Seattle to Toronto questions...

[popshutes]

Hey there,

My friends and I are thinking of doing a road trip from Seattle to Toronto with stops in the cities along the way.

We were planning of heading up to Vancouver and going across Canada to Toronto and back through the northern United States.

few questions:
Has anyone here done this?
About how long does it take?
What are some good things to check out along the way?
About how much would this cost? (we want to camp for the most part)


If you have any other info, go ahead and mention it. Any & all info would be great!

Thanks!!

[PNW Judy]

Per MS Streets & Trips, it's almost 2700 miles. Plan on a good 52 hours or so driving time. Since this doesn't include stops for gas, stretch breaks, meals, etc., plan accordingly.

At $2.50/gallon for gas, my car would cost about $190 in gas. I get about 31mpg on the highway. So you would need to figure gas costs for your own vehicle. I have no idea what gas is costing in Canada right now so that $2.50/gallon is a guestimate and based on US gallons. Traditionally, Canadian gas has been higher-priced than US gas but with our own prices so high right now, there may not be as much difference nowadays.

When I have camped in Canada, the rates have been pretty comparable to what we pay in the US. $10-30/night depending on location and amenities for tent camping has been the norm that I've encountered.

Since you get about $1.25 Canadian dollars for every American dollar right now, you need to factor in the exchange rate to figure what the trip might cost you. And then, of course, add extra for emergencies, etc.

As for the rest of your expenses, if you eat out of your cooler and what you cook at your campsite, food expenses will be low. Just purchase your food at regular grocery stores vs. mini-marts. If you do this, eating on the road really won't cost you much more than eating at home does. Of course, restaurant meals really boost your expenses fast.

As for what to see....gosh, it's been about 10 years since I've traveled from Vancouver BC to Calgary....that's as far as I got along the route you're planning. I just remember stopping at lots of neat scenic viewpoints and going on some short trails to various waterfalls and other scenic views. I don't remember specifics. Sorry!

Enjoy your trip and come back and share it with us.

[Syv]

Of course! Lots of folks do this drive...

The main highway across Canada is the Trans-Canada. Lots of info about things to do and see along the way can be found at www.transcanadahighway.com

Fuel costs have been staying around 80 cents to $1.00 per litre across Canada. One US gallon is 3.8 litres. Therefore, 10 gallons is 38 litres.

(Editor: And if math is not your strong suit, we have built an application that does it all for you and also calculates your fuel costs. click here. )

You will want to go through Yoho, Banff, and Jasper national parks, see the Columbia Icefield, Athabaska Glacier. Drive through Kelowna area, and Okanagan Valley. Look all these up on the web for details.

In Ontario, www.ontariotravel.net
www.gottagonorth.com
www.getnorth.com
www.muskoka-tourism.on.ca

Lots to do and see in Toronto too, of course.

Hope this helps for starters. Post more questions, your interests, as you plan.