Not driven for 5 years should I drive in Canada?

[IIama]

Hi,

I passed my drivers test 5 years ago at the age of 19. Never bothered getting a car as I went from uni to working in London.

I am taking my mother on holiday to Canada in October as a belated 60th birthday treat for her (delayed 2 years by Covid). She has now decided she is too anxious to drive an automatic on the other side of the road.

Would I be mad to be the one to do the driving? It would be an automatic car, which I have driven twice before and found very easy.

I would be driving from Montreal to Ottawa to Quebec and then back to Montreal with a few stops along the way. So a lot of driving.

I have heard driving in Canada is fairly easy so I think I’ll be fine or am I being naive?

Thanks!

Drivers in Quebec are terrible and Montreal is an absolute traffic nightmare with so many road closures all the time. I would not advise it.

Also why Montreal > Ottawa > Quebec? Easier to fly into Quebec (direct from Gatwick now) then Montreal then Ottawa, or vice versa, instead of going back and forth.

Travel between the cities will be easy enough but yhe city driving could prove to be a bit of a nightmare. Why not take a few confidence booster lessons before you go ?

If you've got a bit of time before you go why don't you book a few refresher drives with a driving instructor or get a friend to take you out?

But I found driving on the West coast of Canada very easy with well behaved driving. Not driven the route or area you are suggesting.

You can also have a car delivered to the first place you are staying so you aren't getting off a transatlantic flight and then immediately picking up a car and driving off.

Canadian drivers are a bit more err, robust than their English counterparts although I found it okay but, and a big but, I would not do foreign driving on other side of the road with no driving experience at all under your belt. It’s a recipe for disaster!

You are an extremely inexperienced driver, and you will be driving on completely unfamiliar roads. I do not recommend this.

Defo get some practice here first. Driving on the "wrong" side is easy enough once you get used to it but only if your car control / basic driving skills and rules of the road knowledge are second nature before you try.
Would not be a good idea if you've not driven since passing your test. Could be very dangerous in fact.

The expressways are basically big wide roads. With pretty low speed limits (60 mph), though to be fair most people don’t stick to them. I found Canada super easy to drive around.

But if you are anxious about motorway driving, maybe get a refresher lesson on that?

The other option is train - it’s a straight train line between all three of those cities, and the stations are right in town. Lots of departure throughout the day - look on the ViaRail website.

Obviously if you are hoping to go to the national parks you’ll need a car, but if you are just doing the cities the train is probably easier honestly. We owned a car in Canada and I generally took the train for city breaks because I found it more relaxing with a toddler.

You need to do some driving in London first. Get confident in driving, control of the car, hazard perception, concentration etc. Then drive in Canada.
You have time before you're holiday, if its something you want to do. Rent a car for a few weeks, do little drives around where you live, then do a long drive somewhere pretty in the UK to practice long drives - speed control and concentration and stamina.
If that goes ok, then drive in Canada.

Also, if you’re under 25 you might find it hard to get insured on a rental car, or expect to pay a premium.

Driving in Canada is “easy” because on some stretches of road you’re the only driver for miles and miles! But the corridor you’ve mentioned Ottawa to Quebec City will be packed. As mentioned above the stretch through Montreal is a nightmare, at least on the 2-20. maybe the TC is better? What route were you planning.

How does your mum feel about you driving in Canada? If she’s anxious, would she not feel even more anxious with an inexperienced driver at the wheel? I think if you want to do this, then you would be better to start driving regularly again now in this country over the next four months and then you will be more prepared for your trip.

I think you would be crazy

I did something very similar and was fine. I honestly just drove around a car park for a while to get back into the swing of things.

Thanks for the honest opinions!

I am a member of the local car club so will get practicing. My mother has said she is fine with me driving if I feel comfortable. She personally is too anxious to drive on the other side of the road. She is also too afraid to drive an automatic even though I keep telling her they are much easier. My father would always do the driving when we went on holiday.

I do have a car booked but it is fully refundable. It was only £168 a week, even with me being under 25. It’s a 4x4.

I am considering cancelling the car. Getting the train to a from the cities and then renting a car on the days we want to visit national parks etc. Although it would involve a big change in plans.

I wouldn't, I drive a lot but still it was hard driving in Canada in an automatic

We went to the US when I was under 25 and it was a massive premium on the car rental so I was quite happy for now DH to drive

In from ottawa and I always fly into Montreal airport and drive home. That stretch from Montreal to ottawa is filled with crazy drivers and busy. But the rest of it is easy, I would say if you can get to ottawa by bus or train and then drive from there?

The roads are good between the cities but Montreal is a mess with lots of one-way streets downtown and inconsiderate drivers. However, there is a very good transit system so I would suggest leaving the car at the hotel and getting around by bus and metro. I don't know about driving in Ottawa, but Quebec is pretty small so you can leave the car at the hotel and probably get around on foot to see the touristy parts.

@JolieJ Thanks for the recommendations. It looks like there is a train to Ottawa, which I’d be happy to get, although we had planned a trip to Parc Omega. If that stretch is really is that bad I think we can drop it.

Would you say the drive to and from Montreal and Quebec City is okay? It seems a straight road based on Google maps. Our hotel/apartments all have free parking so we wouldn’t be using the car to drive around the cities. Just for day drips to national parks.

Thanks!

The stretch I’m familiar with is highlighted with repairs and detours. BUT it is short. Lachine to Repentigny is nerve wracking.
Other than that section you would probably be fine, and if you take the TransCanada even better.

The TransCanada is called the A-30 through Montreal.

I would strongly NOT recommend this. You are a new, very inexperienced, rusty driver. You aren't even fresh off the test, where all the skills are fresh in your mind! You'll have forgotten a lot and be very out of practice.

New car, on the other side, so none of the operations are where you expect them to be, driving on the other side of the road, in an unfamiliar place. It's a big fat recipe for disaster.

I’m originally from Canada but I’ve lived in the UK for the past 9 years. I find driving here hair-raising and haven’t done much recently for insurance reasons but I always drive when I return to Canada. They have wide streets, large parking spots and very few roundabouts. Drivers are not as courteous and seem more aggressive lately but I think you would be ok driving if you had some practice before you go. I don’t think driving in the other side would be such an issue as you don’t drive that much here anyways.

I would be wary of doing this. I have been driving nearly 25 years and I was still a bit nervous when I drove in the US a few years ago. No way would I have done it if I was inexperienced.

Absolutely not. You would be a danger both to yourself and other round users.