Car Hire Summerside

Car Hire

Summerside is a neighbourhood of south Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, which is being frequented by an increasing amount of tourists each year. Most visitors use the area as a base for arranging car hire and exploring one of Canada’s largest cities and its neighbours. Compared to the CBD, this part of the city has much cheaper accommodation.

Who to Book With
The two branches of Enterprise on the Calgary Trail and Yellowhead Trail are the most conveniently located car rental companies for those based in Summerside. By heading north and closer to the CBD, Thrifty, Discount Car & Truck Rental and a second branch of Thrifty can be found. Booking prior to arrival in Canada saves any hassle brought about by vehicles being unavailable.

Best Time to Go
June to August is considered the best period to visit Edmonton, as this is when temperatures are at their highest and snowfall isn’t present. When the local ice hockey team is in action during the regular NHL season, advance bookings of essentials such as vehicle rental or accommodation are advised.

Need to Know Essentials
When collecting a rental vehicle in Canada, be sure you are able to produce:

- Your International Driving Permit
- Valid passport
- Credit card
- Printed copy of confirmed reservation

For more info read our FAQs.

Driving
Edmonton is easy to navigate for drivers, with large parts of the roads around the city having been developed after WWII. The main east-west highway is Whitemud Drive and the main highway across the north is the Yellowhead Trail, which is a recommended route for travellers who are unfamiliar with Edmonton. Like other parts of the city, Summerside follows a grid system.

Our Guide to Canada contains more detailed driving information.

Transport

For a city that is considered small compared to the likes of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, Edmonton has a well-developed and efficient public transport network. While many areas of the CBD can be walked around with the aid of walkit.com, the LRT, buses and taxis are also available. Any trips out of the area generally require the use of personal transportation.

Trains
Edmonton’s LRT is often commended for how safe and easy to use it is. Single fares cost around £2 per person and the line covers everywhere between Clareview Station and Century Park Station. Trains generally operate from 05:25 until 01:25 every day, with services terminating an hour earlier on public holidays and at weekends.

Buses
The Edmonton Transit System operates buses that are as inexpensive as the LRT. Many of the routes operate from 05:00 to 01:00 each day although only the city centre is serviced, meaning that trips to suburbs such as Summerside often see travellers paying more than if they were staying in the CBD.

Taxis
Taxis do not run through Summerside as much as they do in central Edmonton and generally have to be booked in advance. Yellow Cab, Prestige Cab, Barrel Taxi, Capital Taxi and Co-op taxi are among the most popular local companies.

Exploring

Summerside’s convenient location in the southern suburbs of Edmonton means that trips out of the area are easy to arrange. Due to Canada’s sheer size, trips out of Alberta take a considerable amount of time. But travellers shouldn’t be deterred by journey length if they wish to visit Saskatchewan, British Columbia or even Montana and Washington states south of the border, in the USA.

Recommended Drives

Calgary - Heading south along the AB-2 before connecting to the AB-22 leads travellers to Calgary, Edmonton’s main rival in the province of Alberta. Along the way, a series of national parks and camping grounds can be stopped at.

Elk Island National Park - Less than an hour east from Summerside on the Yellowhead Highway is Elk Island National Park. A series of indigenous species, including deer, beaver, elk, muskrat and wood bison, can be found easily here while camping is possible.

Banff - Although less renowned than Elk Island National Park, Banff National Park has its draws and can be reached by venturing for 5 hours from Summerside. A series of lakes, shopping districts and mountains complete with the wildlife for visitors’ attention here.