For our friends coming from Europe, a central aspect your approach to White Pine Camp will be an airport.
Here are the nearest airports to White Pine Camp with direct service from Europe:
1. Montréal QC, Canada: Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport clocks in at 160 km and just over 2 hours travel time to White Pine Camp.
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2. Ottawa ON, Canada, Macdonald-Cartier International Airport will bring you to within a little more than 2 1/2 hours travel time to White Pine Camp at a distance of a little more than 200 km.
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Both approaches from the north will take you through some of the most remote areas in this corner of North America. These routes are both very leisurely ways to get to camp, taking you through very rural countryside, crossing the St. Lawrence River on or before the US boarder, depending on which route you take.
We can definitely recommend Ottawa for an overnight visit either on your inward or outbound journey. It is the capital of Canada and the place where the English and French speaking parts of the country meet. We enjoyed the city's cultural and museum offerings, the historic Rideau Canal and the European Vibe that this city has. If you are here for a little longer and are into Cold War history, we highly recommend a visit to the Diefenbunker Museum.
When planning your route, you may want to use an "open-jaws" strategy, flying into one airport and returning home from another. Just remember two things: you will have to return your car in the same country from which you started, and there will be a one-way fee which is typically not included in your main rental fee. We have paid up to $300 for one way fees, but have found it to be well worth it since it saves us from having to retrace our route, maximizing our vacation time.
The airports in Boston, NYC, Newark and Toronto are all similarly distant from White Pine Camp, and will take you somewhere around 5 1/2 hours to get there.
3. Boston Logan International Airport: 530 km / 5:30
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Don't get too distracted by what you see on the google map that I imbedded showing a flight from Boston to White Pine Camp. This is definitely an option, and you can get a one-way fare for somewhere between $95 and $155, with up to three flights a day on Cape Air, departing Boston at 9:20 AM, 1:50 PM and 6:20 PM. Don't choose this option if you have an aversion to small aircraft, you will be flying in a Cessna 402. BTW, Infants under 2 years of age can travel for free if seated on the lap of an adult passenger. Your destination airport is the Saranac Lake Airport (SLK), which is just under 20 minutes from White Pine Camp. You can either get a rental car from Hertz, or we can pick you up upon arrival.
If you prefer to travel by car, you can either travel via Massachusetts, then Albany NY, or through New Hampshire and Vermont. We thoroughly enjoyed the latter on our last trip, making a one night stop in each State on our way. We can recommend a few cozy bed-and-breakfasts to stay at if you are interested in this route. Montpelier VT, is an interesting visit to small town America, the smallest state capitol in the USA, with less than 8000 residents. We recommend taking tour of the Vermont State House and eating a burger at the Coffey Corner Diner. Yes, there are more posh places to eat in Montpelier, but we really enjoyed this typical diner looking out on Main St., small town, USA.
On your way, stop off at the original Ben & Jerry's Factory and take a tour, or just stop for some Ice Cream. We also recommend traveling via Burlington VT, to take the Ferry across Lake Champlain.
This route will take you via Ausable Chasm, a fascinating geological feature of the Adirondacks. Here you can go hiking, rafting, tubing or take a tour on the Adventure Trail. I have mixed feelings about all this. While these are all fun things to do, Ausable Chasm is one of the more visibly commercial enterprises in the park, and a bit pricy at that. If you stop here, don't be disturbed by the tour buses and the admission fees. Rest assured, most of the Adirondacks is not like this at all. And, please don't let me stop you from going on one of the tours. Believe me, this region is grateful for every source of revenue that it has.
4. New York, NY JFK International Airport (or alternately Newark Liberty Int. Airport): 515 km / 5:30
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This is likely to be one of the first places to come to mind among those considering a trip to the Adirondacks from Europe - fly in to New York City! Certainly, there is no substitute for Manhattan and all that NYC has to offer, but this route does bring a few challenges with it. If you plan to spend a few days here, then travel north by car, I would suggest not picking up the car until you are ready to depart. You may also consider taking an Amtrak train either to Albany or Saratoga Springs, then picking up a rental car for the rest of your journey. Or, you could travel via Amtrak train to Lake Placid, NY. This involves taking the 8:15 AM train from Penn Station to Westport, NY, then continuing by bus transfer to Lake Placid, arriving just after 3:00 PM. We can pick you up there.
5. Toronto Pearson International Airport: 5:20 / 506 km (or 7:00 / 685 km if you travel via Niagara Falls)
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I have never actually traveled along the northern shore of Lake Ontario east of Toronto, but Pearson Airport has been part of my travel itinerary many times. First of all, it is the closest international airport to my parent's home, and we have used this airport in connection with Ottawa, coming in to one and departing from the other. Toronto is also a nice city to visit, Canada's most populous city, looking over on Lake Ontario. The alternate route via Niagara Falls adds quite a bit of travel time to White Pine Camp, but you could potentially break that up with a stop at my parent's house. I tend to think of Niagara Falls as the largest tourist trap in New York State, some call it the World's Greatest Tourist Trap. But many people believe that it is one of the places you have to visit. I'll let you decide.
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