2020 Family Vacation Cost Analysis 
The Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) of Canada, the Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA) and Go RVing Canada have released its updated Family Vacation Cost Analysis. The study analyzes and compares several different travel options to highlight the fact that RV travel remains an affordable and a cost effective way to vacation.

The study, conducted by The Portage Group Inc., showcased that in 2020, RV vacations are generally less expensive than those where the travel party stays in a hotel/motel. Towable RV vacations are also more economical than private property rentals.
The vacation cost analysis was based on a hypothetical family consisting of two adults and two children, travelling by different modes of transportation and staying in different types of accommodation.

The following five trips were analyzed:

Trip 1 – Montreal, QC to Algonquin Provincial Park, ON for 3 Days
Trip 2 – Halifax, NS to Quebec City, QC for 10 Days
Trip 3 – Toronto, ON to Sturgeon Falls, ON for 3 Days
Trip 4 – Brandon, MB to Drumheller, AB for 10 Days
Trip 5 – Vancouver, BC to Banff National Park, AB for 7 Days
These trip configurations were, on average, 16% lower than driving and staying in Airbnbs, 37% lower than driving and staying in hotels and 57% lower than flying and staying in hotels.

The savings range was 7% to 27% compared to Airbnb, 32% to 44% compared to drive and hotel and 48% to 71% compared to flying. The actual cost difference varies significantly depending on the cost of accommodations in a destination, trip length and distance.
“The purpose of the 2020 Family Vacation Cost Analysis is to highlight the fact that there are cost savings when travelling by RV” said Eleonore Hamm, RVDA of Canada President. “First time buyers often ask our dealer members about affordability and this study gives concrete examples of what a typical RV trip might cost”.
“RV travel can reduce your family’s vacation costs when compared to car and air travel” stated CRVA President, Shane Devenish. “One of the trips analyzed was a Vancouver to Banff National Park vacation. This very popular 7-day trip costs about $2887 with a Travel Trailer. Doing so with a personal car and hotel, costs would be closer to $4950.”
“Understanding the affordability of RV vacations and travel is one of the most common searches we see on the Go RVing Canada website” states Chris Mahony, Go RVing Canada President. “RV enthusiasts see that they can not only have a safe and convenient way to travel, but also incur cost-savings. The report highlights that they will spend less per day when compared to other types of vacations analyzed.”   
Below is a summary of the total costs and cost per day for each trip for each of the six trip configurations:
In addition to major expenditures required from the start to finish of each vacation, The Portage Group also factored in estimated costs of RV ownership.