# NYC to Montréal: Vermont Champlain Islands Variant

**Replaces Days 5 and 6 of the 7-day tour (Thu Oct 8 and Fri Oct 9).** Designed for the 7-day tour: the Local Motion bike ferry runs only Fri to Sun (plus Mon Oct 12), so the island day must fall on Fri Oct 9. On the 6-day plan this variant would make the last day about 111 mi. On the 5-day plan the island day would be a Thursday, when the bike ferry doesn't run.

## Ferries
- **Essex ➔ Charlotte car ferry:** Early-fall 2026 schedule: from Essex every 30 min 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM, hourly 6:30 to 10:30 AM and 5:30 to 8:30 PM. Hourly all day from Nov 5. Check ferries.com the day before. Fare $6.75 per cyclist, one way. Walk your bike on. Customer service: (802) 864-9804.
- **Island Line bike ferry:** Fall 2026: Fri 10 AM to 5 PM, Sat and Sun 10 AM to 6 PM, Sep 11 to Oct 12 (Mon Oct 12 is the last day, 10 to 5). No Mon to Thu service. Suggested donation: $5 one way / $10 round trip.
- **If the bike ferry isn't running:** From Burlington, go north through Winooski and Colchester on US-2/US-7 (a busy 4-lane road for about 5.6 mi), then take US-2 west over the Sandbar causeway to South Hero. That's 19.2 mi to South Hero, versus about 14.6 mi via the causeway (about +5 mi, not the +14 mi in earlier drafts). (GPX: `gpx/vermont/nyc_to_montreal_vermont_upgrade_day03.gpx`)

## Stages

### Alternative Thursday (Oct 8): Ticonderoga, NY to Burlington, VT (via Essex ferry)
*NY-9N/22 to Essex, Essex–Charlotte ferry, Lake Champlain Bikeways (Greenbush Rd, Spear St), Burlington Greenway*

- **Distance:** 61.1 mi (98.3 km) · **Climbing:** about +2,500 ft
- **Surface:** NY-9N/22 shoulders to Essex; a ferry crossing; quiet Vermont roads (Lake Rd, Greenbush Rd, Spear St) with about 1.4 mi on US-7 through Shelburne village; then paved paths into Burlington.
- **GPX:** [`gpx/vermont/nyc_to_montreal_vermont_upgrade_day01.gpx`](gpx/vermont/nyc_to_montreal_vermont_upgrade_day01.gpx)
- **Lunch:** **Pink Pig Cafe**, 2750 Essex Rd, Essex, NY · (518) 962-8833 · mile 38.9. Next to the ferry dock. Hours are limited in the fall (one listing shows Fri to Sun hours and closed Mon to Wed; Thursday is unclear): call ahead. The Essex Ice Cream Cafe is summer-only, and 'The Cup Cafe' from earlier drafts does not appear to exist.
- **Lodging:** **Hotel Vermont**, 41 Cherry St, Burlington, VT · (802) 651-0080 · mile 61.1. Downtown, near the lakefront path. / **Courtyard Burlington Harbor**, 25 Cherry St, Burlington, VT · (802) 864-4700 · mile 61.1. Next door to Hotel Vermont.
- **Bike shops / supplies:** **Old Spokes Home**, 331 N Winooski Ave, Burlington, VT · (802) 863-4475. Tue to Fri 10 to 6, Sat 10 to 5; closed Sun and Mon. / **North Star Sports**, 100 Main St, Burlington, VT · (802) 863-3832. Downtown bike shop near the waterfront.
- **Bailout:** Amtrak Adirondack at Port Henry (mile 15.1) before the ferry. In Burlington, Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express runs to NYC; check carry-on bike availability when booking.

