You’re standing on Main Street in Lake Placid, clutching a steaming coffee from Adirondack Coffee Roasters, looking at the high peaks. Then you realize you want poutine. Real poutine. The kind that squeaks. Or maybe you just want to see the Notre-Dame Basilica without flying across an ocean. Whatever the reason, the trip from Lake Placid to Montreal is one of the most underrated international hops in North America.
It’s short. It’s scenic. But honestly, it’s also full of weird little hurdles that can ruin your afternoon if you aren't prepared for the North Country realities.
The drive covers roughly 110 miles. On paper, that’s about two hours. In reality? It’s a gamble. Between the unpredictable queue at the Champlain-St. Bernard de Lacolle border crossing and the absolute chaos that is Montreal construction (the locals call it travaux), you’re looking at a journey that requires more than just a GPS and a dream. You need a strategy for the Adirondack Northway.
Why the Route 86 to I-87 Transition Matters
Most people start by heading out of Lake Placid on NY-86. It’s gorgeous. You’ll pass High Falls Gorge and the West Branch of the AuSable River. It's the kind of drive that makes you want to pull over every five minutes for a photo, but don't. You’ve got a border to hit.
Once you merge onto I-87 North—known to everyone around here as the Northway—the vibe changes. The mountains start to flatten out into the Champlain Valley. The speed limit is 65 mph, but the state troopers in Troop B are legendary for their diligence, especially around North Hudson and Plattsburgh. Don't be that tourist.
The Northway is unique because it’s incredibly remote. There are long stretches where cell service drops to a single, mocking bar. If you’re relying on a streaming playlist, download it before you leave the hotel. Seriously.
The Plattsburgh Pit Stop
Plattsburgh is the last major "American" hub before things get international. If you need cheap gas, get it here. Prices across the border in Quebec are calculated in liters and, once you do the math, usually cost significantly more than what you'll find at a Stewart’s Shops or a Cumberland Farms in New York.
✨ Don't miss: How Long Ago Did the Titanic Sink? The Real Timeline of History's Most Famous Shipwreck
Plus, there’s something oddly comforting about Plattsburgh. It’s a college town with a bit of an industrial edge. If you’re hungry, grab a "Michigan" hot dog. It’s a local hyper-specialty—a steamed hot dog with a specific meat sauce that is not chili. It’s a North Country rite of passage that most people traveling from Lake Placid to Montreal skip entirely because they’re in a rush. Their loss.
The Border Crossing: Lacolle vs. The Alternatives
This is where the trip gets real. The Champlain-St. Bernard de Lacolle crossing is the primary port of entry for I-87/Autoroute 15. It’s a massive facility. It’s also where every tour bus and semi-truck hangs out.
Wait times here can fluctuate wildly. On a Tuesday morning, you might breeze through in five minutes. On a Friday evening or a holiday weekend? You’re looking at two hours of staring at the bumper of a minivan from New Jersey.
- Check the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) Border Wait Times app. It’s surprisingly accurate.
- Have your documents ready. Passport, NEXUS card, or Enhanced Driver’s License. Don’t wait until you’re at the booth to start digging through your glove box.
- Turn off your radio. Take off your sunglasses. It’s about respect and speed.
If the main crossing looks like a nightmare, savvy locals often diverted to the smaller crossings like Overton Corners or Mooers. However, be careful with this. These smaller ports have limited hours and sometimes only one lane open. If you get stuck behind a single car with a complex visa issue, you’re trapped. Stick to the main crossing unless the digital signs on the highway tell you otherwise.
Entering Quebec: The Mental Shift
The moment you cross the line, the signs change to French. The speed limits change to kilometers. 100 km/h feels fast until you realize it’s only about 62 mph.
Autoroute 15 North is a straight shot into the city. It’s not particularly pretty. It’s mostly flat farmland and warehouses. But as you approach the St. Lawrence River, the skyline of Montreal starts to rise up like something out of a European dreamscape.
🔗 Read more: Why the Newport Back Bay Science Center is the Best Kept Secret in Orange County
You’ll likely cross the Samuel De Champlain Bridge. It’s a stunning piece of engineering that opened in 2019, replacing the old, crumbling bridge. The view of the city from here is peak Montreal. You’ll see the Olympic Stadium’s inclined tower in the distance and the skyscrapers of downtown.
