I apologize in advance if this post seems a little scatterbrained. This trip is still just a crazy idea, so I've done very little research!

I've got a month off from school at the end of July and beginning of August, and I'm itching to travel someplace. I've wanted to go to Canada for some time, and I've been thinking that now is a good time to make that happen.

My problem is that the country is so huge that I don't know where to begin. I've priced flights and I've looked into getting around the country (mostly the train system), but beyond that, I just don't know how to narrow things down. I love history and I really love the outdoors, so Canada has a lot that I'm dying to see. I want to see as much as I possibly can, so I'm having trouble consolidating my travel plans.

I know a lot of people on DDN are from Canada, and I was hoping that a few of you could recommend a few places I shouldn't miss? I love history and the outdoors, but honestly, I mostly just love learning about new places. I'm pretty intent on seeing Toronto and Quebec City. I'd love to get out to Vancouver and other places that are more in the west, too. I also have some friends who live in Prince Edward Island, and I've wanted to visit them up there for ages, but I'm not sure if that would work out - I don't even know if they'll be in town when I'm there (they usually take a huge vacation right when I'm planning on going).

So as you can see, I need a little help, because I'm already thinking about things on complete opposite ends of the country. Haha.

I'm all over the place at the moment, and I know I need to narrow things down if this is going to happen. The good thing is that I do have a decent amount of money saved up and a huge chunk of time, so I've got a lot of flexibility, but Canada is just huge and I know I need to plan something realistic.

So if anyone could tell me about places they've lived in or visited in Canada, I would be eternally grateful! All advice is welcome and appreciated - like I said, I'm still just thinking this one over, so I'm open to any suggestions.

Thank you!

I live in Canada - from the East Coast (lived in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for years, and now I'm in PEI), and have lived for 5 years in Montreal, and a year in Toronto. I also have family in Winnipeg and friends in Calgary and Vancouver that I've visited...

So you could say that I've seen a lot of Canada.

But after 30+ years, there are still LOTS of Canada that I've never seen, and want to see more in the future!

Personally, I think trying to see all of Canada in a month is a little bit like trying to see all of Europe in a month. You might be able to see lots, but it all depends on what kind of travel you prefer.

I personally prefer to really spend time in one area, to get a sense of what's there and to see all of the cool, off-the-beaten-track things, rather than just 2-3 tourist spots before moving on.

But if you are happy with just highlights, and really want to see ALL of Canada, your best bet might be to take a cross-Canada train trip. Or (since the prairies aren't really the most happening spot - sorry prairies!) you could spend a week on the east coast (Halifax & surroundings, Moncton & surroundings), take the train up (or drive?) to Quebec (Quebec City and Montreal) for a few days each, then go over (train again/drive?) to Toronto for a few days, and then fly to Vancouver. Or fly to Edmonton and take the train from there to Vancouver through the Rockies.

Honestly, based on what you've written - your love of history and the outdoors - I would suggest a Quebec/Ontario vacation. Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa are all within a 7 hour drive of each other (2 hours Quebec City to Montreal; 2 hours Montreal to Ottawa; 4 hours Ottawa to Toronto), and the train system within that corridor is quite good. The history there is unsurpassed, because they're among the oldest cities in Canada (Jacques Cartier settled in Quebec City in 1535). The outdoors is pretty easy to get to, even in big cities like Ottawa and Montreal (a little harder to get to in Toronto) - the Laurentian mountains are majestic if you wanted to travel out to some great resort towns.

I'm particularly partial to the east coast, of course, where you could also spend a good month looking at some old fortresses (Fortress Louisbourg; Halifax Citadel), seeing some great sights (Peggy's Cove, Lunenberg, Hopewell Rocks), hiking/camping in beautiful national parks (Fundy Bay, Cavendish, Kejimkujik, Cape Breton Highlands) and exploring some beautiful towns (Halifax, Fredericton, Charlottetown), and beaches (Shediac, Cavendish).

Let me know if you have any questions - a month will give you a good taste of Canada - but you have to know whether you'd rather rush around seeing everything, or spend time in one location.

I too live in Eastern Canada, and can't say enough about it! Once you get planning a bit more, feel free to PM me and we can chat more. There is so much to see, and beautiful scenery too. I have also seen Ontario and Quebec too; Quebec City is absolutely beautiful too.

This summer I too want to see more of Canada, and I'm flying into Edmonton, and taking the ViaRail from Edmonton to Vancouver. Then spending a few days in Vancouver, a few in Victoria, and a few in Nanaimo.

Sorry this isn't overly helpful, but once you've narrowed down your search a bit, message me.

I'm a West Coast girl who's lived on Vancouver Island my whole life. I'm off to school right now but I'll post more later!

pharmadancer wrote:

(since the prairies aren't really the most happening spot - sorry prairies!)

This is so true. Avoid the prairies as we are rather boring. The cool places, like Banff and Jasper, are usually so full of tourists that you do not really get a feel for what Canada is anyways. I also found Toronto and Vancouver to be rather similiar. Of course they have different climates and a slightly different way of living, but each are huge into the arts and have many different cultures. The history would of course be different as well but you will learn lots in either place.

I would do as pharmadancer suggested and do a Quebec/Ontario trip.

I agree that you really need to narrow down your trip to a particular region, because not only is Canada huge in geographical terms, it's actually really expensive to travel in between cities. For example, a flight from Toronto to Vancouver is about $600 right now.

