Winter Driving Tips Canada: A Comprehensive Guide

Whether you’re planning or are considering a trip to the land of hockey and moose, it’s no wonder why so many others have done the same. Being as influential as the United States, it is all for good reason; with all that Canada has to offer. There are of course though, several issues most travellers may face if they’re planning to explore the further reaches of the country. Aside from wild moose, the factor a lot of drivers may not effectively prepare for is the abundance of snow, particularly in the winter season. Regardless, a trip through the Canadian hills by road is a worthwhile endeavour and not something to worry about when accounted for. We of course will do our best to support you here; with driving tips for Canada and all the information you could possibly need on getting a winter car hire.

What you’ll need

Starting off your trip, it’s best to have the fundamental items down before we start the planning. These items are the bare necessities to begin driving legally and may be subject to change depending on whether you’re a citizen or a tourist.

Aside from the basic insurance – which will come when you use a car hire in Canada. If you’re outside of the EU it is highly likely you’ll require an International Driver Permit, which will allow you full road travel within the country.

The specifications of which may vary between Canadian provinces. For UK drivers, however, the process is much simpler with most UK driving licenses being entirely valid in Canada (and vice versa). Although it is worth checking the specific province laws relevant to where you’re planning to travel.

Aside from the items required by law, having some items on hand provides the peace of mind you need to fully immerse yourself in your trip. Some simple equipment include:

Jumper cables
Snow shovel
Flashlight
First aid kit

4 Simple items can cover the most common obstructions that come with heavy snow and icy conditions.

Once all these things are in order, you’re set! Whether you’re flying in from Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, or Montréal-Trudeau, all that’s left is to secure a booking. There are several services; low deposit car hire and debit card car hire may be suitable if you’re looking to travel with friends and family.

Winter car driving and tips for Canada

Having a goal in mind for travel can make all the difference in knowing what to choose. If you’re planning on exploring the snowy regions or even moving between cities; snow is an inevitability. Some form of all-wheel drive will prove most reliable in cruising through the denser snow. A 4×4 car hire with winter tyres is more than powerful enough to justify travelling along the highways.

What to do

There are naturally some very important factors to keep in mind when driving in an environment you may not be used to driving in. As previously mentioned, snow may be the most daunting task for a conventionally cold country such as Canada.

Those worries can be set aside though. Whilst it’s true Canada has a reputation for its snow it is more than manageable for your average driver. In fact, even during the throws of the winter season only Québec and British Columbia have any sort of winter tyre requirements.

If you’re planning on travelling during the winter season in these areas, the last thing you need to worry about is tyres. Therefore, all our winter car hire will feature winter tyres when legally required. The government advises however to use winter tyres when applicable and will be available to add if you choose to hire with us.

Canada is a big country – 2nd in the world. And whilst you may not be travelling across the whole area, any sort of distance within such a vast country may mean you get lost easily. As such, we would personally recommend a car with a GPS system.

Even if you have the route planned out, there are constantly unforeseen changes in the weather or traffic that may cause a hurdle in your travel. At the very least, with a GPS you’re able to get to one of the towns in an absolute emergency.

Winter Driving Tips for Canada

If now you think you’re set on all the things you’ll need, there are a few (and largely common sense) pieces of advice that if you keep in mind, will ensure you are driving at your best:

Keeping good visibility
Driving at appropriate speed – ice especially
Maintain control when braking
Note the different signs
Some symbols may be different, and distance is measured in kilometres.

Whilst seeming obvious, the difference in conditions can catch some drivers off guard, though being aware of the possibility can be all the difference!

Starting your trip

We would only, of course, give advice on this area if we believed it to be a worthwhile endeavour. This is why many of our services are catered towards facilitating that, with some of our services that may be relevant to you:

And for any other rental needs, we also provide:

For any questions on what you are eligible for or even any questions about what we can do to specifically help you or some of our other satisfied customers– feel free to contact us or send us an email at [email protected] and call us at +44 (0)113 880 0748.

Having working solely in the car hire industry since leaving school, car hire/travel is a huge part of my life and something that gives me great satisfaction and enjoyment. I love coming across new products/locations and sharing these details with our customers via our online platforms.