This page covers what it costs, which RV to pick, the road trips most first-timers choose, when to book, what driving one is like, and where to stay overnight. When you are ready to see real vehicles and dates, use the search box at the top of the page.
New to RVs? Our beginner’s guide on how to rent an RV in Canada walks you through a first trip step by step.
RV, motorhome and campervan rental across Canada
“RV” — recreational vehicle — is the North American word for what the UK calls a motorhome and Australia calls a camper. On this site the words mean the same thing: a vehicle you sleep in, with a bed, a kitchen and usually a small bathroom, driven between campgrounds instead of hotels.
The vehicles on campervanhire.com are listed by their owners — private owners and small local rental businesses across Canada — and you book them through our partner Outdoorsy. Every booking is insured, with payment protection. That is the same whether you are renting a two-berth camper van in Vancouver or a six-berth motorhome in Calgary.
Two things make Canada worth doing by RV. Firstly, the scenery — Banff, Jasper, the Cabot Trail, Vancouver Island — so sleeping inside it, a short walk from the trailhead, beats driving back to a town every night. Secondly, the one-way network between the main cities means you can pick up in Vancouver, finish in Calgary, and fly home without retracing the route.
Browse what is available now through the search page, or read on if you are still working out the shape of your trip.
Types of RV you can rent in Canada
Four vehicle types cover almost every Canadian rental. Pick by how confident you feel driving something large and how many people are sleeping in it.
Class C motorhome — the usual first choice
The mid-size motorhome, built on a van or truck chassis with a bed over the cab. Roughly 22 to 31 feet. Sleeps four to seven. It drives like a large van — you sit high, take corners wide, and after an hour it feels normal. This is what most families and most first-timers rent, and what most owners list. See Class C RV rental.
Class A motorhome — the large one
The bus-shaped motorhome, 28 to 40 feet, with the most living space and the most to plan around: height, length, and fit. Worth it for a big group or a long trip; more vehicle than a first-timer usually needs. Nightly rates sit at the top of the range. See Class A RV rental.
Class B camper van — the easy one to drive
A van conversion, 17 to 22 feet, that fits a normal parking space and sips fuel next to the bigger rigs. Tighter inside, so best for one or two people, but the least daunting to drive on this list. See Class B RV rental.
Truck camper — compact, goes more places
A camper unit that sits on the bed of a pickup truck. Smaller living space than a Class C, but shorter and more manoeuvrable on forest-service roads and tight campground loops — the pick for Vancouver Island or the backroads of the Rockies.
How much does it cost to rent an RV in Canada?
The nightly rate is a little over half the real cost of the trip. Budget the whole number up front and everything else gets easier to plan.
Typical US and Canadian RV rentals run about US$150 to $350 a night, depending on the class and the season. Treat that as a snapshot. Peak summer, newer vehicles and one-way trips push prices higher; shoulder season and older vehicles come down. Prices can change weekly depending on remaining availability, so booking early tends to get the lower rate.
The costs that catch people out:
- Mileage. Each owner sets a daily allowance and a charge for going over it, and Outdoorsy advises owners to allow about 200 miles (320 km) a day. The Rockies loop adds up quickly, so check the allowance on the listing before you book.
- One-way fee. Picking up and dropping off in different cities usually costs extra, and the owner sets the fee. It is often worth it — see the routes below.
- Insurance and deposit. Insurance and payment protection come with every booking; the listing shows the deductible (excess) and any option to reduce it. The refundable security deposit is at least $500 for most RVs and $1,500 for a Class A, held on a card in the main driver’s name.
- Kits. A basic kitchen kit comes with every listing. Bedding and towels vary, so check what the owner includes.
- Campground fees. CAD $22–$40 a night for an unserviced national park site, CAD $40–$90 for a full-hookup site, more at private resorts.
- National park entry. A Parks Canada Discovery Pass covers admission to the national parks for 12 months, with adult and family/group options — check the current price on the Parks Canada site.
- Fuel. Canada’s pump prices run higher than the US, and British Columbia higher again. Budget several hundred dollars for a week of Rockies driving, more for a Class A.
- Northern trips. Routes into the Yukon or far north often carry a surcharge (often several hundred dollars) and stricter kilometre terms.
A worked week. For seven nights and about 1,000 km through the Rockies in a Class C, add up the nightly rate, any mileage over the allowance, six campground nights, a family Discovery Pass and fuel, before flights, food and paid activities. Check every figure against a live quote for your dates.
For live prices on real vehicles, search your dates at the top of this page. For a fuller breakdown of what goes into the number, see RV rental cost.
