RV Travel in Canada

Lighthouse on Lake Huron

 

 

If only we had more time. That’s how we felt when we crossed into Montana from Alberta, Canada. We managed to drive through four provinces, but it seemed like it was only a taste of a vast, beautiful land.  RV travel in Canada was actually very easy. Learn from those that have gone before and your journey through the land of the True North Strong and Free! ¹ will be one of the most rewarding trips ever.

¹from the Canadian National Anthem

For Americans, driving their RV’s in Canada is very similar to driving in the lower 48. Sure, the speed limit signs are in kilometers per hour and the fuel is in liters but we should have converted to the metric system long ago. Besides, your speedometer and GPS have kph settings.

Like any RV trip, logistics are important. The AAA online planner works great in the states but doesn’t show fuel stations in Canada. Gas Buddy website works and was fairly accurate. http://www.gasbuddy.com/   There are some long stretches of open road on the Trans-Canada Highway.  I rarely let the fuel gauge drop down below 1/2.  AAA works up there – it’s called CAA – http://www.caa.ca/ There were times that I forgot I was driving in Canada.  It’s a good opportunity to learn some French. Much of their highway signage is in English/French. If you wait until you are in Canada to check on their fuel prices, you may be in for a shock. During August 2014, the average was $4.50 per gallon for regular gas. Diesel was a bit higher.

Canadian gold, Saskatchewan tea. Price of a liter that is.

 

Cellular Service:  See if your cell phone carrier has service in Canada. Most American cell phones will work there.  If it does, be aware of roaming charges that you may incur. Data charges are separate and usually very expensive. Unless you have an international plan, it may be best to shut off the data capability on your phone or use Wi-Fi for data.  Some carriers will allow you to pay a fee to temporarily use your phone in another country.

Groceries/shopping: No problem here, but be prepared to pay quite a bit more than the states. While you may not recognize most of the chain stores in Canada, they carry a good variety of product. From Ontario to Alberta, we shopped in Safeway, Sobeys, FreshCo and Zehrs. In the summer and fall, local farmers markets have excellent produce. Groceries were expensive – on average 25% more. For shopping, we even visited a Wal-Mart.  It was the most expensive Wal-Mart I have shopped in.

Some tips and lessons learned:
Money
– Always have some Canadian currency. You never know when your U.S. credit card will stop working. Mine was temporarily shut off for fraud protection.
– Know your fees for cash advances and exchange rates. I got walloped with over $100 in transaction fees.
–  Try to use bank ATMs for cash advances, not the ones at gas stations. The thieves use card skimmers in Canada too.
– Due to the increased risk of fraud, avoid using your bank ATM card for normal purchases.

–  Canadian banking systems have converted over to the newer microchip credit cards. Some U.S. banks have issued these cards. You can tell by the gold chip that is visible on your card. The old magnetic stripe cards can still be used in most places, but usually don’t work at pay-at-the-pump stations. Inform your creditors that you will be traveling to Canada or risk having your card shut down.

Driving
– Canadians are very safe and deliberate drivers. For most Americans, this will test your patience because they are so courteous.
– When you get near their big cities, they drive like people in Memphis, Detroit, Chicago. You get it.
– You will be amazed at the gas prices until you realize it’s the price per liter. Then you will be amazed again. Fuel prices were higher in the eastern provinces and generally get cheaper as you go west.
– Obey speed limits, the fines are pricey.  Highway speeds are typically slower in Canada. City Police Service and Regional may cut you some slack on speeding. The provincial police (similar to the U.S. state police) may not be so lenient.

Terminology
Those crazy Canucks have funny names for things.
-The $1 coin is a Looney. A $2 coin is – yep a tooney.
– Gas stations are gas bars. Lots of happy cars here.
– Restrooms are washrooms. I loved asking, “Where is the washroom?”
– End every other sentence with “eh?” It just sounds cool.
– Peameal bacon: Just buy a few pounds, you can thank me later.
– Double-double. Normally associated with the Canadian winter nectar or a Tim Horton’s medium coffee with two sugars and two creams. Almost always accompanied by a Canadian maple donut or timbits. I’m drooling…..

– Beer Store. Think you are a beer connoisseur? Go here and prepare to be humbled. Bring plenty of loonies and toonies because the government puts a heavy tax on alcohol.

General Observations
– Learn the metric system. Ok, at least learn liters, kph and Celsius. Guess the rest.
– Humor – The Canadians have an awesome sense of humor and they love to laugh.
– Pride – Canadians are proud of their country and love to tell you neat places to go.
– On this trip, the friendliest people were in Ontario. By the time we hit Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the novelty of being a Californian wore off and we were treated like tourists passing through. Albertans were friendly too.

Do we want to go back? Absolutely, our daughter lives there. Even if she didn’t, this is an amazing country.   We want to explore BC and the eastern provinces. One day, we may heed the call to the Yukon.   People who RV and camp share a camaraderie that transcends nationalities. Canadians love to camp and the full timers spend much of their year in the states.  Coming up, I’ll talk about our trip across Ontario and a cool trip on the Chi Cheemaun Ferry.

 

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

We use the Nikon 3300 series for most of our pics.  An easy to use camera a step up from the entry-level model. Nikon D3300 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Zoom Lens (Black)

Next: Ontario, Canada – a Great Place for RV Travel