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This article was originally published in the detour in January 2024

"Q: Hi!
I&rsquo;m moving to Canada next year on a Working Holiday visa and plan to see as much of the country as I can over the course of a year. Do you have any recommendations for any fun/exciting ways to get around Canada without a car? I know this means missing out on some areas but buying a car will be way too expensive initially (can definitely hire one for a short time though).
Thank you!"

Sounds like you&rsquo;ve got an exciting year ahead of you, reader! Canada is a large and fairly expensive country, so you&rsquo;ll understandably want to be picky about where and how you spend your money on travel. Here are a few tips for making the most of it before resorting to car hire:

<h2>Train travel</h2>
Trains are the obvious choice here, if you&rsquo;re looking for a comfortable and somewhat relaxing way to get between cities, or even across the country, while also soaking up the varied landscapes. But they can be pricey, and the <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains">limited route map</a> is far from convenient when you want to get off the beaten path.
So when is it worth choosing the train in Canada? Well, for a really memorable trip between Toronto and Vancouver, hop aboard the <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/via-rail-the-canadian-review-longest-train-ride-north-america?r=US&amp;IR=T">&lsquo;Canadian&rsquo;</a>. Over four days, it moves from city to city, passing through lakes, prairies, and Rockies, and it won&rsquo;t even cost you an arm and a leg&hellip; if you go for <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.seat61.com/train-from-toronto-to-vancouver.htm#How_much_does_it_cost">standard seating</a>.

According to Flight Finder Fran, it&rsquo;s the 30-ish-hour <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.seat61.com/montreal-to-halifax-by-train.htm#Whats_the_journey_like">&lsquo;Ocean&rsquo; route</a> between Montreal and Halifax that is worth splashing the cash on, though. After leaving the cobblestone streets of Montreal, you&rsquo;ll meander along rivers, through hills and forests, past lighthouses and rocky bays, all the way to Halifax, on the vast Atlantic Coast.
Regardless whether you take one of these long, scenic trips or you&rsquo;re just hopping to the next city over, there are a few ways to cut costs: by booking early (yawn), making your booking on <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.viarail.ca/en/fares-and-packages/discount-tuesday">Discount Tuesday</a>, and by signing up for the VIA Rail loyalty programme.
While there are also bus services between the cities on the East Coast, the real way locals get around high train fares is in cars&mdash;but not always their own.
<h2>Ride-sharing</h2>
Anyone who watched Race Across the World series 3 will remember some of the <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://youtu.be/ExkaOH96n-Q?si=Mio1ypqTySz49583">highs and lows</a> faced by competitors trying to hitch a ride across remote Western Canada. Luckily for you, reader, you presumably won&rsquo;t be faced with the same lack of internet access and tight schedule as those on the show.
Facebook is the go-to for finding a lift through a ride-share group&mdash;just search, e.g., &lsquo;Canada ride-share&rsquo;, and you&rsquo;ll have plenty to choose from. Post your departure, destination, and travel dates, and cross your fingers that someone will metaphorically swipe right on your trip.
Generally speaking, you&rsquo;ll be expected to contribute cash towards the journey, and on some longer trips, you may find that the person offering the ride wants to share driving duties. If you&rsquo;re uneasy about the casual arrangements and security of a Facebook ride, <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.poparide.com/how-it-works">Poparide</a> is a local app that makes it all a little more formal.
The best thing about ride-sharing is that you don&rsquo;t have to miss out on any of those areas you really want to see without buying a car. Of course, sometimes it&rsquo;ll be a little harder to get exactly where you want to go&mdash;maybe you&rsquo;ll only be able to find a ride 50 miles down the road (apparently that&rsquo;s close in Canada). Well, that&rsquo;s where hitchhiking comes in&hellip;

<h2>Hitchhiking</h2>
There are a couple of things to consider before hitchhiking in Canada.
Firstly, like anywhere, is <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://backcountrycanadatravel.com/getting-around-canada/hitchhikers-guide/">safety</a>. Just because we consider Canada to be a generally safe country does not mean that hitch-hiking is entirely risk-free. As well as keeping your wits about you and plenty of charge in your phone, a can of <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/securite-safety/gaz-spray">bear spray</a> never hurts for those long rural waits.
Secondly, hitchhiking is <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://abrokenbackpack.com/hitchhiking-canada/#Is_Hitchhiking_Legal_In_Canada">not always legal</a> in Canada! In most cases, you can&rsquo;t just stand at the side of the highway and with your thumb out and a cardboard sign in hand. But what you can do is stand with your thumb out and a cardboard sign in hand at a petrol station by the entrance to the highway.
Smaller roads are fine, though, and you likely won&rsquo;t have such a long wait. People on quieter roads in smaller communities tend to be quicker to help out.
In fact, the <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://adventure.com/hitchhiking-canada-advice/">vast majority</a> of hitching experiences will be pleasant, and the people who stop for you anywhere will be well-intentioned. It can be an incredibly rewarding way to see the country and meet locals you&rsquo;d never have encountered otherwise.
Hopefully that&rsquo;s given you a few ideas, reader. You&rsquo;ll find lots more ideas from our members over on our <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/577601325929066/search/?q=canada">Facebook community</a>, including advice on <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://harbourair.com/tours/?depart=vancouver">seaplane trips over Vancouver</a>, wineries in the <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://okanaganwines.ca/wineries/">Okanagan Valley</a> and more. Everyone there is more than happy to help, so ask away with all your travel questions!

Exploring Canada Without a Car

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