Trip to Canada questions

[livinthelife]

Well, we’re starting to make some tentative plans for a major trip (for us) next year. We’re doing a 2 month Canadian Maritimes tour with Fantasy RV.

We meet up with the group in Quebec City, Quebec.

The current (tentative) plan is to head up to Canada from Southern California and cross into Canada somewhere near Alberta. Then head east to Quebec City.

The question we have right now is – does anyone have any input as to:
How easy this will be to do?

Are the roads comparable to the roads/highways headed west from there? (We did Canada/Alaska last year, so are somewhat familiar with those roads).

How long would that take, generally, from Alberta to Quebec City (our typical comfort zone for traveling is around 250 miles)?

Would it be a better idea to head into Canada from North Dakota (to Winnipeg) then go east?

[RVLife68]

My advice would be to stay in the US until your in up state NY then cross into Quebec say near Sherbrooke QE. Now if your wanting to sightsee along the way then by all means come north thru the Dakotas. Travelling thru northern Ontario is a long haul with some stretches of minimal support (if you breakdown).
I’m not familiar with this Tour group. Are you paying a fee to see the Maritimes ( booked all your RV site stays). I can certainly answer any questions WRT traveling in the Maritimes as a live in Souct central NB just outside the Capital Fredericton NB.

[Cate&Rob]

Canada is a big place . It is a long way around the north side of the Great Lakes! Winnipeg to Toronto is about the same as Florida to Michigan. There is only one road . . . the Trans-Canada Highway, but it is paved and generally a well maintained two lane highway. Beautiful country but rather "uninhabited". I would suggest a US route until you get to Michigan or NY state. Crossing at Port Huron is easy from Michigan and major highways will lead you to Quebec City. Or, stay south of Lake Erie, through Ohio into NY and cross at Buffalo / Niagara Falls. The third choice is stay in the US until you are east of the Great Lakes and cross into Canada at the Thousand Islands bridge. An easy "no traffic" run (well . . . except for Montreal) from there to Quebec City.

Rob

[livinthelife]

My advice would be to stay in the US until your in up state NY then cross into Quebec say near Sherbrooke QE. Now if your wanting to sightsee along the way then by all means come north thru the Dakotas. Travelling thru northern Ontario is a long haul with some stretches of minimal support (if you breakdown).
I’m not familiar with this Tour group. Are you paying a fee to see the Maritimes ( booked all your RV site stays). I can certainly answer any questions WRT traveling in the Maritimes as a live in Souct central NB just outside the Capital Fredericton NB.

We're traveling with a group set up through Fantasy RV Tours. We used them for our Canada/Alaska trip last summer. Everyone meets up at a start point, we travel together (NOT all together like a caravan, but we travel on the same day from point A to point B everytime we change locations). All campgrounds are paid for, many extra tours/excursions and some meals also included. As well as ferry costs.

[RVLife68]

We're traveling with a group set up through Fantasy RV Tours. We used them for our Canada/Alaska trip last summer. Everyone meets up at a start point, we travel together (NOT all together like a caravan, but we travel on the same day from point A to point B everytime we change locations). All campgrounds are paid for, many extra tours/excursions and some meals also included. As well as ferry costs.

Sounds pretty cool. Does the US have a similar Tour Group or does Fantasy RV tours work in the US as well?

[livinthelife]

Sounds pretty cool. Does the US have a similar Tour Group or does Fantasy RV tours work in the US as well?

There are 2 major RV tour companies that put together all sorts of tours/caravans/rallys. Fantasy RV is one. They have tours in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, probably other places, too.

Another is Adventure Caravans.

There are also many smaller companies that do the same.

We're doing the Albuquerque Balloon Festival this October with Fantasy. You can find them at https://www.fantasyrvtours.com/

[livinthelife]

Canada is a big place . It is a long way around the north side of the Great Lakes! Winnipeg to Toronto is about the same as Florida to Michigan. There is only one road . . . the Trans-Canada Highway, but it is paved and generally a well maintained two lane highway. Beautiful country but rather "uninhabited". I would suggest a US route until you get to Michigan or NY state. Crossing at Port Huron is easy from Michigan and major highways will lead you to Quebec City. Or, stay south of Lake Erie, through Ohio into NY and cross at Buffalo / Niagara Falls. The third choice is stay in the US until you are east of the Great Lakes and cross into Canada at the Thousand Islands bridge. An easy "no traffic" run (well . . . except for Montreal) from there to Quebec City.

Rob

Thanks, both of you, for the info.

We're already coming back through NY and the upper east at the end of the trip.

Sounds like crossing into Canada at Michigan would work best.

We'll have to book our own RV parks between home and Quebec City, of course, but this gives us an idea of where to look.

[RVLife68]

I suppose for the piece of mind those tour prices seem reasonable. Looking at a 34 day trip the cost in Canadian dollars before taxes is over $9800. Seems steep to me.

[RVLife68]

Thanks, both of you, for the info.

We're already coming back through NY and the upper east at the end of the trip.

Sounds like crossing into Canada at Michigan would work best.

We'll have to book our own RV parks between home and Quebec City, of course, but this gives us an idea of where to look.

Traveling the 401 in Ontario is much like traveling any of the busy 4-6 lane interstates. Definitely take the toll highway that takes you around Montreal. ( think it’s highway 37 ). I’d definitely stay a night on the east side of Montreal and take in all that new and Old Montreal have to offer. Walk Saint Catherine Street and get a smoked meat sandwich. Quebec City is nice and more European feeling ( like Paris ) but it’s VERY FRENCH TOO. On the way back to Quebec City I’d abandon the tour just north of Woodstock NB and take highway 95 to Houlton Maine and head south west from there. It’s a much better drive down the 95 and the Atlantic cost.

[sande005]

You may want to estimate gas costs. Typically it is higher to much higher than in the US. Assuming GasBuddy shows Canadian prices in CA dollars...and converting to US dollars, today in Winnipeg, Costco gas is $3.78, while in Minneapolis it is $2.56 (per gallon for both, although Canada dispenses in liters). From that perspective, you could save a lot by driving in the US as long as possible, before crossing the border.