Montreal to the Cabins

The cabins are about two hours from downtown Montreal, 75 to 101 road miles depending on the border crossing, on two wooded properties south of Malone where each cabin has a hot tub on its own deck. Since June 1, 2026, the old direct road through Trout River has been closed to southbound traffic, so the hour you leave the city now decides your route. This post is the trip from the Montreal side: which crossing fits a Friday after work or a Saturday morning, each route timed, where to shop and fill up, paying in U.S. dollars, your phone, winter on the road and the drive home.

The hour you leave picks the crossing

Five crossings work from Montreal, and two of them close in the afternoon. Chateaugay, the shortest route at about 75 road miles to the cabins, takes traffic into the United States from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Churubusco, about 84 road miles, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., which makes it a longer daytime alternative to Chateaugay. Fort Covington, about 93 road miles, Mooers, about 99, and Champlain, about 101, are open around the clock. The old road through Trout River, about 78 road miles, is closed southbound until about May 2028; the post on the Trout River closure has the story.

So work backward from the booth. The Chateaugay port is about 48 road miles from downtown, a drive of about an hour and ten minutes on a clear road. To reach it by 5:30 p.m., with a cushion before it closes at 6, leave downtown by about 4 p.m., and earlier on a Friday afternoon to allow for traffic. Churubusco is about the same distance from downtown and closes at 4 p.m., so it only suits a departure before about 2:30 p.m. Leave after about 4 p.m. and the choice is Fort Covington, Mooers or Champlain.

The driving times are estimates for a clear road, built from OpenStreetMap's road network and rounded; they leave out traffic, weather and the line at the booth. The papers, the dog form and the food rules for the booth are in crossing the border, which this post does not repeat.

Friday after work

A Friday departure after 4 p.m. means Fort Covington, Mooers or Champlain, and for half the year it also means driving the American half in the dark. Leave downtown at 5:30 p.m. and you reach the border at about 6:50. From late September until the clocks change on March 14, 2027, the sun has set at the cabins by then. It sets at 6:48 p.m. on September 25 and at 4:17 p.m. on December 18, with dusk over by 4:51; by January 15 sunset is at 4:42, by February 12 at 5:21 and by March 12 at 5:59.

Through Fort Covington

This is the route behind the site's Montreal drive times, and a good choice when you leave after work from downtown or the west of the island. Here is the trip leaving downtown at 5:30 p.m. with no stops:

1. 5:30 p.m. Autoroute 20 west to Route 138 and the Honoré-Mercier Bridge, which carries Route 138 across the St. Lawrence from LaSalle to the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake.
2. About 5:50 p.m. Autoroute 30 west past Léry and Beauharnois, then Autoroute 530 into Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, about 37 road miles from downtown.
3. About 6:20 p.m. Route 132 west out of Valleyfield along the St. Lawrence, through Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Sainte-Barbe and Saint-Anicet, about 22 road miles to the line.
4. About 6:50 p.m. The Dundee and Fort Covington crossing, about 67 road miles from downtown, open 24 hours on both sides.
5. About 7:10 p.m. Malone, by NY 37 east through Westville. The Stewart's at West Main Street and Finney Boulevard sells gas, and Price Chopper on Finney Boulevard is open until 11 p.m.
6. About 7:30 p.m. The cabins, by Duane Street south out of the village and County Route 25, about 26 road miles from the border.

Add whatever time the line takes, and the time for any shopping. The host's directions for the last few miles are worth more than a phone map; getting to the cabins explains why.

Through Champlain

From the South Shore, or from downtown on a weekend when the Mercier Bridge is down to one lane each way, Autoroute 15 is the easier start. Take the Samuel De Champlain Bridge and Autoroute 15 south past Brossard, La Prairie, Candiac, Saint-Philippe, Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur and Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville to the crossing at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, about 40 road miles and 45 minutes from downtown. On the American side, I-87 runs south for a little over a mile to the US 11 exit, and US 11 heads west through Champlain, Mooers, Ellenburg, Chateaugay and Burke. From the border it is about 57 road miles and 70 minutes to the cabins.

This route has its own grocery stop. The Price Chopper at 860 Route 11 in Champlain, about 2.7 road miles from the border, is open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and sells beer. Past that, the route skirts Malone on Andrus Street and River Road to reach County Route 25, so drive into the village only if you need something there.

