Well, do you have any idea of where in Canada you’d like to go?

Also, what time of year and how long?

This thread will probably be moved to Rest of the World forum, so see ya there.

if you only go to 1 place, go to Banff

I would suggest the following:

- Banff and/or Jasper: scenic and unforgettable

- Quebec City: one of the oldest (and preserved) cities in North America… reminded me of Europe

- Ottawa: Canada’s capital… lots to see and do here (museums, a nice market downtown, etc)

http://wikitravel.or… might help give you an idea of some places you might want to go.

Montreal, Toronto, if you like nature and want to stay off the beaten path try Nova Scotia, Parsboro, Halifax, Cape Breton Island for sure!

Canadian Rockies — it would be a shame to go to Canada and miss what’s really unique. The US Rockies are spectacular, but the Canadian Rockies are unique. Montreal, Quebec, Toronto and Ottawa are all great cities and interesting for Americans because they’re different from American cities — but, IMO, they’re at least comparable to other cities in North America and Europe. The only things I’ve seen that are even close to the Canadian Rockies are the High Tatras (Slovak side — haven’t been to the Polish side) and the Tetons from Togwotee.

Im from Canada and done some traveling around Europe and Ive thought about what it would be like to backpack around Canada and there are a lot of great places.

From East to West

St. Johns Newfoundland: A really different and reallly fun place. I spent 2 weeks there and had a blast. Everyone there is a character

Halifax: considered one of the best cities in the world

Quebec City: European-esq and really french (Montreal is French but has been watered down a little). Cool place for a day or two, and close to Montreal

Montreal: Amazing.

Banff / Jasper Rocky Mountains: Its great there, summer or winter. lots to see and do

Vancouver: Amazing, maybe the greatest place ive been.

Tofino, BC: On Vancouver island and home of giiiant cedars, hiking, surfing, and lots of other cool stuff.

The country is straight up huge though so itll be hard to get around without paying out for flights and those can be pretty expensive. For instance, St. Johns is closer to London than it is to Vancouver.

Quebec City – Montreal – Ottawa – Toronto is easy and all on the same train line. Ottawa – Toronto is the furthest distance and its only 4 hrs.

Banff/Jasper are very nice. If you come to Canada though you must go to Montreal. The best city in Canada hands down.

I live in Montreal, YOU MUST GO THERE.
I’m two months into a Eurotrip and it’s still my favorite city in the world.
Please feel free to email me any questions about my city!
jesscytryn@hotmail.com

If you’re going there during the summer, make sure you’re there on a Sunday and go to Mount Royal for the Tamtams!!

I would suggest….

Halifax, Nova Scotia or Charlottetown PEI for the East Coast. Generally, PEI is more expensive.

Montreal Quebec is an absolute necessary.

As far as Ontario, depends on what you want to see. There are beautiful places. Toronto is bustling and multicultural. Ottawa is the capital, and it’s really beautiful. Algonquin park is great for nature adventures. Also, southern Ontario. Depending on the time of year, London is great, and close to beaches Grand Bend and Port Stanley. It is definitely a “university town” from september-april.

Of course, there are beautiful places to see in the Prairies (Manitoba/Saskatchewan), but I am not well versed in where to see.

Alberta is a must. Definitely go to Banff, Lake Louise, and Canmore.

In BC, Vancouver, Tofino, Victoria, Whistler, Kamloops.

check out ONE WEEK, it’s a great movie to give you ideas of what to see from Ontario to BC

I’ve lived in many places in Canada. I think if you’re set on somewhere I can help you out. But here are my suggestions (east to west and then north):

I’m skipping the east coast right now, though I can fill it in in two weeks after I’ve been.

Quebec:
Gaspe: Beautiful hiking and sunsets. For the outdoor enthusiast, but also neat because of the separatist nature of the region. Rural Quebec is very interesting. Communicate with the locals.

Quebec City: Probably my favourite Canadian city so far. It is really quaint and beautiful and has a neat music scene. However, if you’re coming from Europe it’s really nothing new.

Montreal: There are some neat areas in this city. If you go, you must go to Tam Tams http://tamtamsmontre…
As well, the Spirite Lounge is the most unique restaurant that I’ve been to in my life and is a must in Montreal. The Jewish quarters are also really neat and where Leonard Cohen spent a lot of his days. There’s some good music there as well, and if you choose Montreal and skip Quebec city you can go to old Montreal.

Ottawa/Hull/Gatineau/Wakefield:
I added Wakefield in because it’s a really neat town on the Quebec side about an hour from Ottawa that I think is really Canadian and it’s in the Gatineau Hills and very gorgeous.

Ottawa has a cool scene and a lot of museums if you’re into that. The Parliament buildings are beautiful and you can pop over the river for some Quebec fun in the evening.

