Each year I love nothing more than loading the car up with supplies, throwing the kids in the back and hitting the open road. Throughout the years we have visited some amazing places and discovered some wonderful things on our road trips and without doubt Canada is one of the best places in the world to take a road trip.
There are many reasons why I love the Canadian roads, they are quiet, easy to drive on and offer some magnificent scenery. I have driven many routes throughout this country and if you want to head off for a family road trip, here are my favorite routes to give you some inspiration.
The Cabot Trail – Halifax
Probably the most famous road trip in Canada, the Cabot Trail is a near 300 kilometer loop through the north of Nova Scotia. The bulk of this route takes you through the incredible Cape Breton Highlands National Park where you will treated to seeing moose, deer and wild birds flying over head. The route also takes in some incredible ocean views and it is not uncommon to spend vast periods of time without spotting a single car.
The Gaspesie Tour – Montreal
I actually saw this trail on a Nation al Geographic show some years ago and just had to try it out, and I wasn’t disappointed. You begin in the exciting city of Montreal and then embark on a 1500km trip past coastal scenery, national parks, and plenty of hiking opportunities to take in along the way. You could do this trip in a weekend but there are so many places of you to stop at that it would be better if you did it in a week and gave yourself some more time.
The Heritage Run – St John’s
This 500 km loop in Newfoundland is possibly one of my favorites in the country and as a nature lover, it totally fit the bill for what we were looking for. There is the perfect balance of isolation and small towns on this trek and with lots of camping spots along the way too so that you can pitch up wherever you like. Make sure you bring all the necessary camping gear when spending the night outdoors. The attraction of this route is the many historical sites along the way – hence the name Heritage Run – and throughout the route you will also see spectacular views as you weave through the Burin Peninsula.
Columbia Icefields – Edmonton
Scenery does not get any better than the icefields of Edmonton and this road takes you right thorough them. The road trip lasts about 4 hours and takes you from Edmonton to Jasper with a stop at the Columbia icefields. Here you will see ice waterfalls, dramatic rock formations and you can even take a bus over the top of a glacier. This route is very popular and as such there is a great deal of infrastructure here to help you to enjoy your short, yet amazing trip, that little bit better.
What i your favorite route in Canada? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you.
