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Backpacking Canada – Are you sure you're ready for this memorable experience?

Exploring Canada is a marvelous experience because Canada is a country filled with classy cities, friendly people, diverse landscapes, rainforests, tundras, mighty hills and deserts. From the rocky beaches of the east coast to the chilly tundra of the Yukon, from the Calgary Mountains to the Vancouver rainforests , Canada is a country that not many can skip. Canada is a huge place and hence it makes for the best road trip country.

You can in fact spend a few months traveling from one end of Canada to the other. Nevertheless, it is still reported by several tourism agencies that Canada is an underrated destination. There are several reasons why the world loves Canadians. Visit their country to find out about them.

One added convenience is that you can now apply for Canadian ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) from their official website to transit the country and stay there for a longer time. This post is a Canadian travel guide that will help you plan the best vacation to the Great White North.

The Top Things to Do and Visit in Canada

Here are the 5 top destinations that you shouldn't miss on your trip to Canada .

1. Quebec City

If you thought Montreal is all about the Quebec province, you're wrong as there's more to it. The Old Town of Quebec City offers perfectly preserved 17 ^th century architecture, paved walkways, North American fortresses and the popular cafe culture. Head out for the best drinks on Grand Allee and ride the ' funiculaire' straight from the Old Town to explore the roads of Chateau Frontenac.

2. Jasper & Columbia Icefield

The Icefields Parkway is a connection between Banff and Jasper. While on your way, stop along the Columbia Icefield which is a huge icefield that is home to 8 glaciers. Take a bus to travel to the Athabasca Glacier or go for a hike to walk, feel and drink pure water.

3. The Atlantic Provinces

If you're visiting during summer, Prince Edward Island , Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are few of the must-visit places. For someone who wishes to spend the vacation kayaking, hiking or relaxing by the calm sea watching whales, this is the ideal place to be.

4. Montreal

The awesome city in Quebec offers a captivating insight into the French side of the country. An underground mall, European styled streets; interesting cuisine and jazz clubs make Montreal the most romantic and hippest cities of the country. After Vancouver, this will soon become your second-favorite spot.

5. Vancouver

Who doesn't love Vancouver? You'll love the way you can be downtown in a bustling metropolis and soon after be hiking on the mountains! Visit the Granville Island for open-air dining, spend a tranquil afternoon watching people in Stanley Park and head towards the city to check out some splendid scenery.

An idea of ​​the travel costs in Canada

Accomodation

The accommodation rate may vary based on the city you're living in. Nevertheless, calculating on an average, you'll pay around $30 CAD ($22USD) for booking a dorm room. On the contrary, for booking a hotel room within a budget, you can expect to pay nearly $65 CAD ($48USD). In larger and more popular cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa, prices will skyrocket. The best thing about Canada is Airbnb is available all over the country. For a shared room, you may have to pay an average amount of $30 CAD/night. You also need to keep in mind that the smaller towns won't give you myriad options.

food

As long as you plan to cook for yourself or you think of hitting the pubs, food can be cheap for you. On the contrary, a meal at the nearby restaurant will cost you about $20-40 CAD ($15-26USD). Fast food and cheap sandwiches are probably your best bet as they'll cost you $13 CAD/meal. For cooking your own meal, you'll have to pay somewhere between $50 and $75 CAD/week.

Activities

Canada has several outdoor activities like canoeing, kayaking, skiing, hiking, river rafting and snowboarding. Regardless of the part of the country you are in or the season during which you're traveling, there's always something to do in Canada. For getting access to permits for trail, you have to pay $20 CAD. Entrance fees of historic sites and museums vary around $15 CAD.

Smart money-saving tips on your trip to Canada

Considering the huge size of Canada, there are multiple tactics with the help of which you save money on your travel to Canada. Here are few general tips:

• Utilize the coupon sites : In case you're a planned traveler and you know your stops beforehand, check out sites like Groupon and Living Social for grabbing the best deals. You'll always find good listings on the top attractions and restaurants.
• Go couch surfing : Canada is certainly not a budget-friendly destination but you can definitely cut down on your expenses by couch surfing. Though not huge in the smaller towns, it is still not impossible to find a host in the major cities. Make sure you book ahead of time as summers are the best season for tourists.
• Look for outdoor activities : As Canada is a huge country with a not-so-high population; you get an opportunity to explore many outdoor activities. Rent a pair of snowshoes and head out for the several free trails. You can also take bike rides, go hiking, kayaking or canoeing during summer.
• Take a Megabus : Megabus runs in Quebec and Ontario. Tourists can find tickets for a nominal amount of $1 if booked ahead of time. This is probably one of the most reasonable ways of moving between Montreal and Toronto.
• Utilize ride-sharing services : In case you plan to travel in between provinces and cities, watch out for services through which you can share vehicles. Couchsurfing, Craigslist, Facebook and Kangaride have ride-sharing pages for majority of the cities. Through the apps, if you see someone traveling towards your direction, you may tag him and share the gas expenses.

So, when you're traveling to Canada, you need to remember several of the above listed things to make sure you have the safest and best vacation possible. Now that you're familiar with all the vital tips on destinations, activities and budget, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head towards this marvelous country.

Author Bio:

Daniel Moore is an experienced content writer. He is associated with many renowned travel blogs as a guest author where he shares his valuable travel tips with the audience.