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The Rockies by Brian Hodgson, UK

It had always been a dream of ours to one day travel to the Canadian Rockies.

One of those trips you always plan to do if you can ever afford it. Our son decided that he would help us realize our dream, and arranged for us to fly to Vancouver with two weeks motor home hire thrown in as well. All we had to do was say when we would like to go. Wow!

After the shock had worn off (some days later) we set about planning our trip. On the basis that we would probably never get the chance to go again we decided to add our normal two weeks holiday to the trip making four weeks in all. Work out the time difference, phone the hire company in Vancouver, and find out if it would be possible to extend the hire.

Happy Holidays is a family run business situated in a town called Gibsons just north of Vancouver. The Happy Holidays Team could not have been more helpful and a date was agreed subject to available flights, for a months hire of a C class motor home.

The hire includes being met at the airport and taxi to Horseshoe Bay Vancouver where you board a ferry to Langdale and are met at the ferry terminal and driven to Happy Holidays premises. An overnight stay at either Gibsons or at Langdale Heights Campground (close by) and eventual return to the Airport at the end of your holiday. After a fairly long flight it is nice to know that everything is organised for your arrival.

We arrived in Vancouver at around 7pm and were met as promised by a contract taxi driver and set off for the ferry. Vancouver like London is a big city with lots of traffic and it took about half an hour to get to the ferry terminal where we boarded the Langdale ferry. The trip across takes about 30 minutes but Canada’s wonderful scenery is there from the word go. We were met by Kurt and once our cases were loaded into his car driven the short distance to their home from which they run” Happy Holidays“.

Gibsons which is on what is called the Sunshine Coast is well worth a visit with a marina and good eating places and shops. The town of Gibsons is divided into Upper Gibsons which has shops supermarkets and outlets and where you would do your normal shopping. Lower Gibsons has a holiday atmosphere with bars and restaurants and a marina gift shops etc. and would be a good place for a family holiday, with views across Howe sound. There are some great beaches in the area. All within easy reach.

We had arranged to rent the Holiday Suite for a couple of days break before we headed into the Rockies. This gave us time to recover from the flight and adjust to the time difference. The apartment was clean and very well appointed. Overlooking the sound, the views were exceptional with humming birds flying by collecting sugared water from bird feeder,for two weary travellers a well needed break before setting off on our trip.

I would recommend that anyone flying from the UK to hire a vehicle in North America take a day or two to relax before driving. This is particularly true when the vehicle is an RV. The tour of the vehicle on the day of departure is quite lengthy and there is a lot of information given to ensure a happy trouble free and successful holiday.

The tour of the vehicle was an eye opener; the vehicle was about three years old and absolutely spotless. When I looked under the hood (bonnet) it looked like a new vehicle and inside was as good. It is worth mentioning that with any hire you should check the vehicle for outside damage and point out to the company any defects otherwise you could be held liable for the damage on your return. No problem here though the vehicle was unmarked and very clean all systems working ok.

HH explained that the vehicles are serviced regularly and oil changes done every 4000 kilometers. As we expected to do in excess of this we were advised to find a lube shop and get the oil changed before the 4000 limit and we would be reimbursed on our return. The other thing that I found quite useful that the vehicles were not sign written. I other words no big sign on the side telling everyone that you are a tourist. Some of the hired RV’s that we saw during our trip left a lot to be desired and we spoke to a number of people who had gone with larger hire companies that had their holiday spoilt by a breakdown.

After stocking up with supplies we were ready for the off, not planning to go too far on the first day. Our original plan to do a circular tour heading towards the Rockies and coming back for Vancouver Island. HH advised us to reverse our route and head for Vancouver Island first to allow the Rockies a bit longer to thaw out. Apparently some roads in the mountains can still be difficult in June. So with a full tank of Gas (petrol) and full tank of LPG (gas) we headed for Vancouver Island.

Travel around British Columbia will involve quite a lot of car ferries it is well worth purchasing a round trip ticket from BC ferries it saves a great deal of hassle and is much cheaper than single tickets. Some highways only continue on through the use of the excellent ferry service and in some cases it can save miles of road travel. Although fuel costs are roughly the same in cents per litre as we pay in pence. Making fuel half the cost of UK prices, the mileage saved where it is possible to drive around, saves valuable time to see as much of the scenery and wild life as you can.

Driving your Motorhome for the First Time

Here you are! You waited with great anticipation for this moment - Holidays are here!There it is - your motorhome. Fully equipped, beds are made, a breakfast basket on the little table by the window, the tank is full and you are ready to go.