Hi Canadians, I am giving up on web search and rely again on actual people.
I want to go to Canada in Summer for about 5-6 weeks. I already asked a travel agency for a quote for renting a RV, but thats STUPID expensive. I used to go couchsurfing. the website is no more (i think), i am registered on BeWelcome now but haven’t looked into it.
What’s the best ways for someone with little money to still travel most of the country? renting a car there? buying one and selling it later? RVs? couchsurfing (and how)? hostels? camping?
I am grateful for all hints and tipps and connections :)
edit after some comments: I’m from Germany. My budget is not high. I think I can maybe push it to 4000$, but that’d be pretty high for me.
i just clicked on Banff and the picture made me go “oh my god WTF” out loud. i’ll consider the area. I’m from Germany, so 8000km is a distance that I cannot fathom. like 10 different countries in a line xD
Banff national park is where you’ll find Lake Louise and Moraine lake (of reddit fame) with some fantastic hikes like the Plain of six glaciers.
It’s definitely worth a visit. Though if you choose to go there, be aware that it’s a heavily touristy area (for very good reason) and very difficult to avoid crowds, especially in the summer.
thanks for the heads-up :)
German? Oh yeah, spend almost all your time in BC. Germans love it here. Seriously, I think it’s mostly the forests and the mountains. I’d fly into Vancouver, drive the #3 highway to Creston, Creston to Banff, Banff to Jasper, Jasper to Quesnel, detour to Barkerville, backtrack to Quesnel, then Quesnel, Lillooet, Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish, Horseshoe Bay. Ferry to Nanaimo then Tofino (or Port Hardy if you want wilder). Then back to Vancouver via Nanaimo or Victoria.
I grew up here, and there are numerous natural places to explore along that route that take my breath away.
wow that’s a specific route. i’ll look it up thank you so much. I’m not sure I want to go where “germans love it” to be fair. As all germans on holiday i’d love to avoid other germans if at all possible xD
Dude, it’s so big you won’t even see each other. The only way I found out is because I worked in Barkerville. Even then, Germans were the minority of visitors, just the most common international tourists. Barkerville is a gold rush ghost town, and I believe a German novelist wrote a series about it.
I mention Germans loving it because culturally it seems you appreciate nature, and you will see some spectacular nature here.
Just be conscious that if you go off trail you could walk for WEEKS without finding another road. Tourists sometimes get lost forever because they just don’t trust how vast and empty the wilderness is here.
When you’re in Tofino, hire a water taxi to take you to Meares Island. You will see some of the most massive and gnarly redcedars. It’s incredible.
EDIT: it is a specific route, definitely. After years of traveling BC and living here, I’ve given you a route manageable in 3 weeks that is journey oriented more than destination oriented. On that route you will go through an amazing diversity of landscapes and see some of the best of the ocean, the coast mountains, cowboy country, and the Rockies. When a lot of locals don’t really know about the Lillooet/Pemberton route because they’re trying to bee line in for Vancouver. It’s fucking stunning + no commercial traffic.
thank you for even more recommendations and explanations. what’s the best way to start this route? i need to fly in to a big airport
Fly into Vancouver airport (YVR), rent a car at the airport, and start driving East.