I'm planning a 3 week road trip starting in vancouver and then to banff, jasper etc. I'll spend a couple of days in vancouver before picking up my car. My preferred rental company is avis. I'm looking to get a full size suv/crossover. Maybe an explorer, tahoe, traverse etc. Hopefully with awd
I'm a bit of a car nut so I'd like to be able to have a good choice of vehicle on the day. I've got the option to collect the car from downtown or the airport. Which do you think will have a better stock of cars in the range to give me the best choice of model and colour etc. Thanks
Car hire
We made the experience almost all around the world, that on the airport they have a better and bigger stock.
I don't know where you are from, but if it is Europe then have a close look the insurances. We Europeans cannot take the insurance of our car at home to any rental car. So we have to buy every insurance separately.
If you need tips and recommendations about your trip/route, then just ask. We have driven all around B.C. about 10 times, with different cars and with different RV's.
Thanks, I'm from the UK. Looking at Canadian Affair site who offer an all inclusive rental package.
I've watched a couple of walk through videos on vancouver airport car rental section and they don't look very 'stocked'. As for our tour route, that is pretty well set in stone, thanks, but I will outline it later.
Whilst I don't know how much choice you will have, I think you will do fine for getting a big SUV. At Edmonton we booked the smallest economy car and the nearest they had was a big Chevy Tahoe SUV.
On the insurance, I looked on moneysavingexpert for an insurance top-up product which let us just buy the basic included insurance with the car hire and our own insurance topped it up to full cover. This saved us quite a bit.
I know from another forum, that in the UK are some third-party-provider which offer a lot better insurance included then by booking directly in Canada.
Thanks everyone, at this stage though I'm just hoping to find someone who's had expierience of vancouver airport and the Hornby Street depot to see which is best to go for
I do't have any experience with Vancouver, but because travel was so restricted during Covid, a lot of tourist businesses cut way back and I feel lucky to get any kind of car to rent at all.
Having said that...
The large cars are the last to go in most cases because they are more expensive to run. And the airport will probably be a more expensive place to rent.
Someone asked about the route we have planned.
Two nights in vancouver then ferry to nanaimo followed by three nights in Ucluelet. Then back.9ver to mainland and on.up to jasper. Stopping two nights in Squamish, two in Whistler, one in Clinton and two near Clearwater. So then three nights in Jasper, followed by three nights in Banff. Two nights booked at Emerald lake and finally two nights just.outside Kelowna, before the flight back from Vancouver.
To bring it in a readable format:
2 nights Vancouver
3 nights Ucluelet
2 nights Squamish
2 nights Whistler
1 night Clinton
2 nights Clearwater
3 nights Jasper
3 nights Banff
2 nights Emerald Lake
2 nights Kelowna
1 night (last night) Vancouver
If I count right this is 23 nights, also a bit more then 3 weeks.
To the trip:
From Ucluelet to Squamish would not be possible in one day. It is about 3 hours from Ucluelet to the ferry, then you have to be at the ferry about 1 1/2 hour before departing. And on the mainland it is about one hour to Squamish. What do you want to do in Squamish? And what in Whistler? Hiking?
From Emerald Lake to Kelowna again would be a long drive, more then 5 hours, hand on wheel, without any stop.
And from there to Vancouver again more then 5 hours, depending on the traffic around Vancouver.
In September 2023 we did an almost similar trip through B.C. We rented a SUV out of Vancouver Airport. We always take the car directly from the airport, it maybe is a bit more expensive, but the taxi to the city also cost money and it is more comfortable having the car just after arriving. Even if we stay the first night near the airport just to recover fromt the flight.
It's 22 nights. Straight from Kelowna to airport. Flight not till around 9pm. Appreciate the long drive from Ucluelet, but reckon on an early start and late finish. That is why we have two nights in Squamish. Same with Emerald to Kelowna, and here two nights again. Happy with a couple of long drives.
On the point of the ferry. BC Ferries say booking is not essential and to arrive 30 mins before sailing. Will probably be able to book though once we are in vancouver. Was planning to pick up car in the morning, downtown, and head straight for the ferry. Appreciate the taxi cost from airport but we have to also consider two days hotel parking costs if we collect the car right after the flight.