Budget Travel In Canada
There are ways to stretch your dollar and still enjoy yourself. My most important tip is to make a budget for your trip and stick to it.
You worked hard for a few years and now you’re ready for your big trip to Canada. Your flights are booked but you are wondering, whether you have saved enough money to enjoy the adventure.
Don’t worry, travelling on a budget doesn’t need to stop you from touring around Canada and having fun. Learn how to travel on a budget and your adventure will take you to all the places you have ever dreamt of.
Tips on budgeting
Canada is not the cheapest country to travel in and therefore it is important to have a budget. Plan on spending up to C$100 per day. This includes a one-night stay at a campground, hostel, humble Airbnb or budget hotel, food from supermarkets or fast-food restaurants, public transport and some attractions.
Prices in Canada are higher than in the United States and most of Europe and there is another difference. Canadian taxes will be added to most of your bills, including clothes, accommodation, and Restaurants. Those taxes can increase your bill by up to 15 %.
Canada’s North
For Northern Destinations like Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, prices will be higher and you have to adjust your budget accordingly. In all the Territories, gasoline is more expensive than in the southern Provinces.
Northwest Territories has limited road access, and Nunavut has no connecting roads at all. In Northern Canada, flying is extremely expensive and so are food prices.
Keep track of every dollar spent
Keeping track of your money is especially important for longtime travel. Keep a pocket diary and write down all the money you spend. Whenever you exceed your budget make up for it the next day. This way, you don’t have to worry about running out of cash before the end of your trip.
Look for cheap accommodation
Accommodation is probably your largest day-to-day expense. Fortunately, it is also where you can save the most. Camping is your cheapest option. If you’re travelling by car, find Free Campsites or stay at provincial parks.
Stay in small, locally-run guesthouses, hostels, Airbnb’s, or cheap hotels at the edge of town. Try homestays or CouchSurfing to keep your costs down.
More On Accommodation:
- How to find FREE Camping in Canada
- Backcountry Accommodation Guide
- Backcountry Camping In The Wild
- How to find the perfect Accommodation On Sites Like Airbnb
- Top 13 Canadian Camping Apps
Limit your stay in big cities
I don’t suggest avoiding Canada’s biggest cities altogether. Make them part of your trip and explore Vancouver and Calgary for a couple of days. Stop in Toronto and take a side trip to the famous Niagara Falls if you’re travelling east. Visit Montreal and beautiful Quebec City if you’re heading that way.
Most cities in Canada offer historic guided or self-guided walking tours. Check the local tourism website for times and locations of tours or drop in at the visitor center to pick up a brochure.
Just remember that a big city can drain your cash fast with all the activities and opportunities offered for spending your money.
Many of the major Canadian cities will have an attractions pass that will save you money if you visit a number of attractions within a certain period.
Once you leave the cities behind, t
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Travel offseason
Mid-May to late June is a great time to visit Canada! During that time, there are not a lot of tourists so prices are reasonable. Unfortunately, most tourist attractions as well as Visitor Centres, are closed until Victoria Day, the third weekend in May.
September and October are known for the Indian summer when the forests show red and gold colours. The weather is usually still pleasant for most parts of September. Autumn is an ideal time for a Canadian vacation, although, snow can be on the ground in many areas. During that time there are fewer tourists and prices are lower.
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Cook your own food
Restaurant meals can take a huge lump out of your daily budget. Eating out in Canada is not cheap, in part due to the 10% to 15% tax added to your restaurant bill. The prices listed on the menu are always before tax.
Many open-air fresh food markets and supermarkets offer the chance to buy local food and save on restaurant dining costs. Basic cooking facilities at your accommodation can save you a fair bit of money and support a healthier life.
If you do eat out once in a while, eat where the locals eat. The locals always know where the best and cheapest food is available.
Wine and spirits are also taxed in restaurants at various rates across the country by province.
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Get into hiking
Canada boasts some of North America’s finest hiking. Whatever your ability you’ll find a suitable walk almost anywhere you go. All the national and many provincial parks have well-marked trails.
The Great Trail is the longest recreational trail in the world and connects communities and beautiful landscapes across Canada.
Park staff and tourist centres can advise on good walks, and detailed trail guides are widely available for the most popular regions. Before venturing into the backcountry try to obtain the appropriate Backroad Map Book.
Other Articles On Hiking:
- Why I’m Better off Hiking Alone And Why You Might Be Too
- Let’s Trek Canada
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Get interested in Canada’s wildlife
Get outside and take advantage of Canada’s vast wildlife. Canada is known for its beautiful forests, lakes, and trails. National Parks and Grasslands and Provincial have many free trails for hiking and biking, as well as lakes and rivers for kayaking and canoeing. Those are the places where you see wild animals.
Most of Canada is bear country. You need to know what to do in case of an encounter. Learn the difference between black bears and grizzlies.
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Visit local museums
Take a step back in time and at a heritage site like Barkerville in British Columbia’s Cariboo region. Visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta to see the largest and most acclaimed collections of dinosaur bones on the planet.
You find smaller community museums in most towns all over Canada. Every museum offers a wealth of local artifacts, photos, and stories from the Gold Rush past and rail travel history to its living Indigenous culture.
Most of the small museums operate on a donation basis, but it’s appropriate to give a few dollars to make sure the museum is compensated for its services.
Join in at local events
Local festivities and events are happening in Canada all year round. You find everything from snow festivals and winter carnivals to events featuring arts, culture, food, musicals, rodeos, and much more. Local newspapers are goldmines for information. Pick them up at cafes or restaurants or Google the online version.
Join an event and you will have the opportunity to mingle with local people. There is no better way to get to know the Canadian way of life and get insider tips from people who know best.
Many of the events are free or cost just a couple of dollars to attend.
Save on transportation costs
Transportation costs are expensive in Canada. Because of the country’s enormous size making your way across the country could mean expensive airfares, train tickets, or gasoline.
One way to save on transportation is to limit the extent of your trip and cover only a specific region in Canada, such as the West Coast, the Toronto/Niagara region, Montreal Quebec, or the Maritime provinces.
Renting a car gives you the most flexibility but buying a car might be a cheaper option and is widely used by budget travellers in Canada. Unfortunately, Greyhound buses stopped servicing Western Canada in 2018. New bus companies have started up since then and therefore long-distance bus travel is still an option in Canada.
Canada is not famous for discount airfares and train travel is not cheap either. What about hitchhiking?
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