Across the Atlantic: Detroit, Windsor and an NHL Dream

From Stuttgart via Amsterdam, this time we crossed the Atlantic to Detroit – not the most obvious US destination, but that’s exactly what makes it interesting.

Detroit sits in a strategically convenient spot: right on the Canadian border, with Windsor on the other side of the Detroit River. One country there, one country back, all within half an hour. An opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport doesn’t have a direct rail link into the city center – which feels unusual when you’re coming from Europe. There are plenty of alternatives though: Uber, taxi, or bus. I went for the more comfortable option. After a ten-hour flight, a direct transfer to your accommodation is simply the right call.

The real reason for this trip: I’m a passionate hockey fan and finally wanted to see an NHL game live. Detroit Red Wings against the New York Rangers, at the Little Caesars Arena. Anyone who’s experienced it knows: NHL live is a different world. The speed, the volume in the arena, the intermission shows, the crowd – it has very little to do with what you see on TV. One of those bucket-list moments that delivers exactly as imagined.

I made the detour into Canada by bus, which runs through the tunnel beneath the Detroit River. A short, easy ride – Detroit on one side, Windsor on the other. What isn’t necessarily easy, though, is the crossing itself. Despite the geographic proximity, the border controls between the US and Canada are not to be underestimated. Sometimes it’s quick, sometimes it takes a while, and the questions can be detailed in both directions. Anyone making this trip should bring some patience and have their passports ready.

In Windsor itself, the view back is worth it: from there, you get one of the best perspectives of the Detroit skyline – across the water, with the skyscrapers rising on the opposite side. Seeing a city from the outside is always a different experience than standing in the middle of it.