Driving across Canada from the East coast to Vancouver

[Adriana✿]

So a client is flying me to Halifax for a few days this sat and I was thinking about driving back home to Vancouver.

Driving Coast to coast or at least from Eastern Canada to the West coast has always been on my bucket list and the opportunity has presented itself.

Is this just crazy talk during winter, alone? has anyone done this in winter? I would rent a car with 4 wheel drive and winter tires of course. I may stop and tour along the way. Or is this dangerous? I have no experience with east coast weather but grew up in AB and I am a seasoned Alberta deep freeze driver. how long will it take just straight thru?

Advice please?

 

[vancity_cowboy]

do it in the summer or fall, but not in winter

back east they can have lovely winters, and they can have some very serious completely stranded on the side of the road in some deadly fucken winter weather conditions too. i remember reading in the paper when i was a kid about a couple in the maritimes whose car got completely buried in a humungous snowfall during a blizzard. they were holed up in their car, continually poking a little chimney through the snow for fresh air for at least a night. they were killed when the BIG ole snowplow they use back there sliced their car right in half as it was clearing the highway at about 70km/hr

so you pay your money, you take your chances - what kind of weather are they going to have this winter... during the time you want to make your trip?

 

[cruiser]

Dood:

Sounds like you're a long distance truck driver.....you have the roads down to a finite detail.

Impressed.

 

[Bart24]

Hey Adriana,
Sounds like a great adventure.
Want some company?

 

[chuckanut]

What's your rate?

lol.

-chuck

 

[Pillowtalk]

I'd throw a shovel, a set of those traction pads, an emergency kit with candles/space blanket/food, a gas can with gas into the rental car. You could get lucky and not need it, but then you'll have it to put into your own car.

Plus chains.

They will probably be mandatory in some places in BC and maybe AB.

And consider taking the train instead. Same view, without having to drive it.

 

[solo_aviator]

Ive gotta agree with dood's write up. you'll notice the roads in quebec in general suck. I lived there for 18 months, and they're the worst roads ive seen across canada by far. as soon as you hit the provinical border it goes from bein rough to smooth as ice. I drove from vancouver to montreal in the summer, and in jan '09 montreal to vancouver staying in canada the whole way. it was quite an experience. in the winter, take your time, dont rush. this is especially true around the lake. from sault ste marie to wawa can be quite the experience. i learnt a new definition to the term white out. the snow squalls would get bad enough the 3 semis i was following would stop because they couldnt see, and you didnt stray more than 20 feet behind them and didnt go more than 15km/hr for quite a stretch.
that being said, when the weathers good around the lake, make sure you've got a lot of free space on your camera, you many spectacular views. the prairies, well can be boring. the two best parts of driving cross canada are northern ontario, and from calgary to vancouver. just be prepared as previous posters have said, check road conditions before you set out, and enjoy the drive.

 

[Adriana✿]

Thank so much for taking the time everybody. A long haul trucker(thank you!) has been telling me stories via PM and I just booked the return portion by plane LOL

During the holidays makes it extra risky and bailing myself out would be costly/deadly, if I was even able to reach any emergency services. I guess my coast to coast adventure will have to wait for spring/summer (=

 

[Adriana✿]

I love the train, I did it a number of times when I was young and the trip through the mountains is beautiful if you make sure to do it in daylight. Try to do your sleeping from Winterpeg to Calgary, the prairies are boring when on the train. 16 days from Halifax to Vancouver tho. http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/canada/rocky_mountaineer/best/coast_to_coast_rail/index.html If traveling by train, get a sleeper compartment. Not only is your stuff safely locked up, you can "entertain" that hunk you just met without comment.

Yes, I love trains and have taken some beautiful trips in the U.S. and here. I would have missed b-days, christmas and new years though, otherwise a train trip was a no-brainer.

 

[LittleAsianGuy]

I've tried it and wouldnt do it again.

 

[87112]

No hell on earth is traveling on those old Style trains in China. The ones from the Mao Xiao Deng era. I did it once from Wuhan to Shenzhen, you pee and crap in a whole in the train and you smell like a locker room afterwards. This was just a few years back before the new luxury Trains that are common in China now.

 

[Pillowtalk]

No hell on earth is traveling on those old Style trains in China. The ones from the Mao Xiao Deng era. I did it once from Wuhan to Shenzhen, you pee and crap in a whole in the train and you smell like a locker room afterwards. This was just a few years back before the new luxury Trains that are common in China now.

