Conclusion

Sorry it took so long, but our souvenir from Canada knocked us out for almost 2 weeks. Corona is as unnecessary as a goiter. And then we lost track of it. It only came back to mind during this year's planning.

All in all, it was a great trip. The negatives fade away over time and the beautiful moments remain. Of course, we had stressful and annoying moments, and of course, we had arguments, but that happens no matter where you are.

Travel preparations:

We started the detailed planning way too late. Four weeks before the trip is too late for the high season when not only tourists flock to the country, but also Canadians take their main vacation. It would have been more time-saving and relaxed to book the campsites, which can be reserved, in advance. On the other hand, it gave us more flexibility. The only annoying part was the searching. But we always found something, we never had to camp by the roadside. Some places, mostly the provincial campgrounds, couldn't be booked in advance. So, it was first come, first served. That's why you couldn't start the search too late. These campgrounds were simple pitches in the forest without electricity and showers and with pit toilets. It was great that we had everything with us, the bathroom and the generator for power.

But we also noticed that what we wanted in terms of flexibility in Australia (where everything was booked in advance) stressed and annoyed us here in Canada. You get lazy in old age.

Another disadvantage was that we didn't find the time to plan the travel route together or at least discuss it again.

On-site:

In retrospect, now that we've been back home for a few days, we have to admit that we didn't relax and switch off until very late in the vacation. Instead, we were constantly busy rearranging, searching, and organizing. It would have been better to spend 3-5 days in one place at the beginning of the trip just to arrive and unwind.

What we underestimated were the distances. A planned travel time (Google Maps) of 3.5 hours for 300 km could easily turn into 5-6 hours.

I can't even say what exact image I had of Canada in my mind before the trip. Mountains, forests, and lakes, just like on the covers of travel guides or in some YouTube videos. It was truly an impressive landscape with snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, rivers, turquoise lakes, and forests. But it was also shocking to see how badly damaged some of the forests were. Quite large areas along the 3000 km route.

But just "that" for 3 weeks was a bit monotonous. Well, attentive blog readers will say: you spent 3 nights in Calgary and 4 nights at Okanagan Lake, so it was different there, and you're right. A nice little change, but even 2 weeks would eventually be enough. And the biggest drawback was my lack of stamina. Schahaatz was always underwhelmed while I was always overwhelmed, which led to some tensions at times. Although I also believe that Schahaatz was able to hide behind me quite well 😁 when it was really exhausting (which didn't happen often). Anyway, we missed out on the big mountain hikes. It's a real shame 🤥. To make matters worse, it was so hot that we didn't feel like hiking.

And the mosquitoes, a factor not to be underestimated. Even the Australian mosquito spray only helped to some extent. The bugs even managed to bite through the clothes where you didn't spray. Luckily, we had our head nets with us, which many envied. We can't say if the mosquito coils we bought had any effect because we usually had a campfire going, and only the mosquitoes know which one contributed more to repelling them. But what about faith and moving mountains?

Canada is expensive. Whether it's hotels, groceries, eating out, alcohol, entrance fees, or attractions (boat trips, etc.), you have to dig deep into your wallet. What makes things so expensive are the taxes and the 15% tip in restaurants, which are always added on top of the prices.

The camper:

You already know our conclusion about the camper, so just a few more things: Next time, we would get a smaller one. Max 25 ft (7.62 m), but definitely with a slide-out in the living area and twin beds in the bedroom (more comfortable when the vehicle is parked diagonally, which happens more often than parking it sideways). We used the overcab area as storage. Schahaatz even took a nap there one afternoon, so it works for adults too, and four people (in a 28 ft size) won't be a problem. We still had plenty of storage space. At the beginning of the trip, it might be a good idea to make sure the hub caps are securely fastened 🫣.

Our camper provider was excellent, CuCamper from Hamburg. They collaborated with Canadream for our trip.

The process for the lost hub caps (265 CAD) with the insurance offered in the premium package was also great. We received the money back without any problems after submitting the claim at home 👍🏻.

Technical travel tips:

Gaffer tape is always a useful addition to your travel essentials 😁.

Buying SIM cards at Walmart is easy and cheap. Even though the Tellus network didn't have good coverage in the Rockies, the other networks won't be any better.

It's always a good idea to have credit cards that don't charge foreign transaction fees, like the Barclaycard. Otherwise, you'll pay around 1.75-2.0% per credit card transaction abroad. It adds up.

In conclusion, we would summarize it as follows:

-Plan early (6 months)

-Reserve campsites in advance (at least the first stops and national parks)

-Expect a lot of nature

-Don't underestimate travel times (Google x 1.75 😂)

-Big campers consume a lot of fuel

-Big campers can't go everywhere.

Canadians are helpful and friendly. Unfortunately, we didn't have much contact with locals or other Germans on this trip. It was also difficult because the campgrounds were all very spacious, and we arrived late and left early, so the opportunity didn't arise often.

Canada is big and vast. Isolated houses are rare in the Rockies, and a village with 5000 inhabitants is called a small town here.

Canada is truly nature and definitely worth a trip, or two or three...

Coming soon:

www.vakantio.de/cacawa2023