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becker's avatar
becker
Explorer
Mar 15, 2017

Canada Trip Planning

We are planning a trip to Ottawa, Canada.... we can handle this I think okay.... from there we want go to Winnipeg, Canada.... my question is: has anyone made the trip from Ottawa, Canada to Winnipeg, Canada on the Canadian highways.... we show it to be about 1350 miles.... if so, did you have any problems?.... what type of planning should we do before the trip....we have our passports and don't expect any problem there.... any information and/or advice would be appreciated... we will driving our 42ft Monaco motor home pulling a Jeep Sahara.
  • The best CG near Winnipeg is Bird's Hill Provincial Park. Hundreds of Acres of forest yet civilized. Huking trails, man made lake and riding stable. They take reservations and have some very nice FHU spots. About 12 miles to the city.

    Moisheh
  • Also, make sure that you carry some Canadian currency with you and a chard card that doesn't charge extra for a conversion factor( I use Capital One)
    If you are going for a bit to use your cell phone get a plan from you carrier in advance for talk and data.
    My AT&T offers $10. A day , or you can get a longer term.
    Where will you be crossing from the states?
  • We've done the East to West and West To East Route Across Canada on several occasions, but we do primarily boondock/dry camp.

    Personally we don't drive after dusk on the Sault Ste Marie To Thunder Bay section in Northern Ontario (approx 8 hrs), lots of Moose, Bear etc on that stretch of road after dusk. Lake of the Woods is beautiful if you get chance to stop over there for a couple of days. Hubby likes fishing at Nipigon On area and we typically will boondock overnight somewhere around there. You'll also see as night starts to draw in many truck drivers pull over onto gravel large parking areas due to the activity of wildlife more than anything on this same stretch of road.

    Campgrounds in and round Winnipeg, you might find this a useful resource: http://www.campscout.com/town/MB0002/
  • Thanks, all of you.... we are in the early states of the trip.... to start we wanted input from the people (up around there) who could give us an inside of what to expect. Please keep this post in mind and if anything comes up that you think we should know, please post it.
    Thanks again.
  • Had friends that had an accident. Not sure what the issue was but had issues with their medical coverage. They would not accept their insurance coverage.
  • Its a beautiful drive along the #1 highway. Its well maintained, lots of campgrounds and reststops, easy breezy. Campgrounds fill up in the summer months especially weekends, book ahead if you can. Lots to see in Ottawa, winnipeg has a few sites to see, but there are no campgrounds in either city. Maybe a mall, wally world. I would suggest parking the rig at Falcon lake, about an hour before winnipeg, its a nice provincial park, and driving to winnipeg in the car.Tons of cities and towns between.
  • There are 2 different highways through Northern Ontario. Both have lower speed limits. Lots of Moose! The Northern route has less traffic in the summer. All the RV's are on the other highway! You won't have any problems with your rig. I have driven an 18 wheeler with a 53 ft. trailer on both highways. Would you like some info on Winnipeg?

    Moisheh
  • It shouldn't be any problem at all; you're going along well-maintained main roads. It's pretty country to drive through (well, at least as far as Salut Ste Marie, but I would expect the rest to likewise be lovely). Fuel will be more costly.

    Do be aware of the border crossing rules and regulations, particularly if you have pets (which generally need a rabies vaccination certification signed by a vet) or firearms (which, if a permitted type, require additional paperwork etc. beforehand).