We were planning the last leg of our RTW trip back to FL.

Our final leg will begin in Vancouver, WA where our bike is stored (post arrival from Australia in Sep 2019) and we plan to take a few months to cross Canada and try and catch the Newfoundland HUBB meeting in August enroute.

If anyone has a suggested scenic route (preferably mostly paved or hard pack) from west to east let me know. We're not camping so would need lodging stops along the way. We'd like to transit Saskatoon as my wife's niece lives there!

Also, our bike is registered in Florida where insurance is optional. So, do I need to obtain insurance prior to entering Canada? If so, any suggestions? I did have USA while stationed in Germany but they didn't renew the insurance when we returned to the USA in 2015.

John and Ger

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Minimum levels of vehicle liability insurance are mandatory in all Canadian provinces and territories. Being caught without it will lead to a sometimes quite hefty fine and possible impoundment of the vehicle, not to mention the risk of personal financial disaster if you cause a serious accident.

Thousands of U.S. registered vehicles cross into Canada every day, from which I infer that the typical U.S. liability policy covers Canada. Certainly the reverse is true. Canadian policies typically cover the U.S. So I assume that you should be able to insure your bike in Florida with a policy that covers Canada as well as the U.S. Of course you should absolutely confirm that with whatever broker or insurer you end up using. You also need to make sure that your policy includes the minimum level of coverage required. Presently in B.C. it's $200,000 CAD. Of course, it's not hard to cause an accident which results in far more liability that that. Many people here carry far higher coverage.

Hello John, Ger:

As Norm pointed out, insurance obtained in America is generally valid in Canada. In fact, there is a treaty or memo of understanding between the governments of Canada & America that specifically addresses vehicle insurance.

Because your vehicle is plated in the USA, your only option is to purchase insurance in the USA - Canadian insurers won't write policies for American registered vehicles, and vice-versa.

It should be pretty simple for you to contact an insurance company that does business in Florida (or, more precisely, is entitled to write policies on Florida-registered vehicles) and have them provide you with a policy that meets the minimum liability requirements of all 50 states and all the Canadian provinces. You need what is called "Canada Inter-Provincial" coverage.

I have a good friend who often drives a Florida-registered vehicle here in Canada (she has dual citizenship), and I know that her insurance covers her vehicle up here.

As Norm noted, don't even think of entering Canada without the minimum required liability insurance. Liability insurance is obligatory everywhere in Canada, and the penalties for driving without it are very severe.

Michael

There are only two routes across Canada - the Trans-Canada highway (generally called Highway number 1), and the Yellowhead Highway (generally called Highway 16). The latter passes through Saskatoon.

In my humble opinion, having driven and ridden both many times, I think Highway 16 is the more pleasant route. It is not as heavily travelled as Highway 1.

Michael

Thanks all.

I'll get insurance from Progressive and that should work.

Michael

Since I have time, would you recommend continuing North on 37 from Prince George (Rte 16) to Watson Lake and then back South on Rte 97?

Lodging appears to be scarce the further North from Prince George.

Thanks again!

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Watson Lake! Holy crow, that's up in Yukon Territory!

No, I would not recommend going up there. In fact, I would not recommend even going as far north as Prince George. There are two reasons for this:

1) Anywhere north of Highway 1 in British Columbia is what we in Canada refer to as a "sparsely settled area". By that I mean there is very little population, and few services. What services there are tend to be expensive (fuel, accomodation, etc.).

By way of example, I once elected to drive from Vancouver to Kamloops via Highway 99, and I was really surprised at how little settlement there was along that route - it was like driving in the middle of nowhere. Note that this route was only about 5% as far north (above the Trans-Canada highway) as the route to Prince George & Watson Lake.

In addition, almost all of the towns & villages on Highway 97 are there because the economy of the community is based on resource extraction (mining, logging, etc.). They are not particularly pretty, nor do they offer much of interest to a visitor. I've driven the Highway 97 to as far north as Prince George, and have no desire to do it again. It's a long boring trek. Seriously - anywhere north of Kamloops on Highway 97 makes rural Montana look heavily populated.

