Canadian Car Rental

 

The vast northern neighbour of the mighty USA is an attractive destination in its own right, offering unspoilt nature, great outdoors and multicultural, cosmopolitan cities. Distances are huge, but some of the lowest petrol prices in the world make hiring a car a popular option among travellers. If you plan on doing any hiking, a car is often the only way to get to the trailhead from your hotel.

A good place to begin your adventure is in sophisticated Vancouver on the Pacific coast. After exploring the many galleries, museums and bars, take a rest in Stanley Park, Canada's largest city park. Leave the city to explore the natural attractions of British Columbia, driving along the rugged coastline, past sandy beaches, wineries, forests and crystal blue lakes. Boasting nine national parks, the province is also home to Canada's only desert, Okanagan, with scorpions and rattlesnakes.

Neighbouring Alberta boasts the famous Rocky Mountains, perfect for a self-drive holiday. Drive along the Icefields Parkway or go hiking in a national park; Alberta's wilderness will not cease to impress you. Lakes, forests and wide open spaces lead to the capital Edmonton, featuring plenty of reminders of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. Each July, Edmonton celebrates the Klondike Days festival, commemorating the good old days of the gold rush.

Canada's largest province Quebec is French speaking territory and Montreal is its biggest city with a thriving arts scene and French flair. Quebec has three national parks and wildlife here includes roaming caribou and moose. If you like fishing, this is the province for you. Drive to one of the 100,000 lakes and snatch some plump trout or salmon. The coastline along Hudson Bay is lined with spectacular rocky fjords and deep canyons.

Manitoba, also on the shores of Hudson Bay, offers a pulsating multiethnic mix including Italian, Icelandic and Japanese. Also known as the Great White North, Manitoba has more sunshine than the rest of Canada. Its varied landscape includes an arctic coastline and blooming fields as well as abundant wildlife with beavers and polar bears.

Ontario is the most populated province and its capital Toronto is possibly Canada's most sophisticated city, with plenty of shops and museums set against historical buildings. With five national parks in this province, getting away from the urban centres often brings up more beavers than people. The most famous attraction here however is the stunning Niagara Falls, right on the US border.

Canada is ideal for exploration by hire car with its vast road network including Canada's longest, the Trans-Canada Highway. Public transport is mainly limited to the large cities, while some areas are exclusively accessible by car. In winter, the heated comfort of your own vehicle will protect you from the harsh cold.