Renting an RV in Canada
Hints and tips for renting an RV in Canada, based on our own experience in Alberta while renting from Fraserway RV.
Before booking, we had no idea where to start. It was very much a learn-as-you-go situation! For that reason, we’ve compiled a list of Qs&As that would have made our lives easier prior to booking. Hope they help!
Note: There are so many RV companies to choose from. We went with Fraserway RV because we booked through Motorhome Republic, and the one we wanted to rent within budget was from Fraserway RV. The answers to these questions are solely based on our own experience.
How much does renting an RV in Canada cost?
Firstly, we thought about the price. We imagined it would be ridiculously expensive to rent an RV for a week in Canada, but after a little research, we realised it actually wasn’t going to work out that bad at all; in fact it was cheaper than renting a car and staying in hotels. We ended up paying £849 for an RV for 22nd September until 28th September 2025.
What does the price breakdown look like?
For us, our initial booking breakdown was:
Daily rate: £88.31 x 4 days = £353.24
Daily rate: £46.56 x 3 days = £139.68
1000KM Pack = £197.49
Basic insurance = £0
Preparation fee = £53.52
GST = £30
Protection Plus insurance (optional) = £74.90
Total: £849.12
Is mileage included when renting an RV from Fraserway RV Rentals?
No, annoyingly mileage was not included, and we had to pay £197.49 for the 1000KM package. There are other packages available for more miles or less miles, depending on your trip.
Does the RV come with everything you need?
Not by default. There are add-ons you can get, such as the “convenience kit” - this includes bedding, towels, kitchen equipment, household items, and tools. I believe this is $100, but we didn’t go for it based on principle! We stopped at a Walmart and picked up the essentials there.
Fraserway RV has a page on their website with prices for each add-on.
Is there a deposit you have to pay on top of the rental?
Yes, a security deposit is taken upon collection where you sign the relevant forms, etc.
How much is the security deposit?
We paid $7,875 CAD, which at the time was £4,275.94.
Is a credit card required?
They said that only credit cards were accepted, but ours wasn’t authorising (Lloyds Bank in the UK), so we paid using a debit card (Monzo) which did work. When booking, it did say you must have a valid credit card, so I imagine that is the recommendation, but as I said, we used a debit card and it was fine.
How long does it take to get the deposit back?
Ours took quite a while - we returned the RV on the 22nd September, and it was refunded on 23rd October. We did contact Fraserway RV after their recommended 14 working days, and they confirmed the funds had been released, it was just up to the bank to release the hold. We were waiting for Monzo, who allowed the time of the “held funds” to elapse then it was automatically refunded.
Do you get charged for going over the mileage?
Yes, we went over by something silly like 30 miles, and we were charged £1.75 for this. This was paid after the inspection, when handing the checklist back at the desk to get our deposit back.
Do you need an international driving license to rent an RV in Canada if you have a UK license?
No, all I needed was my UK Full Driving License card. They don’t accept photos, or photocopies for obvious reasons, but there is no need for an international driving license if your license is printed in English.
Do you need to take out your own RV insurance when renting through Fraserway RV?
No, basic insurance is included. You can add on additional insurance if you wish, which you can do when booking.
What RV did we choose?
In Canada, there are so many rental companies offering an abundance of vehicles in all shapes and sizes. As it’s just the two of us, and we live minimalistically in our Ford Transit back home, we knew we wouldn’t need anything massive - plus, we wanted to live like we do at home in terms of where we park, and that means not staying in campsites each night! But, we did fancy treating ourselves to something a bit different to a panel van, and so we started looking at rental sites such as Motorhome Republic to see what our options were.
Initially, we did consider a “truck camper”, which is essentially a pickup truck with a pod on top which houses the bed, kitchen and living room area - they looked perfect for what we needed and I’d feel badass driving around in one of those trucks! However, by the time we got around to booking it, they’d sold out. The next best thing, and quite the size-difference was a full blown RV (or motorhome, as we call them). The smallest option they had was called the C-Small, but I can tell you now, if you’re from the UK, that is not a small vehicle!!