2) This is the really big reason to go no further north than Highway 1 or Highway 16: All of the really beautiful scenery, all the spectacular national parks, etc. will be found along Highway 1 & Highway 16. If you go north to Prince George and/or Watson Lake, you're going to miss all the really good stuff unless you do a lot of backtracking. When I say "A lot", I mean a lot - the one-way distance from Kamloops (where you would leave civilization to go north) to Watson Lake is 1,200 miles - the same distance as Miami to New York City!

- - - -

I suggest you route Vancouver to Lake Louise via Highway 1, then head north on Highway 93 (the Icefields Parkway) to Jasper, then pick up Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Route) at Jasper and follow it to Manitoba. That will take you through the best scenery British Columbia has to offer, through two spectacular national parks (Banff & Jasper), up the Icefields Parkway (a must-do if you are in Western Canada), and then across the northern part of the Prairie provinces, which is a bit more interesting than the southern route (the Trans-Canada). It will also keep you out of places like the segment from Prince George to Watson Lake, where it is not uncommon to only see one vehicle per hour travelling in the opposite direction.

Lastly, if you follow the route I proposed in the paragraph above, you will have no difficulty finding hotel or motel accommodation along the way - though be warned, it can be expensive in the National Parks during the period June 15 - August 30. Once you leave Jasper heading east on Highway 16, every small town has a motel, and you will have lots of lodging choices in any community with a population above about 25,000 people.

Michael

PS: When you contact Progressive for the insurance, tell them you will be travelling in Canada. They will then send you a Canadian-specification insurance certificate (a 'pink slip'). You would be covered without it, but having the appropriate Canadian-spec certificate will avoid problems if a cop ever stops you and asks to see your documents. FYI, all insurance companies in Canada issue the exact same certificate, which is why the cops are used to seeing pink slips.

I guess I have to disagree with Michael. With a couple of months to explore, I'd make a point of heading up the Cassiar Highway (37) at least as far as Stewart/Hyder. If you don't want to ride all the way up to Watson Lake and loop back down the AlCan (97; I'll admit the sights are fewer this far north, and you don't have time for Alaska), just backtrack for that bit. Rt. 16 between Smithers and the coast is a hoot; you can make a loop by taking the ferry from Vancouver Island before continuing on toward Prince George. There are a number of fun routes north of Vancouver (B.C.) which can be done as loops or out-and-backs. Etc.

One reason to head up that way is that these areas are, in fact, lightly populated. Local culture and lifestyles are fascinating in themselves, the landscapes are wonderful and varied, the wildlife abundant and in some cases unique. If you declare yourself indifferent to anyplace not densely-populated and replete with citified culture, well, feel free to ignore all of the above.

Aside: I've been up and down the AlCan Highway and/or the Cassiar quite a few times, and I can't say I've ever gone an hour between seeing other vehicles, even 30 years ago (when I hitched both directions, and had reason to notice how many people passed me). During the season those roads are more traveled than I'd prefer, largely with giant, lumbering RVs moving slowly up the hills and around the corners.

In any case, there are going to be boring stretches no matter how you arrange this ride. To eliminate vast areas of the country, unlike any you're likely to see elsewhere, just because you don't want to spend a day every so often getting there on less-than-optimal roads doesn't sound balanced to me.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Judging by your blog you are experienced, and likely comfortable, travelling in less than populated areas.

I find myself agreeing with Mark, if you are making the effort to discover Canada then perhaps find the route less travelled.
By default this will take you away from large population areas and introduces you to resource based and indigenous communities and immerses you in extended screenings of raw Nature.

If this interests you I’d suggest that BC has world class remote wilderness – though my living here has me unabashedly biased.

If your time schedule and budget are of a relaxed nature perhaps make your way to Victoria on Vancouver Island via a ferry from Port Angeles WA or Vancouver BC.

