Newbies from across The Pond
Hi Quick introduction from a pair of newbies to this forum. We are Mike and Jan from UK and travel around the world a lot it seems. Last year was Botswana so this year we have gone a little different...
Forum Discussion
Hi Mike & Jan
My son and I just returned from our 5 week trip to Western Canada our 15th visit and in a rented motorhome our total kms in BC and Alberta is now about 64,000!
Make sure you have plenty of storage, we took over 7000 images this year alone.
We always try to stay in Provincial campgrounds they usually offer better privacy and are often located in more scenic locations at prices around $20-25 per night. Watch out for campgrounds near railways, many of the trains can be up to 2-3 km long and rumble along at low speeds day and night.
It sounds like a major trip that you have planned, watch out for the fuel costs, they vary considerably across Canada (Alberta is generally the lowest) check out Gas Buddy at http://www.gasbuddy.com for up to date prices. One thing the rental companies do not usually tell you is that you will only get 20-30L/100km (10-14 mpg) out of your RV depending on size. Don't forget petrol=gas, gas=propane.
Another thing to be aware of is the purchase taxes, PST & GST, (no PST in Alberta) they are applied like VAT, BUT prices shown in stores are not tax inclusive so you will find that at checkout when the taxes have been applied you could be paying 5-12% more than you expected. Tax is included in fuel prices.
You can get some good deals on Canon gear, have a look in at The Camera Store in Calgary.
Eating out in Calgary, If you feel like lashing out River Cafe is great, for something a little less expensive, if you like steaks, try Saltlik. Brunch at Cusina.
Have a great trip, if you have any questions about BC or Alberta please feel free to ask I will try to help.
Trevor
My son and I just returned from our 5 week trip to Western Canada our 15th visit and in a rented motorhome our total kms in BC and Alberta is now about 64,000!
Make sure you have plenty of storage, we took over 7000 images this year alone.
We always try to stay in Provincial campgrounds they usually offer better privacy and are often located in more scenic locations at prices around $20-25 per night. Watch out for campgrounds near railways, many of the trains can be up to 2-3 km long and rumble along at low speeds day and night.
It sounds like a major trip that you have planned, watch out for the fuel costs, they vary considerably across Canada (Alberta is generally the lowest) check out Gas Buddy at http://www.gasbuddy.com for up to date prices. One thing the rental companies do not usually tell you is that you will only get 20-30L/100km (10-14 mpg) out of your RV depending on size. Don't forget petrol=gas, gas=propane.
Another thing to be aware of is the purchase taxes, PST & GST, (no PST in Alberta) they are applied like VAT, BUT prices shown in stores are not tax inclusive so you will find that at checkout when the taxes have been applied you could be paying 5-12% more than you expected. Tax is included in fuel prices.
You can get some good deals on Canon gear, have a look in at The Camera Store in Calgary.
Eating out in Calgary, If you feel like lashing out River Cafe is great, for something a little less expensive, if you like steaks, try Saltlik. Brunch at Cusina.
Have a great trip, if you have any questions about BC or Alberta please feel free to ask I will try to help.
Trevor
