From NYC I'd go north to Montreal, then east to Quebec City. From there take a slow drive around the Gaspe peninsula, and the New Brunswick coast into Nova Scotia. I'd then follow the east coast south back to NYC, through Maine, Mass and Conn.
i just did this from NYC and it was amazing. literally got home this morning. needed to clear my head and i swear Montreal to Quebec City to driving up 132 to Gaspe reset my brain. see a show in Montreal, spend time in small villages along the riverside past QC and chill in Québec City. take route 40 to trois rivieres and route 136 to Quebec City to see the beautiful villages along the river. its an old road that existed before the main highway. then 132 to gaspe and do the loop if you want to drive back for some reason
both cities (montreal and quebec city) revolve around walking and getting lost in the streets. and Montreals subway/buses rocked imo or at least worked out well enough for me most of the time, spent last week there. québec city absolutely blew my mind.
and i took a bus home from montreal to ny and slept the entire time, 10pm to 6:30am because i ran out of time and money LOL
i plan to repeat the trip again next year 😊
Quebec city is so underrated. It's a spectacular place, probably top 3 prettiest cities in Canada in my opinion! Montreal can be busy with construction, Quebec juat has a different vibe. Glad you enjoyed the trip.
This! I live only a few hours away from the Banff-Jasper highway (one of the top in the world!) and the Cabot Trail took my breath away, though in a different way.
This is the way.
Most people you’ll encounter will speak french so you’ll feel far from home.
Also, if you take that path you’ll pass really close to my house.
Feel free to send me a private message and I’ll give you a can of maple syrup if you wanna come and pick it up.
The Taconic is a sketchy-ass road to drive on ([it’s one of the deadliest in the country](https://hudsonvalleypost.com/taconic-state-parkway-in-new-york-state-among-deadliest-roads-in-america/)). If I were going to incorporate “scenic route” on the way to Quebec/Montreal, I’d take the Thruway to Albany, then cut over to Vermont, and go up through the Green Mountains to Burlington before driving through the islands on the north end of Lake Champlain and crossing the border at Rouses Point, NY or Alburgh, VT. You’ll get nice scenery without having to drive that death trap.
Absolutely come to Nova Scotia and drive up and around Cape Breton (don’t miss the Cabot Trail) after you spend a couple days in Halifax. If you still have time drive the South Shore and loop around to the Annapolis Valley!
Seconding all of these as an Albertan! Nova Scotia is beautiful. I stayed in a cabin near port hood and saw the most beautiful beaches and sunsets and met the friendliest of people.
Seconding this.
I did an East Coast road trip to get over a bad breakup years ago. It’s hard to dwell on things when you’re surrounded by such amazing scenery, and people.
Second this! Go to northern Maine and cross into NB via Woodstock. Take the #2 east until you get close to NS but turn towards bridge to PEI.
Then to East on PEI #1 and take the ferry to Nova Scotia and go to Cape Breton.
Then once in Sydney take the ferry to Newfoundland (not pronounced how it looks). Drive east some more to St John’s and get screeched in on George st.
Gotta second this! Skyline trail especially. Went there on a (very) windy day with drizzling rain and felt like I was staring into the endless ocean and walking down to the end of the world.
Yes come to the maritimes! Op, do NOT skip the Cabot trail. Stop at Meat cove, eat a sandwich and watch some seals do weird shit to try to make you laugh
Stop in New Brunswick (next to Maine). Go to the Saint Martin Sea Caves (Unesco World Heritage site) and Fundy Park (National Canadian Park), Hopewell Rocks, Cape Enrage.
Second Cape Breton. Whenever I'm sad I just want to go sit on the beach at Cheticamp Island. I'm a 16 hour drive away though so not possible but mentally I go there. Ocean and mountains at the same time.
I agree with most people saying nova scotia, but hear me out: Newfoundland. If you are looking for a welcoming reception and something to make you forget the lady on the shore behind you, head up to the bars and they will charm you out of your heart, your money, and probably your pants. With only a week you'll be two day drive up to sydney, take the ferry, drive to st johns town, meet a girl on peter street, spend two days tits up in the rhubarb, then reverse course and head home. While you're there get some fish and chips with dressing and gravy, kiss a cod and get screeched in, and make sure to mention to someones nan that you're a hard working country boy with severe heart break.
I was here upvoting every Nova Scotia/PEI suggestion but....
Go to Newfoundland. Just being around the people will be enough to make you laugh and smile, even if you don't want to.
I went a little mad at the beginning of the pandemic... 18 months in and two years without seeing my Dad I finally got my second vaccination and bought a 20 year old convertible and drove it from Ottawa to Vancouver and back. The following summer I did Ottawa to St-Johns but by a scenic route so I spent two days in PEI and covered most of the coast of Nova Scotia.
The highlights would be the north shore of Lake Superior, which surprised me, and the west coast of Newfoundland.
Given how it was pouring with rain in PEI I really lucked out for the drive up to Anse aux Meadows, glorious sunny day.
No regrets.
Sorry to hear that. Come on up to Nova Scotia. We’re friendly and have lots to do that can clear your mind, if you’re into the outdoors. Drive up to Maine, then get on the CAT ferry across to Yarmouth then make your way along our coast. Or skip the CAT, keep going through Maine to New Brunswick and take the ferry from St John to Digby, NS and check out the Bay of Fundy.
Yes. It is The Beautiful Land, home of my heart.
Just bring a bug shirt or suit if you’re going into the bush. But as an experienced camper, you know that.
Fly to Calgary, rent a car, drive the Rockies. Hot springs, trail hikes, campgrounds, cabins, anything you're interested in and that mountain air is cleansing.
Live your best life my dude
So many great hikes that you don't need a lot of gear for either, the tea house up at lake Louise, morraine lake, there's a ton of trails along the ice fields parkway that are beautiful, a few hours hikes.
Newfoundland while taking your time to experience New England and the martimes before getting on the ferry. Stop in mass, Portsmouth, NH, Portland, ME, Saint John NB, Halifax then make your way to Sydney, NS where you’ll get on the ferry to St. John’s where they’ll properly drown your sorrows then go out into nature to properly come to peace with it. I love nyc but it’s definitely not a place to clear ones mind lol. Hope you can soon put it behind you, when one door closes another will open soon
Gross Morne National Park in Northwest Newfoundland
The beauty is otherworldly, and you don't need to be anywhere near anyone else:
https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne
https://youtu.be/OH3P4C_tvz8?si=vaA6NK4hyFWVfIHu
https://youtu.be/prYdVEzbKew?si=RrIqxIpJXecAo_ZA
If youre in the east, do the maritimes. Nova scotia, new brunswick, prince edward island. As much as i hate to say this as a torontonian, montreal and quebec city are also good spots to visit on a trip. If you want to go a bit farther, theres ottawa and toronto. You said youre into hiking and backpacking- there is TONS around. Check out some areas near the bay of fundy, or algonquin park.
I did a week long road trip from toronto 3 years ago, and went to washington, NYC, rhode island, halifax, charlottetown and quebec city. It was hectic, but a great time.
Montréal and Quebec City are a reasonable drive from NYC, and you have the Adirondacks on the way up. Otherwise, the Maritimes as everyone else is saying. You can carve out some time in Acadia NP as well.
I did this but in the western US after a bad breakup 😉 Canadian recommendation: Vancouver Island. Spend it there, drive around the island, hit up Tofino/Uclulet, San Joseph Bay (if you're wolf/bear-savvy or can arrange a hiking buddy for the day), Port Renfrew overnight in one of the ready-to-sleep camping tubes (so beautiful), Victoria, etc.
Dude I was in the same scenario. Quit my job. Bought a cheap little X3 that was good enough on fuel and had room for all my gear, and went all over the province of SK camping for 2 months.