<details><summary>Turn-by-turn cues</summary>

| Mile | Action | Road / place | Leg | Surface | Notes |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| 0.0 | DEPART ON | Wicker Street (NY-9N) | 1.3 | Road shoulder |  |
| 1.3 | CONTINUE ONTO | State Highway 9N (NY-9N; NY-22) | 5.6 | Road shoulder | NY-9N/22 north along the lake. |
| 6.9 | TURN LEFT | Sugar Hill Road | 1.9 | Street |  |
| 8.8 | CONTINUE ONTO | State Highway 9N (NY-9N; NY-22) | 4.2 | Road shoulder |  |
| 13.0 | CONTINUE ONTO | South Main Street (NY-9N; NY-22) | 2.6 | Road shoulder | Port Henry: Stewart's #103 for food and water. |
| 15.6 | RESUPPLY | Stewart's #103, Port Henry | 0.8 | — | Reliable food and water. |
| 16.4 | CONTINUE ONTO | State Highway 9N (NY-9N; NY-22) | 9.5 | Road shoulder |  |
| 25.9 | TURN RIGHT | Champlain Avenue (NY-22) | 1.0 | Road shoulder |  |
| 26.9 | CONTINUE ONTO | State Highway 22 (NY-22) | 8.1 | Road shoulder |  |
| 35.0 | CONTINUE ONTO | State Highway 9N (NY-22) | 1.3 | Road shoulder |  |
| 36.3 | CONTINUE ONTO | Station Road (NY-22) | 1.1 | Road shoulder |  |
| 37.4 | CONTINUE ONTO | Station Street (NY-22) | 1.5 | Road shoulder |  |
| 38.9 | LUNCH (call ahead) | Pink Pig Cafe, Essex (by the ferry dock) | 0.1 | — | Fall hours are limited. |
| 39.0 | BOARD FERRY | Charlotte, VT - Essex, NY | 2.8 | Ferry | FERRY to Charlotte, VT: about 20 min crossing, $6.75 per cyclist. In the early-fall schedule, Essex departures run every 30 min 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM (hourly before and after). |
| 41.8 | CONTINUE ONTO | Ferry Road (VT-F5) | 1.4 | Road shoulder |  |
| 43.2 | TURN LEFT | Lake Road | 3.3 | Street | Vermont: quiet Lake Champlain Bikeways roads. |
| 46.5 | TURN LEFT | Greenbush Road | 1.2 | Street |  |
| 47.7 | CONTINUE ONTO | Bostwick Road | 2.3 | Street |  |
| 50.0 | TURN LEFT | Shelburne Road (US-7) | 0.7 | Road shoulder |  |
| 50.7 | TURN LEFT | Falls Road | 0.2 | Street |  |
| 50.9 | TURN RIGHT | Shelburne Road (US-7) | 0.8 | Road shoulder |  |
| 51.7 | TURN LEFT | Webster Road | 1.2 | Street |  |
| 52.9 | TURN LEFT | Spear Street | 2.9 | Street | Spear St north into South Burlington. |
| 55.8 | TURN RIGHT | bike path | 1.7 | Bike path |  |
| 57.5 | TURN RIGHT | Farrell Street | 1.3 | Street |  |
| 58.8 | TURN RIGHT | Oak Beach Drive | 0.3 | Street |  |
| 59.1 | TURN RIGHT | Burlington Greenway | 0.4 | Bike path | Lakefront path into downtown Burlington. |
| 59.5 | TURN LEFT | Central Avenue | 0.3 | Street |  |
| 59.8 | TURN LEFT | Burlington Greenway | 0.8 | Bike path |  |
| 60.6 | TURN RIGHT | Battery Street | 0.5 | Street |  |
| 61.1 | ARRIVE | Hotel Vermont |  | — | 41 Cherry St, Burlington, VT |

</details>

### Alternative Friday (Oct 9): Burlington, VT to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC
*Island Line Trail, Colchester Causeway, Local Motion bike ferry, Champlain Islands (US-2), Rouses Point, Route 223*

- **Distance:** 72.8 mi (117.2 km) · **Climbing:** about +700 ft
- **Surface:** Paved Island Line path; about 3 mi of crushed-stone causeway; a short bike ferry; then US-2 shoulders through the islands and flat Route 223 in Quebec. Unpaved per OpenStreetMap: about 4.9 mi (mi 6.6 to 10.3 fine gravel, mi 10.6 to 11.8 fine gravel/gravel).
- **GPX:** [`gpx/vermont/nyc_to_montreal_vermont_upgrade_day02.gpx`](gpx/vermont/nyc_to_montreal_vermont_upgrade_day02.gpx)
- **Lunch:** **Hero's Welcome General Store**, 3537 US Route 2, North Hero, VT · (802) 372-4161 · mile 27.6. Deli, bakery and general store on the lake. Standard hours Mon to Sat 7 to 6, Sun 8 to 5; hours are reduced seasonally.
- **Lodging:** **Quality Hotel Centre de Congrès**, 725 Boul. du Séminaire N, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC · +1 (450) 300-5177 · mile 72.8. North side of town, near the canal. Choice Hotels toll-free: 1-800-667-3815. / **Auberge Harris**, 576 Rue Champlain, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC · +1 (450) 348-3821 · mile 72.5. Riverside inn close to the start of the canal path. Toll-free 1-800-668-3821.
- **Bike shops / supplies:** **Cycle LM**, 270 Boul. Saint-Luc, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC · mile 72.8 (2.4 mi off route). Bike shop with a repair workshop, about 2.4 mi west of the route. Replaces 'Performance Bégin', which could not be found. Phone not verified: see cyclelm.com.
- **Bailout:** Amtrak Adirondack at Rouses Point (mile 46.4); southbound departs 2:15 PM, with no Monday service north of Saratoga.

