Reaching Montreal by Ground

Isn't there an Amtrak train from NYC to Montreal?

There is am Amtrak train from New York to Montreal, the Adironack, but it is currently suspended until at least this September for track rebuilding. But the Maple Leaf runs from New York to Toronto.

Flixbus run cross border services from New York to Montreal and Toronto to Detroit for connections to Chicago. And Amtrak run 3x a day from Detroit to Chicago.

So probably nothing faster than an 8-hour drive, but there are options. I like trains so I’d be up for a couple of 12-hour rides, I’ll have to see about my friend.

I've just been checking that it still runs, and it does- VIA run a train 4 times a day from Toronto to Windsor, ON.

And Windsor Transit run an international tunnel bus from Windsor International Bus Terminal (2 miles away) into Detroit . So there is a rail option as well.

Did you look at a flight to Toronto and then either train or drive to Montreal and Quebec? You mentioned Ontario travel, have you made any decisions on what you would like to see? And how long your trip will be? The drive from Toronto to Montreal is straightforward, the hwy itself is not very scenic but lots of interesting places to stop depending on your interests. Also interesting sites in southern Ontario including Toronto and the Niagara area. We were in Montreal earlier this month and had a great time. Train is also an option if your plans are just Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal , Quebec City and you wouldn’t need a car. Your could take the train one way and then fly back from Montreal to either Toronto, New York or Boston to your final destination.

I don't know how much time you have, but you could consider a cruise. There are a number that connect between New York city and Montreal, I'm not sure if there are any that both start and end in NYC, I think they are usually one way. But you could perhaps start with that, then pick up a car to travel on to Ontario if you have that much time.

There is also Flixbus from NYC to Montreal.
ViaRail Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto
There is a shuttle to Niagra Falls. Is there any ground options from US Niagara Falls to somewhere that works for you?
I see Detroit is on your mind...ViaRail goes to Windsor which is across the border from Detroit.
One way car rentals in Canada usually come with a hefty drop fee.

I would have no problems taking the train and that would be my means to get to Montreal.

I would fly into NYC or Toronto and then take the train. From Boston, you'd need to take the train to NYC to get there by train so just fly to NYC. But, wouldn't Toronto be a shorter flight?

However, if afraid of flying...what about taking the train from Seattle to Chicago, train to Canada (Toronto? I'd have to look) and then train to Montreal. Or easier, take VIA (?) from Vancouver to Montreal. (That's a trip I want to take.) Get a couple of roomettes for the overnight trains, one on each side of the train. Can you get a ship/ferry to Seattle or Vancouver? Of course, you'd need more time...

There is the AMH ferry to Bellingham, then Amtrak to Vancouver BC (for VIA's Canadian 2 days later) or Seattle for The Empire Builder, with a same day connection, 6 hours after the ferry docks on Amtrak Thruway as far as Everett for the train to CHI.

Or the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver as far as Jasper, then VIA- as and when the town of Jasper re-opens for rail traffic and tourism.

Thank you for all the feedback. Long story short, plenty of options, but not necessarily fast options.

I'll start with daisycan's questions:

Did you look at a flight to Toronto and then either train or drive to Montreal and Quebec?

I did, aside from seasonal nonstops to Vancouver, flying from Alaska to Canada seems to require a stop: generally Seattle for the west and Chicago for the east. If transferring to ground, other options like Detroit, New York, or Boston open up.

You mentioned Ontario travel, have you made any decisions on what you would like to see? And how long your trip will be?

At this point we're trying to see what we can realistically fit into 14 days, 12 of them on the ground. The travel days on either end look like they'd be ~10 hours if going entirely by air or ~15 for a combination of air & ground, so those days are spoken for.

Train is also an option if your plans are just Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal , Quebec City and you wouldn’t need a car.

That's what I was thinking: Montreal is our inspiration for going, and Toronto sounds like it'd be fun as well. The Maritimes should be their own trip. Main question remaining is Ottawa, Quebec City, or a touch of both. We're traveling more for culture than nature, so we'll probably stick to bigger cities, and that makes train travel more feasible.

re: Wray and isn31c:

Yes, it does seem that the trip is possible without flying at all, but we'd spend more time traveling than actually being there. Fortunately this isn't an absolute prohibition on flying, it's more like if there's a reasonable alternative they'd rather do that.

• For NYC-Montreal we're comparing a 10-hour train ride to a 2-hour layover and 1-hour flight. That's at least worth considering; trains are more spacious and eco-friendly, and I'm sure the scenery's nice.
• Getting to the mainland, that's a much stronger case for flying. The ferry (AMH) is 4+ days each way between Valdez (the closest port they serve) and Bellingham. Someone with the means and stamina to drive would probably be in Edmonton by the time the ferry lands.

Amtrak from New York Penn Station to Montréal takes a minimum of 12 hours (not 10 hours) assuming on-time status. My husband and I took this train last year and we were really disappointed by the lack of amenities of this train. Amtrak really ought to do better. The Café car closes for several hours and even when it’s open, it is pathetically limited to bagged sandwiches. True, the ride along the Hudson on the left side of the train and then all along Lake Champlain on the right side of the train is beautiful. Part of the 12 hours is sitting for three hours at the border waiting for Canadian border patrol to come in and inspect each car. Those 3 hours are not scenic.

Depending on when the trip is I see UAL has one stop service Fairbanks to Montreal ( via either Chicago or Denver)

You mentioned driving from NYC to Montreal. I flew to JFK (from Minneapolis) and then drove to the Lake Placid area (much closer than Montreal , but the same route). It was exhausting! It took way longer than Google maps and other apps estimated due to heavy traffic coming out of the city, construction zones, etc. And it took all my powers of concentration to navigate the highways around the airport and through the city.

You will be flying many hours from Alaska, so it’s probably not a great idea to hop into a rental car right away and drive 8-10 hours in those conditions. Would you spend an overnight in NYC before attempting this?

Taking a train out of NYC would certainly be more relaxing than driving, but don’t forget to factor in the time to get from the airport to the train station in your calculations.