Trip from Chicago to Ottawa - choices

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buck1108

Train Attendant
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
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99
Hi,

I'm planning a trip from Chicago to Ottawa and I have the option of taking the Wolverine across Michigan and getting off the train in Detroit after midnight, finding a cab to cross the border, finding a hotel and getting on VIA Rail the next morning in Windsor bound for Ottawa.

The other option is taking the Lakeshore to Buffalo (Depew) and waiting for the 6-7 hours for the Maple Leaf to take me to Toronto and then get a VIA Rail the next day to take me to Ottawa.

Is there a clear advantage of one over the other?

I don't like longer layovers usually, unless there are things to see or do around the area. If I have my luggage with me, does the Buffalo station (either one) check luggage like the Metro Lounge in Chicago does? If so, do you have to have gotten off a sleeper to use it?

Thanks for any tips or pointers regarding either way.
 
Another option is to take the LSL from Chicago to Schenectady, NY (SDY), than after a short layover catch the Adirondack to Montreal. From there, you can catch VIA Rail to Ottawa!
wink.gif
 
Hi,

I'm planning a trip from Chicago to Ottawa and I have the option of taking the Wolverine across Michigan and getting off the train in Detroit after midnight, finding a cab to cross the border, finding a hotel and getting on VIA Rail the next morning in Windsor bound for Ottawa.

The other option is taking the Lakeshore to Buffalo (Depew) and waiting for the 6-7 hours for the Maple Leaf to take me to Toronto and then get a VIA Rail the next day to take me to Ottawa.

Is there a clear advantage of one over the other?

I don't like longer layovers usually, unless there are things to see or do around the area. If I have my luggage with me, does the Buffalo station (either one) check luggage like the Metro Lounge in Chicago does? If so, do you have to have gotten off a sleeper to use it?

Thanks for any tips or pointers regarding either way.
If your dilemma doesn't show how lacking train service is between the US and Canada, nothing will!!!

I guess that Chicago to Ottawa by train means the slow-boat-to-China option! None of them sound very enticing.

Not too long ago, at least into the 1990s, I think, there was a Chicago-Toronto train. Don't know why it was stopped, but today there really is nothing to Canada except via New York routings.

In my younger track-and-field days, I'd wager you I could get to Ottawa by running directly from Chicago in the time you need to get there by train today!

Good luck whatever you decide on!
 
The Lake Shore only serves Buffalo Depew station, it doesn't serve the downtown location. At Depew, there really isn't anything to see or do. There is no lounge to wait in. Most likely you could day check your bags at the baggage counter, but I have no idea what (if any) the charge might be. Short of train watching, there is little to do at Depew.

Another option might be to book your trip further down the line in NY, like Rochester or Syracuse. This would shorten your wait time for the Maple Leaf to come by, while increasing costs slightly, but you'll have to be aware of the time too as you might have to bail early if the LSL is running late.

There is also the_travler's suggestion of going to Schnectedy and connecting with the Adirondack, which would shorten the wait times. That would move your overnight stay from Toronto to Montreal, prior to going on to Ottawa.

I've never done the cab ride, so I can't speak to that. But is there some reason that you can't catch an earlier Wolverine and avoid the overnight?

Oh for the International which used to run from Chicago to Toronto up until 4 or 5 years ago. :(
 
I rode the Toronto to Chicago train in early 2000's. The reason the train was discontinued at the border was that it took over 2 hours for US Customs to clear the train. Every passenger and his carryon luggage was herded to the last coach on the train and then individualy processed through custom and cleared to go to a forward coach. By the way, they cleared the empty forward coaches before they began processing the individual passengers. And, yes, they searched and cleared all baggage cars, etc. It was a humiliating experience. In this case, US Customs was very military like. Rightfully so, Amtrak and Via Rail ended this rediculous process by terminating their trains at the border in the area of Port Huron, MI. So that is why there is no through trains anymore from Chicago to Toronto.
 
