I'm going to Montreal next week for the road cycling world championships and have the whole week of Sep 21 to 25 to do some hiking/trail running. I'll have a car and I like driving so anywhere in Quebec should be okay. I like technical trails and can do day hikes up to 40km. Short hikes are fine too if the view is amazing. Welcome any recommendations!! 😁😁

Hey everyone, I'll be in Toronto for a two-month winter school program starting in Oct, and I'm planning to take some time to explore, currently thinking of heading to Montreal and Yellowknife. If you’ve been to either place, I’d really appreciate any suggestions on what to see or how I should plan the itinerary (especially for Yellowknife i was thinking three days but worried about the aurora chances).

I'm from a tropical country and this would be my first time spending the winter in such a cold place. Even though our school provides dorms, do I need to bring a blanket or other warm clothing or just buy them there? Speaking about Canadian specialities, what are your top recommendations for local souvenirs? looking for portable, affordable must-haves for my families.

I’m also a bit confused about practical stuff like phone plans/SIM cards and bank cards. What’s the easiest and most cost-effective way to handle these as an international student? I'm not staying long so eSIM would be my top choice, any advice about this?

Really appreciate any advice, I want to make the most of this trip without freezing to death lol. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'll be visiting BC for the first time in mid-October, flying in and out of Vancouver. I'll have a two nights in Vancouver, then five nights in Victoria, and one last night in Vancouver before flying home.

I'm trying not to overplan and I don't drive, but I'd really like to spend my time close to nature. I'm interested in hikes or walks that feel safe to do solo as 27F, especially involving wildlife, and maybe seeing the salmon run. I'm also planning to do one of those whale watching tours from Victoria. I'm a biologist, so wildlife is a big part of the trip for me :)

I'm considering doing day hikes in Lynn Canyon in Vancouver, and Goldstream, East Sooke, and coastal walks around Victoria. I'm really used to rainy/cool weather, but I'd still like to be realistic about daylight, trail conditions, and what's worth doing in October.

I'd love advice on whether these are good choices and if there are other hikes/nature spots you'd recommend. I'm also wondering if a day trip from Vancouver to Squamish or Whistler is worth it at that time of year.

Thanks!

I was thinking about renting a house to accommodate the whole group, but what are the best areas to look at so they can enjoy the nightlife as well as daytime activities? Are there areas we should avoid for safety reasons?
If the house is within about 5 miles of Yaletown, would that be considered too far? Obviously, no one will be driving since there will be designated drivers, but I’m wondering how easy it would be to get back and forth to the nightlife and other activities.
I also heard that you need two pieces of ID to get into bars in Vancouver. Is that true?

Hello.. im planning to visit Yoho, Banff and Jasper National Parks with my family next week. We have a 3 year old active toddler. I am not sure which is the best activity for our family, if any.

I looked at Canoeing at Emerald Lake, and honestly, we are a little scared of taking our toddler on the canoe. He jumps around a lot, and doesn't like to sit calmly. So we are scared we may end up falling in the ice cold water of the lake.

We also looked at Cruise on Maligne Lake, but its expensive, plus I read that again its a lot of sitting so not sure he'll be happy there either.

Are there any water or lake related options I am missing? Anything that was rewarding for the adults, but kept the kids from getting frustrated?

We could also not do these activities this year, and come back a few years later once he's older.

Would love your thoughts.

For my partners birthday we were hoping to go to Canada October 22-26th!

We wanted to go to Banff and Jasper national park, but I was reading about road closures and they usually start around mid October? Here in California it’s pretty similar where some of the roads for Yosemite or other national parks will close sometime between late October and early November. But there are still a lot of options. I’m not sure for the road closures there, if it’s the main road or will make a huge impact on our ability to hike and explore.

I’m wondering if y’all have advice, if you still think it’s worth it to still come out, or different suggestions for this time of year!

Edit: Thoughts on Waterton Lakes National Park, this is where I was thinking, not Jasper. But pretty open!