What is included with the C-Small RV?
The C-Small is a 4 berth RV with a double bed over the cab, and a U-shaped sofa that turns into a second double bed. Here’s a list of some of the main features in the RV:
Toilet
Shower
Hot Water (gas)
Sink
Air Con - Driver’s Cab
Air Con - Main Cab
Heating - Driver’s Cab
Heating - Main Cab
Cooker (3 hobs)
Oven
Microwave
Fridge/Freezer (170L)
Awning (electric canopy)
Electric hookup
Cruise control
Reversing camera
Dimensions:
Length: 6.2m (20′4″)
Width: 2.3m (7′7″)
Height: 3.4m (11′2″)
We were so pleased we decided to go for this RV in the end, because it did feel like a treat during our holiday, and it gave us a touch of luxury while we lived life on the road out there. Given that we’re from the UK and drive on the right-hand side of the vehicle, and left-hand side of the road, it was quite a change for me! It took a day or two to get used to, but once I was comfortable with the dimensions of the van, and where we were positioned on the road without veering off over the white lines, it was so easy to drive. Cruise control made it a lot easier, too! Driving in Canada means a lot of long straight roads at a constant speed… so having cruise control turned on gave me less to think about and allowed me to admire the gorgeous scenery around us.
Was it easy driving on the other side of the road?
Because the roads are so big in Canada, it wasn’t too hard to get the hang of driving on the other side of the road. Apart from in towns and cities, the majority of roads are fairly empty, too. You will probably get the odd person over-taking you, but then it’s just the open road in front and behind for miles.
The hardest part about the roads themselves, I found, was the stop sign rule… If there’s a four-way crossroad, usually each one will have a stop sign. The rule to follow is whoever was there first, has the right of way. Everyone has to stop whether or not there’s anyone else coming, or anyone crossing. So basically, always stop and always look out for other drivers who may get there before you - if you get there first, stop then immediately go (as long as the other drivers have seen you). It sounds hectic, and it does take some getting used to, but it seems to work.
Was it easy driving on the other side of the vehicle?
Given the size of the RV, it was quite tricky to get my head around the dimensions as I sat on the left instead of the right. At the beginning, I was all over the road and counted on Tora to tell me if I was going over the white line… This happened frequently until I found the sweet-spot and made a mental note of where on the dashboard the white line was, from my eyeline, then always made sure I was positioned there. I also had to be careful when going around corners, with the vehicle being quite long and high-sided - fuel stations, in particular, were a bit of a challenge.
However, nothing is impossible and after a day or two, I felt confident in all aspects of driving in Canada.
What do you need to do before returning an RV to Fraserway RV Rental?
Before returning it, there was a small check-list of things to do, which included:
Emptying the grey water (sink and shower)
Emptying the black water (toilet)
Refilling the fresh water tank
Disposing of any rubbish
Refilling the fuel tank
Do you need a permit for visiting National Parks in Alberta?
Yes. There is a park permit that is required if you want to stop anywhere within the national parks in Alberta. Banff National Park and Jasper National Park are the main two here, and as you’re on a road trip in Alberta, it’s highly likely you’ll be visiting these two huge areas.
How much is a park pass?
There are various types of passes for all sorts of trips listed on the Parks Canada website.
We went for the Parks Canada Discovery Pass, as it is an annual pass that covers a vehicle and up to 7 people in it. It made sense as we were there for two weeks, not to keep buying daily passes, and we wanted to visit both Banff and Jasper National Parks. The price of these passes are:
Adult - $83.50
Senior - $71.50
Family/Group - $167.50
Do you need to carry bear spray?
It is highly recommended to carry bear spray with you, and is actually a requirement on a lot of the hikes we did. Thankfully we didn’t have to use ours, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Where can you buy bear spray?
We bought ours from the same place we bought our Parks Canada Discovery Pass - that was at the information center in the car part for Balu Pass. However, you can get bear spray from outdoor shops, and other tourist information places - it is quite easy to find it.
What route did we take during our time with the RV rental?