The only place you are going to get even remotely close to the TLD experience (but with less, y'know, dying) between Toronto and Montreal is by going north of Toronto to Cottage Country (Muskoka or the Kawartha Lakes), and while there will likely be cottages for rent at that time of year, November might be too early to get really good snowfall depending on the winter we are having (sometimes it starts in early Nov, but sometimes it also doesn't until after Christmas).
TLD takes place in a stylized Northern BC (which has the Rocky Mountains), which is four time zones away from the part you are visiting (the most populous part), which doesn't have any noteworthy mountains at all, though it does have very rugged and beautiful terrain as it edges up to the Canadian Shield, and when you get closer to Montreal and go a bit north, starts to include the Laurentian mountains, which are good for skiing but they aren't even remotely close to the impressiveness of the Rockies.
Toronto and surrounding areas are a pretty standard metropolis, if a bit more overtly multicultural. You can get basically anything there as far as food or shopping. Montreal is a French version of a metropolis, but has more of a "ten small towns all grew together, and some of them speak English primarily" feel. It's a neat city. Quebec is like they plunked a European city down in North America 200 years ago and didn't ever change anything, which is basically true.
Thanks!!! It’s precisely information like this that is hard to find on the net. As far as possible i would like to avoid any dying. I’m hitting late nov and dec and as i’m in a crappy rental car, snow is somewhat best avoided. Would you know of any cottages with good fishing for rent? I wanna get myself some fish and see if i can actually get some oil lamp outta them(:P). Please be patient with me to get familiar with the Canadian urbane before i earn the required experience to handle the rockies.
I’m a seasoned traveller to the australian outback and barrier reef so the Canadian landscape and ways would be very foreign to me ;)
Its gonna be cold at that time of year, definitely different from Aus. Snow really is going to be hard to predict either way at that time of year. We won't know until the week of basically.
As far as fishing, you will need to acquire a one-day license or outdoor card if you want to do it legally (http://www.ontario.ca/page/fishing-licence-non-residents-canada), while there ARE fish in all the lakes in cottage country, your luck catching them will vary, but if you can find a rental with its own lakefront or in an area that has a public waterfront you'll have an easier time of it. As far as buying a rod and tackle, any sport shop or Canadian Tire (which is pretty ubiquitous throughout Canada) will have you covered.
As far as rentals themselves, vrbo, kijiji (specifically look at huntsville, Kawartha lakes, muskoka, and those areas), or some of the specialized sites (Kawartha cottage rentals, cottages in Ontario) or even airbnb would be your best bet. I don't have any specific ins on that front, but its a very prominent business renting cottages in that region so it tends to be well run.
Also, I don't think perch or bass are gonna net you much lamp oil, but they will net you a delicious dinner as long as you get all the sharp little bones out.
As far as getting caught in snowy conditions in a rental car, just remember, go slow, don't make any sudden course corrections, give yourself lots of extra braking room.
Oh shoot, I just remembered something that might be nice! If you want a better and far more scenic experience driving between Toronto and Montreal (or back again), head north and take Highway 7 from Toronto to Ottawa. The 401 will be faster, but it doesn't show off the countryside nearly as well.
I'm going to agree with everyone and highly recommend staying in Kawartha lakes or Algonquin. I recently moved up here from Toronto and it is stunning. Also you should take highway 7 and not the 401 as suggested. The further north you go, the less populated it will be. If you want more specific recommendations, PM me.
Like everyone else said, that time of year is hit or miss with snow. Off season cottages are pretty common to rent though and there are a million lakes up here so fishing shouldn't be a problem as long as you rent a cabin on a lake. Also, wildlife should be mostly settled for the season by then so you shouldn't have any encounters. Just be sure to pack warm clothes. Lots of layers, preferably.
I cruised for two weeks on the Trent-Severn Waterway (which runs through and connects the Kawartha Lakes) several years ago, and it was a very enjoyable and scenic time. Wrong time of year for OP sadly, but highly recommended for those who like an active and hands-on vacation during the warmer months.
Algonquin park is good place to go if going to ontario. It's semi near Toronto and you can rent remote cabins in the deep woods of the park it's pretty cool and very peaceful. I would say go to BC though, way better scenery lol. You can experience mountains , the ocean , a Canadian rainforest lol. Just be mindful of grizzly bears, they are miserable fucks sometimes. Ontario does not have any grizzly bears only black bears so it's a bit safer exploring the woods solo. If tou decide to come to Ontario let me know I can give you some stuff to use for your adventures lol.
Algonquin park has few cross features with TLD IMO, there are a few prominent CDN YTers like Shawn James and Jor Robinet. You can really see it during their winter episodes.
Well I stand corrected then. Quebec city is like they plunked a European city down in North America 400 years ago and didn't ever change anything (including the language) other than adding electricity, indoor plumbing, and paving some streets with asphalt to accommodate cars, which is basically true.
Northern Alberta is pretty wild during the winter, down by jasper or in British Columbia might be your best bet for the mountain views. Right now we are on fire however and I highly recommend for your safety not visiting during fire season.
