Hello, my brother and I will be doing an 8 day road trip starting and finishing in Toronto in August. We are hiring a car and would be grateful for any advice on where to go, what to do (outdoor activitives especially) and where to stay (hostels and campsites). Many thanks. Paul.

I think your first order of business is probably deciding what you really want to see. You only have 8 days, and I don't imagine you want to spend all of them driving. From Toronto, your best bet is probably going east, since driving out to Alberta and back would take you more time than you've got. That said, here are some suggetions:

Around Toronto: head north to the Bruce peninsula and Lake Huron for outdoor activities, Canada's Wonderland if you like amusement parks

Ottawa: There's some great white water rafting along the Ottawa River, plus the city itself is beautiful

Montreal: fantastic, vibrant city

Quebec City: the old town is amazing, plus you can take whale watching tours on the St. Lawrence

Hostels are few and far between in Canada, but you should be able to find campsites everywhere at this time of year. www.outdooradventurecanada.com has a lot of suggestions for outdoor activities too.

Happy travels!

Thanks you very much. I leave tomorrow!