<details><summary>Turn-by-turn cues</summary>

| Mile | Action | Road / place | Leg | Surface | Notes |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| 0.0 | DEPART ON | Battery Street | 0.3 | Street |  |
| 0.3 | TURN LEFT | Burlington Greenway | 4.9 | Bike path |  |
| 5.2 | CONTINUE ONTO | Island Line Trail | 0.5 | Bike path |  |
| 5.7 | BEAR RIGHT | Windemere Way | 0.2 | Street |  |
| 5.9 | TURN LEFT | Biscayne Heights | 0.4 | Street |  |
| 6.3 | TURN LEFT | Colchester Point Road | 0.4 | Street |  |
| 6.7 | CONTINUE ONTO | Colchester Bike Path | 0.6 | Unpaved: fine gravel |  |
| 7.3 | CONTINUE ONTO | Colchester Causeway | 3.0 | Unpaved: fine gravel | Causeway into the lake: crushed stone, 3 mi. |
| 10.3 | BOARD FERRY | Local Motion Bike Ferry (Seasonal) | 0.3 | Ferry | BIKE FERRY across the Cut. 2026 fall schedule: Fri 10 AM to 5 PM, Sat and Sun 10 AM to 6 PM, through Mon Oct 12 (Indigenous Peoples' Day), last day of the season. Suggested donation $5 one way. If it isn't running, use the Sandbar bypass (see stage notes). |
| 10.6 | CONTINUE ONTO | Island Line Trail | 1.2 | Unpaved: fine gravel/gravel |  |
| 11.8 | TURN RIGHT | Martin Road | 0.3 | Street |  |
| 12.1 | TURN LEFT | South Street | 2.5 | Street |  |
| 14.6 | TURN RIGHT | U.S. Route 2 (US-2) | 13.0 | Road shoulder | US-2 north through the Champlain Islands. |
| 27.6 | LUNCH | Hero's Welcome, North Hero | 6.4 | — | General store, deli and bakery on the lake. |
| 34.0 | CONTINUE ONTO | U.S. Route 2 South (US-2) | 8.0 | Road shoulder |  |
| 42.0 | CONTINUE ONTO | U.S. Route 2 North (US-2) | 2.7 | Road shoulder |  |
| 44.7 | CONTINUE ONTO | Rouses Point Bridge (US-2) | 0.8 | Road shoulder | US-2 bridge back into New York (Rouses Point). |
| 45.5 | CONTINUE ONTO | Bridge Road (US-2) | 0.2 | Road shoulder |  |
| 45.7 | TURN LEFT | Montgomery Street | 0.5 | Street |  |
| 46.2 | TURN LEFT | Lake Street (US-11) | 1.3 | Road shoulder | US-11 north to the border. |
| 47.5 | BORDER | Rouses Point–Lacolle 223 crossing | 0.2 | — | Open 8 AM to 8 PM daily on both sides (not 24 hours). Car booth; passport, EDL or NEXUS. |
| 47.7 | BEAR RIGHT | Route 223 | 4.3 | Road shoulder | CANADA. Route 223 north along the Richelieu. |
| 52.0 | CONTINUE ONTO | Rue Principale (Route 223) | 9.1 | Road shoulder |  |
| 61.1 | CONTINUE ONTO | Route 223 | 3.7 | Road shoulder |  |
| 64.8 | CONTINUE ONTO | Rue Jacques-Cartier Sud (Route 223) | 1.8 | Road shoulder |  |
| 66.6 | CONTINUE ONTO | Boulevard du Séminaire Sud (Route 223) | 3.4 | Road shoulder |  |
| 70.0 | TURN LEFT | Boulevard du Séminaire Nord (Route 223) | 0.1 | Road shoulder |  |
| 70.1 | TURN RIGHT | Rue Saint-Georges | 0.3 | Street |  |
| 70.4 | TURN RIGHT | Rue Saint-Jacques | 0.5 | Street |  |
| 70.9 | TURN LEFT | Rue Champlain | 1.7 | Street |  |
| 72.6 | TURN LEFT | Rue MacDonald | 0.2 | Street |  |
| 72.8 | ARRIVE | Quality Hotel Centre de Congrès |  | — | 725 Boul. du Séminaire N, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC |

</details>

Then ride Day 7 (Saint-Jean ➔ Old Montréal, 33.0 mi) as in the 7-day guide.

*Comparison:* the New York route for these two days (Days 5 and 6) is 126.8 mi. The Vermont variant is 133.9 mi and less hilly on the island day.