Hi - I will be on a cruise ending in Montreal in September 2023. I understand the Adirondack is not currently crossing into Canada and it doesn’t look like anyone knows when it will resume. If I can’t pick up the Adirondack in Montreal, any suggestions on how I can get back to an Amtrak route? Ultimately heading to Chicago. Thanks in advance.
Travel from Montreal
- Thread starter ZiaReba
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The Maple Leaf is running out of Toronto, so you could take VIA to Toronto and then Maple Leaf to NYP. Hopefully, with all the shouting people are doing about the Adirondack being the last line to be restored, it will be up in 13 months from now.
slasher-fun
Service Attendant
Another option would be Via Rail to Windsor, then hopefully the tunnel bus to Detroit will have resumed by then (taxi otherwise), and then Michigan service to Chicago. You'll have to spend the night somewhere en route, either Toronto, Windsor, or Detroit probably.
Or Greyhound bus to Burlington VT, then Ethan Allen Express, then some overnight train to Chicago... but currently the only bus arrives in Burlington after the only train has departed.
Or Greyhound bus to Montpelier VT, then Vermonter, then overnight... but same schedule mismatch.
Or Greyhound bus to Burlington VT, then Ethan Allen Express, then some overnight train to Chicago... but currently the only bus arrives in Burlington after the only train has departed.
Or Greyhound bus to Montpelier VT, then Vermonter, then overnight... but same schedule mismatch.
Take the Maple Leaf from Toronto to Syracuse, and then the Lake Shore Ltd to Chicago, which does not get there very late at night.
Take Greyhound / Adirondack Trailways from Montreal to Albany (4 - 5 frequencies a day), a CDTA transit bus to Rensselaer, and the Lake SHore Ltd from there.
slasher-fun
Service Attendant
That was true 3 years ago, but now it's down to 3x a day (1x morning 1x evening 1x overnight)
EDIT: +1x midday on weekends
No. There are now 6 a daily, a 7th on weekends. Next Wednesday, departing New York, clearly capitalizing on the Adirondack's demise:
Greyhound: 1201am, 830am, 130pm, 845pm
(4036, 4008,4034,4040)
Trailways: 1100am, 630pm, (930pm - Th, Fr, Su , Mo)
(278, 292)
They no longer show the other's schedule on their respective website, but don't seem to compete. Trailways fares averages out to be cheaper.
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danasgoodstuff
OBS Chief
Couldn't you make the transfer from the Maple Leaf to the Lake Shore in Rochester instead? Cheaper/shorter/less double back. You could do it in Buffalo, but you'd have to get yourself from one train station to the other. I'm not sure any of these are in particularly advantageous locations.
If you want to hang around Rochester for 9 hours. I'd go to Utica.
The Maple Leaf stops in Depew, though there's nothing there and will die of boredom for 11 hours, but no need to schlep from Exhange St to Depew. Good luck working though the NFTA bus system to do that.
danasgoodstuff
OBS Chief
If it was me, I'd get off at the falls, hang out, take the bus to downtown Buffalo and then out to Depew, $5 all day pass. If I didn't have too much luggage. Or pick at city I wanted to see. I love Buffalo/Niagra but don't know Rochester, Syracuse, or Utica at all.
In Syracuse, you could take a 10 minute walk to Destiny USA mall. Utica has a nice, large, historic station, look over Adirondack Rwy equipment.
Metra Electric Rider
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Too bad you couldn't take a river/lake cruise to Chicago (wait, can one???) - up the St. Lawrence, through Lake Ontario, up the Welland Canal and through the upper lakes!
I think that most Cruises that go up the St Lawrence only go as far as Montreal???
Rochester and Utica are nice places to visit and catch Trains, and Utica Union Station is a Gem!
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Metra Electric Rider
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It's kind of a shame there aren't more lake cruises - you'd visit a lot of interesting cities and small towns and there are also scenic natural areas too.
The majority of affordable cruises go up the St Lawrence only as far as Quebec City because Montreal (or the river) doesn't seem to be able to handle the larger cruise ships - and the majority of affordable cruise ships are the larger ones. For Sep & Oct this year:
• only 3 cruises depart Montreal, the same small ship with a capacity of 1432 pax.
• but 9 cruises depart Quebec City, three different larger ships with the smallest having a capacity of 2394 pax.
There are additional cruises departing both ports, but I don't put them in the affordable category - for me, at least. My six affordable cruise lines are Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Holland America has the two smallest ships of all the hundred or so ships among these six cruise lines - one being the 1432 pax MS Zaandam sailing to and from Montreal.
• only 3 cruises depart Montreal, the same small ship with a capacity of 1432 pax.
• but 9 cruises depart Quebec City, three different larger ships with the smallest having a capacity of 2394 pax.
There are additional cruises departing both ports, but I don't put them in the affordable category - for me, at least. My six affordable cruise lines are Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Holland America has the two smallest ships of all the hundred or so ships among these six cruise lines - one being the 1432 pax MS Zaandam sailing to and from Montreal.
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You beat me to it. Rochester station is new and beautiful, Utica's is old and beautiful. Pick the one with the best transfer time window, allowing for delays.
I am doing the reverse (Chicago to Montreal in Sep/Oct of 2024)
https://www.aqvoyages.com/lake-ocean-cruises/great-lakes/montreal-to-chicago/?v=v2&d=2022-09-05
Should also mention Pearl Seas and Viking...but neither of those two go to Chicago...they end in Milwaukee.....
Edit: Also Hapag-Lloyd which markets mostly to German speaking, and Ponant, to French speaking, run out of Milwaukee with luxury expediton ships similar to Viking.
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slasher-fun
Service Attendant
Oh thanks. Weird that they don't cross-sell anymore.
Not weird...they were for many years "partners", where they had a revenue sharing agreement, where they coordinated schedules, and pooled equipment and driver's on various New York State routes. But for various reasons, they had a "parting of the ways", and now are back in competition between each other.
Perhaps Adirondack Trailways does not want their foot caught around Greyhound's anchor.
Greyhound only has one frequency on the Boston - Vermont - Montreal route and no longer serves Burlington Airport. There were 4, pre-Covid.
Greyhound only has one frequency on the Boston - Vermont - Montreal route and no longer serves Burlington Airport. There were 4, pre-Covid.
Peter Pan Bus Co. also had a revenue sharing agreement with Greyhound, but they got out of it several years earlier. There were others around the country as well, mostly stemming from Greyhound taking over Continental Trailways back in 1987. The government granted permission since they were going under, anyway, with the condition that Greyhound not drive the remaining carriers out of business with predatory business practices, and to work with them.
I am not sure if there are any of those agreements remaining.
I am not sure if there are any of those agreements remaining.
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