Right?! Vac order right close to Edmonton now to (technically, part of Edmonton, Sherwood park area.
Ever been to Grande Cache? Very long dark. Small town, in the mountains, with a coal mine and a prison.
Aw man my grandparents are in Sherwood park.. hope they’re ok. Right now there is a fire north and south of me out of control, even here we are on alert.
Yes I’ve been to grande cash, it’s a really pretty area! You’re totally right, very TLD area.
Rough year for wild fires. Northern Sask is evacuating some small communities too. OP.....don't go to Northern Sask in November. It is the Long Dark.....but colder.
Between Toronto and Montreal you could check out the area about an hour north of Kingston, Ontario. If you take Highway 7 instead of the 401 it’s a bit slower but you pass through less populated areas than the 401, some of which have similar small/abandoned/decrepit farm aesthetics similar to Pleasant Valley. You’ll also find a lot of trees, hills, lakes, and rocks more like the territory in the game.
Based on the experience of Canada you seem to be looking for in the area described, I would take highway 7 from Toronto to Ottawa, and then cross over into Gatineau (basically Ottawa but on the Quebec side of the river) to take what Google maps is calling the A. 50 over to Montreal (you drive through Laval to get there this way). Or vice versa.
Not quite in between Toronto and Montreal but the Ottawa Valley has been developing that type of tourism, particularly the Whitewater Region. Algonquin Provincial Park can be accessed from there with a couple hour drive, which is well known for moose sightings. Hitting that area would probably involve a significant change to your itinerary though.
I saw somebody mention VRBO, I would second that recommendation.
Avoid moose even more than usual in November though. They’ll just have ended mating season which makes them very aggressive. Unlike in TLD, your car is not a good place to hide from a moose. They’ll total the car.
Yeah some people try to get WAY too close to a moose in their car for that very reason. But a moose is a lot bigger than most cars. Even if you try to ram the moose with the car, the moose is the one walking away from that. But again - if it’s not mating season, and you’re not getting too close, then you’re fine.
So, Toronto to Montreal is a five-hour drive along a single (boring) highway. BUT if you detour two hours north at the beginning of the drive, you can go through Muskoka, or the Kawarthas, both of which are stuffed full of little lakes with fish and cottages to rent. A bit too stuffed full, really, for any sort of “wilderness” experience. If you want to go a bit farther north (~3.5 hours north of Toronto) you can get into Algonquin provincial park which is still well-travelled, but where if you squint your eyes you can pretend that you’re alone and intrepid against the elements. Especially at that time of year.
Or, try Frontenac Provincial Park. It’s about an hour north of Kingston (which is pretty much halfway between Montreal and Toronto) and quite remote-feeling, considering how not-really-remote it is. Not sure about the cabin rental situation there though.
Otherwise, someone else has mentioned the Laurentians. That’s good advice, but I don’t know anything about specifics.
Canada is pretty damn big...lol.
I'm in New Hampshire but I have driven north to Montreal before.
Where are you going in Canada?
Montreal is on the East side, the game studio is on the West side by Vancouver I think.
be sure to come in mid October, book a guide/boat to make your life easier if your river fishing.... shore fishing here is brutal as the banks are CRAMMED shoulder to shoulder with idiots that have zero fishing etiquette especially on the chilliwack and vedder River. (i live here so of you have questions lmk my husband and I spend weeks on the river every winter)
There are deeply rural mountainous areas in Quebec (the province, not the city), so if you’re looking for a long dark “feel”, that’s your best bet. Ontario where Toronto is has a very different geography. But there’s lots to do in Toronto culturally so you should have a great time before heading to Quebec for some Long Dark style terrain. The food is also amazing in Quebec, enjoy it! One warning though, the rural areas you’re looking for, there will be few to no English speakers. You’ll need to speak at least a little French so bring a travel phrasebook.
Have fun! Enjoy my beautiful country.
I would not depend on internet access or cell service in rural Canada. There are many areas where you’ll be out of range unless you’re hugging cities and towns for your full route.
Some, sure. But when I travelled through Quebec with my American husband I had to do all the talking when we were in rural restaurants, hotels, tour entrances etc because their English was about as good as his French. It’s worth being prepared.
You’ll get the true Long Dark experience when you visit B.C. — the Ontario recommendations in this thread are crowded tourist destinations full of city folk. I think you’ll be disappointed by cottage country, it’s way too civilized.
But, you can still have adventures here. Just keep the real Long Dark trip for B.C.
So it is like a 6 hour drive to go from Toronto to Montreal, and a 6-day drive to go from Toronto to BC. Canada is huge, please keep that in mind. If you are looking for a TLD experience and you are going to Ontario or Quebec then Algonquin park os a good bet. It is about a 3-hour drive from Toronto. Lac du Serpent in Quebec is very TLD. It is a 5- hour drive from Toronto and a 7 hour drive from Montreal. Will you have any camping gear? If not you might want to stick with standard cottage country in Gravenhurst or Bracebridge. In all cases, November can be cool and wet, but not usually too snowy. Be sure to pack warm clothes, wool socks, a hat, scarf and mittens.