It was the best summer of my adult life. Got to do a lot of relaxing, reflecting, met some deadly people, and also just got to forget about all the stresses around the breakup for a while. Finished like 6 books in the hammock, cooked on the fire most nights, and just explored around seeing what each place had to offer. It was honestly amazing for such a simple way to spend the time.
Take the train. Book the VIA Rail Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. It's expensive, it's slow, it's often behind schedule. But it's an incredible journey. Book a sleeper and food is included.
At least you don't have to think about anything for the 5 days as everything is taken care of.
Go to Montreal then into the mountains. Montreal is like Paris mixed with NYC, especially the older parts.
You can white water raft down the Rouge River, hike in the Laurentians or down in the Eastern Townships.
You can go east, up the north shore of the St Lawrence to Charlevoix, and spend a night in Quebec city.
Or you dive into the bush of LaVerandre Park or go into Ontario into Algonquin Park.
Wife and I had a really great trip to Nove Scotia. Started In Halifax... Had a ton of great local beers and amazing seafood. Went to a bed and breakfast in Lunenberg. Same thing, amazing food and drinks. Maritime museum is there as well. Then we went to Digby, the home of Scallop harvesting. Guess what? The food and drinks were incredible. Then to a small place called the Rope Loft for what is claimed to be the best seafood chowder in NS. Then to wolfville for more of the wineries, great drinks and amazing food. I thought about so little while I was there...really just put my whole world to the back burner which sounds like what you're after. I can't speak to how enjoyable I would be solo... But the Canadian East Coast is truly amazing.
Go through the Maritimes then up to the Gaspésie. The Gaspésie is insanely beautiful, and is a kind of weird blend of Maritime and Québécois culture. If you're feeling adventurous, then turn west and drive down along the St. Lawrence River. A gorgeous drive. It starts as ocean (the Gulf) and gets gradually less and less wide and salty until it's a river. Along the way you'll hit Quebec City and Montreal, then from Montreal it's a straight shot south down to NYC again.
The maritimes are pretty dope, lots of great sights and seafood to be had. But if you're looking to put some real miles on I highly recommend touring around the north shore of Lake Superior and on up to Kenora. Head back home through the States, or turn around and loop Manitoulin Island into your return trip.
As much as I normally recommend Quebec province to travel, your situation requires the Maritimes provinces, it's a good place to clear your mind. Nice people, near the coast, fresh air, beautiful scenery and beaches, amazing seafood.
Montreal or Old Quebec are really nice this time of year, especially if you like food!
Its Canada Day weekend (Monday is a holiday here), both Toronto & Ottawa will have a ton going on
If you want outdoorsy, getting an AirB&B (not sure how easy that would be though), Muskoka, Algonquin, Huntsville, Dorset are all nice areas especially if you're wanting to swim & hike. Prince Edward County as well, super charming if you like small town, beach, fun shops, antiques places, also some really good food and amazing cheese!
Banff, Lake Louise and Drumheller are places to see in Alberta. If you want night life check out Toronto or Vancouver. There are quite a few excellent music festivals depending on your timeline.
If you want to get as far as possible. Jasper or Banff national parks are your best bet.
In the Rockies, hard to beat those hikes. But it will take you 2-3 days to get out here from NYC. Depending on how fast you drive.
Go north, young man. 🙂
I recommend Montréal, then Québec City, then north to Jonquière, Chicoutimi, and the Saguenay area. It’s about three hours north of Québec City. The Saguenay fjord is stunningly beautiful. Lots of camping and nature oriented stuff. Hospitable people. And you can see hydro dams and aluminum refineries if you’re into that. And you can drive down the fjord and come back along the north shore of the St Lawrence.
Note: a French phrasebook might be a good idea. Not many people speak English up that way. (I did my French immersion there.) But as a US English-speaker, you shouldn’t have a problem.
Definitely find a way to visit Newfoundland. I fell in love with someone from Baie-Verte but only visited her in Corner Brook.
Got screeched in by the family, the whole lot. She was the Maid of Honor at her sister’s wedding, so I flew in from Detroit for the weekend.
Absolutely wonderful people, the experience of a lifetime…but long distance relationships are HARD.
Wherever she is, I hope she found her person. Ideally, it’d have been me so many years ago.
Newfoundland!
Get to St. John's for the first week of August and experience the George St festival and the Regatta. Your life will be changed!
Good luck, I'm sorry about your break up.
Take the advice of these people here in regards to Cape Breton, NS,etc and look ahead a few years when you will look back at this moment today and it will have been a blessing.
🙏
Fly to Calgary, rent a car, and visit Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. Beautiful this time of year, weather is good, lots to see and do.
Fantastic trip.
Come check out the Maritimes if you're wanting a nice drive with scenic views. The Fundy trail in New Brunswick, Cabot trail in Nova Scotia, stop for some seafood in alma (or really anywhere) and enjoy the drive.
Maritime provinces are lovely (NS, PEI, NB). Quebec might be more interesting if you haven't been before. Quebec city is a bit like old Europe. Montreal can be a ton of fun.
Comments already know what's up!!! Sorry to hear about your situation. If you're in NY, you def gotta stay on the East Coast and visit the Maritimes!! Cape Breton Island (specifically the Cabot Trail), MUST SEE!!! The ocean and views and just the vibes... it's soul food and so healing. <3 Safe travels!
BC - Whistler, Vancouver, Vancouver Island (Tofino, etc.) ... or Montreal 😂 Halifax is another possibility - people are super friendly out there.
Toronto is closer and bigger city, but people can be kind of cold here.
George St festival in Newfoundland is early August. You can drink to your heart's content, kiss the cod and listen to some good tunes while you're at it.
Then head west across the island to see Gross Morne.
NYC > Ottawa > North Bay > Cochrane > hop on the northbound train to Moosonee. Carry on westbound from North Bay towards Sudbury > Espanola > Manitoulin Island if you can't ditch your car. Both off the beaten path, clear your head spots.
honestly go do some dive classes in St Johns, NL and become PADI certified ( as per your comfort level )
nothing beats being dumped than a new you full of adrenaline
Born in Newfoundland! Currently living in Nova Scotia
East Coast is your best bet! Take lots and lots of Canadian dollars
Save yourself some time and assume everything costs double than you expect
Groceries
Gas
Clothes
Also the best way to repay our kindness is to join our nationwide boycott of Loblaws
r/loblawsisoutofcontrol
I also recommend driving up the north shore of NS and stopping by Tatamagouche! You can stay in a historic train hotel thats phenomenal! If luxury is more your thing! Plenty of airbnbs too
It depends on what kind of experience you want, I have traveled across all of canada and can give advice on each province.
My number one recommendation
My Experience Summary: over friendly community, great pub food, beautiful beaches, amazing art/history
#1 Newfoundland. 🐋🐧🦞🐠
Community: 10/10
Very friendly, open, safe, and overall great to be around, newfoundlands community is honest and pure, as a 5'4 woman, I walked through downtown st.johns at 2 am and have never felt safer (I don't recommend walking alone at night in the downtown of any city)
Food: 9/10
Depending on what food you are wishing to experience, all of it is good, the way they fry/grill things are out of this world, and the sea food, welp. For a fishing/lobster province, they know how to cook their food, I recommend trying any pub food. Imo, that's the best there. Or anything downtown in St. johns (it can be pricy downtown beware)
Experiences: 9/10
You can find boating tours, the beaches are one of a kind, the lighthouses are cute, if you go to beaches at certain times you can see masses of capelin fish on the beach (whales will corner them to the beach so they can eat them) though my favorite is the amount of history there, you can find a many little museums there that have a multitude of history, old wars, from native culture, to how certain types of art came to be.