From Victoria meander up the coast hwy to Port Hardy taking in the seaside charm.
Catch the Port Hardy ferry to Prince Rupert – this takes you through the Inside Passage of West Coast Rainforest.

https://www.bcferries.com/schedules/...ip-current.php


From Prince Rupert, perhaps after a visit to the Queen Charlotte Islands, head North on the Nisga’a Hwy through the Nisga’a Lava Bed Park taking in the hot springs, Vetter Falls etc.

Meet up with Hwy 37 and make for Stewart/Hyder and/or Watson Lake.
From Watson Lake its an easy ride down the Alaska Hwy to Dawson Creek and into Alberta.

IMHO the scenery along the Jasper Parkway and Banff et al are worth the tourists and ‘business’ and not to be missed.

East of Alberta the mountains, glaciers and forests are replaced by rolling grasslands and the road network becomes more checker board in nature.

HTH and enjoy your trip!

Mark & Reil make good points in their posts above.

If you do choose to head up Highway 97, you won't find it to be quite as lonely as the Trans-Siberian Highway... but it will be far less developed and offer far fewer services than any highway route you would find in any of the 50 American states.

You indicated that you have two months to get from Vancouver to Newfoundland. I think that an excursion up to the Yukon (Watson Lake) and back would eat up about 10 days, assuming you ride at a leisurely pace, and you might want to use that time elsewhere along the trans-Canada route.

Keep in mind that apparent distances can be quite deceiving when you are looking at a map of Canada that is displayed using a Mercator or modified Lambert projection, which are the two most common map projections used for road maps. The distance from Vancouver to Newfoundland, via the national parks in the Canadian Rockies and following an all-Canadian route (rather than dipping down under the great lakes) is about 5,000 miles. Heading up to Yukon and then backtracking to not miss the national parks would increase that to nearly 7,000 miles.

My take, which I guess I didn't express well in my first post, is that I don't think there is much "reward" to be gained from making that additional 2,000 mile trek north to Watson Lake. Believe me, you'll see enough wilderness, wildlife, and varied geography via any route across the Rockies, and via the northern route across the Great Lakes.

Reil's suggestion to go touring up Vancouver Island is a good one. The distances are not extreme, and the geography and culture on the island are unique. If you have to make a choice, Vancouver Island is the clear winner over the route up to Watson Lake. If money is not a big concern, you could take a ferry from Vancouver Island up to Prince Rupert, and then start your trek east at the terminus of Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Highway) at Prince Rupert. That would take you through Jasper National Park, and allow for a short diversion down the Icefields Parkway (the highway between Jasper & Banff). But, do research the cost of the ferry to Prince Rupert carefully - it might be a wee bit expensive.

Michael

Michael, Mark and Reil,

Thanks for those suggestions. Finding lodging may be our limiting factor/resource. We had similar limitations in Indonesia (lodging) and the Australia Outback (lodging and fuel).


Missing the scenery in national parks b y not going the conventional routes was the tradeoff that concerned us. The ferry option from Vancouver Island is tempting.


We'll check those routes and suggestions against the map and see if we can plan a good compromise. Will return with any follow-up questions.

Thanks again for the great input.

John and Geraldine

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I've lived in BC since 1982 and there have been some very good comments made above. The biggest problem with Canada, BC in particular, is "triage". There's just way too much to see in such a "short" time in such a large country.

Unless you're starting to explore the very far north, accommodations are not really an issue, aside from cost and potential lack of availability in the peak season and weekends. Except for far northern routes like Inuvik and Tuktoyuktuk, along with our plentiful logging roads there will always be some other traffic, especially in the summer, and we generally stop on those roads to offer assistance if we see someone stopped along the way. But it sounds like you wouldn't be on any of those routes anyway.

