We started 2025 by signing up for Duolingo to learn a little French for a summer road trip to Quebec. As usual, we ended up going way farther than expected — covering 9,178 miles (14,770 km) from our home in Florida, all the way through Quebec, to the remote province of Labrador and back via Newfoundland!
Not only did we get to practice our French, but we found out first-hand where to see the Northern Lights in Canada (in the summer 😮) and spotted tons of wildlife, including 3 marmots, 7 moose, 5 foxes, and 12 black bears (yes, Lauren kept track along the way).
This year’s Eastern Canada road trip took 61 days, and I already know what you’re thinking. Any time we mention one of our two-month, three-month, or seven-month road trips, everybody always asks: “How could you possibly afford that?” So if you just want to skip to the financial details of our adventure, feel free to scroll right on down to the bottom of this page and see how you can do it yourself!
Otherwise, strap in for a quick tour of the provinces once known as New France…
Part One: Ontario’s National Parks & Big Cities
Part Two: Most Popular Things To Do in Quebec
Part Three: Remote Eastern Quebec & Labrador
Part Four: The Island of Newfoundland & Gros Morne
Part Five: Route 132 & Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula
Part Six: Financial Details & How To Afford Travel
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First Stop: Exploring Ontario National Parks
Okay, our literal first stop wasn’t an Ontario National Park. 😛
Heading north from Florida, we hit the beaches of Hilton Head, SC, then stayed at a deserted water park hotel in the tourist town of Sevierville, TN (for half price!), right before the summer rush. Next, we popped into the University of Kentucky to grab some promotional photos and do a bit of marketing for our latest business venture.
But not long after that, we crossed the Canadian border and took a short boat ride to Beausoleil Island — part of Georgian Bay Islands National Park — to rent some mountain bikes and cruise around in the sunshine. It’s not a gigantic, awe-inspiring place like some of the other National Parks we’ve been to, but it was a great spot to spend a day and get some exercise.
Our next destination was Bruce Peninsula National Park, where we hiked through thick fog on the beach, got lost in some dark woods after sunset, listened to howling wolves in the distance, and eventually fell asleep in our camper van. It was definitely a cool experience that I’d recommend checking out if you’re ever nearby. Just make sure you bring a flashlight (we didn’t 😅).
Ontario’s Big Cities: The Toronto-to-Ottawa Drive
Our next stop was Toronto, which is basically Canada’s equivalent of New York City, and it was honestly super weird to see a place this densely packed in a country we’ve always thought of as endless open space.
We’re not really big city people, so after checking out some art galleries and walking around in Toronto for a little bit, we pretty quickly set our sights on the nearest green space on the map. Just 30 minutes from downtown Toronto, we stumbled upon Rouge National Urban Park.
After that, we headed toward Canada’s national capitol city, Ottawa. The driving time from Toronto to Ottawa is about 5 hours, and we broke it up with a quick-but-profitable stop at the Pickering Casino Resort to use our tried-and-true slot machine hack, ultimately leaving with an extra $59.75 CAD in our pockets. 🤑
While still a “city,” Ottawa is a lot smaller and quieter than Toronto. Paradoxically, it also has a lot more stuff to do (or, at least stuff we were interested in). We visited the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, the Canadian Parliament Building, and the Royal Canadian Mint.
Speaking French: Rawdon & Mont Tremblant to Montreal, Quebec
From Ottawa, we entered Quebec and instantly started hearing a lot more French, which was a little scary at first, but ultimately made us start practicing some of what we’d been learning on Duolingo. It was actually a really fun challenge that made this trip feel exciting and new. While French is definitely the default language throughout Quebec, most people still speak English as a second language around these populated areas, so it wasn’t that hard to communicate — yet.
Before going too deep into Quebec, we stopped at the Rawdon Golf Resort for a few days, enjoyed outdoor barbecues and kayaking on the lake, and slowed down to make an entirely unrelated YouTube video just for fun. We don’t golf at all, but hey — it was cheap and actually really nice!
Heading in the general direction of Montreal, we popped into Mont Tremblant, a ski resort town and bona fide tourist trap, with every form of entertainment from rides to casinos to restaurants, and all imaginable types of guided tours. We ate an overpriced meal and did the Skyline Luge (which was legitimately pretty fun) before heading out.
When we arrived in Montreal, we found a giant metropolis — but a way more unique and interesting one than Toronto or even Ottawa. It’s a beautiful city, and while fairly walkable, it’s also sprawling, with many different districts and a definite European influence.
We spent a few days in the area, just taking long walks, trying out restaurants, and peeking into stores once in a while. Oh, and if you like ice cream, definitely don’t miss a shop called Iconoglace (we recommend the vegan Mont Royale with added cookie dough 😋).