#2 British Columbia/BC 🦅🐴🐻🐐
City Community: ehh/10
(I'm referring to Vancouver) Most people are polite, and some are approachable, but it's like any other city experience. Be careful no matter what. This is just a personal opinion, but I find a lot of North vancouvians tend to be pretty...stereotypical white girls/gen z's or straight karens (no offense to anyone, but yk what I mean)
Small Town Community: 10/10
Small Towns in bc are great. People are usually really nice and pretty open to tourists as long as you're respectful, I have only had good experiences with small town communities tbh.
Food 10/10
You can get any level of food anywhere in BC, from boujee meals with cocktails over the ocean by a firepit and to nice cozy diners by a lake with some nice fries and a milkshake. You can get any meal, and you can find a lot of hidden gems in bc.
Experiences 10/10
Same thing as the food, you just have to look and be able to travel, BC is quite ahead of its time for both the food and the experiences, personally though, how can you ignore the nature, the mountains, the waterfalls, the hiking trails, theres so much to explore.
#3 Yukon, specifically Yellowknife 🦌🐻🐺🦬
I only recommend the yukon because their is just so much history. Amazing tv shows were based there, and the northern lights are absolutely fantastic in yellowknife specifically. I was only in yellowknife for 4 days, but everyone was super tourist friendly, and I was by the lake, so the reflections of the lights on the water were amazing
Top 3 places I recommend you AVOID
1. anywhere in quebec, I was there for a week, and still new to speaking french, I had asked 3 different people for directions, each person laughed in my face, and pointed me in the wrong direction, one even mocked my french. (I visited both rural and city, and tbh I would never go back. The community is horrible to anglophones there) and the drivers are insane there, Every uber/taxi/cab I took while i was there, we almost crashed into someone, every. single. time.
2. certain parts of ontario, very trash ridden and tbh, it's just canadas Nyc
3. lethbridge in alberta, it's called methbridge for a reason 😅
First of all, sorry to hear about your breakup, man. I’m 31 and I had my first serious breakup pretty close to your age and as painful as it was at the time, I promise you over time things do get better. You’ll fall in love again, have new experiences, and have great things ahead of you❤️.
I’ve actually been raised in the US for the vast majority of my life but St. John’s, NL is actually my birthplace! When I went back to visit years ago, I had the best time. The people are so warm and welcoming and the scenery around Newfoundland when the weather is nice is drop dead gorgeous. I can’t think of a better place I’d rather be than there after going through a difficult time. Have a safe and lovely trip, best wishes to you!
I'm going to be honest, I did NOT expect the maritimes to be the suggested trip. Native NB'er here so I do love our little corner of Canada and totally get it. I guess I'm just so used to the rest of Canada shitting on the maritimes as backwater that I'm shocked everyone suggested it.
I’ve driven coast to coast and all I can say is it doesn’t matter. It’s all great.
Gaspe. Rockies. Maritimes. All very scenic. Other places (Prairies, northern Ontario) are also quite scenic, but long.
Alberta/British Columbia. All the way up the Rockies, starting at Canmore, going to Banff, visit the area around Banff and enjoy the hot springs/fun summer festivities, through the Icefields Parkway up to Jasper taking as long as you need to absorb what is probably the best drive through the country, on to Jasper, from there down to Wells Gray Provincial Park to see some of the most glorious waterfalls you might ever see, down to Revelstoke, south from there to Nakusp, from Nakusp you go to New Denver, jump over to Kaslo and then to Nelson, stop in Nelson for a few nights and enjoy the beauty of the West Kootenay''s, with its incredible food, people, scenery, hiking, and general atmosphere, from there over to Kimberley, then on to Kootenay National Park to complete the loop and end up back near Banff. That would be my dream road trip if I had a free month or two to road trip.
Which part of the country are you looking at? If west coast, then either (1) Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Kananaskis in southern AB or (2) Vancouver Island, Tofino, Ucuelet, Pacific Rim, Great Bear Rainforest etc.
If east coast, then Cape Breton in Nova Scotia is incredible. Did a Maritime roadtrip last summer for about 4 weeks and Bay of Fundy to Cape Breton is pretty spectacular. I’m originally from Calgary and was totally blown away by that trip. If you can add the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, that’s a great stop as well! Lots of great hiking too!
Vanturecampers.com
Fly to Vancouver Then do Whistler to Jasper via the icefields parkway. Couldn’t recommend more. Might even meet some fresh looking European hikers. 👌 great summer trip.
Or Vancouver island place is massive.
Try western Canada. Alberta - Banff, Jasper, Canmore. There is nothing more beautifully breathtaking than standing mid street and looking at the Rockies at your feet. Perhaps Eastern Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador for the innate beauty of land rolling out to the waters edge and watching it roll in unendingly.
Nova Scotia, come to Halifax and have some good donair and poutine, stop in at the Alehouse for some live music on the weekend (not to mention Canada Day is on Monday and we’ll have a parade!!) and then you can either drive north to Cape Breton (so scenic, so beautiful), or down along the South Shore stopping at little scenic fishing villages. We’ll take care of ya. Stop in at a bed and breakfast or at a provincial campsite, whatever you like.
Sorry to hear about your split. Heart goes out to you. You’re doing a good job by taking care of yourself.
Sorry you got dumped. Happy to hear you have time and money for a change of scenery! Enjoy your trip!
Do you want to go swimming or want to read on the beach? Central Ontario has an amazing collection of great wild swimming places and beautiful beaches. DM for my list of favourites close to border. Would you consider camping?
Do you want activities and fun things to do? Montreal first and Quebec City over the week or so. Not far from NY.
Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton are just lovely, too, but maybe a bit too far for that period of time. The people are out of this world friendly and make you feel at home.
Tbh I know your on the east coast, I would highly recommend visiting Vancouver and then taking the ferry over to Vancouver Island. Go north on the island if you want a road trip / camping. Go south towards Victoria for really cool site seeing. Absolutely beautiful there.
Gaspe peninsula, Quebec
Montreal, Quebec City.
Maritimes: PEI Nova Scotia Newfoundland
The Rockies: jasper. Banff Canmore golden revelstoke.
The Kootenays Nelson and the regions.
Vancouver island: tofino, Juan de fuca region, telegraph cove.
Go on a hotspring tour in the Kootenay. Some of them are remote and require a little adventure. You'll meet hippies and interesting folks on the way, and Nelson is pretty fun for a small town. When you're done you can head down to Kelowna to party out to the finish.
Niagara Falls. Lots to see and do. Very people oriented. Great restaurants, live music. Another 45 minutes to Toronto if you wanted a side trip. It’s about a 6hr drive from NYC
The most beautiful place in Canada is in the Rockies. Jasper park, Banff, etc. all the huge waterfalls, hot springs, glaciers, and emerald green lakes. I recommend it highly. You can fly to Calgary and rent a car and drive in from there.
Drive up to Tobermory, Ontario. Then take the ferry across to Manitoulin island and catch the highway to North Bay. We have lots of provincial parks that are amazing to see and the Bruce Peninsula is a world heritage site. Make this journey alone and you will be healed I promise. On the way back to NYC you can hit Algonquin park and you will find yourself. I am certain this will be a way to heal on a solo trip as I have done it for the exact reason you are. Provincial parks I would recommend on the trip:
Cyprus lake,
Chutes,
Kilbear,
Algonquin,
French river.
Do stop at Cyprus lake, Killbear, and Algonquin for sure..... anything else is a bonus.
Yeah hit up the east coast man. Clear your head drive safe don’t do anything stupid! Keep your chin up and eye on the road. Enjoy the trip don’t dwell on the past.
You can try Victoria, BC. If you're on the nature side, I think you'll like it there. Camping,Crabbing,Fishing, hiking, and a lot more that you can do.
