Lazy Camper Van

Location Camping Car Montréal - Campervan Rental Montreal

Sonia Ortiz

By

Update on COVID-19

How Are We Managing Camper Van Reservations During COVID-19?

If you have already booked one of our vans for this summer, or if you were planning on going on a road trip from Montreal this summer, this is what you should know:

  • For existing reservations, we will do a refund if the travel bans and social distancing measures continue in the upcoming months.
  • If you’re feeling hopeful that by June, July, August or September all of this crisis will be over, you may complete your reservation using the rental form. A deposit of 25% will be required to reserve your dates (as opposed to 50%, which is the usual policy).

PS: if you speak French, we did a quick video expanding on this that you can watch here.

We understand that these are weird times and no one really knows what’s coming up for the world, but we still wanted to reassure you that our goal is to remain as flexible and adaptable as possible.

Wherever you are in the world, we hope that you’re doing well! ?

And if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to write us an email by clicking here.

Sonia

Co-founder Lazy Camper Van

Loves coffee, doggos and existential questions. Habla español. Venezolana-Canadiense.

    By

    Celebrating your wins and embracing your failures: our 2019 year in review

    Pour voir la version en français de cet article, cliquez ici

    A few years ago I used to work for an IT company that used Agile as their work methodology.

    During this time I fell in love with the idea of doing retrospectives.

    These are team meetings where you go over the last sprint and assess what went right, what went wrong, and what to improve…

    Right now we’re only a team of TWO. However, we still find it important to take the time to do some introspection (at least once a year).

    After all, it’s only when you celebrate your wins that you’re truly able to feel the sense of accomplishment.

    And of course, it’s only when you take note of your failures that you’re able to improve and get better.

    We want to encourage you, dear reader, to also do your own 2019 retrospective (or review)… and to even start setting some goals and intentions for 2020

    Doing a year in review and goal setting can be extremely useful, even if you don’t have a minivan camper rental company.

    I’m sure you have some goals to write, create, do art projects or travel more… right?

    And if you wanna travel more in 2020…

    Start setting your goals and intentions NOW…

    And if you rent a fully equipped mini camper van from us, you can discover the best places in Quebec, see some of the coolest cities in the US or explore the deep nature of Eastern Canada… all at your own pace.

    We’re booking for spring and summer 2020 starting NOW. We look forward to hearing about your trip project. Get a quote here.

    Now, in the spirit of good vibes, honesty and inspiration, here’s a little recap of some of our wins and fails of 2019, our first year in business…

    Win: we took determined action in literally 2 months.

    Did you know that?…

    We actually got the inspiration for Lazy Camper Van in August 2018, while we were travelling in Portland, Oregon.

    lazycamper van campervan rental montreal
    Thanks Vagabond Vans for a trip of a lifetime!

    Then, on October 10 of 2018 we registered the company here in Montreal.

    BOOM!

    Of course, I felt 100% NOT ready and I probably cried a little bit.

    But here’s the thing: when you make clear decisions (and with determination), your brain gets to work to get shit done.

    Win: we had 31 clients, from 8 different countries in our first season.

    Isn’t that amazing!?

    These 31 clients traveled around 60,000 km in 2019.

    The most popular destination was Gaspésie.

    The record for the longest rental was 52 days.

    lazycampervan montreal
    Merci @jagoury!

    Fail: we were rather lazy on social media.

    We started our Instagram account and our Facebook account, YAY!

    But we kinda forgot to make a plan and post often. Oupsies! ?

    To defend our excuses tho 😛 : we had a ton of other priorities like furnishing the vans, giving client support, doing our website, getting accounting help, etc.

    When you start a business from scratch, you kinda have to set your priorities straight ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

    Win: our clients are not as lazy on social media…

    We had super generous clients that were willing to share their travel photos.

    Also, I totally feel like closing the laptop and hitting the road like, NOW.

    Thanks @ndg.b

    camping car montreal minimaliste
    Thanks @sixiary

    Besides taking amazing pics, our clients were:

    • The kindest
    • The friendliest
    • The most polite
    • The easiest to communicate with!

    That’s priceless y’all!

    Win: we have one client who left for the winter!

    Shoutout to Richard who’s in Florida in a Lazy Camper van right now. Yay!

