Essential Travel Tips for a Winter Road Trip in Canada

Experience the beauty of the coldest season with a winter road trip in Canada. Enjoy uncrowded destinations, cheaper prices and wonderfully snowy scenery.

Of course, winter road trips in Canada present more challenges than their summer counterparts.

Navigating icy roads and preparing for colder temperatures require additional planning to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.

After living in Canada for 10+ years, we’ve embarked on many winter road trips together.

The longest and most difficult was a 4700km two-week December road trip across Canada. We experienced sun, snow, ice, blizzards, high winds, slush and freezing temperatures.

For work, we once had to drive from Fort St John in BC’s ‘near sub-arctic’ to Rocky Mountain House in Alberta, a 1500km return trip.

It was -40c for the entire three day journey and we ended up in the ditch next to the road after drifting snow blocked the view. It was a little scary!

Another of our most challenging winter roads trips was as a 2000km mid March adventure from the Okanagan Valley in BC to Pigeon Lake, Alberta, via Banff, Radium Hot Springs and the Icefields Parkway. The photo below demonstrates some of the winter driving conditions we encountered.

This post shares everything I would want visitors to know before setting out on a winter road trip in Canada, including winter driving hazards, winter road trip planning tips and must have items.

There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Be prepared for short driving days

Daylight is limited during the winter months, especially in Canada. I don’t know about you, but I hate driving in the dark, especially during winter when blizzards, black ice and freezing rain is all possible.

When we drove across Canada in winter, we drove when the sun was coming up and generally stopped soon after it went down. This reduced our driving window to approximately 7am – 4pm, depending on time zone and location.

If you have a similarly long trip to make in winter, don’t forget that you’ll probably pass through a few different time zones. Remember that the time of sunrise and sunset will vary as you drive across different provinces and territories.

Start early and get off the road as early as possible, especially if weather conditions are unfavourable.

Pick your destinations carefully

You’ve probably already guessed, but due to adverse weather conditions and lack of visitors, many attractions in Canada have either reduced hours or are completely closed in winter.

A lot of provincial and territorial parks will have limited access or will be completely closed to visitors.

Don’t worry, however, there are still places to visit and things to see but you need to plan ahead and be a little more inventive. Hot springs, in particular, are a great place to stop when road tripping Canada during winter.

Be aware of limited roadside facilities

In a similar theme to the above advice, many roadside facilities are shut during winter. This includes things like toilets, visitor centres and rest stops.

Typically, large rest stop buildings are completely locked (we found Ontario the worst for this) in winter. Quite often, the road leading to these facilities isn’t snowploughed at all.

It is also important to know that some gas stations are closed during winter. On our cross Canada road trip, this was only a problem on Highway 1 between Kenora and Sault St. Marie. I definitely wouldn’t advise risking a low gas tank in this area.

It’s a good idea, in general, to keep your vehicle topped up with gas to prevent the fuel-line freezing up during winter road trips.

Don’t rush on your winter road trip in Canada

I know it almost goes without saying, but on a winter road trip in Canada, you MUST be prepared to drive slower than normal.

Slippery roads, reduced visibility, heavy snowfall and black ice may not just slow progress down, but force you to pause or stop the trip completely.

In extreme conditions, highways are sometimes closed. For this reason, plan plenty of extra time to get to your destination(s).

To put this into perspective, consider that some people drive across Canada in summer within just four (very long) days. In winter, this would be an unrealistic, and potentially dangerous, challenge.

Unexpected winter road trip hazards

When heading out to drive across Canada in winter, I anticipated tough road conditions and weather. Some things, however, I did not think about were:

• Road signs can become completely covered in snow, making navigation sometimes difficult. This shows exactly why it is useful to have both a physical map (I personally love Backroad Mapbooks) and offline access to Google Maps.
• Despite being Canada’s major road across the country, Highway 1 doesn’t necessarily have phone signal all the way along it. There is intermittent service through the Rockies and also from Wawa to the outskirts of Sault St. Marie.
• High winds can cause snow drifts in unexpected places. Be careful because snow drifts can be surprisingly deep and make for difficult driving.
• Most of Highway 1 across Canada is double lane separated highway. There are, however, large sections in Northern Ontario and smaller stretches in British Columbia that are just one lane only. In these areas, it is easy to be momentarily blinded by snow flurries caused by oncoming vehicles (especially trucks).
• Wildlife! Not all of Canada’s local animal population goes to sleep in winter. We’ve seen moose, bighorn sheep, lynx (!) and deer in winter. These animals are usually most active at dusk and dawn, which can be a huge hazard with the reduced visibility at that time.

