Canada Roadtrip

Hi guys,

I'm currently trying to sort a budget as I plan a RTW trip with my girlfriend.

First destination will hopefully be Canada, flying to Toronto and staying with family in Hamilton before going on a road trip to Vancouver (one way road trip so I understand I'll have to pay a one way fee). I'll be hopefully staying with friends in Red Deer for a bit and visiting Banff and maybe Jasper too.

Can anyone give me advice on how long this trip would take? Excluding the time spent with my family in Hamilton, so basically the trip from Hamilton to Vancouver, adding in a few days in Red Deer.

And if anyone has done something like this before, do you have a rough budget? Excluding flights from UK to Toronto.

Thanks!

Some UK agents (I have used www.canadianaffair.com ) offer no drop-off fee one way rentals between certain city pairs in Canada, probably not Hamilton but more likely Toronto, you can take the GO train or bus from Hamilton to Toronto. The cost of petrol in Toronto is about C$1.10 per litre now, about 60% of the UK cost. The drive is long, if you took a Greyhound bus, driving 24 hours a day it still takes 3 days and 80% of that time is before you get to the scenic parts between Calgary and Vancouver, so you might want to consider a flight between Toronto and Calgary. The total distance by road on the Trans-Canada Highway is about 2750 miles or 4400 km, how long it takes you depends on how many hours a day you want to drive. You will also find hotel/motel accommodation is more expensive in Canada than in the UK, there are no cheap chains like Travelodge or Premier Inn but some people just sleep in their car however your girlfriend might not be so keen on that idea.

Thanks for that!

I actually enjoy long drives (furthest roadtrip so far is 10,000 miles) so not too keen on the flight (but could easily get to Toronto to rent a car rather than Hamilton) . Accommodation prices will be something to take on board, potentially we will look at taking it slow and doing a bit of couchsurfing or airbnb to potentially save costs that way!

You can use Google Maps to get a feel for the distances, covering three or four time zones depending on whether you reach the west coast (Canada has five and a half in total.) Driving on the flatlands of the Prairies is not the same experience as in the western mountains, either in time or skills at the wheel. Good luck (and I like the Prairie provinces even though the horizon stretches forever, as if in search of a tree.)

Your original post, in the Gap Year RTW forum, indicates that you are interested in two months of driving around the US and Canada. But a more recent post indicates you may drop the US from your list because of the cost and other factors such as a high drop off fee for leaving a rental car in another country. As a proud American, I want you to see our country. So here are some possible options for you to consider.

Instead of getting a car, get a camper. Be aware the savings in hotel bills may be offset by the higher fuel costs. But buying groceries and cooking would be cheaper than restaurant meals. Since you are traveling such a great distance, you need to be concerned about the fuel economy of whatever vehicle you get. Google Maps may help you plan your trip. But this website will also calculate estimated fuel costs for different types of vehicles and several alternate routes: https://www.viamichelin.com/ .

Instead of driving down the Pacific coast, inland to national parks, then back to the west coast to fly out of LA, why not keep going from the parks back to Toronto? That would not be a substantially greater distance than backtracking, and would allow you see more of the US. Make a big loop from Toronto west to Vancouver, south to LA, and east to Toronto via the parks.

Instead of renting a car, perhaps lease a car. A two month lease may be cheaper than an eight week rental. I have not done it in Canada, but it's worth investigating.

You might also consider buying a vehicle, and reselling it at the end of the trip. It's possible you could pre-arrange a buy back with the person selling it. Insurance for a vehicle you own may be substantially cheaper than a daily fee to a rental company. Obviously, there is a risk you might not be able to sell the vehicle at the end of the trip, but there are also various risks in renting. It may also allow you more flexibility with a vehicle you own, free of rental car restrictions. Of course, if you have pre-arranged the sale at the end, you need to honor the agreement. Again, I have not done it, but it's worth investigating.

Perhaps consider flying into the US and driving to Canada, rather than flying into Canada and driving to the US. Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo are the closest US airports to Toronto, and even closer to Hamilton. If there is a substantial savings in airfare and car costs, it may be worth it. You could also check Seattle, and start your Canadian trip in Vancouver, driving east instead of west. My guess is airfare to Seattle would be higher for you, but maybe not.

Have you considered buying a RTW airline ticket, rather than a series of individual tickets? Here is an old post with some options:

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/gap-year-round-the-world-travel/topics/rtw-travel-agent?page=1

Google Maps has always helped in figuring out the distances in my travels. You could just check that out and plan your trip accordingly.

Thanks for the detailed post!

The reason I'd potentially drop the US from the RTW trip to save costs is because its a place I can see myself going again on a standalone road trip! First to drop would be Australia (thinking of replacing it with China which looks like a better spot) but hopefully I'll be able to find a way to do both the US and Canada!

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