If you want to do lots of outdoorsy things in a rugged, mountainous landscape, the west coast would be fun for you. And Vancouver's a great, beautiful city with lots to do. It's very new, though. Ontario & the more easterly parts of the country have more historical sites and buildings, generally speaking.

If you still want to be next to an ocean, but with smaller cities and the friendliest people around, try the east coast (there's some great outdoorsy things there too, like in Cape Breton, for instance).

Ontario & Quebec are great for having a lot of variety between them. I personally don't find Toronto all that exciting, but there certainly is enough to do there. Quebec City is very beautiful and quite European with lots of history. Montreal is a fun big city, also with a European feel. Ottawa has lots of history and some nice hiking and outdoors activities nearby.

I'm not sure how much time you plan to spend here. If it's the full month, you could realistically do both sides of the country if you can afford all the flights. But a nicer pace would be to maybe start out in Toronto, stop in Kingston (2 hr drive) for the historical sites, stop in Ottawa for a day or two (2 hrs from Kingston), head to Montreal (2 hrs from Ottawa), then on to Quebec City (2 hrs from Montreal) and just keep working your way out east. You can even take the train from, say, Quebec City to Halifax, which would be lovely.

Anyway, I can recommend lots more once you've got your plans a little more narrowed down.

Yay, I also live in Eastern Canada! Didn't know there were so many of us, lol! The Maritimes might be a bit harder to get around if you don't have a car/access to a car, but I think the Maritimes and maybe Quebec/Montreal would be an awesome trip. Toronto is kind of boring to me, but then again I'm not a city person. If you like big cities, it could be right up your alley.

Having said that, I did grow up in Ontario, a few hours north of Toronto in Toronto's so-called 'summer playground' (that's what summer people call it, we have our own names for them...hehe). If you plan an Ontario/Quebec trip and want some outdoorsy activities, this could be a good option for you. It is very crowded on weekends, but during the week (even in summer) it is a bit quieter and I will say it is absolutely beautiful. Algonquin Park is close by and is always a good time.

The other posters have given some really great advice, so I'll just add my two cents. I've lived in Alberta (Edmonton + southern Alberta), Ontario (Toronto), and Quebec (Montreal), so if you have any specific questions about those places, let me know.

Like the other posters have mentioned, the biggest problem with Canada is its size. And unlike Europe, it's extremely expensive and time consuming to travel long distances across the country. So, for that reason, I'd recommend visiting eastern Canada (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, + the Maritimes), and maybe adding in the west if you have the time and money (Alberta and British Columbia).

The eastern corridor has a pretty good train/bus system, so it's relatively easy to get from one city to another. It'll be a little tougher to travel outside the cities (if you want to do outdoorsy things) unless you rent a car or go on an organized day trip. If you're traveling between Montreal-Ottawa-Kingston-Toronto, check out Megabus (www.megabus.com). Megabus tickets are significantly cheaper than Via Rail tickets. (You can book online in advance - just write down your reservation number.)

I love Montreal and Quebec City. Definitely make time to visit them. Quebec City has a lot of history; I really enjoyed visiting the Old Town. Montreal is larger and livelier, and a bit more cosmopolitan. It has a bit of everything - history, great shopping, cute neighbourhoods, amazing food.

Ottawa is really nice, too. It's a bit quieter, but since it's the capital of Canada, there are a lot of historical/cultural things to see and do (Parliament Building, museums, etc).

Toronto is just like any big city - lots of music, theatre, shopping, restaurants, etc. It doesn't have the same charm or atmosphere as other places in Canada, but you certainly won't run out of things to do.

Now, the west. I LOVE western Canada. (Let's just get that out there, haha.) I spent the first 24 years of my life in Alberta, and I think it's a fantastic place to visit (www.youtube.com . . .). Calgary's actually really nice, and if you're there at the right time, you might be able to catch the Calgary Stampede. (It's basically a 10-day western-themed party.) Banff National Park is about two hours from Calgary (I think you can take a bus there), and it's got some great outdoorsy things to do (hiking, camping, etc). Edmonton is about three hours north of Calgary, and really pleasant in the summer (but for the love of God, don't visit in the winter, haha). From Edmonton, you can take the train to Vancouver through the Rockies. I've never done it, but I imagine the views would be amazing. (The train doesn't go through Calgary, unfortunately. To be honest, intra-city transportation isn't that great out west... MUCH easier in the east.)

Vancouver and Victoria are really nice cities as well (mountains + ocean). If you're short on time, but still want to see western Canada, you might want to skip Alberta (as much as I hate to say it), and fly directly to Vancouver. I'm sure the Vancouverites on DDN can give you more information.

In terms of flights across Canada, check WestJet regularly for seat sales (they usually announce their sales on facebook and twitter, too). Regular price flights across Canada are ridiculously expensive, but you can usually find deals if you're diligent. I fly to Toronto-Calgary quite often and never pay full price.

Thank you all so much for the replies!

I think I'm going to take all of your advice and focus on Quebec and Ontario. A trip like that sounds right up my alley. All the things you guys have mentioned sound fantastic, so I'm definitely going to look into that and I'll probably be taking you guys up on all those PM offers once I get a loose plan for an itinerary!

I really appreciate all the advice. I knew you guys would point me in the right direction. Thank you so much!