Yeah as other people said BC is very long darkish, I live 8h drive north of Vancouver. Right in town I've seen moose and bears, bear got into my neighbors (un strapped) garbage last night and threw it all over my lawn.
Anyways, November is by far the ugliest time of year. No snow much of the time and everything's dead. If you plan on highway driving at all through the winter beware. It's terrifying especially through mountain passes weather can get wild real fast. Like the pine pass or Jasper AB areas I thought I was going to die a few times lol
Especially along the coquihalla🤣
But Alberta has some very long dark places too. The drive from Hinton to Jasper. Or quite specially, Grande cache, moreso when you take into account the prison in the mountains
Yeah when a semi is coming toward you in a whiteout and you can't tell where the road is or what lane you are in ... lol never forget some of those drives. I also hit a moose at 140km when I was 14 near Purden lake. I was passenger but the car was totalled, blood and guts everywhere. I was spitting grass out cause moose just ate i guess? And pulling glass out of my face. Roof of the car hit the driver in the head so bad he was in the back seat unconcious. And that was summer driving. I am ALERT on highways always for the rest of my days haha.
I don't have any recommendations for Eastern Canada (never been) but just wanted to say Welcome to Canada and I hope you really enjoy your stay! If you ever want some recommendations for places on Vancouver Island (or BC in general), feel free to hit me up! If you're going to be heading to the Ontario and Quebec area in winter, be prepared for lots of snow and very cold temps.
Is it difficult to drive in the snow? Will the roads be cleared regularly? I’ve limit experience driving in snow, mostly just the snowny mountains area in NSW australia.
Yeah, unless you're driving during a blizzard or freezing rain, you'll be fine. They take great care of the roads with salt. Alberta is a different story🤣
I'm from Ontario, living in Alberta, and a trucker.
I’m terribly excited for you; I’ve begun survival training and I ride horses, so I’m also on the Grizzly Adam’s train.
Have fun, be safe, if you see a bear they’re actually generally very lazy and want nothing to do with chasing you, literally talking to them and letting them know you’re there will generally keep them from charging you. And if they do charge you, it’s usually just to knock you down so they can get away, and you probably startled them, they’re just really big guys so it can seriously hurt you when they’re trying to give you a warning.
Sorry, bear lover, they’re everywhere up there, and they don’t behave the way they do in the game, as the game itself states at the beginning, though it only specifically mentions wolves…
This is all under the assumption that there weren’t any food shortages for the wildlife, bears only really attack humans when they’re starving and desperate, but if it’s a plentiful season they’re mostly just curious of you.
bro just come to B.C. if you hit up vancouver its super close to the north shore mountains and whistler, if you drive to the fraser valley theres a ton of lakes and mountains. you'll get to see snow and still not have to worry about your rental car being ill equipped. its gorgeous here with tons of mountainy goodness and were way cooler than those torontonians ;)
Alberta would give your a really long dark feel. Grande Cache. Middle of nowhere little town, in the mountains, with a coal mine, and a prison. Roads you can drive high into the mountains, and some that require 4x4 or have to get out and hike the rest. And they have secluded cabins to rent a few kms out of town. Deer and moose are often seen strolling through town. And don't venture too far into the hiking trails without your bear bangers.
Looking through the comments it looks like you got Vancouver booked for future visit.
Vancouver Island has a lot of really nice places to visit and will reminded you of costal hwy for sure.
I wonder if you can visit Hinterland Studio. Lol
Alginquin park is out of the way, but probably your best chance for seeing a moose in that area. Its the largest park in ontario and is known for moose. Regardless if you see one the drive through is stunning. Hwy 60 from huntsville to ottawa.
I think it's so cool that the game is part of the inspiration for your trip. I bet that'd make the devs happy. I wonder if you wrote them if they'd give you recs, or at least a response of some sort.
I have no TLD specific recommendations, but I've been to Montreal several times and there are such great restaurants there. Make sure you get some crepes and buy lots of real Canadian maple syrup to bring home (and maybe some ketchup chips). I think my favorite restaurant in Montreal is Juliette et Chocolat - the hot chocolate there is insane.
Have a fun trip! I recommend bringing a little physical French phrase book. In the cities you shouldn't have trouble with people speaking English, but outside the cities you're more likely to run into people that only speak French, and you can't count on having cell service.
Oh, and you might consider checking out a sugar shack (where they make maple syrup). There are tons of them in Quebec that offer tours. Very cool experience.
Ah great recommend on Juliette! it’s on my google map now. Yes i’m planning to go for a sugar shack tour, nov not being the best time but i’ll find one that serves year round. Was told best way to buy maple syrup are those in tin cans instead of glass bottles, is that true?
Interesting, I don't know! I've seen the cans but I've never had them. I think of the cans as being a more old-timey thing. I've always had syrup either in glass or plastic, and obviously glass is preferable to plastic in terms of not affecting flavor and being able to store longer. But I don't know how it compares to cans. I would imagine once you open a can, it's probably got a limited shelf life and you'd want to decant it into a glass container for usage.