Slowing Down: Montreal to Quebec City and Beyond
After we left Montreal toward Quebec City, our trip got better and better every day. On the way, we took a quick waterfall hike in La Mauricie National Park, which is a nice spot featuring a bunch of lakes nestled among the forested mountains.
There’s no shortage of things to do in Quebec City. Just walking around, you’ll feel like you’re in a full-on historic European town with its classic architecture and cobblestone streets. We visited during the Fête de la Musique — a French music festival featuring free concerts all over the city.
Montmorency Falls is another cool spot to visit within the boundaries of Quebec City. You can climb 487 steps to the top of an 83-meter waterfall for panoramic views of the area.
Pointing ourselves northward from Quebec City, we were finally on our way to “the middle of nowhere” — an integral part of every one of our road trips. Our first stop on this leg was Jacques-Cartier National Park.
Like many of the “National Parks” in Quebec, this one is managed by Sepaq (Quebec’s own parks service) rather than Parks Canada. Sepaq-operated parks are more like Provincial or State Parks than National Parks in the sense that most Canadians or Americans would probably expect.
We stopped into another Sepaq National Park — Saguenay Fjord — as we continued our journey northward toward Labrador. Taking the Sentier de la Statue Notre Dame du Saguenay (Statue of Our Lady of Saguenay Trail) in the middle of the day was a sweaty mistake without as much of a payoff as we’d hoped, but it was made up for by a view of the fjord elsewhere at sunset the night before.
North: Route 389 & Manic-5 Dam to Trans-Labrador Highway
Continuing into the heart of Nowheresville, we took Highway 389 in Quebec toward Labrador City. This partially gravel road often goes hundreds of kilometers without services, so it’s important to keep your gas tank full and look out the window often. 😉
As we drove through the wilderness for hours, we eventually reached a gas station and noticed some strange merchandise inside with seemingly nonsensical phrases like, “I SAW THE MANIC-5.” We had no clue what any of it meant…until we drove just a few more miles up the road and encroached on one of the most unbelievable feats of human engineering we’ve ever seen.
It turns out that “Manic” is short for “Manicouagan” — the name of the river this dam blocks with its 13 magnificent arches, right off Highway 389 in Baie-Comeau, Quebec. You literally can’t miss it.
Once we finally crossed the border into Labrador, we enjoyed a brief moment of “civilization” in Labrador City, an English-speaking town of just 7,400 residents. We took this opportunity to get a free shower at Work Out World, eat some pizza, and recharge before taking the even longer, more desolate Trans-Labrador Highway (Canada’s longest highway!) all the way to its terminus. Aside from the swarms of mosquitoes and other biting insects along the way, it was magical. Just bring some DEET — and some bear spray, too (don’t ask how we know 😳).
Island Adventures: How To Get to Newfoundland
At the end of the Trans-Labrador Highway, we were just one ferry ride away from Newfoundland (via Blanc Sablon, Quebec) — although this is probably the most convoluted and bizarre way possible to get to the island.
Upon arrival, we stopped for a short hike and some amazing coastal views at Fishing Point Municipal Park in Saint Anthony before heading south to one of our favorite spots on the island: Gros Morne National Park, which we’d already visited last year (it’s worth a second trip!).
But then we ended up finding our new favorite spot in Newfoundland: the Port au Port Peninsula. Taking Route 460 and Route 463 around Mainland and the surrounding areas was breathtaking. I would personally rank it as one of the best coastal drives in eastern North America.
Best Drive in Quebec: Route 132 and the Gaspe Peninsula
Speaking of the best coastal drives in North America, we almost missed Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula because we were ready to go home, but at the last minute, we decided to take a quick detour after Newfoundland to check it out. That was a fantastic decision.
After stopping in Kouchibouguac National Park for a quick beach day on the way, we headed north again and took Route 132 around the entire Gaspe Peninsula, hitting up Perce, Forillon National Park, and Quebec’s Gros Morne, among many other awesome coastal sights.
The coastal drive along Highway 132 in Quebec is dotted with frequent “municipal halts,” which are tiny (mostly oceanfront) public parks with picnic tables, public restrooms, and other amenities, allowing you to take a breath of fresh air any time you want.
This often-overlooked section of Quebec turned out to be one of our all-time favorites, and it was a great way to end our trip before driving almost nonstop back home to Florida.
How To Afford Travel for Months at a Time
When you read about a trip like this one, it’s natural to wonder how to afford traveling the world carefree for months at a time. And what about work? Don’t people have jobs any more?!
We have solved both of those problems without a flashy stream of “influencer” income or any inherited wealth. Truthfully, we’re not that special. If you have a regular, middle-class American income, you can do this pretty easily yourself.
So let’s address those top two concerns head-on:
1. How Much Does Long-Term Travel Cost?
The first big misconception is that travel has to be expensive. It doesn’t. In fact, these two months on the road didn’t cost us that much more than two ordinary months sitting at home.