The north near Prince Rupert is stunningly beautiful (I worked in the area for a while) but I would recommend against it due to time constraints. I've been as far north as Watson Lake (by vehicle) and absolutely loved it. But two months in total really isn't enough unless you decide to breeze quickly through most of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. If you do decide to go there check out Prince Rupert to Smithers; Salmon Glacier / Hyder; Lava fields on the way from Terrace to New Ayansh; Totem poles near Kitwanga. The ride out to Kincolith is also amazing. Yes, the trip back down south is a bit boring but facilities are plentiful along the way and those are the main arteries connecting our northern locations.

I like the idea of taking a ferry to Vancouver Island. Vancouver is actually quite beautiful as far as cities go but I prefer avoiding it. My recommendation is to head to Port Angeles, WA and take the Coho Ferry to Victoria. You can then head straight north on Vancouver Island, or better yet, head to Port Renfrew and come out at Lake Cowichan and on to Duncan (near where I live). Unless you're heading to the ferry in Port Hardy go as far north as Courtenay or Campbell River. A nice side trip is Campbell river to Gold River and even down along Buttle Lake in Strathcona Park. Great riding. Another great side trip is to head to the actual Pacific Coast by Tofino/Ucluelet. Amazing beach similar to Oregon but it will be busy and expensive in the summer.

From Comox/Courtenay you can get on a ferry to Powell River. Make sure to go to Lund for some baked goods and then head back south towards Sechelt. There will be another ferry connecting the two road sections. Once in Gibsons you will have to take another ferry to the "mainland" just north of Vancouver. All coastal ferries in BC have motorcycle priority boarding (go to the front of the line) From there head north through Whistler and on to Lillooet. That last part is one of my all time favourite rides in BC. You'll see the terrain changing from snow capped coast mountains with rain forest to a semi arid and hot landscape. The maximum distance without services here is about 100km.

The above route, in my opinion, will give you a really good feel for the Canadian West Coast.

Now the dilemma is whether to duck down back south towards the US border for the amazing BC Hwy 3 or stay further north for the equally stunning Federal Hwy 1. I would avoid the Yellowhead (Hwy 16). It's very nice in its' own way but the other two options offer more "bang" for the buck as far as I'm concerned. If you decide to head back south you can visit our Okanagan Wine Country south of Salmon Arm, head east from Osoyoos and the explore the Kootenay region which is a bit of a step back in time. Then head east into Alberta or back up north via Nakusp and Revelstoke via two more ferries (no priority boarding on those but they are free. From Revelstoke you can head east on the Trans Canada Highway for some mind blowing scenery and lots of traffic. The Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper is definitey worthwhile.

I'm hard pressed to think of any paved road in BC I haven't been on (not to mention a lot of unpaved ones). So if you have particular questions about certain routes I'd be happy to answer them.

Have an awesome trip.
...Michelle

"....breeze quickly through most of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba..." sounds like a pretty good suggestion to me, but then I'm more interested in mountains than endless prairies and muskeg.

OP, even when I disagree on specifics, Scrabblebiker is perfectly on-target in her suggestions above. You're not thinking of going anyplace where you won't find lodging or gas. Set aside all preconceptions, listen to the advice given by those who've been. There are a few other obvious routes in BC, like Gold Bridge via the Hurley Pass road, or Bella Coola via the dinky little ferry from Shearwater. You'll just have to decide what sort of riding, landscapes, and population centers you favor.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

PS: Worst mosquitoes on the prairies seem to hang out in little city parks in Saskatoon. Worst black flies I've ever seen were a tie between Wawa and upcountry Labrador. Bring repellant, a headnet, and clothes you can button up tightly if planning to do any walking or lounging around in the great out of doors.

Thanks Michelle and Mark.

We've pretty much decided on Vancouver Island and the May 30th overnight ferry to Prince Rupert. That gives us time to get to Maine by July 23rd which is our target date to meet some others enroute to Newfoundland.

Michelle, will check your suggestions and may take some side trips.


As mentioned, deciding the optimum routes east from there through the National Parks can be a challenge so we'll take another look at the map. It looks like it may be worth going down from rte 16 to Kamloops and then join Rte 1 through Banff but not sure if we'd be better off staying on 16.

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