The luxury trains look awesome, I'd like to try a travel from Beijing to Shenzhen or something short like that. I checked into it last year, but it seemed a bit pricey and a long trip compared to just flying. I think I like the idea of train travel more than actually doing it.l

 

[kenchorney]

4. Ontario part 2: Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay. From the Sault on North it's empty and desolate. Fuel up. Keep your eyes open for moose and other animals. There is no cell service in patches and fuel is expensive. Hotels may be closed because it's off season. Sault to T Bay is 7 hours and a tough drive. Get a satellite radio. East shore of Superior at this time of year has MONSTER snow squalls. Lake effect snow can be crazy. Look at London Ontario having 100 cms of snow in 3 days. That's Lake effect.

5. Ontario part 3. T Bay to Kenora. Flatter road, more wide open, really opens up as you cross into Manitoba.

6. Prairies: Flat but prone to blowing snow and cold temps this time of year.

Time to drive straight through assuming 15 hours of driving each day --->

Day 1. Maritimes to Ottawa
Day 2. Ottawa to Wawa, White River Area
Day 3. Wawa/White River through to Western Manitoba
Day 4. West Man to Banff/Canmore (you'll get there early, settle in, sleep well)
Day 5. Vancouver.

I have to agree with everything dood said but I would like to add my 0.02 on the items I quoted.

The driving times he quoted are pretty much dead on if the weather and road conditions are good, I would add at the very least two more days this time of year for weather etc. You will also have a lot less daylight in the winter, the two sections of Ontario I left in the quote are NOT places you want to do a lot of night driving in the winter. BUY GAS WHERE EVER YOU CAN.

You will also be driving into the sunset everyday if it is clear, even with sunglasses this can be hard on the eyes and cause fatigue.

The praires are flat and you have four lane hiway across all three provinces but the blowing snow can be brutal and the hiways can be closed for 12 to 24 hours at a time. You may be able to do this in one day (Winnipeg to Calgary) or it could take 2 or 3. Trust me, snow stayed in Grenfell SK is not a lot of fun. I would also pack a sleeping bag, if you do get storm stayed and do manage to get a motel room you may not want to sleep on the sheets, again trust me on this. A shit hole motel it's still better than being on the hwy in a white out and getting creamed from behind by an 18 wheeler.

Manitoba speed limit is mostly 100 km/hr but much more than 110 will probably get you a ticket, about 40 mins before you enter SK it goes up to 110 so you can do 120 or 125 all the way from SK to Banff if the roads are good.

IMHO I would fly home, it will be quicker, cheaper and WAY less stressful. Save that trip for the summer when you can enjoy it.

 

[Miss*Bijou]

do it in the summer or fall, but not in winter

x2


I've done it twice; once in November and once in summer. The only reason I did it in November was because I was moving here and wanted to take my car with me. It was just starting to snow and there were parts that were no fun at all. I personally wouldn't bother in winter. Summer is must more worth it. IMO.

 

[badbadboy]

This time of year, no thanks. Too many variables that can totally derail your trip IMHO. Ice and snow plus other crazy drivers can be hazardous to your health.

I have done the Calgary to Vancouver Trip many times and it is a very long haul in one day even in the summer months. Winter time you want to slow it down quite a bit especially through the Rockies.

Best advise in this thread is the train if you want a stress free beautiful journey.

 

[visiting]

x2

X 3.. have done it a few times, and it's not much fun when roads are closed due to snow storms.....

I have to agree with everything dood said but I would like to add my 0.02 on the items I quoted.


Manitoba speed limit is mostly 100 km/hr but much more than 110 will probably get you a ticket,

NO shit, I got one for going 111......... just a little outside of Winnipeg, in Headingly When the RCMP gave me the ticket and said " Welcome to Manitoba", made me laugh.....

 

[bcneil]

Oh man that wouldn't be fun right now.
Even in summer, with one driver would be exhausting.
If I was in Halifax, for the same amount of time and cash.
I'd go to Boston for a few days then fly back home.

 

[kenchorney]

One thing, I don't worry so much getting creamed by an 18 wheeler. The big boys out there on the road are often very familiar with the road. I could always tell rookie truckers in BC. They would slow down frequently whereas veteran mountain runners put the hammer down and rolled. Get on the back door of one of those boys and you're doing 110 all across BC. I got way more faith in a trucker than I do in a dude in an SUV

99.9% of the truckers are the safest drivers on the road, I drive about 50,000 km a year for work mostly between Edmonton and Winnipeg and usually see one maybe two dumb moves by truckers and 100 by regular drivers in a year. In the last month I've seen three really stupid moves by the big guys, I think with the shortage of long haul drivers there probably are more rookies behind the wheel than in the past, or maybe just a case of me being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[DB Cooper57]

The only advice I would give is instead of taking Hwy 17 all the way across Ontario, take Hwy 11 from North Bay to Nipigon, it's shorter faster and you don't have to worry about the snow squalls between Sault Ste Marie and Wawa. Don't ever let your gas tank go under half and use gas line antifreeze if the temp is below -15. Most of the provinces have fairly good road condition web pages and mot important just use common sense!