The Champlain route is longer, but it stays on Autoroute 15 and the interstate all the way to the border and a mile beyond. The Fort Covington route leaves the autoroutes at Valleyfield and finishes on Route 132 and NY 37.

Through Mooers

Mooers is the third crossing open all night. Leave Autoroute 15 for Route 202 west and Route 219 south through Hemmingford, and you reach the line about 47 road miles from downtown. From the Mooers port it is about 52 road miles to the cabins by US 11, about 99 in all and about two hours of driving. The Canadian office at Hemmingford is open 24 hours too, so the same crossing works for a late trip home.

Saturday morning

An early Saturday start opens the short routes. Leave downtown at 7:30 a.m. and the Chateaugay crossing, open from 6 a.m., has you in Malone by about 9.

1. 7:30 a.m. Route 138 across the Mercier Bridge and southwest through Mercier and Sainte-Martine.
2. About 8:15 a.m. Ormstown, about 35 road miles out. Turn south on Route 201, then take two rural roads, Rang du Trois and Chemin Gore, to Route 202 in Hinchinbrooke, and Montée Herdman south to the line.
3. About 8:40 a.m. The Chateaugay crossing, called Herdman on the Canadian side, about 48 road miles from downtown.
4. About 8:45 a.m. Chateaugay village, about five miles south on County Route 52. The Stewart's at 195 East Main Street on US 11 sells gas.
5. About 9 a.m. Malone, about 12 road miles west on US 11 through Burke. The cabins are about ten road miles south of the village.

Churubusco, the other daytime crossing, opens at 8 a.m. Follow Route 138 to Ormstown, then Route 201 south to Franklin and Route 209 to the port, about 48 road miles from downtown. From the port, NY 189 runs south to US 11, and the cabins are about 36 road miles on, about nine more in all than through Chateaugay. It only works one way: there is no Canadian office there, so you cannot come back north through it.

Check-in at all three cabins is after 4 p.m., so a morning crossing buys a day in the area first. Titus Mountain's base lodge is about 3.5 road miles from the cabins, so in ski season a Saturday that starts at 7:30 a.m. in Montreal can include most of a day on the hill; see skiing Titus Mountain.

What to buy in Malone and what to bring

Every route from these crossings reaches the cabins by way of Malone, about ten road miles north of them, so the simplest plan is to bring little across the border and shop there. A guest who stayed at The Modern Pine in May 2023 gave the same advice in French:

La ville de malone est a environ 15-20 minutes. Il y a un walmart et price chopper pour l'épicerie.

That is, Malone is 15 to 20 minutes away, with a Walmart and a Price Chopper for groceries. Price Chopper, at 53 Finney Boulevard, is open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and sells beer. ALDI is at 3324 State Route 11 and the Walmart Supercenter at 3222 State Route 11.

Beer, wine and the drinking age

New York splits the shopping. Grocery and convenience stores may sell beer and cider, but wine and spirits are sold only in licensed liquor stores. Malone has two: The Jug Store at 44 Finney Boulevard and Harison Wine & Liquor at 632 East Main Street. In Franklin County the law allows beer sales around the clock except from 3 to 8 a.m. on Sundays, and liquor stores may sell from 8 a.m. to midnight, and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday; each store sets its own hours inside those limits. If you planned to bring bottles from home instead, check CBP's current guidance: a U.S. proclamation barring imports of a long list of Canadian-made beer, wine, cider and spirits took effect September 29, 2026, and its text makes no exception for travelers.

The age is the other difference. In Quebec you can buy alcohol at 18. In New York nobody may sell or serve alcohol to anyone under 21, so a 19-year-old in the group can buy beer in Montreal but not in Malone.

What to bring from home

Bring as little food across the border as you can. Everything has to be declared at the booth, and some fresh produce from Canada is refused outright; the crossing guide has the list. Firewood is the one thing never to pack: New York does not allow untreated firewood in from any other state or country. Every cabin has a fire pit, so buy wood after you cross. The kitchen in each cabin is fully equipped, and groceries and supplies lists what is already there.