Must have items for any winter road trip in Canada

There are some essential items required for winter road trips in Canada.

I’ve also added a couple of extras that we found very helpful during our long trip across Canada.

Winter tires

Winter tires are made with a special type of rubber that provides increased traction and control in cold, snowy and icy conditions. Look for tires bearing the mountain snowflake symbol.

Somewhat surprisingly, the use of winter tires is only mandatory in a few provinces. In British Columbia, for example, winter tires or chains are required on most highways from 1st October to 30th April (31st March on some roads). Over in Ontario, using winter tires is recommended but not required.

Personally, I’d recommend using winter tires almost everywhere in Canada (some exceptions on BC’s coast). If you don’t have much winter driving experience, I’d say winter tires are absolutely essential!

When hiring a vehicle for a winter road trip, be sure to request winter tires. My favourite BC vehicle rental company, FarOut Wilderness, provides 4X4 trucks with winter tires. Enjoy a 5% booking discount if you tell them I sent you (with the code FOW-OTT-5).

Shovel and tow rope

While you hope not to use them, a shovel and tow rope are essentials for winter road trips in Canada.

Our shovel has come in handy a few times over the years. We’ve had to dig ourselves out of a few unploughed parking lots, for example.

For our trip across Canada, we purchased an avalanche shovel. Usually carried while backcountry skiing, avalanche shovels are lightweight and pack down small. We still use it today and it fits nicely into our Toyota Echo.

If you have the space, obviously a bigger shovel would be preferable for long winter road trips.

Jumper cables

Winter weather isn’t kind to car batteries, to say the least. Be sure to carry some jumper cables, just in case.

Luckily, we’ve never had to use jumpers on our vehicle but we have helped half a dozen other people over the years. On one memorial occasion, we helped someone start their vehicle just a few blocks from Niagara Falls in -20c!

Lots of windscreen washer fluid

On our big cross Canada road trip, we used over 20 litres of windscreen (or windshield) washer fluid. Yes, really! And that was in relatively good winter weather.

With so much snow, ice, dirt and general grime splashing up on the windscreen, washer fluid is absolutely essential during winter road trips to keep clear visibility. There were times when we had to use it after every passing vehicle.

Make sure you buy winter windscreen washer fluid rated to -40c or lower. Consider also replacing your windscreen wipers if they are not winter-rated.

Emergency kit

No matter how long your road trip is, bring an emergency kit. It should include:

• Blanket(s)
• Food
• Gloves and warm hat
• Wind-up flashlight or headlamp
• First aid kit
• Extra clothing
• Water (see below)

This equipment could save your life if road conditions force you to be stuck in your vehicle.

Clothing-wise, be sure to have lots of different layers. When driving, the vehicle will be warm and hence less clothing will be needed.

But if your vehicle gets stuck in adverse weather, more layers will quickly be required as well as warm, waterproof winter gloves and boots.

Insulated flasks

Cold weather freezes liquids. Ergo, water is harder to store on a winter road trip. The solution, however, is easy. Insulated flasks.

Used most often for coffee and tea, you can also use insulated flasks to keep water and other liquids cold (but not frozen) in freezing conditions.

One morning, we had absolutely nothing unfrozen to drink except what was in our Hydroflask. Be sure to have at least one insulated flask in your vehicle.

Cooler

Following on from the last suggestion, a cooler can be useful on a winter road trip in Canada. If possible, store any kind of fresh food in one of these to give it a little more protection against the cold temperatures.

Of course, always carry some dried food (granola bars, nuts) that will still be edible even if they happen to freeze and defrost a few times.

And remember…

To still have fun! Winter road trips in Canada are more challenging, however, it can be an enjoyable experience.

Everything looks somehow even more beautiful under cover of snow. Canada is truly a winter wonderland in every sense.

Be sure to read this winter driving advice, prepare your vehicle properly before heading out on the road and clean your vehicle fully of snow before driving!

Other winter posts you may find helpful

The Complete Guide to Travelling Canada in Winter

65 Cool Things to Do Across Canada in Winter

8 Must See Places On A Winter Road Trip Across Canada

What to Wear in Canada in Winter: A Complete Guide

Snowshoeing 101: A Beginner’s Guide

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Gemma

One half of the Canadian/British couple behind Off Track Travel, Gemma is happiest when hiking on the trail or planning the next big travel adventure. JR and Gemma are currently based in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Consider buying us a coffee if you have find any of our guides helpful!