SerenBach

Moving to Vancouver, BC at the beginning of June. Don't know what it's better to do.
Plan A - 4/5 months of travelling, staying with helpx/workaway hosts, no car, rely on public transport or hitch-hiking(?) then back to Vancouver, stay in a hostel while getting a job and then a flat.
Plan B - Stay in a hostel while getting a job and then a flat. Apply for BC driving licence with permanent address, get car and insurance. Mini travelling on weekends with a car.
I think travelling without a car is going to be tricky but I'd love to be travelling outside in the summer rather than in an office. No job prospects yet but I'm just looking at office admin, call centre, data entry type of work which I'm hoping isn't too hard to come by. Aiming for about a month in the hostel before I can secure a job and get a flat. Within reasonable limits money is not an issue
I change my mind every single day. Any suggestions?

Piff Poff

Travel before you get bogged down with work!

scilly

you could have a problem relying on "public transit" to get around BC .............. there isn't that much outside of the Lower Mainland!!

Greyhound has cut back on its routes, so you don't seem able now to get from Vancouver north to Prince George, for example.

Google "Greyhound Bus Service in BC" to get an idea.

VIA Rail is the company that operates long distance train service across Canada ........... major trains are The Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto (and stations in between) 3 times a week in summer, lots in the Toronto-Ottowa-Montreal-Quebec City corridor, and The Ocean 3 times a week from Montreal to Halifax. There are also several smaller lines operated by them, eg Winnipeg to Churchill.

Are you male or female? Hitchhiking alone is not usually recommended for females.



Apartments are expensive in Vancouver, occupancy rates are high so there are few available and furnished ones are not that common, so it may take you longer than a month to save up the rental + deposit + furniture

I suggest you go online and check out availability of apartments, average costs, etc., but also look at neighbouring municipalities.


If you can bring enough money to support yourself for 3 months of travelling, plus 1 or 2 months before getting a pay cheque, then certainly travel before work!!

leith

Suggest you check out rental costs first. Vancouver is an expensive place.
Canada is a much bigger country than England. Distances between places are far greater. Public transport is patchy and slow. Where do you plan on staying during your travels? There aren't that many hostels and other kinds of accommodation are expensive.
Do not even think of hitchhiking. One of the mian highways across BC is notorious for the number of people who have simply disappeared from it while hitchhiking. On Vancouver Island, hitchhiking is banned on the coast highway.
Everything will cost more than you expect. You can see plenty of the country once you get a job and a vehicle of your own.
Why Vancouver anyway? OK, it's got the mountains and the sea but housing costs are astronomical, traffic is awful, and it rains a lot.

rivingtonpike

Are you doming to Canada on an IEC Visa? If it was me and I could afford it, I'd see some of the Country first, then worry about finding work. I presume the purpose of the trip is to have a life experience adventure? plenty of time to be stuck in an office. Work through the winter and travel in the summer.

beckiwoo

Disagree.

The are options for hostels in most of the cities and around some of the well known tourist areas.

People say vancouver is expensive but I think you get a lot for your moe y then the UK when you talk about eating out, transport and even buying day to day products. Accommodation and a vehicle are expensive though. Insurance for a car will be a dent into your savings