Traveling to a foreign country from Chicago is remarkably easy—and you can do it in the comfort of your own car, no less—with Canada’s nearest entry point just beyond Detroit.

Cross the border and cruise through the vast provinces of Ontario and Quebec, wending your way from diverse Toronto to chic Montreal and then, finally, to the picturesque capital nationale, Quebec City, on a 1,120-mile journey that increases in exotic appeal the farther north you go.

The route that stitches together this string of waterfront cities traces the scenic shores of several Great Lakes and, to the east, that of the steely St. Lawrence River, which eventually pours into the Atlantic. After zipping through Michigan’s Harbor Country, you’ll cut straight across central Michigan, flying by Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor before arriv- ing in Detroit.

You’ll cross into Canada via the Detroit- Windsor Tunnel, which dips 75 feet below the Detroit River and goes for a mile before depositing you on the other side. Passports out! The route hugs the coast of Lake Ontario and then the banks of the St. Lawrence River as you motor from Toronto toward Montreal in the French-speaking province of Quebec.

Heed highway signs in French—remember that stop signs read “Arrêt”—and take in the majestic scenery along the way: bridges and harbor fronts, the 764-foot Mount Royal, dark-green forests, and endless tributaries. From its commanding cliffside perch, the famously walled Quebec City, one of the oldest European settlements in North America, has the power to transport. Where am I and where will I go next? Ponder the answers over a bowl of café au lait at an outdoor coffee shop with a view of the seaway.

Where to Stop Along the Way