Here are some tips we used to make this vacation super cheap:
- Camp instead of staying in hotels**. — The modest “Van” category in the chart above replaced more than 50 hotel nights***. Rather than paying over $100 per night to sleep, we stayed in the back of our Nissan NV200 camper van in free campsites more than 80% of the time. We had a hot shower every night thanks to national gym memberships and occasional shower facilities near our campsites (included in the “Other” category).
- Drive a fuel-efficient car or van instead of flying. — Our van gets around 26 MPG (9 L / 100 km) and lets us take our time when we travel, seeing more along the way and stopping spontaneously as we please. Getting around by plane is more expensive and less flexible.
- Skip the fancy dining. — Since our trips are a part of a long-term lifestyle, it doesn’t feel necessary to treat every meal as a once-in-a-lifetime “splurge.” We cook our own food on a portable propane burner or eat menu-hacked meals at inexpensive chains.
- Use nature as your playground. — While the “Other” category of our trip expenses includes plenty of fun experiences from ferry rides to museum visits to Magic: The Gathering tournaments, the vast majority of our entertainment comes from public spaces like National Parks, which are extremely cool and ridiculously cheap to enjoy.
The bottom line is, if you can save up $7,500, then you can afford a two-month vacation! There’s just one more problem that seems to hold people back…
2. How To Get More Vacation Time from Work
Would your boss let you take two months off work if you asked for it? You might not believe me until you try this, but the answer mostly depends on how you ask.
Throughout our careers in the past, we were able to take multi-month vacations from full-time work because we were legitimately willing to lose our jobs at any time. Through frugality, we kept our spending low and put tons of savings in the bank at an early age, which made us fearless and gave us powerful negotiating leverage with our employers. We didn’t need our paychecks because we always kept at least several years worth of expenses on hand as a financial buffer.
Instead of asking for time off work, we (politely) informed our bosses in advance that we would be taking sabbaticals. That left them with a choice to either watch good employees quit (because that’s what we would do if our sabbatical was “rejected”), or simply allow us to travel and come back to work when we returned. Most of the time, they chose the latter!
For our last few big trips (including this one), we actually didn’t need to discuss our plans with anyone though. Today, we’re millionaires, and we have enough money to never need to work again. At this point, “bosses” are a thing of our past, so we just don’t worry about this stuff at all any more. But when we did have full-time employers, we never let them stop us from taking as much time off as we wanted to!
Regardless of whether you have a gigantic stockpile of savings, you can also increase your freedom from the office by learning to make money on the road. Here are a few options for that:
- Do remote work while traveling. — If you’re stepping away from a job to travel, propose working for your existing employer remotely, part-time. While neither of us works a traditional job any more, we’ve each maintained very low-commitment freelance gigs that can be done from the road, and their effective hourly rates are actually much higher than our past full-time jobs!
- Start a business that can lead to passive income. — A couple years ago, we started an online college tutoring company called CramBetter as a post-retirement project. It was a ton of work to get started, but by applying principles from The 4-Hour Workweek, it’s beginning to transition into a form of semi-passive income for us.
- Rent out your home while you’re away. — While we didn’t do it on this trip, we have rented out our house on short-term leases during our multi-month vacations in the past. Instead of sitting vacant, our home actually turned into a paycheck!
- Collect income from investments. — If you have significant savings, make sure it’s invested efficiently so that your money makes more money for you automatically. Like a rolling snowball, this becomes a larger source of income the wealthier you get. At this point, our investment portfolio could pay for our travels indefinitely, all by itself. You can find a list of our favorite investments on our Recommendations page.
Because we make money in these ways (plus some other weird ones 😅) when traveling, we never deplete any of our savings. Unbelievably, while we were road tripping this summer, our net worth actually grew by nearly $40,000 in those two months alone. 🤯
The level of financial freedom we enjoy today didn’t spring up overnight, but we also never needed this much money to feel free in the first place. We’ve been taking inexpensive, multi-month sabbaticals since our early 20s — way before we had a big retirement nest egg — and you can too! All it takes is a little courage, creativity, and a frugal spirit.
— Steven
Interested in how long-term travel fits into a larger financial plan? Taking a big break from full-time work to go on an adventure like this is Step 4 of our Financial Roadmap — check it out!
* The $7,444 cost of our trip was calculated using “vacation-related” expenses only, so it doesn’t include “back home” expenses like our existing health insurance plan, condo association dues, homeowner’s insurance, etc.
** If vanlife doesn’t interest you, I have great news: It’s not a prerequisite for cheap travel! Check out the financial details of our extended trips to Hawaii, Australia, and Iceland for some affordable travel inspo without any camping at all.
*** The “Van” category includes estimated vehicle depreciation during this trip in addition to maintenance (like oil changes along the way). To calculate our vehicle depreciation, we took the Kelley Blue Book “private party” value of our van before the trip, and subtracted its value afterward (with over 9,000 more miles on it).