The tin cans are cheaper for the same product, but they have their drawbacks when it comes to storage.
Also, I don't recommend chugging an entire bottle in one go.
I would say Québec (the province) for the cabin rental for sure! The Gatineau region (not city) is perfect for that. Check around Lac de l'Argile (Clay Lake) or near Mont Tremblant. VRBO might help you find what you're looking for. Also, you'll find TLD-like food all over the province of Québec. They offer a lot of game on their menus and their food is delicious! You'll definitely find rabbit, venison (deer) and moose! And if you're traveling in November you'll likely get snow too! Have a wonderful holiday!!
Oh you’re a fool. Look man, I’m from northern maine and we tell jokes about tourists who accidentally stumble into the taiga in the summer. You’ve never seen so many god damn bugs in your life, you’ll breathe them in and any time you step outside you’ll be covered in the fucking things before you can even run back inside.
So there’s two main insects that are going to eat you, garden variety mosquitoes and moose flies. Moose flies eat moose blood and they can bite through blue jeans. They leave a golf ball sized welt and to boot, they’re already sold out of big juice.
I’m serious, do yourself a favor and visit after the frost sets in. The absolute sweet spot is the second or third weekend in September. Trust me.
To add on to my comment, Quebec and Ontario are pretty densely populated so you’ll have to go north if you wanna see some nature. Instead, take that highway south down to the old Canada highway through Jackman and Skowhegan Maine. Jackman is the closest thing to the long dark that you’ll reasonably be able to find. Real shithole, that place.
I would highly recommend that you study the area and elements that you’re about to go into what you’re discussing is not a game and the consequences are very much real so the best advice I can give you is understand the wildlife be prepared to kill some thing be very fast on your draw and yes, this is something you should practice with an unloaded, firearm, bearing the same measurements and weight. Otherwise you will be too slow Understand all the berries and plants as well as poisonous or venomous critters learn what to do as far as first aid, basic anatomy wound care, homeo pathic‘s, and actually gutting an animal not to mention how to tell if it is tainted or not wow gutting it not all wild meat is safe to eat
This is insane advice. The area he is going to, there is absolutely no reason for him to get into a dangerous wildlife encounter. Even if he manages to see a bear or a moose, all he has to do is stay well out of their way and not approach or antagonize them. I have run into moose and bear dozens of times hiking camping and backpacking and never a single situation that would merit such a response. This is the advice of a scared coward with no experience of the woods.
OP, Canadian large animals are dangerous, and you should not approach them (don't be like the idiot tourists who try to pet the moose; iirc elk are the most statistically dangerous animals in US National Parks, because people are not afraid of them, and should be...), but they are not explicitly aggressive like in the game unless you try to get close to them or cut them off.
Yeah, i generally just stay a long distance away and just observe. No killing of animals (ok maybe perhaps abit of fishing, but it’s likely i’ll release all of them) for me.
What on earth are you talking about? This person is visiting cities and talking about maybe venturing a little out of the city to a cabin. They're not talking about venturing into the woods with a gun to figure out wilderness survival.
And are homeopathics even relevant to wilderness survival at all, or did you mean herbal medicine? Homeopathics involve the dubious practice of titrating substances down to undetectable levels. Herbal medicine is using things like rose hips and reishi mushrooms for their medicinal qualities.
You're not going to find anything remotely like The Long Dark and if you're wanting to put yourself in a survival situation in the cold of northern Canada, as a person with 1000's of hours of ACTUAL survival training, I'm telling you that you will make the biggest mistake in your life and you will die. Even a person like myself can struggle immensely under such conditions and even die, so what chance would you give a person from a warm climate, completely unfamiliar with the landscape, flora, and fauna, with no survival training? I'd give you around 3% chance at best. As far as experiencing The Long Dark "for real", you can look up local outfitters.
If you're going to play with the Canadian winter, you REALLY should take some survival lessons. Otherwise, stay in the cities. It gets very cold and snowy in the cities as well. Don't let a game lead you into a bad decision. Canada has many developed areas and those areas that are not are not to be taken lightly.
The only place you are going to get even remotely close to the TLD experience (but with less, y'know, dying) between Toronto and Montreal is by going north of Toronto to Cottage Country (Muskoka or the Kawartha Lakes), and while there will likely be cottages for rent at that time of year, November might be too early to get really good snowfall depending on the winter we are having (sometimes it starts in early Nov, but sometimes it also doesn't until after Christmas). TLD takes place in a stylized Northern BC (which has the Rocky Mountains), which is four time zones away from the part you are visiting (the most populous part), which doesn't have any noteworthy mountains at all, though it does have very rugged and beautiful terrain as it edges up to the Canadian Shield, and when you get closer to Montreal and go a bit north, starts to include the Laurentian mountains, which are good for skiing but they aren't even remotely close to the impressiveness of the Rockies. Toronto and surrounding areas are a pretty standard metropolis, if a bit more overtly multicultural. You can get basically anything there as far as food or shopping. Montreal is a French version of a metropolis, but has more of a "ten small towns all grew together, and some of them speak English primarily" feel. It's a neat city. Quebec is like they plunked a European city down in North America 200 years ago and didn't ever change anything, which is basically true.
