The cottage country drive: Tricks to beat the rush

Friday, August 2, 2013, 9:59 AM -

With two more long weekends left in the summer many people will be making the trip to cottage country for a chance to escape. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a restful and relaxing reprieve from a hectic city life. However, the drive to get there, especially if the destination is the Muskokas, is often anything but relaxing. 

Almost everyone that regularly makes the summer trips up north has stories to share of never ending bumper-to-bumper traffic or nasty traffic jams – hardly the R and R people are seeking. With high volumes of vehicles swarming the roads, the drive to and from cottage country is becoming more of a challenge every year. So, the question is: Are there any tricks to beat the rush?

Travelers Network Traffic Specialist Tom Reynolds explains that if you are traveling to cottage country during peak periods there are not many ways to avoid the volume. The best way to try and get around the traffic has to do with timing. Try leaving for the cottage as early as possible on a Friday. If you are going to be stuck, you may be better off waiting for an early Saturday morning departure. Sheryl Plouffe has been traveling to her cottage for 14 years and says the best piece of advice she can give is to experiment with your drive; once you find the perfect route, stick to it. 

Sometimes you may have no choice but to travel to the cottage during peak periods. If this is the case, try to relax and make the most of your road trip.

THE TRAVEL & COMMUTING APP YOU NEED: Travelers Network is free to download for iPhone at the App Store. Get all the traffic info you need to ease your daily commute by downloading it today.