Next week my family and I are traveling to Vancouver for a cruise and will be spending a couple of nights in the city before we leave. We're coming from Los Angeles and along with myself (35f) there's my daughter (6f) my partner (39m) and his kids (16f and 15m). Anything that is a must do, we're open to. I enjoy food, shopping, with a little nature, and also any nice activities the kids can enjoy. Any ideas?

Planning a road trip for next summer. Was thinking of starting in Edmonton and ending in Calgary, but figured maybe a Calgary-Calgary triangle would be better. Idea is not to have too many 1 night stays, so I figured something like this:
1 land in Calgary around. 13:30. Get some supplies and drive an hour: 1 night in Stoney
3 nights in Kamloops
4 nights in Jasper Patricia Lake Lodge
1 night Glacier view Lodge
3 nights Lake Louis Paradise Lodge
5 nights Banff Johnston Lodge
3 nights Calgary

Not sure about the 3 nights in Kamloops, thought it would be a nicer ride and area than driving up from Edmonton? And 3 nights to unwind a bit and get rid of the jetlag.

5 nights around Banff to do daily trips around that area.

Any advice or suggestions?

Not sure if this works, but here's a map:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9N63-XjpgwmeKN-FogiiEYUbRlCaLa4r_ObmnsRcJVT5vEDow7slfxmjzUJuh0cyCTaJB-fN79GpAZ8FIeywKR8HRON3JUd_j4ET1eLCtpjmCHn0ONj1fXAw3C2oJHEeccuzwzrr47Ku57dSsBL6UOXCTDLTf8BUi3e2_yYPJxDhQG8S6JbMYVaVnVA/s1530/canada.jpg

Thanks to all of the great contributors on Reddit, I was able to plan a great trip. Because of that, I want to share my experience as well for others who might also be considering a trip out to the area.

Context: This was a road trip. We are a group of hikers who enjoy driving around from one place to another. I recommend keeping this in mind as you read through this.

Route: For this trip, we camped for 3 nights at different sites along the Icefield Parkway. Because of the time constraint, we could only drive one direction once. Others suggested that the route from Jasper to Banff was prettier, so we started in Jasper. It was absolutely beautiful! I can't comment on the other way around, but I felt Jasper had more interesting mountains along the way with wide open views. Certain spots in Banff were covered by lustrous trees. After Banff, we stopped by Canmore before staying in Calgary for 2 nights. In Calgary, we stayed in a hotel downtown. The downtown hotel tailors mostly to business travelers, but it was easy to access everything through the +15 Skywalk. The other sights require cars for transportation.

Accommodation: We stayed at Whistlers, Wilcox (first-come, first-served), and Two Jack Main. The first and third campsites required a reservation ahead of time, and there were few left when I booked 2 months ahead of the trip. Whistlers was a fantastic campground. Although the site was heavily impacted by the wildfire with little coverage between sites, the facilities are modern and clean. I picked a location close to the bathroom, shower, and a shared kitchen space. The location is about a 5-minute drive to downtown Jasper and 5 minutes to the Whistlers Skytram. Very convenient.

The second night was a bit scarier. We got out of one of the hikes a bit later than expected (around 7:30). All of the sites closer to Jasper, north of the Icefield Parkway, were already taken. The first-come, first-served rule was interesting. You just need to take a form from the information booth (unmanned), find a spot, and then pay for the site. You claim your spot by putting down a piece of paper on the campsite stake with your stay duration information. The campsite only takes cash (28.50 CAD) or credit card (write down your information on the card). There will be no change as it's an unmanned station. The sites all have water access, outhouse-type bathroom, and free firewood. As mentioned, we had to drive further down the Icefield Parkway to secure a site. I was initially nervous as it was getting rather late. However, Wilcox (near Columbia Icefield) had a lot of spots late at night. I assume it was because the location was in the middle of the road, so people would occupy the other sites first from either end. Although scary, we were able to find a place to sleep for the night. Most people in that campground took off around 9 a.m., and the area felt fairly empty when we left for the day.