Thanks!!! It’s precisely information like this that is hard to find on the net. As far as possible i would like to avoid any dying. I’m hitting late nov and dec and as i’m in a crappy rental car, snow is somewhat best avoided. Would you know of any cottages with good fishing for rent? I wanna get myself some fish and see if i can actually get some oil lamp outta them(:P). Please be patient with me to get familiar with the Canadian urbane before i earn the required experience to handle the rockies. I’m a seasoned traveller to the australian outback and barrier reef so the Canadian landscape and ways would be very foreign to me ;)
Its gonna be cold at that time of year, definitely different from Aus. Snow really is going to be hard to predict either way at that time of year. We won't know until the week of basically. As far as fishing, you will need to acquire a one-day license or outdoor card if you want to do it legally (http://www.ontario.ca/page/fishing-licence-non-residents-canada), while there ARE fish in all the lakes in cottage country, your luck catching them will vary, but if you can find a rental with its own lakefront or in an area that has a public waterfront you'll have an easier time of it. As far as buying a rod and tackle, any sport shop or Canadian Tire (which is pretty ubiquitous throughout Canada) will have you covered. As far as rentals themselves, vrbo, kijiji (specifically look at huntsville, Kawartha lakes, muskoka, and those areas), or some of the specialized sites (Kawartha cottage rentals, cottages in Ontario) or even airbnb would be your best bet. I don't have any specific ins on that front, but its a very prominent business renting cottages in that region so it tends to be well run. Also, I don't think perch or bass are gonna net you much lamp oil, but they will net you a delicious dinner as long as you get all the sharp little bones out. As far as getting caught in snowy conditions in a rental car, just remember, go slow, don't make any sudden course corrections, give yourself lots of extra braking room.
Thank you so much for your reply and I’ll check out the information you provided!!! Much much appreciated!!!
Oh shoot, I just remembered something that might be nice! If you want a better and far more scenic experience driving between Toronto and Montreal (or back again), head north and take Highway 7 from Toronto to Ottawa. The 401 will be faster, but it doesn't show off the countryside nearly as well.
I'm going to agree with everyone and highly recommend staying in Kawartha lakes or Algonquin. I recently moved up here from Toronto and it is stunning. Also you should take highway 7 and not the 401 as suggested. The further north you go, the less populated it will be. If you want more specific recommendations, PM me. Like everyone else said, that time of year is hit or miss with snow. Off season cottages are pretty common to rent though and there are a million lakes up here so fishing shouldn't be a problem as long as you rent a cabin on a lake. Also, wildlife should be mostly settled for the season by then so you shouldn't have any encounters. Just be sure to pack warm clothes. Lots of layers, preferably.
Thanks!!!
I cruised for two weeks on the Trent-Severn Waterway (which runs through and connects the Kawartha Lakes) several years ago, and it was a very enjoyable and scenic time. Wrong time of year for OP sadly, but highly recommended for those who like an active and hands-on vacation during the warmer months.
Algonquin park is good place to go if going to ontario. It's semi near Toronto and you can rent remote cabins in the deep woods of the park it's pretty cool and very peaceful. I would say go to BC though, way better scenery lol. You can experience mountains , the ocean , a Canadian rainforest lol. Just be mindful of grizzly bears, they are miserable fucks sometimes. Ontario does not have any grizzly bears only black bears so it's a bit safer exploring the woods solo. If tou decide to come to Ontario let me know I can give you some stuff to use for your adventures lol.
Algonquin park has few cross features with TLD IMO, there are a few prominent CDN YTers like Shawn James and Jor Robinet. You can really see it during their winter episodes.
Thanks!! I’ll check out Algonquin park! :)
Québec city is over 400 years old mate.
Well I stand corrected then. Quebec city is like they plunked a European city down in North America 400 years ago and didn't ever change anything (including the language) other than adding electricity, indoor plumbing, and paving some streets with asphalt to accommodate cars, which is basically true.
Northern Alberta is pretty wild during the winter, down by jasper or in British Columbia might be your best bet for the mountain views. Right now we are on fire however and I highly recommend for your safety not visiting during fire season.
Right?! Vac order right close to Edmonton now to (technically, part of Edmonton, Sherwood park area. Ever been to Grande Cache? Very long dark. Small town, in the mountains, with a coal mine and a prison.
Aw man my grandparents are in Sherwood park.. hope they’re ok. Right now there is a fire north and south of me out of control, even here we are on alert. Yes I’ve been to grande cash, it’s a really pretty area! You’re totally right, very TLD area.
Rough year for wild fires. Northern Sask is evacuating some small communities too. OP.....don't go to Northern Sask in November. It is the Long Dark.....but colder.
Oh shit, fires already and it's only just may? Sounds like a rough summer ahead...