Ontario:
Toronto:
People get on Toronto a lot, but I enjoy this city. It is known for its neighbourhoods by locals and people will tell you that the experience is completely different depending on what neighbourhood you are in. There is a Greektown (Danforth), Chinatown (Spadina), and more. Cabbagetown is really neat to go through with it’s cute old homes and cemeteries. There is also a farm in Cabbagetown which is kind of neat to see in the city. The Beaches is alright, but overrated. St. Lawrence district is nice and has some great beer. It’s also near the distillery district, which is worth the visit. If you go, go to Mill St. Brewery, and on Front, near the market is C’est What (a great microbrewery). Other highlights in Toronto include Kensington Market (if you’re into 2nd hand clothing, vegan food, fish markets, weed, etc.). There are many neat places, but those are my favourites.

Niagara-On-The-Lake/St. Catharines:
Many people feel the need to go to Niagara Falls. The old downtown is being revitalized and has a much nicer feel than the tourist trap of what is Lundy’s Lane. It is like a mini Las Vegas and not worth the money. Niagara-On-The-Lake is also touristy, but quaint. In between the two are the botanical gardens, the gorge (excellent for boldering and hiking), and wineries galore! FrogPond winery is organic, small, friendly, and has free samples. This town is also haunted and a ghost tour of Fort George at night is a lot of fun.

I say St. Catharines because I’ve spent a lot of time there and there is an excellent music scene. If you’re in the area, go to Mansion House on a Friday night for a great time http://www.myspace.c…
The Merchant Ale House is also fun, and there is an active Food Not Bombs chapter that serves free vegan food in Montebello park on Sundays from 3-5pm. The people are really rad.

Minden:
This one may seem weird, considering it’s a small town in cottage country. But it has a straw bale museum that’s pretty wicked, and it’s out of the ordinary and has lakes all around and hills for hiking. It’s not really worth it unless you can find somewhere to couchsurf though.

Manitoulin Island/Tobermory:
Take the ferry across this gigantic lake. It’s beautiful. The island is full of reserves and you can get a sense of another culture going here.

Thunder Bay:
Amethyst mines, hiking, beautiful scenery, not at all touristy
This is a good place to stop in if you’re going through Northern/Northwestern Ontario

Kenora:
This is a super pretty town near the Manitoba border that revolves around a very beautiful lake (Lake of the Woods). There’s not much of a nightlife, but it’s a nice stop-over place and if you can rent a cabin, well worth it! (if you’re in the area, look me up as I’m from Dryden.)

Manitoba:
Winnipeg:
This city is spread out, but the downtown is nice and there is a huge history of folkrock music if you’re into checking out new stuff. There’s often free concerts to check out in parks. Go to the Forks (it’s one of my favourite places in Canada), and Osbourne village.

Saskatchewan:
Saskatoon:
This is a rad city with critical mass and food not bombs, and nice people. I haven’t been in awhile so I can’t suggest too much. However, prairie people are friendly and down-to-earth on the most part.

Alberta:
Banff/Lake Louise:
Alberta is conservative and capitalist as a whole. There are cool people there, but I have found it to be my least favourite province. Its economy relies on tar sands (oil), and beef farms. Neither of which are very environmentally friendly. There are a lot of hard-working people in Alberta though, and many people really enjoy Calgary (the stampede and the night life), and Edmonton (the mall, and white ave.). I find that if you’re not into capitalism that it’s best to skip over Alberta, with the exception of the mountains.

Lake Louise is stunning. It really is.

British Colombia:
I can’t make a lot of suggestions as I haven’t yet spent a lot of time there. However, I have heard nothing bad about BC, and if I were planning a trip I would plan it for BC. You have the mountains, cool people, lots to do, small towns, countryside, wineries, cities, islands, the ocean… I could go on. Don’t get caught up in tourist traps and spend time with locals.

Yukon:
I haven’t been here, but I do have friends here and it is on my must-go-to list. Let me know!

The Northwest Territories:
Great Slave Lake:
I say a lake and not a city, because it is the scenery that’s amazing here. I lived on the southeast side of this lake, and I highly recommend experiencing this overlooked beauty. There are cliffs, icebergs, natural wonders, clear water (you could put a cup in it and drink), … I could go on. Try to get here if you can, but be careful because there are not a lot of people and you don’t want to get lost.

*Nunavut: *
I haven’t been, but if you’re wanting to explore the arctic. Go here.

So yeah. I’m off to my own Halifax adventure in a week. So maybe I’ll have a new favourite place and more suggestions! I hope this helps! I think it’s not so much where you go but how you make the experience. www.couchsurfing.com

Unfortunately, Canada is nothing like Europe when it comes to getting around. Trains/buses would take forever and flying between cities is not cheap at all. I would suggest picking a region/province and touring around in that area instead of trying to see it all.

You could do the west coast (Vancouver, Victoria, Vancouver Island, interior BC), Rockies (banff, jasper, calgary, edmonton), the biggest cities (montreal, ottawa, toronto), or the east coast (PEI, nova scotia, newfoundland) or the Prairies (Saskatchewan/Manitoba). Renting a car would probably be your best bet for getting around. And try not to come in the winter, unless you are coming for the skiing!

go to vancouver, cool city and could do side trips to whistler, sunshine coast, and vancouver island

HI,
YOu all are go to canada for your holiday. I have to suggest you Montreal and Quebec City. They both are very good to visit in canada.

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