I'm having some trouble getting my head around this number. Suppose you've rented a Jaguar, that's $600. I suppose that, for $500 a night, you really did get the vibrating heart shaped mirrored suite. That's another way of living, that is.

In order to be Churchill, if it's near Acton, for eight, I'd leave Niagara at five.

The one up by Simcoe is "2hrs 20mins" according to google. But then again its taking the QEW, 427, 401 and 400, so the chances of it being hassle free on those roads in anyones guess (but close to zero?)


Which Churchill is it PP is going to? Three hours to the nearer one from Niagara? Seriously? Its got to be way worse to the other one given those roads and the airport traffic?

Either way $2100 if that doesnt include the flights is taking the piss?

If its the more northerly one Id avoid the Toronto commute route to be honest and rebook somewhere up in the muskokas for a romantic getaway.

Whats he bought thats worth a 3000km journey to pick it up!

You neglected to include airfares.

Because a post above said "$2100 for three nights and a hire car". Yes, in Canada, $2100 doesn't get even a single person very far. Perhaps that's why I've hardly been anywhere in Canada and where I have been I've driven.

But this post clearly says flights.

Well then it's an economical weekend, incidentally reinforcing the idea that if one wishes to see places on weekends it's better to be based in the UK.

Ahem. Would a weekend in, say, Michigan, cost anywhere close to $2.5k?

Off the top of my head, using that place near Chicago as an example:

- jacuzzi suite, $110

- petrol, $100

- eating, something one would likely do anyway, $200

- shopping, oh dear, say $2499 total.

$2k worth of shopping? Dear oh dear.

But lovely shoes. Michigan, of course, is not in Canada. There are a fair number of places to go for the weekend from here, the horse island, the finger lakes, Lake Placid, Chicago, NYC, Saratoga, Montreal, the 1000 Islands. Mostly not in Canada though, most of Canada requires several days to reach by car. Flying's an option but since it's cheaper to go to London or the Carribean than to Winnipeg it's not likely to happen. From London, by way of contrast, the Winnipeg air fare might get you to anywhere in Europe and, if air fares are prohibitive, there are trains. Much as I love America I do think it's a bit limiting that it's pretty much the only destination feasible for a short trip.

I've stayed here a couple of times in the past.

It's in Niagara falls, on the river road, about a 10 minute walk away from the falls. It's in a really quiet area shielded from the noisy part of town.

Did they previously own a B&B in Blackpool in the early seventies? If I so I think I stayed there. I assume they throw you out between 9 and 4?

/start Paris Hilton/
I suppose, if one were restricted to $2,000 for a single shopping spree, one could manage. Barely. A struggle, of course, but one could manage. I guess.
/end Paris Hilton/

Piff Poff, enjoy your unexpected trip -- remember everything takes longer and costs more than anticipated and in the end, it will all be worth it.

Yeah, just thought peeps would realise it included airfares too.

Oh it's all gone a bit pear shaped, apparently the car is 'up the road' from the owner in storage, up the road is another 1.5 hours north, gonna be on the phone to Travelocity in a bit trying to change hotels, you can imagine the stress in this house

He's bought a factory Starsky and Hutch Torino, it needs a bit of tinkering to be able to get it onto the transporter, then the transporter will cost too, starting to wish I was awake when he hit the 'buy it now' button.

Piff goes away muttering about having to spend another evening sorting stuff out

my mom lives in churchill.... blink and you miss it

It is between Bradford and Barrie on the shores of lake simcoe. I used to live in Hamilton <mountain>. It was 1 hour and 45 mins with no traffic. With traffic it was as much as 5 hours. It is the major root to cottage country and the drive on a Friday heading north is bumper to bumper at about 10 miles per hour (if you are lucky). And on Sunday heading south from Churchill to Hamilton it was the same.

It is a beautiful area and check out the Barrie beach if you get a a chance.

Have fun ... and if you run in to a grumpy Yorkshire man looking like Benny Hill....it's my dad ... lol say hi for me!

all the best
reeni