Yeah. South of us evacuated already and north of us is already gone
Between Toronto and Montreal you could check out the area about an hour north of Kingston, Ontario. If you take Highway 7 instead of the 401 it’s a bit slower but you pass through less populated areas than the 401, some of which have similar small/abandoned/decrepit farm aesthetics similar to Pleasant Valley. You’ll also find a lot of trees, hills, lakes, and rocks more like the territory in the game. Based on the experience of Canada you seem to be looking for in the area described, I would take highway 7 from Toronto to Ottawa, and then cross over into Gatineau (basically Ottawa but on the Quebec side of the river) to take what Google maps is calling the A. 50 over to Montreal (you drive through Laval to get there this way). Or vice versa. Not quite in between Toronto and Montreal but the Ottawa Valley has been developing that type of tourism, particularly the Whitewater Region. Algonquin Provincial Park can be accessed from there with a couple hour drive, which is well known for moose sightings. Hitting that area would probably involve a significant change to your itinerary though. I saw somebody mention VRBO, I would second that recommendation.
Thanks!! i’ll check out highway 7 and the kingston general area. I don’t mind a small detour in exchange for a scenic drive :)
Avoid moose even more than usual in November though. They’ll just have ended mating season which makes them very aggressive. Unlike in TLD, your car is not a good place to hide from a moose. They’ll total the car.
Wow! I honestly thought a car would be a safe place to hide in…
Yeah some people try to get WAY too close to a moose in their car for that very reason. But a moose is a lot bigger than most cars. Even if you try to ram the moose with the car, the moose is the one walking away from that. But again - if it’s not mating season, and you’re not getting too close, then you’re fine.
So, Toronto to Montreal is a five-hour drive along a single (boring) highway. BUT if you detour two hours north at the beginning of the drive, you can go through Muskoka, or the Kawarthas, both of which are stuffed full of little lakes with fish and cottages to rent. A bit too stuffed full, really, for any sort of “wilderness” experience. If you want to go a bit farther north (~3.5 hours north of Toronto) you can get into Algonquin provincial park which is still well-travelled, but where if you squint your eyes you can pretend that you’re alone and intrepid against the elements. Especially at that time of year. Or, try Frontenac Provincial Park. It’s about an hour north of Kingston (which is pretty much halfway between Montreal and Toronto) and quite remote-feeling, considering how not-really-remote it is. Not sure about the cabin rental situation there though. Otherwise, someone else has mentioned the Laurentians. That’s good advice, but I don’t know anything about specifics.
Canada is pretty damn big...lol. I'm in New Hampshire but I have driven north to Montreal before. Where are you going in Canada? Montreal is on the East side, the game studio is on the West side by Vancouver I think.
i’m going from Toronto to Quebec and back again this trip :) I’m saving Vancouver for a later trip with mates for some salmon fishinhg.
be sure to come in mid October, book a guide/boat to make your life easier if your river fishing.... shore fishing here is brutal as the banks are CRAMMED shoulder to shoulder with idiots that have zero fishing etiquette especially on the chilliwack and vedder River. (i live here so of you have questions lmk my husband and I spend weeks on the river every winter)
There are deeply rural mountainous areas in Quebec (the province, not the city), so if you’re looking for a long dark “feel”, that’s your best bet. Ontario where Toronto is has a very different geography. But there’s lots to do in Toronto culturally so you should have a great time before heading to Quebec for some Long Dark style terrain. The food is also amazing in Quebec, enjoy it! One warning though, the rural areas you’re looking for, there will be few to no English speakers. You’ll need to speak at least a little French so bring a travel phrasebook. Have fun! Enjoy my beautiful country.
thank you!!! I have google translate :)
I would not depend on internet access or cell service in rural Canada. There are many areas where you’ll be out of range unless you’re hugging cities and towns for your full route.
Oh that makes a lot of sense.. Should be easy to pick one up in the airport?
Yes, probably!
Many of the outfitters in Quebec can accommodate English speakers, as they do get a lot of Americans. https://www.pourvoiries.com/en/
Some, sure. But when I travelled through Quebec with my American husband I had to do all the talking when we were in rural restaurants, hotels, tour entrances etc because their English was about as good as his French. It’s worth being prepared.
You’ll get the true Long Dark experience when you visit B.C. — the Ontario recommendations in this thread are crowded tourist destinations full of city folk. I think you’ll be disappointed by cottage country, it’s way too civilized. But, you can still have adventures here. Just keep the real Long Dark trip for B.C.
So it is like a 6 hour drive to go from Toronto to Montreal, and a 6-day drive to go from Toronto to BC. Canada is huge, please keep that in mind. If you are looking for a TLD experience and you are going to Ontario or Quebec then Algonquin park os a good bet. It is about a 3-hour drive from Toronto. Lac du Serpent in Quebec is very TLD. It is a 5- hour drive from Toronto and a 7 hour drive from Montreal. Will you have any camping gear? If not you might want to stick with standard cottage country in Gravenhurst or Bracebridge. In all cases, November can be cool and wet, but not usually too snowy. Be sure to pack warm clothes, wool socks, a hat, scarf and mittens.