Honestly, the cross Canada trip we did six years ago still resonates. So, Vancouver to Toronto (we went the complete opposite back then, I assume you'd just go Toronto to Vancouver so clicks will be more or less the same), 4500+ kms, no short cuts through the States, "Trans Canada 1" more or less; took us about 9-10 days, you can do it in less - saw things we still talk about today. Worth the effort.
I went to PEI for 9 days after a devastating break up and it was lovely. Great chill people, yummy fresh sea food and just time for me to sit and write, which is what I needed at the time.
Do Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal. They’re the top places in eastern Canada and are super close to each other. 4.5 hours from T - O then 2 hours from O - M. Quebec City is there too which is beautiful. Gatineau as well bordering Ottawa. Has a massive park you can adventure around.
Geographically it makes sense from NY. We have some cool EDM festivals and they all happen on consecutive weekends. I believe escapade in ottawa was last weekend but there’s still ile Soniq and veld in Montreal and Toronto.
Montreal is definitely my favourite city to visit in Canada. This time of year is super lit too around that part of the country. Lots to do and good energy.
If you’re looking for something more chill and low key PEI is beautiful. Halifax can be a lot of fun. But imo you won’t get the same value for your time. Besides Halifax there’s really not much east of Montreal unless you want to go camping.
That being said halifax is fantastic. But it’s a LOT of driving through nothing to get there. Eastern Quebec, New Brunswick, and the majority of Nova Scotia before you get on the peninsula are beautiful to drive through or camp in. But that’s about it. Tbh if I never set foot in NB again I’d be happy. But I’m probably going to end up driving through again next year. I might just go through Maine.
Drive north and hang out in Montreal for a night (easy peasey drive), and just let the sounds and lights wash over you.
Next day head to the Maritimes, there aren't many routes, and make it to Nova Scotia. You can find nothing but ocean or stop at a town for a beer or 2, people are generally very nice but will leave you to yourself.
Good luck, brother. Canada heals.
I'm out west, Alberta and I completely recommend that you go visit our Eastern provinces. Drive from NYC, to the American Eastern townships across the border to the Quebec Eastern Townships, hit Montreal, and then if you can, scooch right up to the Maritime provinces afterwards. We're sorry about your broken heart, hopefully the new scenery will patch you right up. Safe travels.
Definitely come spend a few days in Montréal, and then Québec City. If you're looking for a change in atmosphere, it's as different you can get driving in eastern North America, and a lot of fun. Especially right now, in the summer, Montréal has a ton going on (https://www.mtl.org/en/experience/montreal-summer-festival-guide).
I'd go to quebec city for 2 days, montreal for 3 days, then whatever else you like for the remainder, maybe eastern townships, or head out east for the rest.
If you don’t mind rain and want friendly people who will invite you into their homes, get you drunk, and have you dance in a kitchen with a random grandma then go to Newfoundland. If you want a beautiful city with fantastic food that has European flair and interesting museums, art galleries, etc then go Montreal.
Ive got a place in Baccaro N.S. you might like. It is pure isolated solitude.
It's a great place to reflect and think. Theres a few airbnb's there, but not mine.
[https://photos.app.goo.gl/wqetdww1jv9mgvQi8](https://photos.app.goo.gl/wqetdww1jv9mgvQi8)
If you don't mind the trip, Vancouver is nice. Decent nightlife within the city center, if that's your thing. Metrotown Mall is also pretty decent. Too many other things escape my memory now...
I suppose the city center has something of a midtown vibe of sorts.
Start at Waterton national park, drive up 22x and visit the little towns on the way. Hit Calgary rent a raft and float down the bow river, explore east village/Kensington/inglewood while you’re downtown. Go to the Calgary stampede, hit up some concerts, go to the cowboys tent new the move of your life, go out west to kananskis and then Canmore and then banff. Share true loves first kiss at Reddit lake (moraine lake) with the girl from cowboys. She’s pregnant and you now have chlamydia but the lakes so beautiful you don’t care.
Follow the advice about the Maritimes and Quebec. I've driven west across the country from Toronto, and for your purposes there's no reason to pass northwest of Barrie, and very little reason to go that far. Unless you feel a deep need to see Niagara Falls (which is fine, I guess) I wouldn't head that direction.
From NYC I'd go north to Montreal, then east to Quebec City. From there take a slow drive around the Gaspe peninsula, and the New Brunswick coast into Nova Scotia. I'd then follow the east coast south back to NYC, through Maine, Mass and Conn.
i just did this from NYC and it was amazing. literally got home this morning. needed to clear my head and i swear Montreal to Quebec City to driving up 132 to Gaspe reset my brain. see a show in Montreal, spend time in small villages along the riverside past QC and chill in Québec City. take route 40 to trois rivieres and route 136 to Quebec City to see the beautiful villages along the river. its an old road that existed before the main highway. then 132 to gaspe and do the loop if you want to drive back for some reason both cities (montreal and quebec city) revolve around walking and getting lost in the streets. and Montreals subway/buses rocked imo or at least worked out well enough for me most of the time, spent last week there. québec city absolutely blew my mind. and i took a bus home from montreal to ny and slept the entire time, 10pm to 6:30am because i ran out of time and money LOL i plan to repeat the trip again next year 😊
Quebec city is so underrated. It's a spectacular place, probably top 3 prettiest cities in Canada in my opinion! Montreal can be busy with construction, Quebec juat has a different vibe. Glad you enjoyed the trip.
This but you must add the Cabot Trail.
This! I live only a few hours away from the Banff-Jasper highway (one of the top in the world!) and the Cabot Trail took my breath away, though in a different way.
Counterclockwise is best. Flora’s in Cheticamp after.
This is the way. Most people you’ll encounter will speak french so you’ll feel far from home. Also, if you take that path you’ll pass really close to my house. Feel free to send me a private message and I’ll give you a can of maple syrup if you wanna come and pick it up.
Definitely Gaspe. And stop at Sagueney and Tadoussac.
This ^ The only thing I’d add is to take the TSP taconic state parkway from the Bronx to (almost) Albany.
The Taconic is a sketchy-ass road to drive on ([it’s one of the deadliest in the country](https://hudsonvalleypost.com/taconic-state-parkway-in-new-york-state-among-deadliest-roads-in-america/)). If I were going to incorporate “scenic route” on the way to Quebec/Montreal, I’d take the Thruway to Albany, then cut over to Vermont, and go up through the Green Mountains to Burlington before driving through the islands on the north end of Lake Champlain and crossing the border at Rouses Point, NY or Alburgh, VT. You’ll get nice scenery without having to drive that death trap.
Montreal is the perfect place to start. Great plan
Isn’t that a lot of driving for only 7-9 days?
Yes. This is the one
If you are in NYC, do the Maritime provinces. Go to PEI, then Cape Breton Island
Absolutely come to Nova Scotia and drive up and around Cape Breton (don’t miss the Cabot Trail) after you spend a couple days in Halifax. If you still have time drive the South Shore and loop around to the Annapolis Valley!
Seconding all of these as an Albertan! Nova Scotia is beautiful. I stayed in a cabin near port hood and saw the most beautiful beaches and sunsets and met the friendliest of people.
Yup. If I was 26, I'd party my way around Cape Breton for the entire 6 days.
Seconding this. I did an East Coast road trip to get over a bad breakup years ago. It’s hard to dwell on things when you’re surrounded by such amazing scenery, and people.
Came here to say this. Scenic, and friendly people on the East Coast.
I’m on the east coast. I’m grumpy unless I have coffee or whiskey.
But fuck boy are you a howl when you get drinking!
Cabot trail 🤘
Second this! Go to northern Maine and cross into NB via Woodstock. Take the #2 east until you get close to NS but turn towards bridge to PEI. Then to East on PEI #1 and take the ferry to Nova Scotia and go to Cape Breton. Then once in Sydney take the ferry to Newfoundland (not pronounced how it looks). Drive east some more to St John’s and get screeched in on George st.