Fuel and charging

Gas on the American side is sold by the U.S. gallon, almost four liters, and paid in U.S. dollars. On the Fort Covington route, the Stewart's at West Main Street and Finney Boulevard in Malone sells gas, diesel and non-ethanol premium, and it is right on the way. On every route that comes in on US 11, from Chateaugay, Churubusco, Mooers or Champlain, the Stewart's in Chateaugay village is the handy one; it is about five miles past the Chateaugay crossing. Stewart's has no shop in Champlain, Mooers, Churubusco or Fort Covington.

At an American pump your card may ask for a ZIP code, which a Canadian card does not have. For its cards, Desjardins tells customers to type the three digits of their postal code followed by two zeros, so H2Z 2W3 becomes 22300. If that fails, pay inside.

Electric cars

Plan charging around Malone, which has three public fast-charging sites: four Red E chargers at ALDI on State Route 11, open around the clock; one EVolveNY charger at 355 West Main Street; and one ChargePoint charger at 551 East Main Street. Several Level 2 chargers are on West Main Street too. On the Champlain route, the Tesla Supercharger at 860 US 11 in Champlain, the same address as the Price Chopper, has 16 stalls, is open 24 hours and is listed as enabled for partner cars that use Tesla's plug. No public chargers are listed near the Fort Covington port or Chateaugay village, so on those routes leave the Montreal area with enough charge to reach Malone.

Paying in U.S. dollars

On October 6, 2026, the Bank of Canada's daily average rate was 1.4226 Canadian dollars to the U.S. dollar. At that rate a US$100 grocery bill comes to about C$142 before any card fees.

If you pay by card, check its foreign-currency fee before the trip. Desjardins, for example, adds a 2.5 percent conversion fee to purchases in a foreign currency, on top of the day's exchange rate, so the US$100 bill costs roughly C$146. Its U.S.-dollar Visa card charges purchases in U.S. dollars and avoids the conversion fee. A Desjardins cash advance in a foreign currency carries the same fee and charges interest from the day you take it, so if you want U.S. cash, bring some from home. Both Stewart's shops on these routes list an ATM.

Two more card details catch Quebec travelers. A Desjardins card has a five-digit PIN; if a machine asks for four digits, enter all five anyway. And Desjardins does not need to be told before you travel.

Sales tax in Franklin County, as in Clinton County, is 8 percent, state and local combined. Most groceries are exempt, but candy, carbonated drinks, sandwiches, heated food and pet food are taxed.

Your phone on the New York side

A Canadian phone roams in the United States, and what that costs depends on the plan. Check before the trip, not at the border. A few examples from the carriers' own pages in October 2026:

• Vidéotron sells Canada and United States plans with calls, texts and data included on both sides of the border, and a Daily Traveller Pass option starting at $13 a day.
• Fizz lets members switch their plan's coverage to Canada and the United States before a trip.
• Rogers sells U.S. Travel Passes, $25 for three days or $50 for seven, and a U.S. daily rate of $16; texting TRAVEL to 222 confirms that a line is enrolled.

Once you reach the cabin, its wifi takes over. All three cabins have wifi and an ethernet connection, and a phone with Wi-Fi Calling can use it; Vidéotron, for one, lets customers travelling in more than 100 eligible countries call Canada over wifi without long-distance fees. Between Malone and the cabins the cell signal depends on your carrier, so save the host's directions and an offline map before you leave home; getting to the cabins has more on the signal.

Driving rules on the New York side

Your Quebec license is good in New York: the state lets visitors drive with a valid license from their own country, and an International Driving Permit is helpful but not required. Quebec's public insurance plan, run by the SAAQ, covers a Quebec resident's own injuries in a road accident in Quebec or elsewhere, whoever was responsible, but it does not cover injuries you cause to others or damage to property. That is the job of private liability insurance, which the SAAQ advises having in place before you drive outside the province, so check your policy before the trip.

If you do have a crash in New York, call the local police and ask for a copy of the accident report, and do not sign anything, accept money or admit fault until you have spoken to the SAAQ, at 1-800-463-6898 from Canada or the United States.

Speeds are in miles an hour, and New York's limit is 55 mph, about 89 km/h, wherever no sign says otherwise. A right turn on a red light is allowed after a full stop unless a sign forbids it, the opposite of the rule on the island of Montreal. Plows, deer, the headlight rule and moving over for stopped vehicles are covered in winter driving.

Winter on the autoroutes and on NY 37 and US 11

Quebec-registered cars must be on winter tires from December 1 to March 15, so a car from Montreal arrives ready; the winter driving guide covers studs and what to keep in the car. The rest of the winter plan comes down to which roads you drive and when.