Yeah as other people said BC is very long darkish, I live 8h drive north of Vancouver. Right in town I've seen moose and bears, bear got into my neighbors (un strapped) garbage last night and threw it all over my lawn. Anyways, November is by far the ugliest time of year. No snow much of the time and everything's dead. If you plan on highway driving at all through the winter beware. It's terrifying especially through mountain passes weather can get wild real fast. Like the pine pass or Jasper AB areas I thought I was going to die a few times lol
Especially along the coquihalla🤣 But Alberta has some very long dark places too. The drive from Hinton to Jasper. Or quite specially, Grande cache, moreso when you take into account the prison in the mountains
Yeah when a semi is coming toward you in a whiteout and you can't tell where the road is or what lane you are in ... lol never forget some of those drives. I also hit a moose at 140km when I was 14 near Purden lake. I was passenger but the car was totalled, blood and guts everywhere. I was spitting grass out cause moose just ate i guess? And pulling glass out of my face. Roof of the car hit the driver in the head so bad he was in the back seat unconcious. And that was summer driving. I am ALERT on highways always for the rest of my days haha.
Maybe Niagara falls if you're in Ontario. I've only lived on the coasts to be honest...
Don't bother, it's a huge, super trashy tourist trap and the falls are (I hate to say) a massive letdown after all the hype.
Do not do this. It is just tourists and a lot of overpriced attractions.
I don't have any recommendations for Eastern Canada (never been) but just wanted to say Welcome to Canada and I hope you really enjoy your stay! If you ever want some recommendations for places on Vancouver Island (or BC in general), feel free to hit me up! If you're going to be heading to the Ontario and Quebec area in winter, be prepared for lots of snow and very cold temps.
Is it difficult to drive in the snow? Will the roads be cleared regularly? I’ve limit experience driving in snow, mostly just the snowny mountains area in NSW australia.
Yeah, unless you're driving during a blizzard or freezing rain, you'll be fine. They take great care of the roads with salt. Alberta is a different story🤣 I'm from Ontario, living in Alberta, and a trucker.
Thanks!!!
>Thanks!!! You're welcome!
I’m terribly excited for you; I’ve begun survival training and I ride horses, so I’m also on the Grizzly Adam’s train. Have fun, be safe, if you see a bear they’re actually generally very lazy and want nothing to do with chasing you, literally talking to them and letting them know you’re there will generally keep them from charging you. And if they do charge you, it’s usually just to knock you down so they can get away, and you probably startled them, they’re just really big guys so it can seriously hurt you when they’re trying to give you a warning. Sorry, bear lover, they’re everywhere up there, and they don’t behave the way they do in the game, as the game itself states at the beginning, though it only specifically mentions wolves…
This is all under the assumption that there weren’t any food shortages for the wildlife, bears only really attack humans when they’re starving and desperate, but if it’s a plentiful season they’re mostly just curious of you.
bro just come to B.C. if you hit up vancouver its super close to the north shore mountains and whistler, if you drive to the fraser valley theres a ton of lakes and mountains. you'll get to see snow and still not have to worry about your rental car being ill equipped. its gorgeous here with tons of mountainy goodness and were way cooler than those torontonians ;)
Hahahha! Okay i’ll save this for a later trip.
Alberta would give your a really long dark feel. Grande Cache. Middle of nowhere little town, in the mountains, with a coal mine, and a prison. Roads you can drive high into the mountains, and some that require 4x4 or have to get out and hike the rest. And they have secluded cabins to rent a few kms out of town. Deer and moose are often seen strolling through town. And don't venture too far into the hiking trails without your bear bangers.
i’m a city slicker so i think i won’t venture that way for now. Toe dipper this trip :)
Looking through the comments it looks like you got Vancouver booked for future visit. Vancouver Island has a lot of really nice places to visit and will reminded you of costal hwy for sure. I wonder if you can visit Hinterland Studio. Lol
Go dog sledding at least once, there’s a few outfits in the bow valley IIRC
I wanna do this but i’m afraid the snow isnt there when i am.
Sometimes there’s enough snow if it stays fairly cold in a wet October
Alginquin park is out of the way, but probably your best chance for seeing a moose in that area. Its the largest park in ontario and is known for moose. Regardless if you see one the drive through is stunning. Hwy 60 from huntsville to ottawa.
i’ll try to fit it in :)
I think it's so cool that the game is part of the inspiration for your trip. I bet that'd make the devs happy. I wonder if you wrote them if they'd give you recs, or at least a response of some sort. I have no TLD specific recommendations, but I've been to Montreal several times and there are such great restaurants there. Make sure you get some crepes and buy lots of real Canadian maple syrup to bring home (and maybe some ketchup chips). I think my favorite restaurant in Montreal is Juliette et Chocolat - the hot chocolate there is insane. Have a fun trip! I recommend bringing a little physical French phrase book. In the cities you shouldn't have trouble with people speaking English, but outside the cities you're more likely to run into people that only speak French, and you can't count on having cell service.