The Montreal Traffic Warning
I cannot stress this enough: Montreal drivers are assertive. It’s not quite New York City aggression, but it’s close.
And then there are the orange cones. Montreal is famous for having two seasons: winter and construction. Roads that were open yesterday might be closed today for a "total closure." GPS apps like Waze are your best friend here because they account for the sudden detours that Google Maps sometimes misses.
Also, a crucial legal note: You cannot turn right on a red light on the island of Montreal. It’s legal in the rest of Quebec, but not in the city itself. If you do it, the police will find you. It’s like they have a sixth sense for it.
Where to Land: Choosing Your Neighborhood
Once you've made it from Lake Placid to Montreal, where do you go? If you just put "Montreal" into your phone, it’ll dump you in the middle of the downtown core (Centre-Ville). That’s fine for shopping on Rue Sainte-Catherine, but it’s not the soul of the city.
Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal) is where the history is. Cobblestone streets, 17th-century architecture, and the smell of expensive perfumes. It’s touristy, sure, but walking down Rue Saint-Paul at twilight is genuinely magical. It feels like a portal.
💡 You might also like: Flights from San Diego to New Jersey: What Most People Get Wrong
If you want to feel like a local, head to Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. This is where you find the iconic colorful houses with exterior spiral staircases. It’s a neighborhood of parks, bookstores, and "bring your own wine" restaurants. It’s the perfect contrast to the rugged, outdoorsy vibe of Lake Placid.
Essential Logistics for the Cross-Border Traveler
Money is easy. Most places in Montreal are card-only or card-preferred now. You don't really need to carry a wad of Canadian cash, but having a few "loonies" (one-dollar coins) and "toonies" (two-dollar coins) is helpful for small tips or street performers.
Language is a point of anxiety for some. Do you need to speak French? No. In the tourist areas and downtown, everyone is bilingual. However, starting a conversation with a simple "Bonjour" goes a long way. It’s a politeness thing. If you just barge in with English, people might be a bit shorter with you. If you try the "Bonjour," they’ll usually realize you’re a tourist and switch to English immediately to make it easier for both of you.
- Phone Plans: Most US carriers (Verizon, AT&T) have North American plans that include Canada. Check your settings. You don't want a $500 roaming bill because you watched YouTube in a traffic jam in Brossard.
- Health Insurance: Your US health insurance might not cover you in Canada. It’s worth the $20 to buy a basic travel insurance policy for the weekend.
The Return Trip: Lake Placid Bound
Coming back is usually faster, mainly because the US border agents at Highgate or Champlain are often more efficient with US citizens returning home. But remember: you cannot bring everything back.
Don’t try to sneak back Kinder Eggs (the ones with the toys inside) or certain types of unpasteurized cheeses if you aren't sure of the current regulations. Customs agents take their jobs very seriously. Also, if you bought a lot of clothes or goods, keep your receipts. There are personal exemption limits ($800 per person if you’ve been gone for 48 hours), and while they rarely grill you over a sweater, they might if you have a trunk full of luxury bags.
As you head south on I-87, the Adirondacks will start to rise up again. The transition from the flat plains of the St. Lawrence Valley back into the rugged terrain of the High Peaks is one of the best parts of the drive. It feels like coming home.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
Before you turn the key in the ignition, do these three things to ensure the drive from Lake Placid to Montreal doesn't turn into a logistical headache:
- Verify your documents today. If your passport is within six months of expiring, some agents get prickly. If you’re using an Enhanced Driver’s License, make sure it’s the one with the American flag on it.
- Download offline maps. The area around the border is a notorious dead zone for data. If you lose your signal, you lose your directions. Download the "Montreal" and "Upstate NY" sectors in Google Maps.
- Book parking in Montreal in advance. Parking in the city is a nightmare and incredibly expensive. Use an app like ClickNPark or find a hotel that includes "stationnement." Driving around looking for a spot in the Plateau will eat an hour of your life you’ll never get back.
The drive is a tale of two worlds. You start in the quiet, pine-scented air of a mountain village and end up in a bustling, francophone metropolis. It’s only 110 miles, but it feels like a journey across an ocean. Pack your patience for the border, keep an eye out for those orange cones, and enjoy the poutine. You earned it.