Detroit to Windsor? (home, drivers license, car)

[jcx456]

I'm coming to detroit soon and i want to go to windsor while i'm there. I'm just wondering why when i mapquested detroit to windsor it said it was only 2 miles but that the total travel time is 40 minutes? I know it's an international border but does it really take 40 minutes to go 2 miles and is it much quicker if you just walk across the border instead of taking your car? I don't know much about this since every other time i went to canada i flew and didn't drive, so fill me in please.

[Cliffie]

The problem is the new border patrols and junk. They do everything but run a dang DNA test on you these days, and Scrod help you if you try to cross the bridge at "crush hour."

[Tiger Beer]

It'll be much quicker to take the car across than to walk.

My guess is that mapquest just factored in any potential of long delays plus the potential of your car being searched or whatsoever else.

Generally speaking it doesn't take 40 minutes to go the 2 miles. Think of it as something similar to coming home from an international flight. Sure, it looks like you can just walk through immigration in 10 seconds, but you might have others in front of you, and they might search your bags, etc. Maybe.

[Wingnatic]

If your from Michigan (only 1 of a handful of States) you will either need a U.S. passport or an enhanced Michgan drivers license ($40) that serves as a passport to travel to Canada . If you fly , only a U.S. passport is accepted . It only takes a couple of minutes to drive across the Ambassador Bridge , or the tunnel .

[Dexterguy]

It usually doesn't take 40 minutes to cross the border. From my personal experiences the Ambassador Bridge usually takes longer to get through than the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Therefore, I usually take the tunnel instead of the Ambassador Bridge.

Plus, the Tunnel will get you directly into downtown Windsor from downtown Detroit. Where the bridge you have to try out of the way a little bit to cross.

[MaryleeII]

Just how do you think you can "walk across the border"? At least in Detroit, its seperated from Windsor by the Detroit River, the only way across is the bridge or the tunnel, I would recommend going one way and come back the other just to experience both, although the tunnel lets off in a more convenient area of Windsor, depending on what you're looking to do.

[prairiestate]

Good luck. I had the same idea a couple years ago on a trip to SE Michigan, to take a day trip to see what Canada looked like. I almost ended in up Guantanamo Bay, despite being an American citizen with a passport (before it was even required). I got sent into the office for interrogation while they ransacked my car. Apparently there is something extremely suspicious about taking a day trip to Canada. And racial profiling wasn't an issue at all, I'm of Polish heritage, and quite pale.