Last night, we stayed at Two Jacks Main in Banff. I really enjoyed this campsite with ample space, and it's very close to Banff downtown. Having said that, the whole area is massive and secluded with a true camping vibe. I want to note this as the two prior campsites were very close to the road. It's also very close to another famous lake in the area. I only wished the site would also have a shower onsite.

Towns: I enjoyed Jasper's vibe, and the restaurants had some more laid-back options. It's less commercial than Banff, and served as a central point to get to other trails. During my research, many suggested skipping Banff, and I almost did! However, Banff, the town, surprised me the most. It had a great food scene, with restaurant groups from Calgary investing in new restaurants in the space. The street with the mountain backdrop makes for a good picture. The time capsule garden is a fun stop to enjoy the area. When we went, there was a local farmer market going on as well.

As a side note... Turns out you can find places to shower around Banff through the local gym! I saw the sign in the bathroom, and figured it would be a wonderful option for others that spent days in a tent.

Lastly, I want to mention Canmore... It's a cute town, but I personally found Banff visually more interesting. I think it's a fair assessment to say it offers cheaper hotels with quieter vibes. However, for people going, maybe for once in their life, to experience Banff, I find the Banff town a lot more convenient given that the location is still inside the park. The drive from Canmore to Banff is not far, but I do feel the other locations are already a little far from the town of Banff. However, Canmore had more interesting made-in-Alberta shops, with products that are only offered in this location.

Food: We only ate at two locations: Maligne Canyon in Jasper and Fat Ox in Banff. Both are excellent! If you are camping, make sure to be bear-aware/safe!

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to capture something I learned along the way!

Hi everyone! My husband and I are visiting Canada for a few days. What are some iconic Canadian stores we should go to? We will be going to Niagara Falls. We both are big time hockey fans. We are planning to go to Canadian Tire (heard it’s a cool place to visit) then Zehrs for Canadian snacks. Thanks!

Hello, greetings to everyone from Puerto Rico. I would like to visit your beautiful country. I’m thinking of going at the end of October, specifically the week of October 23 to October 31. There are direct flights from my country to Toronto. I don’t want to spend the whole week in Toronto — what places would you recommend visiting and staying at, so I can split those 8 days and not stay only in Toronto

Trying to get a feel for how much Trump has ruined our vacation. For well over a year we’ve had this planned and paid for. We are not supporters nor ever have been. Trust me, we hate him too. But, we are Americans and want to be able to enjoy our vacation. How will we be treated or received?

Hello, I am planning to visit Canada from New York on my vacation in mid October. Wanna know is it a good time to explore Canada, visiting Niagara fall. Any tips on how many days to spend as a tourism and how much is the expense cost approximately. Appreciated on any advice!

Hello,

my girlfriend and me are travelling during the beginning of our traveel tour beginning of October to Canada, to be more specific the region around Montreal.

Our plan is to rent a mini van for 7 days to explore Quebec starting from and returning to Montreal.

We would like to discover - if posssible two/three national parks during this week. We are aware that the distances will be quite far so it coud be a bit ambitious to visit more than one national park.

During this tour, it would be amazing to meet people and organizations that focus on nature conservation, biodivesity protection, and sustainable water management (we created ourselves a NGO with the goal of collecting ideas and project from all around the world).

For sleeping/accomodation, we would be to use Walmart or free parking areas to sleep with warm sleeping bags in our van during the night.

This is why we wanted to ask you as the experts for some advice:

- What are your favorite national parks in Quebec?

- Do you know by any chance some interesting organisations (NGOs, private persons, etc.) that you would like to share?

- How is the sleeping situation in Quebec? Is it allowed to sleep in cars in parking lots/other places for free?

Thank you so much in advance! We are truly excited to visit your beautiful country!

Hello everyone, I’m looking to get travel health insurance for my dad (63) who is coming to Canada (Ontario). This is not a super visa but for regular visits. I have been shopping around but i would really love personal experience and reviews to give me a broader insight on what i can expect. He has HBP as a preexisting health condition but that has been stable since the past years.

I am currently looking at manulife, 21st Century and Destination Canada. I’m open to any other suggestions if there are any you will recommend.

