# trip to canada and hiring(?) a motorhome



## ezzy66 (Mar 31, 2009)

hi all

can anyone give me some pointers to kick start my research for a trip to canada?

i am thinking of hiring a motorhome over there to do a road trip

this is the very early stages of my research so as usual i thought i'd try on here first!

motorhome vs RV? costs? good companies/cheap companies? whats included and whats not - anything you would/would not do again - whats different than on my own MH - driving licence etc/law
can you wild camp are there any aires type stopovers? are campgrounds expensive?

routes? must sees? we mostly would like to stick to the west side 

we would expect to be there for a month or so - nothing fixed

best time of the year to visit?


etc etc

basically any feedback would be appreciated and i'll sift out what i need - nothing is too trivial

many thanks as usual
ezzy


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## Biglol (Jul 16, 2007)

Sticking to the west side is good (Rockies to Vancouver) unless you like the same trees for hundreds of miles. Watch your speed, they are very hot over there. Cant remember the limit but it is a lot slower than here.
Make sure the cold weather is over as the temp can drop through the floor.


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## dawnwynne (Nov 14, 2009)

I presume you are thinking of British Columbia....can't beat the Rockies. 

Can't say about what rental charges are now but one thing to keep in mind, the bigger the RV the bigger the petrol bill! I advised friends of ours to rent a coach built mh no longer than 22ft to keep costs down, when they got there they were upsized to a 30+ Rv and it cost them a fortune in petrol. I don't think anyone can appreciate how much petrol you will go through going through the Rockies. So keep that in mind.

I had a link to free campsites in BC but can't find it a the moment, I'll post it as soon as I get a chance.

You'll absolutely love it there...not that I'm biased! :lol:


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

We are considering going on the C&CC escorted tour in May 2012. More expensive than doing it yourself but feedback from previous tours has been very good. They also provide individual tours.
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/travelabroad/worldwide/canada/canada-escorted-tour/

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/travelabroad/worldwide/canada/individual-travel/


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## midlifecrisismil (Sep 27, 2009)

Hi there

Cant comment on MH hire over there but would say I would try to plan it myself.

We went over there and toured by car. The route taken by the C & CC could perhaps be used as a quide.

Would recommend a couple of days in Vancouver - lovely airport and a wonderful city (you could perhaps fly into Vancouver and spend a couple of nights in a B & B before picking up the MH - do Grainger market and take the hop on hop off bus around the city for the sights).

We followed the gold mining route up to St George (I think) and then down to Jasper and Banff. We preferred the journey rather than the towns of Jasper and Banff which seemed to be just towns set up for skiers. Mount Robson is worth a view as are the Athabascar falls and the blue/green lake (sorry cant remember the name of it but if you PM me I will find it for you). The Icefields are also a must.

One word of warning - they charge to go into the National Park there dependant on the lengthof time you are staying in it - was quite a surprise to us.

When we go back we will go to Vancouver Island as there seems to be a lot on it to see and do. And an alternative route is to take the western coastal road.

Would really recommend the trip as an experience of a lifetime.

And just as a preview:


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## woodhus (May 1, 2005)

We had a brilliant two week holiday in Canada a couple of years ago. Flew into Vancouver, spent the first night in a hotel and then picked up a motorhome from CanadaDream (they will collect you from your hotel if you ask). The motorhome was a coachbuilt, about 22ft and had everything we needed, including a guide book for camp sites. After a couple of days on a site in Vancouver we travelled north to Wells Gray national park and then through the Rockies passing near Mount Robson. From there we travelled south to Jasper and down the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise and Banff. Stunning scenery and quiet roads all the way. We dropped off the motorhome in Calgary and flew home from there. It was May and there was still some snow around and some of the lakes were still frozen but still beautiful. We stayed on official camp sites, which had great facilities. We booked a couple of popular ones in advance but others we just turned up and had no trouble getting a pitch. We didn't fancy wild camping with bears around. You can find some info on the internet about camp sites, national parks and places to visit. You'll love it.


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

The east coast, oregon to vancouver, is wonderful, did it by car, not motorhome though, although we did some tent camping with John's brother.

The lake by the way is Crater Lake.

Enjoy, we had a great time but doubt we will go back, unless we win the lottery and can cruise there, I no longer enjoy long flights.

