Motoring Information and Costs

The freedom of Canada's open roads

Canada has an excellent highway system. Rules of the road are similar to Europe. Vehicles drive on the right hand side of the road and seat belts are compulsory.

Speed limits are generally about 100 kmh on highways and 50 kmh in town and built up areas but can vary, both between provinces, and within provinces for the same road categories, so do pay attention to the local speed limit signs on the ground.

When a yellow school bus stops and its red lights are flashing, traffic travelling in both directions must stop.

You are allowed to turn right through a red light provided that the way is clear except in Quebec.

It is a criminal offence to operate, or be in the care or control of a vehicle, whether in motion of not, with a blood alcohol content of more that 0.5mg (zero mg for drivers under 21 or newly qualified drivers). It is illegal to carry an open alcohol container in a moving vehicle or in a public place, but alcohol may be open in a parked vehicle if kept away from the driving area and the driver. The legal drinking age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, and 19 elsewhere in Canada.

Fuel

Fuel is known as gasoline or gas. It is always unleaded and generally costs far less than fuel in the UK (about CA$1.16 to CA$1.29, depending on area and fuel grade). The price can vary depending on whether you use a ‘full-service’ or ‘self-service’ garage. Credit cards are widely accepted.

Propane gas

Your motorhome heating and cooking facilities run off propane stored in a tank on the motorhome. You can fill up your propane tank at petrol stations. The attendants will fill it for you.

A propane tank should never be more than three quarters full.

Electricity

Electricity is supplied at an alternating current of 110 volt, as opposed to the 220/240 volts in Europe. The frequency of Canadian electricity is 60Hz.

Your motorhome will have the appropriate hook-up equipment. You will need to purchase a voltage selector and universal adapter (available in most hardware or electrical shops in the UK) to use appliances such as a shaver or hair dryer in Canadian electrical sockets, unless your individual appliances have a feature to deal with this.

Tolls/National park entry fees

These are not included in the holiday and you will need to pay them as you go. Members have allowed about £50 for these, but it will depend on where you go.

Driving Licence

A full UK driving licence is accepted. The named driver must be at least 25 years old and all nominated drivers must be at least 21 years old and hold valid licences. Any driving licence endorsement, other than for speeding or parking offences, must be declared when submitting your booking form.

Vehicle Insurance

On individual, tailor-made holidays, basic public liability coverage is included in your vehicle rental fee with a maximum excess of several thousand dollars (the exact amount depending on the rental company) for damage to your vehicle or the property of a third party. You can reduce the excess considerably (usually to a few hundred dollars, again depending on the rental company) by adding a Collision Deductible Reducer (CDR).

On Escorted Tours, your vehicle rental includes vehicle insurance with CDR. An imprint of a major credit card is required while the vehicle is rented and some rental companies may deduct a deposit (typically CA$ 750) from your card, refundable on return of your clean and undamaged vehicle.

Accuracy of information
This information was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing (5 January 2012).