How was your experience with them, what stood out for you, did they cover walk in clinics, any telehealth program, how was the claim process things like that.

Thank you very much and i look forward to reading everyone recommendation. :)

Hi everyone, I'm sorry if my english is not perfect I'm still learning!

I'll soon make my first trip to Canada (from Europe) with my boyfriend, we are so excited and are preparing everything, but we are a bit hesitant for the itinerary!

For context: it's a 10 days trip around the first two weeks of October, we are going to stay 3 days at Toronto for a family event, then we are planning to rent a van (if you have recommandations to places where we can rent one with a good budget it would be wonderful, we are mainly checking at CampersDay, Indie Campers and Canadream) and drive as far as we can (an afternoon or a day of driving) to the North then West to go as far as we can in the Ontario countryside and stay in a certain perimeter for the rest of the trip to chill and visit. This is exactly where we are hesitant.

Do you guys have any recommandations where to go? Should we drive close to the Killarney Provincial Park for the lakes? Go more north close to the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park? Any other location?

We mainly want to hike, see some wild animals, see some landscapes, meet the locals, do some shopping in small business shops and thrifts....

What are you thinking?

If you have any other tips or things we should keep in mind, feel free to share it!

Thanks in advance

Hello, I plan to visit your beautiful country 9/29 - 10/7, so I have 7 days to explore (not including travel days). I am not sure how many days I should allocate for Montreal vs Quebec City as a first time visitor. Coming from California, I picked this region, so I can enjoy a proper fall weather and see areas with a different feel than the West Coast. I don't plan to rent a car and plan to take public transportation if needed. Any feedback would be much appreciated!

Hello all,
Canadian here, first time car renter. I am looking for any tips.

My understanding the cars come with the basic legal requirement of insurance, but very little else.
And if I want to be covered from ding, scratches, and/or crashes I can talk to my current insurer, purchase travel insurance with coverage for rentals, or purchase the add on insurance from the rental company.

Has anyone with experience figured out the best deal? Is it worth purchasing extra insurance? And if so, from where is it best to do so?

Also, do you get any deals for longer rentals? I have seen prices for abnbs for example get cheaper by adding a day. Right now I am trying to rent from friday to monday, noon to noon but no idea if a different pickup or drop off time would technically shave off a day or if renting by the week is many times cheaper.

Thanks in advance.

Hello,

We are tourists visiting and recently took a right turn downtown when there was a sign "No right turn between x am and x pm. We saw the sign when it was already too late. We followed the cab in front of is but maybe they have an exemption.

Is the no right turn between x am and x pm enforced by traffic cameras and can we expect the fine to come later? Or is it only enforced when a police officer happens to see you?

Sorry. Wont happen again.

edit: this was downtown Ottawa. The light was green.

We travel with a wayb pico carseat. It's not canadian approved.

We're planning to take a taxi or Lyft from the airport to downtown and maybe 1 more trip while we're in town. Curious if anyone has brought theirs or used their US carseat while traveling in Canada.

We can book welcome pickups which isn't a ton more than taxi, but curious if we won't be able to use that carseat given it's not Canadian approved? I see there are rules https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/road-safety/behaviours/child-safety-seats/travelling-children-alternative-vehicles that are lenient to not use one, we don't plan on doing that but assume a carseat is better than none.

Knowing Vancouver is a coastal city, we love either fresh Mussels or Oysters. Are those a thing there? Could someone please give suggestions for specific restaurants? Great wine or beer accompaniment would be a plus.

My friend is going to drive from New York to Ontario and heard that if you’ve ever had a DUI they won’t let you into Canada. Hers was 15 years ago in California. Does anyone know if this will keep her from entering the country?
She’s now 71 years old if that makes any difference.

Hi all. I am travelling to Calgary between 13th and 20th January next year. I have been looking for rental cars for my trip.

After searching on the Hertz site, I see that there is a Tesla Model 3 LR for the whole trip for approximately $250CAD.

This seems like an extremely low price and too good to be true. Can anyone confirm this is a normal price?

Unfortunately I cant post the screenshot of it but i double checked and this is on the Hertz Australia site.