Best RV road trips in Canada
Five routes make up most first-time bookings. Each works as a one-way trip, and each lines up with cities where owners list vehicles on campervanhire.com. A sensible pace is four to five hours of driving on the days you move, with one day in seven that you do not drive at all.
The Icefields Parkway and the Canadian Rockies
A loop from Calgary through Banff, Lake Louise, the Icefields Parkway and Jasper, about 860 km, 7–10 days, best June to September. The Parkway — 230 km between Lake Louise and Jasper past the Columbia Icefield — is the drive people picture when they picture Canada. Book campgrounds early, as places fill quickly. Start from Calgary, with Edmonton as an alternative pickup for the Jasper end. See also RV rental in Alberta.
Vancouver to Calgary, one-way
About 970 km, 5–8 days, best May to October. The Sea-to-Sky Highway out of Vancouver to Whistler, then the Trans-Canada through Kamloops and into the mountains at Banff — three national parks and no backtracking. Pick up in Vancouver, drop in Calgary; the one-way fee is worth it for this route.
Vancouver Island and the Pacific Rim
A loop from Victoria or Nanaimo, about 500–700 km, 5–7 days, best May to September. Old-growth forest, the surf beaches of Tofino and Ucluelet in Pacific Rim National Park, and wildlife-watching year-round. Shorter daily distances than the mainland routes. Hubs: Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island.
The Cabot Trail and Nova Scotia
A loop from Halifax around Cape Breton, about 1,000 km, 7–10 days, best June to mid-October. The Cabot Trail climbs the headlands of Cape Breton Highlands National Park with the Atlantic on one side; the wider loop takes in Lunenburg, the Bay of Fundy tides and the coastal fishing villages. Autumn colour here is among the best in North America. Pick up in Halifax.
Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal
The St. Lawrence corridor, about 550–800 km, 4–7 days, best May to October. Toronto north into cottage country, then east to the capital and on to Quebec City and Montreal — the easiest of these routes to drive, and the one that mixes cities with the outdoors. Hubs: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal. For the wider province, see RV rental in Ontario.
When to book and the best time to travel
Peak season is roughly late June to early September, and July and August are the busiest and priciest weeks. For those dates, book the vehicle at least two to three months ahead, and earlier for July and August in the Rockies — popular motorhomes go well before departure.
Reserve campgrounds separately, and early. Parks Canada national-park campgrounds are booked on reservation.pc.gc.ca with each park’s season released on set dates (mostly in January); the busiest ones (Tunnel Mountain in Banff, Wapiti in Jasper) can be gone within minutes of release. British Columbia’s provincial parks use a separate system (Discover Camping), Ontario’s another (Ontario Parks) — set up the accounts before your booking windows open.
The better first trip is September. In the Rockies especially: the crowds thin sharply after the Canadian Labour Day weekend, the weather stays stable, the larches turn gold around Lake Louise, and the elk are rutting in Banff. May and June work too, though snow can still close the high passes into late June.
Driving an RV in Canada
Less of a step up than it looks, if you pick the right size.
- Licence. For the Class B and Class C vehicles most visitors rent, the full driving licence from your home country is usually enough — no special Canadian endorsement, no commercial licence — though rules vary by province and vehicle weight. If your licence is not in English or French, carry an International Driving Permit alongside it.
- Age. Drivers must normally be 25 or over; drivers aged 21 to 24 can book only some listings, with limits. Check the listing before you book.
- Winter tyres. British Columbia requires winter tyres (at least M+S; chains alone don’t count for most vehicles) on designated mountain highways from 1 October to 30 April — that includes the Trans-Canada through the Rockies and Rogers Pass, and the Sea-to-Sky to Whistler. If you are travelling at either end of the season, confirm the vehicle is equipped when you collect it.
- Tolls. Canada has very few. The main one you might meet is Ontario’s Highway 407 ETR across the top of Toronto — it bills by licence plate and the rental company passes the charge on, so stay on the 401 and 400 to avoid it. There is also a toll to leave Prince Edward Island by the Confederation Bridge; check the current rate before you go.
- Fuel and propane. Fill propane in a town before you enter a national park — propane services inside the parks are limited. Canadian Tire, Petro-Canada and U-Haul depots handle refills.
- Wildlife. Slow right down when you see animals near the road, especially at dawn and dusk. A moose weighs over 500 kg; a collision at highway speed writes off the vehicle. Banff and Jasper have wildlife fencing and rotating seasonal closures on parts of the Parkway.
- Side of the road. You drive on the right, in every province and territory.
For entry requirements and visitor information, start with Canada’s official site.
