The 401
 

As a brit I thought I was well prepared to face the 401 highway in Toronto. After that experience I sincerely hope the QEW and Gardiner are a little more forgiving!

Re: The 401
 

chuckles..........

don't even think of the Don Valley Parking lot at this stage.

It's not the volume of traffic that gets me but the signage, or lack of, the seemingly permanent construction work, and of course the idiots.

Welcome to Ontario

Re: The 401
 

It's Monday. Just wait for Friday.

Also welcome to the good bit of Canada from me.

Re: The 401
 

Less busy, but more prone to construction closures (and the 401 has had one or more lanes closed in summer since I've been here).

Re: The 401
 

Thanks Novo, its good to be here at last

Re: The 401
 

Ill do my best to avoid the DVP and the 401 but have no choice on the QEW. going to drive from Mississauga to downtown tomorrow morning, hopefully not to scary!

Re: The 401
 

The scariest bit is Mississauga.

Re: The 401
 

It's the whole collector business that usually screws me up. I'm on the express bit and need to be on a collector to get to my exit. Oh bugger.

Re: The 401
 

They have clever new-fangled things called road signs. They're often blue.

Re: The 401
 

and in the wrong place!

try and stay in the lane that forks off. Less angst and forking off that way.

Re: The 401
 

Waddya mean, the wrong place?

And at the risk of crossing up two threads, I'm forking off tomorrow.

Re: The 401
 

Us folk from the provinces have enough to do in fighting with other drivers to find time to read the road signs (in time.) Fortunately, on Thursday AM when I arrive back in the UK we are being collected rather than having to do battle with the M25 at 07:30am.

Re: The 401
 

I have to make my way down Hurontario the QEW. Going to leave at 8 and see how it goes

Re: The 401
 

As the QEW becomes the Gardiner, at about Jameson, pick the middle lane. It looks wrong but, on the inside of the curve, the traffic snarls.

Re: The 401
 

the M25 is childs play compared with the chaos I witnessed on the 401 today

Re: The 401
 

Another exile to Europe? Have fun.

<actually I'll be in the UK from Wed to Friday, then off to France for the summer>.

Re: The 401
 

Posters here tend to believe it, but, when home, I enjoy the M25 for the speed and the discipline. I make an effort to find time to go around it.

Re: The 401
 

Enjoy it. Bastard.

Re: The 401
 

Germany?

France later?

Re: The 401
 

Eh?

Re: The 401
 

Last Friday I took the 401 from Montreal - being a smartarse thought I could evade the traffic gauntlet and catch an 8PM show in Stratford (approx 670 kms) - left at 9:00 AM doing 125 KM/H. Smooth sailing - until hitting the 403/410 split Mississaugua. The traffic was the equivalent of a double dose of the piles. It finally freed up before Kitchener.

I'm an idiot. And I hate T.O.
Arrived at Stratford at 4:58 PM:thumbdown:.

Re: The 401
 

What did you see?

Re: The 401
 

The Tempest - it was a solid Stratford rep. production. Very decent direction and supporting actors (the Stratford regulars); Arial (Julyana Soelistyo) and Caliban (Dion Johnstone) were super. Plummer shows his natural & powerful command of the stage - but he was difficult to hear in first and last two scenes. A great show :thumbup:.

P.S. I sat near a woman and man who I believe to be Michaelle Jean & Jean-Daniel Lafond. She let out a huge fart just before the intermission. Bloody wretched behaviour for dilettantes.

Re: The 401
 

Didn't we try to warn you about Hazelville? If not, we should have..
Hopefully your stay is only temporary.

Re: The 401
 

You're leaving (forking off).

Your usual summer jaunt I presumed.

First over to Germany then on to France until September.

No?

Re: The 401
 

Who was it by?

'Ere, where did Albert go??

Oh, he's back.

As you were.

Re: The 401
 

No, first over to the UK then on to France.

Try to keep up. :)

Re: The 401
 

Sorry. Happens as you get older.:blink:

The UK?

People still go there?

Re: The 401
 

You think you're old?

I'm only going to the UK to spend a day with my really old mother.

90-odd. Mostly odd.

Re: The 401
 

And I thought the same of some of the UK Motorways when I was there. The 401 is quite understandable and easy to those of us who do regularly. All Highways/Motorways are intimidating to varying degrees when unfamiliar with them. And if you're from NS, well..........

Re: The 401
 

Welcome to Ontario.

Happy travels to you and Mrs Novo.

Re: The 401
 

Well i got from Brampton (west) to Port Union (east) in 35 mins, at 3pm, without a problem via the 410 & 401, personally, i find the whole 400 highway thing a breeze here. :thumbsup: Even got across town on the QEW Gard and up the DVP, Friday eve, without a hitch, Oakville to Pickering, closing all the slip roads helped though....LOL

When i think of the days wasted sat on the M6 parking lot :thumbdown: Although the M4 was always, well mostly, good to me.

@OP.............Give it time, choose your times you will most likely get to like it, get a few 1,000 k's under your belt and you will wonder what all the fuss was about when you think back.

P.S. 8am will be a tad busy :eek:

Re: The 401
 

I drove from Montreal yesterday so by the time I reached the GTA I was knackered anyway, then to face 16 lanes of traffic was a bit of a shock. I have to admit it was moving but very slowly. As you rightly point out Im sure it wont be an issue after a few weeks but as someone else pointed out I have lived in rural (well Halifax) Nova Scotia for the past 5 years so the whole things a bit daunting.

Re: The 401
 

Them city sofisticates likely saw your NS plates and thought 'Here's a rube from the country we can cut up'. You'll be OK when you are on ON plates so to speak.;)

Re: The 401
 

Perhaps he should get some Quebec plates instead? Montreal sounded like a bit of a deathtrap too, so perhaps if he can prove he survived there...? :)

Re: The 401
 

He could get a bumper sticker indicating a willingness to engage in aggression, anything including the word "Redneck" would work. That or the ever popular "If you're going to ride my ass at least pull my hair". I considered the latter but on a pastel Beetle it might be a little much.

Re: The 401
 

Hard to see a bumper sticker in your rear view mirror;)

Re: The 401
 

I can't imagine anyone riding your ass when you're doing 160 km/hr on the 400 series highways, other than an OPP cruiser.

Re: The 401
 

Does your dog have that on his collar?


.

Re: The 401
 

Last night I was going at 95 (miles) in an 80 (clicometres) and a car blasted past me. I'm not the only one who drives with a desire to arrive the same day.