Customs was only a small part of the reason that the International went away. I'm not saying that it wasn't an issue, but we still have 4 other trains that cross the border and they all have to go through customs too.
 
There is also the_travler's suggestion of going to Schnectedy and connecting with the Adirondack, which would shorten the wait times. That would move your overnight stay from Toronto to Montreal, prior to going on to Ottawa.
I don't see how a 21.5-hour overnight connection in Schenectady is considered "shorter" than the other options.
 
There is also the_travler's suggestion of going to Schnectedy and connecting with the Adirondack, which would shorten the wait times. That would move your overnight stay from Toronto to Montreal, prior to going on to Ottawa.
I don't see how a 21.5-hour overnight connection in Schenectady is considered "shorter" than the other options.

Many thanks for your ideas.

The earliest Wolverine I could take would be the 6pm-ish one, as my Texas Eagle (the least on time train?) is set to arrive around 1pm, just after the 2nd Wolverine departs Chicago. I believe there are 3 Wolverines - the first two are relatively close together, time-wise.

Is the Buffalo station (Depew) open for passengers during the layover time?
 
The earliest Wolverine I could take would be the 6pm-ish one, as my Texas Eagle (the least on time train?) is set to arrive around 1pm, just after the 2nd Wolverine departs Chicago. I believe there are 3 Wolverines - the first two are relatively close together, time-wise.
Makes sense. Didn't know you were connecting.

Is the Buffalo station (Depew) open for passengers during the layover time?
Yes, that station is open 24/7 so no worries there. And there is a local bus that you could take to ride downtown if you were so inclined. You can find info on that bus and its schedule here.
 
It would be better to stay overnight in Chicago, catch the first Wolverine, arriving in Detroit around 2 p.m., take a cab (or bus) to the Detroit-Windsor tunnel, ride the Tunnel Bus to Windsor, transfer to a Windsor city bus to the Via station, leave at 5:55 p.m., arrive in Toronto around 10 p.m., overnight in Toronto, morning train to Ottawa. Didn't say it would be easier, but it would beat riding around Detroit at midnight or spending a long time at the isolated Buffalo station. You might be able to cab it straight from Detroit Amtrak to Windsor Via, but I'm not sure if the cabs can cross the international border. An international train between Chicago and Toronto, via either Port Huron or Detroit is a missing link on the rail map.
 
You might be able to cab it straight from Detroit Amtrak to Windsor Via, but I'm not sure if the cabs can cross the international border. An international train between Chicago and Toronto, via either Port Huron or Detroit is a missing link on the rail map.
Last fall I traveled between the Windsor VIA Rail Station, and my lodging in Detroit (which was quite close to the Amtrak Station). The first cabbie had to pass on my fare as he was unable to cross the border. The second driver in line had no problem crossing.

US Customs did a thorough check of my luggage, and only asked the cab driver if he knew me, and if he would be returning to Canada immediately after dropping me off.

The fare was $60, which covered the toll for the tunnel, and the driver's time while at customs.

I would love to see this missing rail link restored, too.

Hope this helps!

Mike
 
There is also the_travler's suggestion of going to Schnectedy and connecting with the Adirondack, which would shorten the wait times. That would move your overnight stay from Toronto to Montreal, prior to going on to Ottawa.
I don't see how a 21.5-hour overnight connection in Schenectady is considered "shorter" than the other options.
My bad!
ohmy.gif


I didn't realize the times changed so much! The connecting point between the LSL and Adirondack used to be a same day connection in SDY!
wink.gif
 
You'd have to go back quite a ways (more than a decade, I'd say) to find a same-day, east-to-north connection from the Lake Shore Limited to the Adirondack. You can still do a south-to-west connection in Schenectady.
 
