Autostop, Hitchhike, Montréal - Toronto
Partis ce matin à 8h, un petit sac chacun, le panneau avec écrit Toronto, pour prendre le 1er bus puis 2 autres jusqu'à l'entrée de l'autoroute A20 Ouest 3$25 par personne comme les correspondances sont compris.
Mais malgré nos sourires, nos grands gestes justes 2-3 voitures se sont arrêtés, 2 juste soit par curiosité ou erreur et 1 qui n'allait pas loin. Mais on s'amusait bien tout de même.
Hitchhiking in Canada is officially illegal (as in the majority of countries) but allowed on highway borders.
It's not really practiced but it is "safe".
As last year I met some great people through hitchhiking, I suggested to my friend Elody to go to Toronto in this way. She accepts, tempted by the adventure, never having it made as a "passenger" (more as a driver).
In addition, this saves $ 30-40 Canadian ($ 20-27) per person per trip.
Searching on Internet "autostop montreal toronto", French website proposed to join the entrance A40 west (which then joins the A20 west but it is not said on the site).
http://www.lepouceux.com/index.asp?Chap=Transport_voyage&Page=Meilleurs_endroits#Montreal
But in the end we preferred Website in english (hitchike Montreal to Toronto) which gives more explanation with several possibilities. And I chose the one that gives a direct link on the entrance of the A20 motorway West (motorway more direct than the A40):
23 Avenue Gowans, Lachine, QC H8R 1R7, Canada
http://hitchwiki.org/en/Montreal
So with Wifi we check the itinerary on Google Maps as the itinerary kept even without connection.
At 8am, a small bag each, sign with Toronto, we take the 1st bus then 2 more until the entrance of the A20 west motorway 3$25 per person as the connections are included.
We arrive at the A20 west entrance point at 10:00 am: 23 Gowans Avenue, Lachine, QC H8R 1R7, Canada
But despite our smiles, our jgestures, 2-3 cars stopped, 2 by curiosity or mistake and 1 did not go far. But we had fun all the time.
As we began to despair (or at least to wonder if we were not going to change places) around 11:30, a truck stops and proposes to take us to the entrance of the A40, another road to continue on Toronto. We understand by discussing with him that our starting point was not the best place because many do not pass here for Toronto even if they take the A20 further, because not all of them go directly on the highway. So this little bit of road for a better position was welcome.
But finally to make it more direct and easy for us, it drops us straight on the A20 (as it continues to take the A40 ramp), 10 min later on a long stop that allows cars to stop easily safely.
A tip therefore, write on your panel A20 West or better prepare a panel with one side A20 West and an other Toronto.
And about 15 minutes later a car stops that goes direct on Toronto.
So around 11:45 we managed to find a direct Montreal - Toronto ! Very cool ! Patience rewarded! 😉😍
Even less than 2h waiting in a big city like Montreal seems to me in the norm (accustomed to hitchike).
Our driver is friendly, with whom it is nice to chat and car comfortable. So much so that as usual I was asleep, while Elody was talking to our new friend and was having fun making selfies and taking a picture while I was in the arms of Morpheus. 😜😄
This is the first time that our driver Karim takes autostopeurs. Usually he never travels alone but this time his friend dropped out that very morning. So seeing our Toronto sign and going there, he stops thinking it will make him company.
We were lucky, as our driver says it's destiny.
All the more fortunate that in order to "celebrate" this first autostop it offers us a bagel with a cream and a coffee each, despite our refusals (15 $ for the whole: 3 coffees and 3 bagels) in Tim Hortons, a typical chain Canada. Too kind !
As this is my first autostop in Canada I don't know if this is the norm ?!
But sometimes in other countries drivers are super friendly and "hospitable" people find it logical to offer us coffee or to eat when they stop to eat.
For me the first time I had been surprised and embarrassed because I thought I was super nice to drive me for free!
Around 5:00 pm arrived in Toronto at CF Fairview Mall 1 hour away by subway (3 $ 25 to put in the controller's box in front of the entrance) and almost 4 hours on foot! So no photo we went to metro stations 😉😄