Canada

A Day Trip Outside of Toronto with Car2Go

Note: Car2Go is no longer operating in the city of Toronto, however, there are several carshare options available like Communauto and Enterprise.

It’s not often that I get to go on a road trip. That’s primarily because I no longer have a car and live in Toronto. Toronto is a very accessible city, you simply don’t need a car to get around because the transit system, Uber, and your two feet can get you anywhere you’ll need to go. However, when you want to escape the chaos of the city and explore some of the neighbouring cities and towns it can be challenging. Rental cars are a hassle and not always the most convenient when you want to take a day trip on a whim. So in comes my saving grace, Car2Go.

Car2Go is available in a variety of cities across North America and Europe. Basically it’s a carsharing program that allows you to rent a car by the hour or day all by an app on your phone! Once you have an account, all you do is open the app, pick an available car parked nearby your location and start your trip. When you start your trip a code will appear on your phone and a code will appear on the dash of the car, enter them and hop in, the car is yours! Prices start at $15 CDN an hour in Toronto or $59 CDN a day and they have smart cars as well as Mercedes-Benz available in their fleet.

I decided to go to a few places I’ve been wanting to head to but they aren’t very accessible by public transit. The first stop was the Terre Bleu Lavender Farm located in Campbellville, Ontario, about an hour from Toronto. Terre Bleu is open from 11-4 pm daily during the summer months when the lavender is in bloom. The cost to enter is $13.27 CDN (plus tax) on weekends and $10 CDN (plus tax) on weekdays. The fields are gorgeous, you can walk among the blooms, take one of their tours of the fields and enjoy a lavender lemonade or ice cream from their shop.

The next stop was Hilton Falls located only about a 15-minute drive away from the lavender fields. Open 8:30 am-9:00 pm from April to October, this conservation area is filled with awesome trails to take a hike or bike ride on. We walked right to the falls which are small but beautiful and enjoyed the fresh air and nature (something you don’t often get in the city). With the pass that you purchase for the day ($6.75 CDN for an adult), you can visit any of the parks in the conservation area. So if you want to do more hiking you can, but unfortunately our schedule didn’t allow for it!

After our little hike, we started making our way back to Toronto to beat rush hour traffic. On route, we made a stop at the Toronto Premium Outlets, that despite their name are actually located in Milton, Ontario. The outlets are a pretty big tourist draw so they are busy but there are a bunch of great brand-name stores with awesome deals. I snagged a new pair of Nike shoes for $40 CDN (I bought my last ones in the regular store for $200 CDN). After visiting a couple of shops, we made a stop at Costco (I never get to go without a car) and headed back into the city.

Dropping off my Car2Go rental was super easy. I looked up in the app where there were available parking spots near my house and headed straight there to drop off the car. Once I got there I hit “end trip” and the app walked me through everything I needed to do prior to leaving the rental, like making sure windows were closed, I had my stuff, etc. Then I simply stuck the keys back in the glove box and was home. I loved having the opportunity to escape the city chaos and explore some of the surrounding areas that I never would normally get to see or do!

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Disclaimer: I received a complimentary rental from Car2Go to conduct a review. I only recommend experiences that I enjoyed, and think other travelers would benefit from. All opinions in this piece are my own and 110% honest. 

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