Sue


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## Traveller_HA5_3DOM (May 9, 2005)

We met a Belgium couple last summer who had done Canada by purchasing an open ticket to travel on Greyhound buses in Canada. You Get a 50lb baggage allowance, if you can haul that much to the nearest motel. Would take some serious planning but the thought of putting petrol into those 6 litre Auto campers seems obscene.

http://www.greyhound.ca/home/en/DealsAndDiscounts/Deals.aspx


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## dawnwynne (Nov 14, 2009)

Hi Ezzy

Sorry can't find the link for the free camping sites, however unless posted you can pull into many of the 'view points', roadsides etc and park it for the night (at least you could last time I was there!). Logging roads as well are generally open to the public...be careful though not necessarily good for big RV's and remember logging trucks have right of way (best used on weekends only). Most Walmarts also allow overnight parking but you need to check with each one as some will have signs posted if not allowed.

Best time to go is late May to September. Even in May you will find some of the upper regions quite cold and perhaps run into snow. But that's part of the fun! Please do remember that there is substantial wildlife in the Rockies and yes there are bears. When camping NEVER leave food/trash outside even in a cooler as this will attract bears. Obviously NEVER feed them. I do stress this as it is a reality. We once left a cooler, which was made of very strong solid plastic outside on a picnic table, half way through the night heard this loud noise...realised how dumb we had been, opened the door and sure enough a huge brown bear was picking up our huge cooler between his jaws and off he walked with it. Good story to tell now, but not so good middle of the night! :lol: 

Would suggest you start in Calgary....pick up mh, drive to Banff, head north to Jasper (the most beautiful drive you'll ever take, Emerald lake is a must!) then head back towards Vancouver via the Yellowhead Highway. Visit Vancouver, Vancouver island, head back to the Okanagan on your way back to Calgary. 

An absolute must is to try to take in a Stampede, Calgary is the most famous one however there are all kinds of smaller stampedes throughout the country. Gives you a good flavour of our culture.

If I'm not mistaken there is a grizzly rescue park somewhere near Lake Louise that would be worth a visit. 

Hmm...well I could go on, but I'm probably boring you now! You will love it that much I am sure of!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Just clutching at straws here.

I have a US Golden Age Passport card that gives free access to all US National Parks and Forest Service sites.

Would be willing to swap it for a Sky Sports card for this June.

Anyone interested please PM me.

Ray.


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## Pyranha (Jul 4, 2006)

midlifecrisismil said:


> We preferred the journey rather than the towns of Jasper and Banff which seemed to be just towns set up for skiers.


Interesting comment - we have only been over for the skiing - both Jasper and Banff. The locals say that the winter is low season - the skiers keep things ticking over before the towns really gear up for the summer. Of the two, Banff is the bigger, with a little more shopping going on.

There is RV parking on the outskirts of Banff - I have no idea of the terms, or if this is normal, but if you don't want to pay, then there is one place to go!

There is plenty to see, apart from obvious scenery (eg Churchill's 'ice ships' were tested just outside Jasper), but the scenery is enough, I'm sure.

Just being there in winter, we've not come across bears, but did have to stop to let a wolf pack cross the road outside Jasper, and have seen moose, and mountain goats, and last time we were in Banff, some folk claimed to have seen a lynx under one of the chairlifts.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

suedew said:


> The lake by the way is Crater Lake.


I doubt it, as Crater Lake is a long, long, way south of the border let alone Mt Robson and the Athabasca Falls.


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## InfaRed (Nov 9, 2010)

I think its Lake Loise, near Banff.


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## curlytail (Apr 4, 2007)

we went with Canada dream a few years ago and it went well. we had to stop first night in hotel then picked up the vehicle and drove to Whistler. (This was the only site we booked in as there are no others for miles around and we had a panic as we arrived late evening and they thought that our motorhome which had been upgraded to a 27 foot at no extra cost was too large for our pitch. They found us one in the end.) Only moan was the shower door leaked so it was awkward taking showers. We were given a sites book and rang to book ahead each day. we went onto Vancouver island (ferry not a problem) and went whale watching on a boat - great experience. Stop on small site overlooking Victoria marina and watch seaplanes land. The Rockies were superb - not so keen on Vancouver. Sites did not seem prohibitive and nor did fuel if I remember correctly. LPG was cheap for onboard tank. Cruise control facility was excellent. I wild camp elsewhere but we did not try it in Canada as this was our first motorhoming trip. One tip if driving through Vancouver stay in outer lanes as the bridges curve down on the inner lanes and the van will not pass under! Nothing to do with motorhoming but we experienced white water rafting twice and it was superb - even better as we could shower/change into wetsuits in our own van.


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## midlifecrisismil (Sep 27, 2009)

InfaRed said:


> I think its Lake Loise, near Banff.


No its definately not Lake Louise - we went there as well.

Have now googled it and it is Lake Peyto.

Milly


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