It would be better to stay overnight in Chicago, catch the first Wolverine, arriving in Detroit around 2 p.m., take a cab (or bus) to the Detroit-Windsor tunnel, ride the Tunnel Bus to Windsor, transfer to a Windsor city bus to the Via station, leave at 5:55 p.m., arrive in Toronto around 10 p.m., overnight in Toronto, morning train to Ottawa. Didn't say it would be easier, but it would beat riding around Detroit at midnight or spending a long time at the isolated Buffalo station. You might be able to cab it straight from Detroit Amtrak to Windsor Via, but I'm not sure if the cabs can cross the international border. An international train between Chicago and Toronto, via either Port Huron or Detroit is a missing link on the rail map.
Six different transfers for this trip!

What idiocy the US/Canada transportation network is!!!

You would have to be a masochist of masochists to subject yourself to such an itinerary!
 
An alternate for your first choice....spending the night via taxi transfer at Detroit/Windsor would be spending the night via taxi transfer at Port Huron/Sarnia. The latter would be about a 20 minute, 9 mile cab ride according to google maps. The hotels in the latter might be lower in cost than Detroit or Windsor.
 
An alternate for your first choice....spending the night via taxi transfer at Detroit/Windsor would be spending the night via taxi transfer at Port Huron/Sarnia. The latter would be about a 20 minute, 9 mile cab ride according to google maps. The hotels in the latter might be lower in cost than Detroit or Windsor.
One must consider the relative availability of hotels and/or taxis at Port Huron vs. Detroit.

I've never taken train 354 to Detroit, but when 350 and 352 arrive, there are always several taxis lined up waiting for passengers getting off the train. A place like Port Huron would probably need an advance call.

As for my own personal opinion, I'd book the Lake Shore to someplace like Syracuse (which has a nice station to wait in for a couple of hours), backtrack on the Maple Leaf to Toronto, and then overnight there.
 
If you choose to transfer between Amtrak and Via in Detroit/Windsor, you also have the option of taking the "Tunnel Bus" which is a Windsor city bus that crosses the border into Downtown Detroit. Since you are arriving late into Detroit, this means staying overnight in Detroit before catching the bus in the morning and crossing the border via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel (hence the name Tunnel Bus) If I remember correctly, you can transfer to another bus on the Canadian side that takes you within a block of the Windsor VIA station. It would be a heck of a lot cheaper than the cab fare quoted by J1 3235.

I haven't taken this route myself, but have done some extensive research for a future roadtrip.
 
I rode the Toronto to Chicago train in early 2000's. The reason the train was discontinued at the border was that it took over 2 hours for US Customs to clear the train. Every passenger and his carryon luggage was herded to the last coach on the train and then individualy processed through custom and cleared to go to a forward coach. By the way, they cleared the empty forward coaches before they began processing the individual passengers. And, yes, they searched and cleared all baggage cars, etc. It was a humiliating experience. In this case, US Customs was very military like. Rightfully so, Amtrak and Via Rail ended this rediculous process by terminating their trains at the border in the area of Port Huron, MI. So that is why there is no through trains anymore from Chicago to Toronto.
Border issues were not the only reason but yes, they were a big pain in the neck. Michigan wss not happy about picking up the tab for the Cdn. portion of the trip and track condition on the line between Sarnia and Georgetown has been downgraded since CN leased the line to GEXR / Rail America. There was no need to maintain high standards on jointed rail used primarily for moderate speed freight trains. It was a slow and sometimes rough riding trip.

Very disappopinting compared to the high speeds CN maintained in the 1970's and '80's. Via Rail is now negotiating with GEXR for improvements on this line.

I used to ride the Internatioal to catch the CONL at Chicago. It was a good connection but unfortunately, the only connection, other than the EB, LSL.

Gord
 
The Buffalo-Depew Station is a couple of miles form the Buffalo Airport and there are lots of taxis at the station. Coach Canada and Greyhound, have buses at the airport going to Toronto in the morning.

I believe the bus can drop you off close to Toronto Union station on it's way to the terminal at Bay & Dundas. I have used this connection many times to avoid the long layover for the Maple Leaf. The bus we took last time arrived in Tronto at 2pm but I think there may be an earlier one.

Customs on the buses takes no more than 45 minutes, another bonus.

For better service to and from Canada, complain to your Congressman or MP.

Gord
 
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