The routes differ in winter. The Champlain and Mooers routes run on Autoroute 15 to the border, then follow US 11 west through Mooers, Ellenburg and Chateaugay to Malone. The Fort Covington route follows Route 132 along the river for its last 22 road miles in Quebec, then NY 37 to Malone. The Chateaugay route uses Route 201, Rang du Trois, Chemin Gore and Montée Herdman, rural roads, before the border. In Quebec, dial 511 on a cell phone to report a slippery or snow-covered road; on the New York side, 511NY is the state transportation department's traffic and travel information service. Check both before you pick a route on a snowy evening, and on a stormy Friday consider leaving Saturday morning instead.

Check the Mercier Bridge before a weekend trip, too. The province plans intensive weekend work periods there in 2026, with one lane kept open in each direction, and announces the dates as they are confirmed; the Montreal day trip guide covers the bridges in more detail.

The drive home on Sunday

Going north, the old road works again. Trout River is closed only to traffic entering the United States, and the Canadian office there, on Route 138 in Elgin, is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. From the cabins it is 21 road miles to the line and about 57 more to downtown, about 78 road miles in all. Herdman, the Canadian side of the Chateaugay crossing, keeps the same hours, and its route home is about 75 road miles; the two take about the same time. Dundee, Hemmingford and the Autoroute 15 office at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle are open 24 hours.

Checkout is before 11 a.m., so a guest who heads straight home crosses with hours to spare. If you spend the rest of Sunday in the area, the 6 p.m. closing becomes the deadline, and 5:59 is too late to aim for. When the shorter hours were announced in November 2024, a Canada Border Services Agency employee told The Gleaner, the Chateauguay Valley's community newspaper, that travelers should not expect to cross up to the last minute: "It will be more like 5:30 or 5:45 p.m." Trout River is about 11 road miles north of Malone, so plan to reach the line by 5:30. If you would rather have dinner first, the night crossings are Dundee, about 26 road miles from the cabins by NY 37, and Lacolle, on Autoroute 15. Churubusco is no use going home, since it has no Canadian office.

Canadian customs on the way back

What you can bring home without paying duty and taxes depends on how long you were out of Canada. There is no allowance after less than 24 hours, a small one after 24 hours and a larger one after 48 hours, and only the 48-hour allowance can include alcohol. The amounts are in the crossing guide.

The 48-hour line is the one a weekend tends to miss. With check-in after 4 p.m. on Friday and checkout before 11 a.m. on Sunday, a two-night stay usually adds up to less than 48 hours away: cross south at 6 p.m. Friday and north at noon Sunday and you have been out of Canada for 42 hours. A Saturday start with a Sunday return is under 48 hours either way. To clear the line, cross south at 1 p.m. on Friday and head home after 1 p.m. on Sunday, or book a third night.

Why the cabins suit a Montreal weekend

Distance does most of the work. At about two hours plus the border, the cabins are close enough to leave after work on a Friday, and Titus Mountain's base lodge is about 3.5 road miles from the door. A Montreal guest at The Modern Pine in May 2023 wrote:

Amazing place to rest far from the city! Loved being in the nature and isolated, exactly what I was looking for!

Each of the three cabins sleeps four, in a main bedroom and a bunk room, and each has a private hot tub, a fire pit, a grill, a full kitchen, wifi and a washer and dryer. The Modern Pine has the après-ski decor, down to a vintage "Ski-fun, La Province de Quebec" poster, with a Jøtul gas stove and a large screened room. The Aviator has the same stove, aviation decor and a big open deck. The Modern Tiny Home has the big stone fire pit and a short trail to an observation deck over the pond. The cabin comparison sets them side by side, and the post on the Jøtul stoves explains the fire. A guest from Saint-Hyacinthe summed up the Tiny Home in January 2023:

Exceptionnel cadre, en pleine nature, spa magnifique devant la belle forêt.

The spa in that review is the cabin's hot tub, set in front of the forest.

A few house rules shape the booking. At The Modern Pine and The Modern Tiny Home the booking guest must be 25 or older and the host asks for picture ID and a guest list at booking, and none of the three listings allows parties. The Modern Pine and The Modern Tiny Home are not suitable for children under 10, and all three listings carry Airbnb's flag for not suitable for children and infants, so the cabins suit couples, friends and families with older children. Pets are allowed for a fee; see bringing your dog for the paperwork at the border. When you are ready, book directly or through the listings.