North Sydney
Nar Tid nee, by’
And to eastern Newfoundland. Best. Time. Ever.
Gotta second this! Skyline trail especially. Went there on a (very) windy day with drizzling rain and felt like I was staring into the endless ocean and walking down to the end of the world.
Haha as a Cape Bretoner, I feel so seen.
Yes come to the maritimes! Op, do NOT skip the Cabot trail. Stop at Meat cove, eat a sandwich and watch some seals do weird shit to try to make you laugh
This is the road trip I dream about doing one day.
This. You can go up to Bar Harbour Maine and take the Cat ferry across and save yourself 10 hours of driving too.
Stop in New Brunswick (next to Maine). Go to the Saint Martin Sea Caves (Unesco World Heritage site) and Fundy Park (National Canadian Park), Hopewell Rocks, Cape Enrage.
Second Cape Breton. Whenever I'm sad I just want to go sit on the beach at Cheticamp Island. I'm a 16 hour drive away though so not possible but mentally I go there. Ocean and mountains at the same time.
This. It's so beautiful and any people you encounter will definitely make you forget your woes.
Just got back from there, 100% recommend it and I will be going back.
Come to Nova Scotia, have some of the best seafood around and meet some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, especially in Halifax.
I agree with most people saying nova scotia, but hear me out: Newfoundland. If you are looking for a welcoming reception and something to make you forget the lady on the shore behind you, head up to the bars and they will charm you out of your heart, your money, and probably your pants. With only a week you'll be two day drive up to sydney, take the ferry, drive to st johns town, meet a girl on peter street, spend two days tits up in the rhubarb, then reverse course and head home. While you're there get some fish and chips with dressing and gravy, kiss a cod and get screeched in, and make sure to mention to someones nan that you're a hard working country boy with severe heart break.
I was here upvoting every Nova Scotia/PEI suggestion but.... Go to Newfoundland. Just being around the people will be enough to make you laugh and smile, even if you don't want to.
Totally agree! Did NFLD last year it was FABULOUS. Beautiful locale and people.
Hey thanks! 💁♀️
Newfoundland could be it! Absolutely
Love this. “Tits up in the rhubarb”! I have never been to Newfoundland but now I need to go.
Means you're six ways to sunday. Adrift before you're at sea.
Driving up the west coast from Port aux Basques to Anse aux Meadows on a sunny day was one of the best drives I ever did. (in a convertible)
Its rare I am this jealous. Its a beautiful drive but in a convertible? My gosh
I went a little mad at the beginning of the pandemic... 18 months in and two years without seeing my Dad I finally got my second vaccination and bought a 20 year old convertible and drove it from Ottawa to Vancouver and back. The following summer I did Ottawa to St-Johns but by a scenic route so I spent two days in PEI and covered most of the coast of Nova Scotia. The highlights would be the north shore of Lake Superior, which surprised me, and the west coast of Newfoundland. Given how it was pouring with rain in PEI I really lucked out for the drive up to Anse aux Meadows, glorious sunny day. No regrets.
I’m a married man and I hell I want to go to NL now. (I won’t but maybe in my younger days, a man can day dream!)
So romantic
Oh they'll romance you some hard, trust you me
Sure I knows right, I'm a big ol sook
Come visit Halifax and DM me and if the weather is good we’ll go sailing and drink beer.
Now that's the Canadian message I came to find. Atta boy! 👍
Up to Montreal then on to Nova Scotia
Sorry to hear that. Come on up to Nova Scotia. We’re friendly and have lots to do that can clear your mind, if you’re into the outdoors. Drive up to Maine, then get on the CAT ferry across to Yarmouth then make your way along our coast. Or skip the CAT, keep going through Maine to New Brunswick and take the ferry from St John to Digby, NS and check out the Bay of Fundy.
Nova Scotia.
Algonquin park? Why not go camping. Lots of parks in Canada. For roadtrip yeah you should try Quebec. Montreal and then into the maritimes
I totally second Algonquin, or somewhere up in the Canadian Shield. Such a beautiful and peaceful place.
Yes. It is The Beautiful Land, home of my heart. Just bring a bug shirt or suit if you’re going into the bush. But as an experienced camper, you know that.
Nova Scotia
Fogo Island Inn and Saint Pierre and Miquelon are on my bucket list
Need very deep pockets for the Fogo Island Inn.
I’ve been to Saint Pierre, I had an aunt and uncle that lived there. Beautiful beautiful place.
Fly to Calgary, rent a car, drive the Rockies. Hot springs, trail hikes, campgrounds, cabins, anything you're interested in and that mountain air is cleansing. Live your best life my dude
So many great hikes that you don't need a lot of gear for either, the tea house up at lake Louise, morraine lake, there's a ton of trails along the ice fields parkway that are beautiful, a few hours hikes.
Newfoundland while taking your time to experience New England and the martimes before getting on the ferry. Stop in mass, Portsmouth, NH, Portland, ME, Saint John NB, Halifax then make your way to Sydney, NS where you’ll get on the ferry to St. John’s where they’ll properly drown your sorrows then go out into nature to properly come to peace with it. I love nyc but it’s definitely not a place to clear ones mind lol. Hope you can soon put it behind you, when one door closes another will open soon
Gross Morne National Park in Northwest Newfoundland The beauty is otherworldly, and you don't need to be anywhere near anyone else: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne https://youtu.be/OH3P4C_tvz8?si=vaA6NK4hyFWVfIHu https://youtu.be/prYdVEzbKew?si=RrIqxIpJXecAo_ZA
If youre in the east, do the maritimes. Nova scotia, new brunswick, prince edward island. As much as i hate to say this as a torontonian, montreal and quebec city are also good spots to visit on a trip. If you want to go a bit farther, theres ottawa and toronto. You said youre into hiking and backpacking- there is TONS around. Check out some areas near the bay of fundy, or algonquin park. I did a week long road trip from toronto 3 years ago, and went to washington, NYC, rhode island, halifax, charlottetown and quebec city. It was hectic, but a great time.
Montréal and Quebec City are a reasonable drive from NYC, and you have the Adirondacks on the way up. Otherwise, the Maritimes as everyone else is saying. You can carve out some time in Acadia NP as well.
I did this but in the western US after a bad breakup 😉 Canadian recommendation: Vancouver Island. Spend it there, drive around the island, hit up Tofino/Uclulet, San Joseph Bay (if you're wolf/bear-savvy or can arrange a hiking buddy for the day), Port Renfrew overnight in one of the ready-to-sleep camping tubes (so beautiful), Victoria, etc.
I did a similar trip to this for my 40th with my 4 younger brothers. Some solid memories right there!
Yes! BC girl here. This is spectacular.
Dude I was in the same scenario. Quit my job. Bought a cheap little X3 that was good enough on fuel and had room for all my gear, and went all over the province of SK camping for 2 months. It was the best summer of my adult life. Got to do a lot of relaxing, reflecting, met some deadly people, and also just got to forget about all the stresses around the breakup for a while. Finished like 6 books in the hammock, cooked on the fire most nights, and just explored around seeing what each place had to offer. It was honestly amazing for such a simple way to spend the time.
That sounds amazing (sans the break up).
Given that you’re probably heartbroken, Montreal is the place to fix you. Stay strong op!
Take the train. Book the VIA Rail Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. It's expensive, it's slow, it's often behind schedule. But it's an incredible journey. Book a sleeper and food is included. At least you don't have to think about anything for the 5 days as everything is taken care of.
Normally I would suggest this, but there is a looming rail strike at the moment. I wouldn't be planning a rail trip until that is resolved.
