Hi, I am starting to plan a vacation with my family (myself, my husband and 3 children) in Canada.

I have a conference in Toronto at the beginning of May 2008 and a freidn suggested that we rent a motorhome to tour around the lakes for 10 days after the conference.

I have millions of questions, but my main ones are:

1) Is this a good idea at the beginning of May?

2) Are 10 days enough?

3) Is there a campsite where we can park the campervan while in Toronto or should I consider an hotel there?

Bare in mind that I haven't done ANY research on this matter atall so far, so I apologise if some of my questions are obvious!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Well isn't this fun! I like to hear about people visiting my area!

Firstly - the beginning of May may be cool for camping. However, in a camper with a heater you'd be find. That time of year can be wet and rainey.

Most of our campgrounds do not open until the third weekend in May (the Victoria Day weekend . . . generally serious campers avoid the parks on that weekend because of all the wild party animals just out from University for the summer ) Having said that, a number are open for non-tent camping (i.e. motorhomes)much earlier.

I don't think that 10 days would not be enough time to tour the lakes (I assume that you mean the Great Lakes?). From one end to the other you'd be driving an area roughly equal to the length of Italy and back. Or are you talking about the lakes in more Northern Ontario?

The area around the Great Lakes is fairly developed and built up with housing and industry. This area is one of the economic 'engines' of Canada. it isn't really a camping destination.

The province runs a number of campgrounds. You can find about them here: Ontario Parks . The closest campground to Toronto is probably Bronte Creek (right by my house). If you based the camper there while you were at the conference you could catch the commuter train into Toronto - The GO Train. This would work depending upon where the conference was located. Where in Toronto is the conference?

Do a search of this thread for some information about Toronto. I have also done some trip notes about some of the areas. MarionP has some great stuff posted as well. My blog (linked below) has some information about touring this areas.

Like Jerry, I am not sure what specifically you would like to include in the Great Lakes. Here is a link to the Great Lakes Network for some initial research. The region is shared by Canada and USA, so some definition of how much you would want to cover travelling slowly will be required. But in May we're only starting to come out of hibernation...

I am not a camper; not much help from me there, but for my money, and if it were practical to you, for the time of the conference I would stay in Toronto.

Great to hear about people coming this way; I think MarciaB may also come here to a conference in May. Could it be the same one?

Tell us some more; and tell us if you will have the time and would like to meet some of the members while in Toronto.

Well, thanks a lot for the info so far! It has already helped!!!

What I thought was that having to come to Toronto myself it would have been a good idea to have a holiday with the family. A friend said that when she was about 9 years old she went camping around the lakes with ehr family in a motorhome and that was one of the best holidays that she remembers.

So I thought why not? It sounded good fun.

I will have to buy a guide book and look at the websites you suggested, but your advice is the most pretious because website and books sometimes can be misleading and with three young boys I can't get it wrong.

If you have a better suggestion than the Great Lakes, please do say so.

I don't want a stressed holiday. I want a relaxed time while seeing a part of the world that I haven't explored yet.

We live in teh UK, but our holiday destinations so far has been mostly Italy ebcause I go to visit my family. This would be our first major holiday away from home or family homes (apart obviously of short braks and occasions when we stopped on teh way somewhere or had short breaks somewhere).

Any reccommendation on areas to consider are welcome.

Also I have to make sure that my husband has enough to keep the kids busy while I am at the conference (I'll give you more details on the venue next week when I can check it at woork).

Looking forward to your comments!!!

Bye now :-)

I am getting quite excited and I am getting warmer at the idea of a lodge in teh Black bear forest. Now the problem is what is the best way to get there from Toronto and how long would it take.

Also, are there places that would be worth seeing on the way there and back? As we would spend time in the wilderness (not sure exactly where yet though!), it could be also something cultural.

My husband doesn't like flying so we would have to drive. We may be able to extend our stay a bit to be able to get there and back.

What do you think?

There are some beautiful areas about a three or four hour drive north of Toronto. I am quite partial to Algonquin Park. It was one of the first protected areas in Canada and is well loved. I have camped there on numerours occasions and stayed in a lodge (Bartlett Lodge) located on an island. The lakes may still have some ice on them so you wont be swimming!

This would be a good time to see some young Moose, wildflowers, etc.

Other areas to check would be Huntsville, Muskoka, or Bracebridge.

Thanks a lot Jerry!
I am getting lost already, let alone when we will be there :-)
Italian lakes are certainly of a different dimension ;-)
I am not worried about swimming as we can go to Italy in August for that!

I'll post more questions in the future! If you think of anything else to suggest, please do.
Thanks again,

Claudia

When you are in Toronto at the conference, I'd suggest you stay in a hotel there. Get the camper for afterwards and go north to Huntsville, Muskoka areas for camping, wilderness, beautiful lakes. Several celebrities now have cottages up there now.
In Toronto your husband could take your kids to the ROM - Royal Ontario Museum, the AGO- Art Gallery of Ontario, the Science Centre, the Toronto Zoo, the Eaton Centre shopping, Ontario Place, Toronto Island and there is so much to do and see from so many cultural backgrounds. May is comfortable weather usually, with some rain. Might be cool for camping in a tent...as someone said people usually start doing this on the long weekend we have in May (May 24th) we call it.
Also, about an 1 & 1/2 hours drive from Toronto there is Niagara Falls and across the border is Buffalo, N.Y.

Thanks a lot chiaro di luna.

I am gathering info now and will put together some sort of itinerary that will obviously post here to see what you all think!!!

I am thinking of considering bungalows/chalets accommodation instead of campervan given that it is still possibly cold at the beginning of May.

I am planning to go to Niagara's falls from Toronto on the Sunday as I am free from the conference on that day or just before heading towards one of the parks you mentioned.

Thanks again :-)