Visiting Toronto for the World Cup? Here’s the best road trips from the city to make the most of your visit

A new report is sharing the best road trips from World Cup host cities to help soccer fans make the most of their visits during the tournament, including from Toronto. 

The World Cup is kicking off this week, with over 300,000 visitors from out of town expected to hit the city throughout the tournament. While in town, travel insurance provider Travel Guide suggests two-thirds of visitors are planning to stay for at least six days longer than the game days. 

To help visitors better explore the host cities during their visit, Travel Guide has analyzed all 16 host cities to map the best driving excursions for visitors, accounting for distance, fuel, accommodation, car rentals, and more. 

Niagara Wine Country Loop

Canada’s very first World Cup match kicks off at the Toronto Stadium on June 12, where the country’s national soccer team will face Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

For those who will be in town for the match, Travel Guard rates the Niagara Wine Country Loop as the best road trip from Toronto. In reality, this trip gives visitors the chance to explore multiple attractions and destinations, without having to go too far from the city. 

With Niagara-on-the-Lake being about 132 kilometres from the city, the trip is only about one hour and a half from downtown, while passing through 34 different attractions along one of Canada’s most popular wine routes. 

The trip is estimated to cost drivers $395, with $65 in car rentals and $270 for overnight accommodation. 

Gananoque

Following the wine loop, Travel Guard ranks Gananoque as the second best road trip destination from Toronto. The trip is about 291 kilometres from downtown, meaning a three-hour drive each way, with 24 on-route attractions to enjoy. 

Gananoque is a popular destination for tourists near the Canada–US border on the St. Lawrence River, with access to the Thousand Islands, an archipelago of 1,864 islands along the border. 

According to the study, this road trip would come to a total cost of $352, between $64 of fuel, $130 of car rental, and about $215 for a hotel stay. This makes this trip the most affordable one from Toronto, as seen in the study. 

Muskoka and Algonquin Park

Finally, the third best-ranked trip from Toronto was named Muskoka and Algonquin Park. This trip is estimated to take about 2 hours and 54 minutes each way, with 19 attractions along the way. 

This top wilderness destination is known for its pine forests, beautiful lakes, and maple trees, and offers attractions like canoeing, hiking, and peaceful stays. 

This trip comes to an estimated cost of $454, with $61 in fuel, $130 in car rental, and $320 for a hotel stay. 

Those hoping to catch Canada’s second game, which will be hosted in Vancouver’s B.C. Stadium on June 18, would have six days to enjoy their time on the trip before the big day. 

Toronto rates 12th in cheapest road trips 

Despite the Niagara Wine Country Loop offering several attractions for drivers at a relatively comparable price to other trips in the U.S. and Canada, it was ranked 12th in terms of cheapest road trips from a World Cup host city, out of 48 total. 

The three cheapest road trips were located in Mexico, with Monterrey scoring first place at $182, Guadalajara second at $221, and Mexico City third at $255. 

According to the study, Toronto’s destination is in line with mid-range U.S. host cities, including New York at $448 and San Francisco at $591.