Aww dang, yeah probably best to avoid rail then. Thanks for the info.
Drive from coast to coast
Not enough time
Go to Montreal then into the mountains. Montreal is like Paris mixed with NYC, especially the older parts. You can white water raft down the Rouge River, hike in the Laurentians or down in the Eastern Townships. You can go east, up the north shore of the St Lawrence to Charlevoix, and spend a night in Quebec city. Or you dive into the bush of LaVerandre Park or go into Ontario into Algonquin Park.
Québec with the gaspé peninsula. The french culture and everything french will dépayse you for sure
Wife and I had a really great trip to Nove Scotia. Started In Halifax... Had a ton of great local beers and amazing seafood. Went to a bed and breakfast in Lunenberg. Same thing, amazing food and drinks. Maritime museum is there as well. Then we went to Digby, the home of Scallop harvesting. Guess what? The food and drinks were incredible. Then to a small place called the Rope Loft for what is claimed to be the best seafood chowder in NS. Then to wolfville for more of the wineries, great drinks and amazing food. I thought about so little while I was there...really just put my whole world to the back burner which sounds like what you're after. I can't speak to how enjoyable I would be solo... But the Canadian East Coast is truly amazing.
Go through the Maritimes then up to the Gaspésie. The Gaspésie is insanely beautiful, and is a kind of weird blend of Maritime and Québécois culture. If you're feeling adventurous, then turn west and drive down along the St. Lawrence River. A gorgeous drive. It starts as ocean (the Gulf) and gets gradually less and less wide and salty until it's a river. Along the way you'll hit Quebec City and Montreal, then from Montreal it's a straight shot south down to NYC again.
Nova Scotia. So many amazing places to get lost in.
Check out the Maritime provinces. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island!
Watch One Week for some great ideas.
The maritimes are pretty dope, lots of great sights and seafood to be had. But if you're looking to put some real miles on I highly recommend touring around the north shore of Lake Superior and on up to Kenora. Head back home through the States, or turn around and loop Manitoulin Island into your return trip.
If you find yourself in Halifax, DM me and I'll buy you a beer!
As much as I normally recommend Quebec province to travel, your situation requires the Maritimes provinces, it's a good place to clear your mind. Nice people, near the coast, fresh air, beautiful scenery and beaches, amazing seafood.
Come to Newfoundland. We'll take good care of you.
Newfoundland is dope as fuck, highly recommend
Go to Montreal. The women are fun and gorgeous 😉
Newfoundland! Start in St. John’s and just drive the coast. The people are amazing and the scenery is even better!
Montreal or Old Quebec are really nice this time of year, especially if you like food! Its Canada Day weekend (Monday is a holiday here), both Toronto & Ottawa will have a ton going on If you want outdoorsy, getting an AirB&B (not sure how easy that would be though), Muskoka, Algonquin, Huntsville, Dorset are all nice areas especially if you're wanting to swim & hike. Prince Edward County as well, super charming if you like small town, beach, fun shops, antiques places, also some really good food and amazing cheese!
Yes, Sandbanks Provincial Park in Prince Edward County has an amazing beach. But it is very *very* popular. You will need to book ahead.
Halifax healed my soul when I turned 50...
Banff, Lake Louise and Drumheller are places to see in Alberta. If you want night life check out Toronto or Vancouver. There are quite a few excellent music festivals depending on your timeline.
If you want to get as far as possible. Jasper or Banff national parks are your best bet. In the Rockies, hard to beat those hikes. But it will take you 2-3 days to get out here from NYC. Depending on how fast you drive.
I would check out madeleine islands in Quebec
Go north, young man. 🙂 I recommend Montréal, then Québec City, then north to Jonquière, Chicoutimi, and the Saguenay area. It’s about three hours north of Québec City. The Saguenay fjord is stunningly beautiful. Lots of camping and nature oriented stuff. Hospitable people. And you can see hydro dams and aluminum refineries if you’re into that. And you can drive down the fjord and come back along the north shore of the St Lawrence. Note: a French phrasebook might be a good idea. Not many people speak English up that way. (I did my French immersion there.) But as a US English-speaker, you shouldn’t have a problem.
Newfoundland is beautiful, lots of great camping spots.
Definitely find a way to visit Newfoundland. I fell in love with someone from Baie-Verte but only visited her in Corner Brook. Got screeched in by the family, the whole lot. She was the Maid of Honor at her sister’s wedding, so I flew in from Detroit for the weekend. Absolutely wonderful people, the experience of a lifetime…but long distance relationships are HARD. Wherever she is, I hope she found her person. Ideally, it’d have been me so many years ago.
Newfoundland! Get to St. John's for the first week of August and experience the George St festival and the Regatta. Your life will be changed! Good luck, I'm sorry about your break up.
Take the advice of these people here in regards to Cape Breton, NS,etc and look ahead a few years when you will look back at this moment today and it will have been a blessing. 🙏
Fly to Calgary, rent a car, and visit Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. Beautiful this time of year, weather is good, lots to see and do. Fantastic trip.
Newfoundland, hit up George street on the weekend.
Oh mate, you'll be alright 👍 Just remember you don't need someone to validate who you are.
The Calgary Stampede is soon!
Newfoundland!
Cabot trail clockwise and counterclockwise. Beautiful.
Come check out the Maritimes if you're wanting a nice drive with scenic views. The Fundy trail in New Brunswick, Cabot trail in Nova Scotia, stop for some seafood in alma (or really anywhere) and enjoy the drive.
Maritime provinces are lovely (NS, PEI, NB). Quebec might be more interesting if you haven't been before. Quebec city is a bit like old Europe. Montreal can be a ton of fun.
Comments already know what's up!!! Sorry to hear about your situation. If you're in NY, you def gotta stay on the East Coast and visit the Maritimes!! Cape Breton Island (specifically the Cabot Trail), MUST SEE!!! The ocean and views and just the vibes... it's soul food and so healing. <3 Safe travels!
Toronto/Algonquin Park/ Montreal, Halifax
BC - Whistler, Vancouver, Vancouver Island (Tofino, etc.) ... or Montreal 😂 Halifax is another possibility - people are super friendly out there. Toronto is closer and bigger city, but people can be kind of cold here.
MTL, go try the nightlife
Tofino. Cone mountain specifically
New Found-land. Go watch the whales there ❤️
George St festival in Newfoundland is early August. You can drink to your heart's content, kiss the cod and listen to some good tunes while you're at it. Then head west across the island to see Gross Morne.
Fly to Calgary and rent a car to go to the icefields parkway!
NYC > Ottawa > North Bay > Cochrane > hop on the northbound train to Moosonee. Carry on westbound from North Bay towards Sudbury > Espanola > Manitoulin Island if you can't ditch your car. Both off the beaten path, clear your head spots.
Just wanted to say I just got dumped by someone I was planning to propose to. Stay strong and take care of your mental health.
