A rental car is the easiest way to see more of Ontario than a train or a bus allows. Niagara Falls is an easy day trip, Ottawa is a long day or a relaxed weekend, and Montreal is a proper road trip. This guide covers the routes, the time on the road and the rental rules that matter for each.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is about 130 km from downtown Toronto. The usual route is the Gardiner Expressway west to the QEW, then the QEW around the end of Lake Ontario past Hamilton and St. Catharines. Without traffic it takes about an hour and a half; on a summer Friday or a holiday weekend it can take much longer, so leave early.
Parking near the falls is busy in summer. The wine region of Niagara-on-the-Lake is close by and makes a good stop on the way back.
The falls sit on the border with the United States. The car must not cross into the United States unless we have agreed in writing first.
Ottawa
Ottawa is about 450 km from Toronto, most of it on the 401 east, then the 416 north from near Prescott. Plan on four and a half to five hours with a stop. The 401 between Toronto and Kingston is busy with trucks; Kingston and the Thousand Islands are good places to break the trip.
A return trip to Ottawa is about 900 km. Check the kilometres included on the car's page, multiply by the days you book, and make sure the total covers the drive.
Montreal
Montreal is about 540 km from Toronto by the 401, which becomes Autoroute 20 at the Quebec border. It takes around five and a half to six hours with a stop. Montreal is in Quebec, so driving there needs our written agreement before the trip. Ask for it in your request and we confirm it in your offer.
Road signs in Quebec are in French. Turning right on a red light is not allowed on the island of Montreal.
Kilometres
Each car includes a daily kilometre allowance, added up over the whole rental. A long drive on one day is fine as long as the total stays within the allowance. Past it, each kilometre costs between and , depending on the car. For a long trip, a car with a higher daily allowance, or an extra day on the booking, can cost less than the extra kilometres.
Tolls and fuel
The QEW and the 401 are free. The 407 ETR is a toll road with no booths, and its tolls are billed to us and charged to you at cost plus $15 for each notice. Switch on the avoid tolls setting in your map app if you would rather not use it.
Return the car with the fuel or charge it had at pickup. If it is lower, refuelling costs the pump price plus 25%, plus a $25 service fee, so a quick stop before the return usually saves money.
Sharing the driving
On a long trip it helps to take turns. Add every driver to your request: each one meets the same rules, signs the agreement and adds 25% of the daily rate for each day. Only drivers named on the agreement may drive.