Where to stay overnight
- National park campgrounds. Booked on reservation.pc.gc.ca. “Unserviced” means a pitch with no hookups (CAD $22–$40 a night); “full hookup” adds water, power and sewer at your site (CAD $40–$90). A “dump station” for emptying the waste tanks is on site at most campgrounds.
- Provincial park campgrounds. BC (Discover Camping), Alberta, Ontario and Quebec each run their own systems and reservation windows — often cheaper and quieter than the national parks, and just as scenic in places.
- Private RV parks and resorts. Full hookups, laundry, sometimes a pool or a hot tub. CAD $50 to $120 a night depending on where and how smart.
- Crown land. Free dispersed camping is genuinely available on Crown land in British Columbia (outside the managed Recreation Sites, which charge a small fee). Elsewhere it is more restricted for visitors — Ontario, for example, requires overseas and out-of-province campers to buy a permit for Crown land north of the French and Mattawa rivers. Most first-time trips stick to booked national and provincial campgrounds anyway.
A safe plan for a first trip: book full-hookup or serviced sites with staff on site, and keep a couple of private RV parks in reserve for the nights a national-park campground is full.
RV rental locations across Canada
Vehicles are listed by owners in cities and provinces across the country. Pick your pickup point:
British Columbia
Vancouver · Vancouver Island · Victoria · Nanaimo · Kelowna · Surrey · Langley · Abbotsford
Alberta and the Rockies
Ontario
Toronto · Ottawa · Ontario · Mississauga · Brampton · Hamilton · Kitchener · Barrie · London, Ontario
Quebec
Prairies
Atlantic Canada
Heading south of the border instead? See RV rental in the USA.
RV rental in Canada — frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent an RV in Canada?
Typical US and Canadian RV rentals run about US$150 to $350 a night, depending on the class and the season. The nightly rate is a little over half the real cost — add any mileage over the owner’s allowance, campground fees of CAD $22–$90 a night, a Parks Canada Discovery Pass if you visit several parks, and fuel. The refundable deposit is at least $500 for most RVs and $1,500 for a Class A.
What licence do I need to rent an RV in Canada?
For the Class B and Class C motorhomes most visitors rent, your full home-country driving licence is enough — no special Canadian endorsement and no commercial licence. If your licence is not printed in English or French, carry an International Driving Permit alongside it. The rental company will confirm the exact requirement for the vehicle you book.
What is the minimum age to rent an RV in Canada?
Drivers must normally be 25 or over. Drivers aged 21 to 24 can book only some listings, with limits. Check the individual listing before booking.
Is the mileage unlimited?
Not always. Each owner sets a daily allowance and a charge for going over it; Outdoorsy advises owners to allow about 200 miles (320 km) a day. Some listings offer unlimited mileage. Confirm the allowance and the overage rate before you book.
Can I pick up in one city and drop off in another?
Yes. One-way rentals between the main cities — Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax — are available on many listings, for a fee the owner sets. They are what make routes like Vancouver to Calgary through the Rockies practical without doubling back.
Can I take the RV into the USA?
Most Canadian operators allow it, but you need their written permission in the rental agreement before you cross, and some restrict travel to Alaska or charge a cross-border fee. Never cross the border without the vehicle’s cross-border authorisation in writing.
Can I rent an RV in Canada in winter?
You can, but most national and provincial park campgrounds in the mountains and the east close from about October to May, so winter trips run on commercial campgrounds with hookups and need a winterised vehicle. The exceptions are northern-lights trips based in the Yukon and the milder coast of British Columbia — confirm the vehicle is suitable for the season with the owner.
How far in advance should I book?
For travel between late June and early September, book the vehicle at least two to three months ahead, and earlier for July and August in the Rockies — popular motorhomes go well before departure. Book national-park campgrounds separately on reservation.pc.gc.ca when the booking release for your park opens (mostly in January).
Where can I park an RV overnight in Canada?
National park campgrounds (booked on reservation.pc.gc.ca), provincial park systems in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and private RV parks and resorts with full hookups. Free dispersed camping on Crown land is available in British Columbia outside the managed Recreation Sites; elsewhere it is restricted for visitors. For a first trip, book serviced campgrounds with on-site staff.
Can I bring a pet?
Many owners allow pets and some do not; a few charge a pet fee. Filter for pet-friendly vehicles and confirm the policy with the owner before you book.
Ready to see real vehicles and dates? Enter your pickup city and travel dates in the search box at the top of this page.
Planning a road trip? See our Icefields Parkway RV road trip guide, with a day-by-day route, where to stay and driving tips, or browse more road trips.