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Thrifty traveler
When rental companies want to transport their vehicles, they offer one-way tickets at a very reduced price. Our frugal traveler made a deal that took her across eastern Canada.
By Élaine Glusac
Elaine Glusac is a columnist for Frugal Traveler, which focuses on budget travel.
Quebec City was designed to be imposing. On a steep hill above the St. Lawrence Seaway, 17th-century walls, the town’s streets are narrow and cobbled: there’s no room for a 21st-century motorhome monopolizing the road.
At least that’s what I thought when I was planning an ambitious solo assignment across an RV highway through eastern Canada, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Montreal, that would take me through one of the oldest European cities in North America.
Colonial streets weren’t my only intellectual obstacle when I left in May to take advantage of a six-night “move-in” contract in a van rental for C$39 a night (about $28) from the Canadian company CanaDream; Their trips start at $136 per night.
When RV companies want to move their vehicles to meet seasonal demand, they offer moves or one-way vacations at discounted prices. The RV rental company Cruise America calls them “one-way specials,” which recently included 75% off a July vacation from Las Vegas to Orlando. El Monte RV’s one-way sales recently indexed departures at 30-90% off.
Headquartered in Calgary, CanaDream distributes its fleet across seven locations across Canada. For moving itineraries, the company specifies the vehicle as well as the departure and arrival dates. Renters pay for gas, food, and travel to camp in addition to the discounted vehicle.
Traveling in RVs triggered the pandemic, when Americans discovered the convenience and privacy of having a home on the road. As someone who makes a living traveling light, I saw this taste for travel as busy, slow, and undermining spontaneity.
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