The trip from Toronto generally takes 4 to 4.5 hours during the day from Yonge St. Travel times assume that you go 25km/h above the limit, and exclude weather, construction, pit stops, and rush hour traffic. Except for the 416, I still take all of these routes for variety. The MTO's Eastern Ontario Construction Notes can be found here. The map below shows all routes, highlighting the fastest route from Aurora.
| Name | Route | Notes |
| All-Freeway | Highway 401 to Highway 416 (Prescott), Highway 416 North to Highway 417 WEST to Carp Rd. | 15-20 minutes longer, extra 50-80km, takes more gas. |
| Fastest | Highway 401 to Highway 37 (Belleville), Highway 37 to Highway 7(Tweed), Highway 7 East. | uses best part of Hwy 7, used by the express buses. |
| Scenic | Highway 401 to Highway 15 (Kingston), Highway 15 to Highway 7 (Carleton Place), Highway 7 East. | Great view of the limestone and Canadian Shield, though Hwy 15 can be tedious and is gaining stoplights quickly. |
| Love/Hate 401 Route | Highway 401 to Highway 115 (Newcastle), Highway 115 to Highway 7 (Peterborough), Highway 7 East. | Avoid some 401 truck traffic and construction, but still uses some 4-lane. |
| Least-Expressway | Bloomington Sd. Rd.(#40) to Goodwood Rd (#21), Goodwood Rd. becomes Highway 7A at Highway 12, Highway 7A merges with Highway 115 East and becomes Highway 7. |
The shortest, fastest, most scenic route, using the least gas, particularly from York Region or east of Yonge St. A variation uses 407/7 to Hwy 7A. |
To get to our house once in the Ottawa area, use these directions.