Ride / Trail / Canada
Rockies by Road: A Guide to choosing your camper van
Part two of our Canadian Rockies planning series — hiring a campervan in Canada, the hidden costs to watch for, and why bigger is usually better.
Words by Alex · 8 September 2026 · 5 min read
There are several large companies that hire campers throughout Canada, but we booked our Cruise Canada van through Motorhome Republic. They allow you to quickly compare offerings from across a range of reputable companies.
There are many things you'll need to think about before booking — the size of your party, petrol costs and so on — but a few considerations are a little less obvious, so I'll cover those here.
1. Watch out for additional “extras”
Often the cost advertised online won't cover what companies consider optional extras, such as mileage, bedding, cookware and cutlery.
Most vans come with a base level of mileage included in the hire cost — say 500 km — and if you want to go further, you pay for additional mileage packages. With Cruise Canada, all of the above is an up-charge, which can add a couple of hundred pounds to the final hire bill.
2. A one-way “thru-drive” costs considerably more
If you want to plan your trip as a point-to-point rather than a round trip, it will come with a price tag. Companies will charge you the cost of getting the vehicle back to its start point, which can be hefty — for us it would have been around £400 extra.
It can still be worth it in some cases — it may save you on fuel or allow you to get cheaper flights — but it's worth working this out in advance to be sure.
3. You're responsible for all consumables
The van we hired was fitted with a gas heater and cooker, as well as waste-water tanks. If these fill up or run out during your trip, you'll need to deal with it at your own expense.
4. Consider going bigger
Especially for longer trips. For a couple, a 2-berth may save you a bit of money upfront, but you're going to be spending a considerable amount of time in the van. It needs to be comfortable for the activities of everyday living.
We chose to do a lot of cooking in our van to save money on eating out, and having a 5-berth gave us plenty of room to cook, move around and chill out comfortably. Anything smaller may have ended up feeling cramped.
