Just wondering: is it possible to do a trip starting in May from Nova Scotia to Calgary in time for the Calgary Octoberfest at the end of Sept. It's four months, we would not be going into the larger cities en route. The only tourist activities we'll want to do is the whale watching and heritage museums in Nova Scotia and the Octoberfest in Calgary. The rest of the trip will be enjoying the local foods and culture.

Hi Magnus,My concern would be finding RV parks that are open in May. You could boondock of course. If the snow is gone, then dumping can be done at Husky gas stations for a fee.

It's easily done. My parent left Alberta (Edmonton) in mid July, drove to North Sydney. From there they walked onto the Newfoundland ferry. Myself, DW and parents the spent about 4 weeks touring Newfoundland. We dropped them off back at the ferry in mid-August. From there, they have so far spent another month going back to Alberta. The last email from them said they were in Manitoba. Easily 2-3 days drive from there to Calgary.Update:Got a phone call from Mom tonight. They made it home safe after almost 3months of travel across Canada and back again. They stopped and saw almost everything they wanted to. Even had time to visit the train station where Mom caught with her family when they first came to Canda in 'the late '40's, just after the war.So to answer your question again. You will have lots of time. But a word of advice: Be self sufficient. Almost all of the campgrounds will be closed on the way home.

trailerbikecamper wrote:It's easily done. My parent left Alberta (Edmonton) in mid July, drove to North Sydney. From there they walked onto the Newfoundland ferry. Myself, DW and parents the spent about 4 weeks touring Newfoundland. We dropped them off back at the ferry in mid-August. From there, they have so far spent another month going back to Alberta. The last email from them said they were in Manitoba. Easily 2-3 days drive from there to Calgary.Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for the info.

Most Canadian campgrounds open on the Victoria Day weekend, which varies around May 18-24....Provincial Parks and conservation areas, usually earlierAs for the cities, Montreal and Toronto are quite easily bypassed

Many private RV open the beginning of May in the Halifax area. Provincial campgrounds open the Victoria Day weekend (reservations required for water and electric sites open 02 April) I recommend Graves Island Provincial Park in Chester and MacLeod's Beach Campground in Cape Breton (Near the Cabot Trail)

Trans Canada trip: Nova Scotia to Calgary | Good Sam Community

16 Replies

woodhog
Explorer
Oct 08, 2014
Little Kopit wrote:
luckyd wrote:
Be aware...Saskatchewan has NO rest areas for RV's.
Only cars are allowed and they have big yellow posts
close together to make sure.

Use truck stops if you need a break

Would a truck camper fit?

:C

We always get a chuckle out of this stuff.. with our truck camper we stop anywhere, any time, any place for any time frame unless there is specific no parking signage....:D
luckyd
Explorer
Oct 04, 2014
It is amazing how very little we know about our own Provinces
and our country.
We know more about where to go, stay, what to see, etc in the USA than we do
about "Home"
retraite
Explorer
Oct 02, 2014
kernewek wrote:
magnusfide wrote:
Just wondering: is it possible to do a trip starting in May from Nova Scotia to Calgary in time for the Calgary Octoberfest at the end of Sept. It's four months, we would not be going into the larger cities en route.

The only tourist activities we'll want to do is the whale watching and heritage museums in Nova Scotia and the Octoberfest in Calgary. The rest of the trip will be enjoying the local foods and culture.

We have an Oktoberfest in Calgary ?????

http://calgaryoktoberfest.com/

Cheers.
kernewek
Explorer
Oct 02, 2014
magnusfide wrote:
Just wondering: is it possible to do a trip starting in May from Nova Scotia to Calgary in time for the Calgary Octoberfest at the end of Sept. It's four months, we would not be going into the larger cities en route.

The only tourist activities we'll want to do is the whale watching and heritage museums in Nova Scotia and the Octoberfest in Calgary. The rest of the trip will be enjoying the local foods and culture.

We have an Oktoberfest in Calgary ?????
pappcam
Explorer
Oct 02, 2014
luckyd wrote:
Be aware...Saskatchewan has NO rest areas for RV's.
Only cars are allowed and they have big yellow posts
close together to make sure.

Use truck stops if you need a break

Can confirm that we have no real rest areas in Saskatchewan. It's actually quite a glaring omission the more I pull my TT around the nearby provinces and states.
Little_Kopit
Explorer
Oct 02, 2014
luckyd wrote:
Be aware...Saskatchewan has NO rest areas for RV's.
Only cars are allowed and they have big yellow posts
close together to make sure.

Use truck stops if you need a break

Would a truck camper fit?

:C
luckyd
Explorer
Oct 02, 2014
Be aware...Saskatchewan has NO rest areas for RV's.
Only cars are allowed and they have big yellow posts
close together to make sure.

Use truck stops if you need a break
Little_Kopit
Explorer
Oct 02, 2014
You don't have to return the same way that you go. Except for right north of Lake Superior that is.

In Quebec you can go up around Lake Saguenay and across to Kirkland Lake and Timmins, etc. & after Lake Superior there are several more northern ways through the Prairie provinces.

:B
hedge
Explorer
Oct 02, 2014
Interesting, I live here and didn't even know we had an Octoberfest lol.

My folks have driven to PEI and they do it in a week each way but it must be a whirlwind trip.
magnusfide
Explorer II
Oct 02, 2014
Thank you all. This info is quite helpful.