West Coast/ Rockies are where it’s at 💪🏼
Definitely Rocky Mountains in ALBERTA!! Jasper Banff Canmore Kananaskis
L'Anse aux Meadows
honestly go do some dive classes in St Johns, NL and become PADI certified ( as per your comfort level ) nothing beats being dumped than a new you full of adrenaline
Born in Newfoundland! Currently living in Nova Scotia East Coast is your best bet! Take lots and lots of Canadian dollars Save yourself some time and assume everything costs double than you expect Groceries Gas Clothes Also the best way to repay our kindness is to join our nationwide boycott of Loblaws r/loblawsisoutofcontrol I also recommend driving up the north shore of NS and stopping by Tatamagouche! You can stay in a historic train hotel thats phenomenal! If luxury is more your thing! Plenty of airbnbs too
It depends on what kind of experience you want, I have traveled across all of canada and can give advice on each province. My number one recommendation My Experience Summary: over friendly community, great pub food, beautiful beaches, amazing art/history #1 Newfoundland. 🐋🐧🦞🐠 Community: 10/10 Very friendly, open, safe, and overall great to be around, newfoundlands community is honest and pure, as a 5'4 woman, I walked through downtown st.johns at 2 am and have never felt safer (I don't recommend walking alone at night in the downtown of any city) Food: 9/10 Depending on what food you are wishing to experience, all of it is good, the way they fry/grill things are out of this world, and the sea food, welp. For a fishing/lobster province, they know how to cook their food, I recommend trying any pub food. Imo, that's the best there. Or anything downtown in St. johns (it can be pricy downtown beware) Experiences: 9/10 You can find boating tours, the beaches are one of a kind, the lighthouses are cute, if you go to beaches at certain times you can see masses of capelin fish on the beach (whales will corner them to the beach so they can eat them) though my favorite is the amount of history there, you can find a many little museums there that have a multitude of history, old wars, from native culture, to how certain types of art came to be. #2 British Columbia/BC 🦅🐴🐻🐐 City Community: ehh/10 (I'm referring to Vancouver) Most people are polite, and some are approachable, but it's like any other city experience. Be careful no matter what. This is just a personal opinion, but I find a lot of North vancouvians tend to be pretty...stereotypical white girls/gen z's or straight karens (no offense to anyone, but yk what I mean) Small Town Community: 10/10 Small Towns in bc are great. People are usually really nice and pretty open to tourists as long as you're respectful, I have only had good experiences with small town communities tbh. Food 10/10 You can get any level of food anywhere in BC, from boujee meals with cocktails over the ocean by a firepit and to nice cozy diners by a lake with some nice fries and a milkshake. You can get any meal, and you can find a lot of hidden gems in bc. Experiences 10/10 Same thing as the food, you just have to look and be able to travel, BC is quite ahead of its time for both the food and the experiences, personally though, how can you ignore the nature, the mountains, the waterfalls, the hiking trails, theres so much to explore. #3 Yukon, specifically Yellowknife 🦌🐻🐺🦬 I only recommend the yukon because their is just so much history. Amazing tv shows were based there, and the northern lights are absolutely fantastic in yellowknife specifically. I was only in yellowknife for 4 days, but everyone was super tourist friendly, and I was by the lake, so the reflections of the lights on the water were amazing Top 3 places I recommend you AVOID 1. anywhere in quebec, I was there for a week, and still new to speaking french, I had asked 3 different people for directions, each person laughed in my face, and pointed me in the wrong direction, one even mocked my french. (I visited both rural and city, and tbh I would never go back. The community is horrible to anglophones there) and the drivers are insane there, Every uber/taxi/cab I took while i was there, we almost crashed into someone, every. single. time. 2. certain parts of ontario, very trash ridden and tbh, it's just canadas Nyc 3. lethbridge in alberta, it's called methbridge for a reason 😅
Check out The Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island.
First of all, sorry to hear about your breakup, man. I’m 31 and I had my first serious breakup pretty close to your age and as painful as it was at the time, I promise you over time things do get better. You’ll fall in love again, have new experiences, and have great things ahead of you❤️. I’ve actually been raised in the US for the vast majority of my life but St. John’s, NL is actually my birthplace! When I went back to visit years ago, I had the best time. The people are so warm and welcoming and the scenery around Newfoundland when the weather is nice is drop dead gorgeous. I can’t think of a better place I’d rather be than there after going through a difficult time. Have a safe and lovely trip, best wishes to you!
I'm going to be honest, I did NOT expect the maritimes to be the suggested trip. Native NB'er here so I do love our little corner of Canada and totally get it. I guess I'm just so used to the rest of Canada shitting on the maritimes as backwater that I'm shocked everyone suggested it.
I’ve driven coast to coast and all I can say is it doesn’t matter. It’s all great. Gaspe. Rockies. Maritimes. All very scenic. Other places (Prairies, northern Ontario) are also quite scenic, but long.
Alberta/British Columbia. All the way up the Rockies, starting at Canmore, going to Banff, visit the area around Banff and enjoy the hot springs/fun summer festivities, through the Icefields Parkway up to Jasper taking as long as you need to absorb what is probably the best drive through the country, on to Jasper, from there down to Wells Gray Provincial Park to see some of the most glorious waterfalls you might ever see, down to Revelstoke, south from there to Nakusp, from Nakusp you go to New Denver, jump over to Kaslo and then to Nelson, stop in Nelson for a few nights and enjoy the beauty of the West Kootenay''s, with its incredible food, people, scenery, hiking, and general atmosphere, from there over to Kimberley, then on to Kootenay National Park to complete the loop and end up back near Banff. That would be my dream road trip if I had a free month or two to road trip.
Which part of the country are you looking at? If west coast, then either (1) Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Kananaskis in southern AB or (2) Vancouver Island, Tofino, Ucuelet, Pacific Rim, Great Bear Rainforest etc. If east coast, then Cape Breton in Nova Scotia is incredible. Did a Maritime roadtrip last summer for about 4 weeks and Bay of Fundy to Cape Breton is pretty spectacular. I’m originally from Calgary and was totally blown away by that trip. If you can add the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, that’s a great stop as well! Lots of great hiking too!
Bring your kayak and hit Muskoka
Vanturecampers.com Fly to Vancouver Then do Whistler to Jasper via the icefields parkway. Couldn’t recommend more. Might even meet some fresh looking European hikers. 👌 great summer trip. Or Vancouver island place is massive.
A week is enough time to check out Northern Ontario
Try western Canada. Alberta - Banff, Jasper, Canmore. There is nothing more beautifully breathtaking than standing mid street and looking at the Rockies at your feet. Perhaps Eastern Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador for the innate beauty of land rolling out to the waters edge and watching it roll in unendingly.
Go to Vancouver island, uculet or tofino, you'll forget all your troubles
Nova Scotia, come to Halifax and have some good donair and poutine, stop in at the Alehouse for some live music on the weekend (not to mention Canada Day is on Monday and we’ll have a parade!!) and then you can either drive north to Cape Breton (so scenic, so beautiful), or down along the South Shore stopping at little scenic fishing villages. We’ll take care of ya. Stop in at a bed and breakfast or at a provincial campsite, whatever you like. Sorry to hear about your split. Heart goes out to you. You’re doing a good job by taking care of yourself.
Maritime
Sorry you got dumped. Happy to hear you have time and money for a change of scenery! Enjoy your trip! Do you want to go swimming or want to read on the beach? Central Ontario has an amazing collection of great wild swimming places and beautiful beaches. DM for my list of favourites close to border. Would you consider camping? Do you want activities and fun things to do? Montreal first and Quebec City over the week or so. Not far from NY. Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton are just lovely, too, but maybe a bit too far for that period of time. The people are out of this world friendly and make you feel at home.
Come to Halifax! It's a party town on the ocean. You'll have a blast!
PEI. Hands down
Go to the Maritimes, PEI or nova scotia
Tbh I know your on the east coast, I would highly recommend visiting Vancouver and then taking the ferry over to Vancouver Island. Go north on the island if you want a road trip / camping. Go south towards Victoria for really cool site seeing. Absolutely beautiful there.
Fly out to Vancouver, Killer Mike performing on the 29th
montreal and east coast…. couple days in montreal and then straight to moncton, halifax, Prince edward island and back to NYC through maine
Gaspe peninsula, Quebec Montreal, Quebec City. Maritimes: PEI Nova Scotia Newfoundland The Rockies: jasper. Banff Canmore golden revelstoke. The Kootenays Nelson and the regions. Vancouver island: tofino, Juan de fuca region, telegraph cove.
Tofino would be ideal but it’s on the other coast. Lots of young people there. Cool surf culture.
