As a tourist in Canada: buy, borrow or rent a car?

Upvote:0

Passenger trains in Canada are not as efficient as in Europe.

Rent a car.

It will make your travel more free and fun.

You can then plan your itinerary and add stops in places you want to go and see that trains do not go; you can stop for pictures and lunch and see things.

Make certain you can drop off the car at any dealers, for example, you don't want to drive all the way back to your starting point (and take a train).

(some) Car Rental companies offer long (multi-weeks) term rentals deals.

You probably need to contact rental companies and see what they offer.

Upvote:4

It's unlikely option 2 will work. You can certainly buy a car, if you bring enough cash, but you will not be able to insure and subsequently register it without taking residence in Canada.

Option 3 might be feasible: typical car insurance in Canada covers not only the car's owner but also "occasional drivers" using the car with the permission of the owner. There's a caveat though: it's unclear if the insurer will treat you as a valid occasional driver of a car owned by a Calgary, Alberta resident if you get into trouble in Vancouver, British Columbia. Insurance works across provincial borders for the owner for sure. Another caveat -- the owner cannot charge you for the use of their car, unless they are willing to obtain commercial insurance, which will cost a lot more. (You can of course compensate them "under the table".)

Another thing to keep in mind is that, if you have an accident as an occasional driver, the car owner will likely have their premium increased for several years, because they will be now deemed a higher risk. You probably don't want to put your relatives in such a spot.

All in all, I would recommend going with option 1 and renting a car (or multiple cars at different locations). It might be a minor inconvenience to you, but you will avoid inconveniencing your hosts to a larger extent. As you can imagine, buying a car for your temporary use and organizing insurance for it requires noticeable effort.

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