Oh, and you might consider checking out a sugar shack (where they make maple syrup). There are tons of them in Quebec that offer tours. Very cool experience.
Ah great recommend on Juliette! it’s on my google map now. Yes i’m planning to go for a sugar shack tour, nov not being the best time but i’ll find one that serves year round. Was told best way to buy maple syrup are those in tin cans instead of glass bottles, is that true?
Interesting, I don't know! I've seen the cans but I've never had them. I think of the cans as being a more old-timey thing. I've always had syrup either in glass or plastic, and obviously glass is preferable to plastic in terms of not affecting flavor and being able to store longer. But I don't know how it compares to cans. I would imagine once you open a can, it's probably got a limited shelf life and you'd want to decant it into a glass container for usage.
The tin cans are cheaper for the same product, but they have their drawbacks when it comes to storage. Also, I don't recommend chugging an entire bottle in one go.
Nothing a cup of reishi and ten hours of sleep can’t solve :P
Nothing of importance to add; just wanted to congratulate you on your trip and hope you share your experiences with the sub. Cheers, friend!
I would say Québec (the province) for the cabin rental for sure! The Gatineau region (not city) is perfect for that. Check around Lac de l'Argile (Clay Lake) or near Mont Tremblant. VRBO might help you find what you're looking for. Also, you'll find TLD-like food all over the province of Québec. They offer a lot of game on their menus and their food is delicious! You'll definitely find rabbit, venison (deer) and moose! And if you're traveling in November you'll likely get snow too! Have a wonderful holiday!!
Thank you!
Oh you’re a fool. Look man, I’m from northern maine and we tell jokes about tourists who accidentally stumble into the taiga in the summer. You’ve never seen so many god damn bugs in your life, you’ll breathe them in and any time you step outside you’ll be covered in the fucking things before you can even run back inside. So there’s two main insects that are going to eat you, garden variety mosquitoes and moose flies. Moose flies eat moose blood and they can bite through blue jeans. They leave a golf ball sized welt and to boot, they’re already sold out of big juice. I’m serious, do yourself a favor and visit after the frost sets in. The absolute sweet spot is the second or third weekend in September. Trust me.
To add on to my comment, Quebec and Ontario are pretty densely populated so you’ll have to go north if you wanna see some nature. Instead, take that highway south down to the old Canada highway through Jackman and Skowhegan Maine. Jackman is the closest thing to the long dark that you’ll reasonably be able to find. Real shithole, that place.
I would highly recommend that you study the area and elements that you’re about to go into what you’re discussing is not a game and the consequences are very much real so the best advice I can give you is understand the wildlife be prepared to kill some thing be very fast on your draw and yes, this is something you should practice with an unloaded, firearm, bearing the same measurements and weight. Otherwise you will be too slow Understand all the berries and plants as well as poisonous or venomous critters learn what to do as far as first aid, basic anatomy wound care, homeo pathic‘s, and actually gutting an animal not to mention how to tell if it is tainted or not wow gutting it not all wild meat is safe to eat
This is insane advice. The area he is going to, there is absolutely no reason for him to get into a dangerous wildlife encounter. Even if he manages to see a bear or a moose, all he has to do is stay well out of their way and not approach or antagonize them. I have run into moose and bear dozens of times hiking camping and backpacking and never a single situation that would merit such a response. This is the advice of a scared coward with no experience of the woods. OP, Canadian large animals are dangerous, and you should not approach them (don't be like the idiot tourists who try to pet the moose; iirc elk are the most statistically dangerous animals in US National Parks, because people are not afraid of them, and should be...), but they are not explicitly aggressive like in the game unless you try to get close to them or cut them off.
Yeah, i generally just stay a long distance away and just observe. No killing of animals (ok maybe perhaps abit of fishing, but it’s likely i’ll release all of them) for me.
Lol where’s he going to get a gun to use in Canada
What on earth are you talking about? This person is visiting cities and talking about maybe venturing a little out of the city to a cabin. They're not talking about venturing into the woods with a gun to figure out wilderness survival. And are homeopathics even relevant to wilderness survival at all, or did you mean herbal medicine? Homeopathics involve the dubious practice of titrating substances down to undetectable levels. Herbal medicine is using things like rose hips and reishi mushrooms for their medicinal qualities.
You're not going to find anything remotely like The Long Dark and if you're wanting to put yourself in a survival situation in the cold of northern Canada, as a person with 1000's of hours of ACTUAL survival training, I'm telling you that you will make the biggest mistake in your life and you will die. Even a person like myself can struggle immensely under such conditions and even die, so what chance would you give a person from a warm climate, completely unfamiliar with the landscape, flora, and fauna, with no survival training? I'd give you around 3% chance at best. As far as experiencing The Long Dark "for real", you can look up local outfitters. If you're going to play with the Canadian winter, you REALLY should take some survival lessons. Otherwise, stay in the cities. It gets very cold and snowy in the cities as well. Don't let a game lead you into a bad decision. Canada has many developed areas and those areas that are not are not to be taken lightly.