Canadians taking to the road this summer are feeling the higher prices at the pumps.

As a nation, we like to travel in our own country. Domestic travel is still a hot trend in Canadians’ summer plans this year, with about 77 per cent of leisure travellers (same as last year) planning on taking a trip within Canada, according to a June survey from Leger Marketing Inc. But costs remain top of mind, with nearly half (48 per cent) of respondents citing the price of gas as a concern affecting their plans.

Although gas prices are coming down from their highs after interim peace talks over the war in Iran opened up the Strait of Hormuz to oil flows, some oil price experts say we may be in for continued high prices. Dan McTeague, president at advocacy group Canadians for Affordable Energy, said he believes gas prices will remain elevated enough to affect travel decisions in the coming months, anticipating the national average will hover around the $1.55 mark over the summer, “nowhere near where we were last summer at $1.30 to $1.35.”

The national average gas price is currently at about $1.60 per litre, about 25 cents higher than last year, according to the Canadian Automobile Association, and can stretch even higher depending on what province you’re in.

As a result, many Canadians are rethinking their vacation plans, with some taking fewer trips or selecting destinations closer to home. About 39 per cent of travellers (the biggest share of respondents in the Leger survey) said they plan on travelling within their home province.

In comparison, only 27 per cent reported that they intend to travel outside of their province within Canada.

It could cost a traveller at least $914 in fuel to drive coast to coast along the Trans-Canada highway, according to Financial Post calculations. This total is based on recent gas prices in each province (using data from GasBuddy.com), the distance to drive from province to province (according to transcanadahighway.com itineraries) and the mileage rate of a 2025 Subaru Outback.

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