Questions

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Hours, fees and schedules change; confirm before you go.

1. U.S. Customs and Border Protection cbp.gov/about/contact/ports/trout-river-new-york-0715
2. content.govdelivery.com content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCBP/bulletins/415e6c6
3. cbsa-asfc.gc.ca cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/data/cbsa-offices-services-bureaux-asfc-en.json
4. U.S. General Services Administration gsa.gov/real-estate/ongoing-construction-projects/trout-river-land-por
5. the-gleaner.com the-gleaner.com/canada-u-s-border-hours-to-be-halved-at-local-crossing
6. the-gleaner.com the-gleaner.com/trout-river-border-crossing-into-the-u-s-to-close-for-
7. the-gleaner.com the-gleaner.com/about-us/
8. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.567300,45.501700;-74.0857
9. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.567300,45.501700;-73.9392
10. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.567300,45.501700;-74.5077
11. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.567300,45.501700;-73.4535
12. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.567300,45.501700;-73.6029
13. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-74.192000,44.769000;-74.3076
14. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-74.192000,44.769000;-74.0857
15. router.project-osrm.org router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-73.4535,45.0064;-73.443314,4
16. OpenStreetMap (road distances) openstreetmap.org/
17. aa.usno.navy.mil aa.usno.navy.mil/api/rstt/oneday?date=2026-12-18&coords=44.769,-74.192
18. quebec.ca quebec.ca/en/transports/infrastructures-transport-projects/transport-p
19. pricechopper.com pricechopper.com/stores/ny/malone/price-chopper-166.html
20. pricechopper.com pricechopper.com/stores/ny/champlain/price-chopper-220.html
21. locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/chateaugay/137
22. locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny/malone/331
23. locations.stewartsshops.com locations.stewartsshops.com/ny
24. data.ny.gov data.ny.gov/Economic-Development/Current-Liquor-Authority-Active-Licen
25. sla.ny.gov sla.ny.gov/grocery-storedrug-store-license-quick-reference
26. sla.ny.gov sla.ny.gov/location/franklin-county
27. waer.org waer.org/2026-09-21/new-york-convenience-stores-and-bodegas-join-groce
28. newyork.public.law newyork.public.law/laws/n.y._alcoholic_beverage_control_law_section_65
29. educaloi.qc.ca educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/alcohol-can-you-buy-and-drink-it/
30. aphis.usda.gov aphis.usda.gov/traveling-with-ag-products/traveling-united-states-cana
31. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/invasive-species/terrestrial/fir
32. afdc.energy.gov afdc.energy.gov/stations
33. locations.redecharge.com locations.redecharge.com/ev-charging/new-york/malone/
34. bankofcanada.ca bankofcanada.ca/valet/observations/FXUSDCAD/json?recent=10
35. desjardins.com desjardins.com/en/credit-cards/faq/travel.html
36. tax.ny.gov tax.ny.gov/pdf/publications/sales/pub718.pdf
37. tax.ny.gov tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/tg_bulletins/st/food_sold_by_food_stores.htm
38. videotron.com videotron.com/en/mobile/travel
39. fizz.ca fizz.ca/en/travel
40. rogers.com rogers.com/mobility/roaming
41. New York State DMV dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/driving-new-york-state
42. protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca/en/node/1826
43. newyork.public.law newyork.public.law/laws/n.y._vehicle_and_traffic_law_section_1180
44. newyork.public.law newyork.public.law/laws/n.y._vehicle_and_traffic_law_section_1111
45. quebec.ca quebec.ca/en/transports/traffic-road-safety/traffic-rules-tips-for-all
46. quebec.ca quebec.ca/en/transports/traffic-road-safety/winter-road-safety/require
47. quebec.ca quebec.ca/transports/circulation-securite-routiere/periode-hivernale/d
48. 511NY 511ny.org/
49. travel.gc.ca travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/bringing-to-canada/personal-exemptions-
50. nist.gov nist.gov/how-do-you-measure-it/how-do-you-measure-fuel-gas-pump
51. govinfo.gov govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-14/pdf/2026-18835.pdf
52. content.govdelivery.com content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-42ce49a