudani:


Better in what sense? Have you been to both countries?
U.S.A is obviously bigger in terms of population and the economy but that is where it ends.

This will be an interesting conversation

Borgamaame:
In Ontario

Finally made it pass the border. It was a pretty straightforward process. The officer checked my documents (Visa in my passport) and asked few questions. You are required to declare any cigarettes and alcohol you have on you. After other checks, I heard "welcome to Canada, enjoy your stay". Mind you, I don't know much about traveling with goods across the border. I just had my luggage with me to avoid long waits.

The first thing I noticed on arrival was the KM/H signs. As I mentioned in my previous post (I think I did), US uses miles. But it wasn't a hassle maintaining the speed limit. While the vehicle's speedometer had a hybrid and analog count, there was a digital feature which I just toggled on with a button and it switched from Miles to KM on my dashboard. I noticed I was driving slower than the US. The most speed limit I saw was about 100KM/H which is about 65 miles per hour. In the US, the most I have seen is 70 miles per hour which in KM/H is approximately 113. Anyway, I had to obey the law.

The second thing I noticed is the road network. Looked pretty much like some freeways (highways) in the US. I was surprised to see the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) and the picture of the Queen in some Canadian dollars. Anyway, let's see what Canada has in store.

Still enroute Niagara Falls, Ontario...
All seemed to be going well until I noticed my network switched from 5g to LTE and Emergency (I didn't think about roaming). Problem! Plus my battery was almost flat. Thankfully, I found a McDonalds on the route and decided to branch. Got snacks, eased myself, charged up, and connected to the wifi to reroute to Niagara Falls. Time is around 5:30pm and its pretty dark.

Niagara Falls, meet soon!

Wow Ajala Travel !!!!
This is my backyard dude !
No way I am making that trip by myself though.
I got XMRadio so I listened to NFL playoffs along the road and called people every hour when bored.

Srredkita:
I will be traveling to Canada next month. It a wonderful country. Japa mode activated.

Great to know. Safe travels!

dontbothermuch:
My bro, it's disheartening that my own direct elderly bro wey l follow for back no dey reason me & he stays at Alberta Canada. All my messages, asking what I did wrong, he never replied . I did him no wrong. I am pained. I am in Nigeria & I love him & his family so much. I am sad.

Lol...it's interesting you think I'm a bro
Anyways, I digress.

I'm sorry to hear about that. People have different ways of processing relationships, especially when they move to a new place. I don't know how your relationship with your said brother and his family has been or with your family and his immediate family. However, i think you should give them time. Yes, there's an unwritten expectation that a family member that travels abroad should be on a lookout for opportunities to bring the rest of the family over or to share some good with them. However, people are different.

If you want, let's shift standpoints. Imagine you were him, you find yourself in a country where nobody looks like you. And even when you do find people that look like you, you don't even get to talk. If you don't have a stable job (with good salary and benefits), it can be hard. And one with a family, it's not easy. There's a lot of things to say but I can't tell it all.
Also, I don't want to assume you or anyone close to him has billed him or complained to a point where he locked up. Again, I don't know what has transpired in the past.

I had a sister who we regularly talked. We are both in the US. She was ahead, in age and in the society. All of a sudden, she stopped communicating and responding to my messages or even calls. I was surprised! I got worried at some point because I thought she was in trouble or something. Do I know why she stopped communicating with me? Nope. What have I done? I have respected myself and stopped messaging. I put her in my prayers too. Never billed her or even complained about stuff.

Till date, she posts regularly on social media and views my stories sometimes.

All I am saying is, pray for them and work on yourself. When you stop expecting people to act in certain ways, you reduce your chances of getting disappointed by them.

Selah.

Japastic:
I hope you didn't encounter any bandits or herdsmen attack on your way.

I'm thankful I didn't. While the freeways (highways) are relatively safe, some bad things happen from time to time.

t2luv1:
How much is gasoline in Canada? By the way nice route instead of taking that boring London, Ontario route from Detroit. Toronto is beautiful though expensive from an American point of view.

At the time, gas was about 139.1 - 141.9 or so...can't remember the numbers.
Yeah, it was a good route. Glad I used it. Actually, Niagara Falls was the attraction.

But we returned through Detroit (via Windsor)

Greystone:


I hope you’re traveling with good company.
Tho traveling alone can be awesome as well.

Oh yeah! I couldn't ask for a better company.
Solo travels are fun too...I can't say because I've not travelled solo before. But I imagine it is fun

jaxxy:


The meal was $18.99?

I think so. That is CAD not USD.

Greystone:


What sort of food is this?

It is called Jajangmyeon. But really, it is noodles in black bean sauce...with onions, bits of pork and some sides.

KoolBigk:
Canada is usually refers to as US wanna be
It's nice over there as well but i don't see myself living in there. for me, i only enjoy visiting there from time to time.

Just like the OP, i've driven into Canada from Chicago severally. It's 7hours 30min drive from Chicago to Canada.

Lol...you're looking for trouble
Hope you had a swell time when you visited though.

Borgamaame:


I'm really not conversant with the map yet...but let me see. Okay..just checked and I see your area.


Well, it was approximately 8-9 hours with several stops from where I took off from. You know it also depends on where you will be going to.
You could check google maps. It helped me a lot!

Gotcha! Thanks for the information.

Celepope:

Oga I can bet any money say you never step foot for any of the countries. If e sure you drop proof. Btw Did you just call me new immigrant? You must be Low budget Prof Pella (Fake Magician) to know that someone who’s been a US citizen for almost a decade is a new immigrant.

Please, no violence
Are you not a preacher of love? Or are you the indaboski?

ElSudani:


Eeyaa, I know. I don't blame you. If the OP wasn't posting pictures you will probably think he is posting from some village in Nigeria.
Even the Brampton bus stop he posted, I know it. ( Bovaid/ Main) for those who knows Brampton. It is really a small world.

Easy...
Let's enjoy ourselves please
it's a beautiful day

miolad20:
I enjoyed this thread. Well done OP. A roadtrip from Toronto to NYC is on my bucket list for sometime soon. Must be super nice in summer especially.

Thank you! I'm glad you did.
Oh yeah! You should enjoy it but it gets really hot in the summer. You may want to try spring or fall.

lexy2014:


In 1960, the British monarch was Nigeria's head of state and this saw us using British pounds with the face of queen Elizabeth. Presently, the British monarch is head of state to 15 countries called commonwealth realms. Canada is one of such countries

Quite enlightening! Thanks for taking time to share this knowledge. I've learnt something new about Canada.
Much appreciated

Bordey:

If I may ask. Are you a PR in or citizen in US and how did you apply for the Canadian visa from US. How many days did it take and how much did you spend in total

You can check out Canada dot CA (dot = .). You'll find all the information you need. It is a pretty straightforward process. My friends that recently applied got theirs in 4 weeks (maybe a little less or more). You get to pay around 110 CAD (or so) for the application. Afterwards, you get invited for biometrics. Then when it is approved, they will request you to send your passport from stamping. Then, you get to pay a little close to $80 USD or more for courier service. They will provide you with instructions or you can call VFS global for further guidance.

degreatestmusti:


If you were blindfolded and dropped here in the winter especially yesterday, body go tell you say na Canada you dey.

Lol
I didn't see that coming. While that may be true, there are really cold states in the US too