Road Tripping in Canada During a Pandemic
Our road trip took place during the ongoing pandemic, which definitely made it for an... interesting experience. While there were both pros and cons of the Covid-19 restrictions implemented, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives, and we felt safe when traveling.
We waited until the Government of Canada lifted inter-province travel restrictions before we went, and took plenty of precautions. We rented a camper van from North Campervans, which allowed us to remain as self-isolated as possible, giving us control on where we slept (safe inside our van) and where we cooked our food (in the kitchenette at the back of the car).
This ‘new normal’ of travel still takes a lot of getting used to, but it seems that many of these changes are here to stay so we might as well start changing our ways. This includes remembering to always wear your mask, constantly sanitizing, socially distancing, and most importantly- no public showers!
Not being able to have access to a shower when in Alberta was a bit rough at first- after all, there is only so much dry shampoo can do when you’re on day 5 of no washing and you have long hair. And most of the lakes in Alberta are too cold to wash your hair in, so I had to get creative. I was able to wash my hair in a sink using a bucket once, which worked surprisingly well. The park rangers ask that you don’t wash your hair outside, as all of the shampoo and soap duds leave a smell and attract wild animals, putting you and other humans in potential danger. Otherwise, we rented hostel rooms a few times on the trip to have access to their shower and laundry facilities.
All in all, it wasn’t the biggest game changer. The showers being closed was part of Alberta’s Stage 2 initiative, but we heard that they may start reopening them once the province opens up more under Stage 3. For now, all communal hot tub and sauna facilities are closed.
Public restrooms are open and available throughout most of the parks and we never drove more than 45 mins before finding a rest stop with toilet facilities. Also, since you are out in nature- we found plenty of places to pee in the wooded areas.
Additionally, shuttle buses within the national parks that normally frequently run between various parking lots are currently closed.
However, with the pandemic going on, this also meant that there were way fewer tourists around and we got to experience many of these sights with no one there! It also meant that there were a lot more promotions going on, and prices were significantly lower. We couldn’t believe all the places we got to experience for ourselves with no one else there. At one point when we visited Moraine Lake at sunset, we were the only people around! Imagine being at one of the most famous lakes in the world- at sunset- and have it all to yourself. It was incredible. We also had an easier time finding parking spots in town and at the lakes, and when we pulled up late to campgrounds, we were lucky to find space.
There were plenty of precautions in place and social distancing measures implemented, and we truly felt comfortable traveling across Western Canada. All in all, this is the perfect time to explore our own backyard and we highly recommend traveling right now as long as you stay safe!
our other canada blogs:
Everything you need to know about road tripping across Western Canada. Click here.
Read about our experience renting a campervan rental with North Campervans in Alberta. Click here.
10 Day Ultimate Alberta Road Trip - Banff, Jasper, And Everything In Between. Click here.