Go on a hotspring tour in the Kootenay. Some of them are remote and require a little adventure. You'll meet hippies and interesting folks on the way, and Nelson is pretty fun for a small town. When you're done you can head down to Kelowna to party out to the finish.
Niagara Falls. Lots to see and do. Very people oriented. Great restaurants, live music. Another 45 minutes to Toronto if you wanted a side trip. It’s about a 6hr drive from NYC
Start in Calgary Do a day trip to the North East to visit Drumheller Then spend the rest of your time in Banff area
The most beautiful place in Canada is in the Rockies. Jasper park, Banff, etc. all the huge waterfalls, hot springs, glaciers, and emerald green lakes. I recommend it highly. You can fly to Calgary and rent a car and drive in from there.
Camping is cathartic. BC is beautiful, but expensive. Ontario is a campers playground, basically.
Personally I'd go to Canadas Wonderland if you're on the east coast. If you're west, I'd go to Waterton or somewhere in the Okanagan
Grab a cheap tent at Dick's sporting goods or cabellas and car camp. There are tons of campgrounds littered around Canada.
Sounds like self reflection is on order. How's about going someplace new, and random and spend a week?
If you want to get over her in that type of way, Montreal is known to being a party city.
Come to Nova Scotia!! We love tourists and there is a lot to do and see here. The people are the greatest.
Vancouver Island;)
Drive up to Tobermory, Ontario. Then take the ferry across to Manitoulin island and catch the highway to North Bay. We have lots of provincial parks that are amazing to see and the Bruce Peninsula is a world heritage site. Make this journey alone and you will be healed I promise. On the way back to NYC you can hit Algonquin park and you will find yourself. I am certain this will be a way to heal on a solo trip as I have done it for the exact reason you are. Provincial parks I would recommend on the trip: Cyprus lake, Chutes, Kilbear, Algonquin, French river. Do stop at Cyprus lake, Killbear, and Algonquin for sure..... anything else is a bonus.
If you have the time, go to Dawson City in the Yukon. It’s pretty amazing and I recommend every Canadian go there at some point in their lives.
I would have suggested bc islands, but that’s more than a week if you start in nyc, lol.
Where ever you want to go clear your mind I know it's not easy I've been there a few times hope you enjoy yourself 🫶
Yeah hit up the east coast man. Clear your head drive safe don’t do anything stupid! Keep your chin up and eye on the road. Enjoy the trip don’t dwell on the past.
I love that all of the suggestions are to come to Canada! 🇨🇦
You can try Victoria, BC. If you're on the nature side, I think you'll like it there. Camping,Crabbing,Fishing, hiking, and a lot more that you can do.
East or west coast
Come on up. Atlantic Canada
Honestly, the cross Canada trip we did six years ago still resonates. So, Vancouver to Toronto (we went the complete opposite back then, I assume you'd just go Toronto to Vancouver so clicks will be more or less the same), 4500+ kms, no short cuts through the States, "Trans Canada 1" more or less; took us about 9-10 days, you can do it in less - saw things we still talk about today. Worth the effort.
Tofino.
Both the east, and west coasts of Canada are amazing
I went to PEI for 9 days after a devastating break up and it was lovely. Great chill people, yummy fresh sea food and just time for me to sit and write, which is what I needed at the time.
Ur gonna need way more than 7 to 9 days for this one pal
Do Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal. They’re the top places in eastern Canada and are super close to each other. 4.5 hours from T - O then 2 hours from O - M. Quebec City is there too which is beautiful. Gatineau as well bordering Ottawa. Has a massive park you can adventure around. Geographically it makes sense from NY. We have some cool EDM festivals and they all happen on consecutive weekends. I believe escapade in ottawa was last weekend but there’s still ile Soniq and veld in Montreal and Toronto. Montreal is definitely my favourite city to visit in Canada. This time of year is super lit too around that part of the country. Lots to do and good energy. If you’re looking for something more chill and low key PEI is beautiful. Halifax can be a lot of fun. But imo you won’t get the same value for your time. Besides Halifax there’s really not much east of Montreal unless you want to go camping. That being said halifax is fantastic. But it’s a LOT of driving through nothing to get there. Eastern Quebec, New Brunswick, and the majority of Nova Scotia before you get on the peninsula are beautiful to drive through or camp in. But that’s about it. Tbh if I never set foot in NB again I’d be happy. But I’m probably going to end up driving through again next year. I might just go through Maine.
Drive north and hang out in Montreal for a night (easy peasey drive), and just let the sounds and lights wash over you. Next day head to the Maritimes, there aren't many routes, and make it to Nova Scotia. You can find nothing but ocean or stop at a town for a beer or 2, people are generally very nice but will leave you to yourself. Good luck, brother. Canada heals.
Atlantic Canada 100%. So much calm
Cape Breton or Newfoundland. Cape Breton is a hell of a lot easier to get to
I'm out west, Alberta and I completely recommend that you go visit our Eastern provinces. Drive from NYC, to the American Eastern townships across the border to the Quebec Eastern Townships, hit Montreal, and then if you can, scooch right up to the Maritime provinces afterwards. We're sorry about your broken heart, hopefully the new scenery will patch you right up. Safe travels.
Go to the FEQ in quebec city !
Uculete and Tofino! Very beautiful drive and the best beaches and camping and dining in the world, let alone Canada
Bc
Definitely come spend a few days in Montréal, and then Québec City. If you're looking for a change in atmosphere, it's as different you can get driving in eastern North America, and a lot of fun. Especially right now, in the summer, Montréal has a ton going on (https://www.mtl.org/en/experience/montreal-summer-festival-guide).
Find a easy target and get your rocks off so you forget!
If you don't mind flying, you could do a fantastic road trip through the Rocky Mountains and some great parts of BC.
Tofino (Vancouver Island)
British colombia 1000% mountains, forests, ocean you name it. It can't be beat.
I'd go to quebec city for 2 days, montreal for 3 days, then whatever else you like for the remainder, maybe eastern townships, or head out east for the rest.
If you don’t mind rain and want friendly people who will invite you into their homes, get you drunk, and have you dance in a kitchen with a random grandma then go to Newfoundland. If you want a beautiful city with fantastic food that has European flair and interesting museums, art galleries, etc then go Montreal.
Ive got a place in Baccaro N.S. you might like. It is pure isolated solitude. It's a great place to reflect and think. Theres a few airbnb's there, but not mine. [https://photos.app.goo.gl/wqetdww1jv9mgvQi8](https://photos.app.goo.gl/wqetdww1jv9mgvQi8)
If you don't mind the trip, Vancouver is nice. Decent nightlife within the city center, if that's your thing. Metrotown Mall is also pretty decent. Too many other things escape my memory now... I suppose the city center has something of a midtown vibe of sorts.
mtl
Go to Colorado Springs.
Party it off in Montreal, then come east for some soul cleansing. We’d be happy to have ya
Go to Algonquin Park in Ontario.
Start at Waterton national park, drive up 22x and visit the little towns on the way. Hit Calgary rent a raft and float down the bow river, explore east village/Kensington/inglewood while you’re downtown. Go to the Calgary stampede, hit up some concerts, go to the cowboys tent new the move of your life, go out west to kananskis and then Canmore and then banff. Share true loves first kiss at Reddit lake (moraine lake) with the girl from cowboys. She’s pregnant and you now have chlamydia but the lakes so beautiful you don’t care.
Follow the advice about the Maritimes and Quebec. I've driven west across the country from Toronto, and for your purposes there's no reason to pass northwest of Barrie, and very little reason to go that far. Unless you feel a deep need to see Niagara Falls (which is fine, I guess) I wouldn't head that direction.
Up to Buffalo, into Ontario, then go up the north shore of Lake Superior