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joharims's avatar
joharims
Explorer
May 05, 2014

RV Across Canada Halifax-Vancouver

Hi,
My first experience with RV travel South Island New Zealand. I'm planning RV across Canada begin from Halifax to Vancouver. Really need advises and tips to get my dream become reality.
1. How much time needed to complete the journey?
2. Suggestion for RV type and reliable company which I can rent?
3. Recommended route?
4. Recommended itinerary?

Any advises and tips from you guys?

25 Replies

  • Don't forget to do what ever is required for travel and medical insurance.
  • Hi,
    Really appreciate for you guys tothil, mayo30 and little kopit. Probably spend 25-30 days for the whole journey. Maybe can be divided into 3 legs.
    1st leg# Halifax-Riviere du Loup-Quebec-Montreal-Toronto and Niagara Falls - 8 days
    2nd leg# Niagara Falls-St Jacob-Tobermory Harbour-Manitoulin Island-Sault Ste Marie -Thunder Bay 8 days
    3rd leg# Thunder Bay-Winnipeg-Calgary-Banff-Jasper-Kamloops-Vancouver - 8 days.

    Need advise tourist attraction along the route maybe i cannot miss then....must see.

    Any suggestions?
  • I am thinking of something similar, but I have lived in parts of this route, namely Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, & Ontario and I was last through as far as Sault Ste. Marie in 2004.

    Thus, I am planning 15 days going west, 15 days coming east and 30 days around Alaska, Northwest Territories and Yukon. If I do it once this is better than not-at-all.

    The warmer month I will go north in Quebec to Saguenay and across to Kirkland Lake, etc, along the lakes and again more north. In the cooler month I will take a more southerly route.

    I strongly advise getting visitors guides from every province or state you visit. & at the top of this page is a sticky on resources for Alaska, if you're going to touch base there.

    IMHO a Canadian trip is a Canadian trip. Don't go down into the states. There is plenty to see in Canada. Think history - Northwest Mounted Police preceded the RCMP and provided security which kept the Prairies as part of Canada. Think dinosaurs too. Remember eastern parts were settled in time of sail and cart. Two lane roads are worth a drive or two. Bluenose II takes its life to the age of fast sail. Lots of parks, including living history.

    Take your time and remember exercise helps keep the each day different from the last. & the high speed routes aren't necessarily the most scenic. You might want to drive the North Shore of the St. Lawrence. You might want to do the heavily populated southern Ontario. I saw Niagara Falls first as a teenager. I'll go north through Ottawa on my southern route.

    :C
  • Impossible to answer without knowing what your interests or hobbies are.What are your comfort levels when travelling.How much time do you have?Do you want to spend
    $4000.00 or $24000.00?As a very very general guide line I would suggest at least 4 to 5 months and allow $250.00 per day then make it work.
  • I drove over 5500km in New Zealand 25 years ago on both Islands over 7 weeks. Driving across Canada would be less challenging.

    But you may find that the cost of a one way rental plus mileage is very expensive. I met an Irish family who were tent camping around Canada, they had friends who rented an RV and were hit with a $10,000.00 extra mileage bill at the end of the trip.

    I have friends in the military who have driven back and forth across Canada several times. Halifax to Victoria.

    It seems that the minimum amount of time to drive across comfortably is 7 days. But that is not sight seeing, just driving from point A to point B.

    If I was doing the trip I would look at no less than 2 months.

    I also would buy a used Class C or B is there were only one or two people at one end and sell it at the other.

    When in NZ we bought a car at the beginning of the trip and other than fuel and one new tire our cost was insurance and we sold it for $500.00 less than what we paid.