Winter Getaways You Can Drive to in Less Than Four Hours

Whether you’re looking to ring in the New Year or just play in the snow, there are thousands of ways to get away from it all within a half-days’ drive of your home this winter.

Below are some of the funnest destinations you may or may not have thought of, along with a selection of the cities that fall within a roughly four-hour radius of them…

LOUD

Getaway: Blue Mountain (Collingwood)
4 hours (approx) or less from: Sudbury, Toronto, London, Windsor, Kingston
The buzz: Ontario’s alpine ski Mecca is the largest such resort between Quebec and Alberta. A full slate of Nordic adventures ensures everyone and every age on your trip will have fun.
http://www.bluemountain.ca/

Getaway: Winterlude (Ottawa)
4 hours (approx) or less from: Toronto, North Bay, Peterborough
The buzz: One of Canada’s truly great winter festivals and a great time to experience the Capital, especially if you haven’t been (or haven’t been for a while.) Feb 5-21
http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16298-22877&bhcp=1〈=1

Getaway: Toronto for non-Torontonians
4 hours (approx) or less from: Ottawa, Windsor, Sudbury
The buzz: The city every Canadian loves to hate is also the one with all the coolest stuff: From the final days of a showing of the Dead Sea Scrolls (until Jan 3) at the Royal Ontario Museum to the return of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s record-shattering King Tut exhibit, to the Winterlicious sampling of the city’s thousands of restaurants (Jan 29 - Feb 11), to the internationally-thought-provoking Body Worlds exhibit for a limited time at the Ontario Science Centre.
http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/wintercity/
http://www.seetorontonow.com/

Getaway: Carnival (Quebec City)
4 hours (approx) or less from: Ottawa
The buzz: An essential experience and a great way to connect with the culture and history of La Belle Provence. The $50-million-dollar festival started in 1894 and is now the largest winter carnival on Earth. Jan 9 - Feb 14
http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/

Getaway: Niagara Falls
4 hours (approx) or less from: Toronto, Barrie, Sudbury (4.5 hours)
The buzz: People don’t do to downtown Niagara Falls for rest: The Clifton Hill and Lundy’s Lane main drags have gone from a collection of wax museums and souvenir shops in the last couple of decades to a blaring, light show of clubs, casinos, amusement rides, and world-class live entertainment. Truly the Vegas of the north. Drop by for a roll of the dice and a glimpse of the Falls partially or mostly frozen-solid.
http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/

Getaway: Montreal High Lights Festival
4 hours (approx) or less from: Toronto (5 hrs), Oshawa, Ottawa, Kingston
The buzz: Each year, this festival highlights a different culture with themed food, performing arts, and dazzling light displays. This year, experience Portugal, with fireworks, live music, and an outdoor circus. Feb 8-28
http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/accueil_en.aspx

Getaway: Mount Tremblant (Quebec)
4 hours (approx) or less from: Kingston, Ottawa, North Bay (6 hrs)
The buzz: Voted Eastern North America’s #1 ski resort for the 13th year in a row by Ski Magazine. The white-powdered wonderland is nestled amongst the Laurentian mountains, next to the picture-perfect town of the same name, with shopping, art, and fine-cuisine galore.
http://www.tremblant.ca/index.htm

Quiet

Getaway: Algonquin Park
4 hours (approx) or less from: Toronto, Hamilton, Niagara Falls
The buzz: Take in the majesty of one of Canada’s most travelled parks from the comfort of one of a dozen luxurious resorts. Take in a spa treatment before or after a hike, a cross-country ski, or even a dog-sled adventure.
http://www.resortsofontario.com/winter/

Getaway: Eastern Townships (Quebec)
4 hours (approx) or less from: Ottawa, Kingston
The buzz: Well worth the drive just to keep driving through this beautiful winter wonderland. A jewel of the Eastern Townships and voted one of the prettiest towns in Quebec by L’Actualité Magazine, Knowlton is well-known for its cafes, boutiques and antique dealers.
http://www.mestern.net/canada/quebec/easterntownships/index.php

Weird & wonderful

Getaway: Ice Hotel (Quebec)
4 hours (approx) or less from: Ottawa (closer to 5.5 hours)
The buzz: Truly an event never to be forgotten…North America’s ice hotel lets you sleep (on cozy firs with plenty of blankets) in beautiful rooms whose structure and furniture are made entirely of ice. From the glasses at the bar to the candle holders in the hotel’s elaborate church, every inch of the hotel is made from scratch each year. 10th anniversary season, Jan 4 - April 4.
http://www.icehotel-canada.com/

Getaway: Valcartier Vacation Village (Quebec)
4 hours (approx) or less from: Ottawa
The buzz: A tobogganer’s dream…42 sliding hills let you rocket down North America’s longest, steepest snow rafting slopes in inflatable sleds, tubes, and more.
http://www.valcartier.com/page.aspx?GP=223&SID=241&LA=EN

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