    PS: if YOU want to escape the winter as well, we still have ONE remaining minivan available…

    The other vans we decided to store them for the winter (of course, after running around for about one full week with tire change logistics and more).

    Again, we had kinda forgotten that the summer would come to an end one day (lol).

    Fail: I (Sonia) did not have a valid drivers’ licence (lol).

    That awkward moment when you welcome a client on their way back with a big smile.

    But they park the car, well, NOT quite exactly where you wanted.

    So then, you have to ask them to change it, and then explain why you can’t do it yourself (and therefore feel like you have to justify your life choices before you decided to have a business)….

    Aaaand, it’s kinda awkward.

    Buut, our clients were the best and the most understanding. So we would all end up laughing at me, but like, all together 😉

    The good news is: I am taking classes at Safa Driving School and my license is coming soon!

    Win: Jonathan did a series of videos on the vans, which was pretty cool (French only tho)…

    We LOVED doing this playlist, as they will save SO much time to our clients during pickup…

    The goal of explaining all of it in detail is to make sure everybody feels at home in the van.

    The van becomes your house during your trip. So if you go away for more than a couple of days, you want to know everything from A to Z!

    Watch this playlist if you want to rent soon (English coming soon, promise!).

    In short: we’re extremely proud of all our wins and fails during our first year in business…

    We’re grateful to have met so many amazing and wonderful people that we loved to serve!

    In 2020, we want to continue growing in an organic way, and to:

    • Keep focusing on what worked well: customer service, good client communication, vans performance…
    • Improve our quote process, so it becomes easier and faster.
    • Add some new options to our rentals (e.g. power packs).
    • Keep increasing our visibility offline and online.

    And yes, we will probably add some vans to the fleet family. However, our goal is not to become the next Avis or to go be featured at the Dragons tomorrow…

    Our priority is to keep helping people discover the nature of Quebec and Canada, with the freedom of mini camper vans (at affordable prices!).

    Of course, we also wanna keep having fun in the process. Always!

    Thank you all for reading! We wish you an amazing 2020 filled with peace, love and TRAVEL.

    Thanks for reading this article.

    If you’re a couple or solo traveler who wants to explore road tripping in a Lazy Camper Van, reach out. You can request a quote here.

    Sonia

    Co-Founder Lazy Camper Van

    Loves coffee, doggos and existential questions. Habla español. Venezolana-Canadiense.

      By

      Date Ideas Montreal: 5 Activity Ideas For Couples Visiting The City For The First Time

      So you’re visiting Montreal for the first time and you’re completely overwhelmed by the amount of choices and places to see.

      Listen: I know you really want to choose the best spots, optimize your time and perhaps even impress your partner 😉

      Perhaps you’re the one who had the initial idea to visit this Montreal city, and now you’re like: “Oh shit, I better come up with a real GOOD plan that he or she is gonna love!“

      GREAT. I got you my friend!

      If this is you, then you’re in the right place because this list will give you some inspiration, while saving you some time and energy.

      Think of it as combinations of things you can do that will make you feel like a local.

      In fact, this list is completely based on the kinds of dates I like to have with my husband Jonathan, so consider this advice from one couple to another couple, ok?

      If you’re into moving your body (e.g. lots of walking), eating, and drinking… then keep reading!

      Off the beaten path date idea #1: Mount-Royal Mini Hike + Restaurant

      This is a short hike with lots of stairs, so it’s perfect if you like short workouts with high intensity 😉

      You don’t have to make it a workout, of course, you can take your time.

      The best thing about this idea? You get to see great views and then be hungry and ready for some good food!

      The cost of this activity is pretty much whatever restaurant you choose, and your Metro ticket, if applicable, because the access to the top of the Mount-Royal (where the chalet is) is free 🙂

      My best advice for you to get there would be to get off at Peel station and then walk up to McTavish Street or Peel Street, until you find the first set of stairs at the bottom of the mountain.

      From there, follow the crowds and stairs, and once you get up, enjoy the views!

      Then come down the same way, and you’ll be near the Guy Concordia neighbourhood, where you’ll find some of the best Asian restaurants.

      My recommendation: go to Kazu, one of the best Japanese restaurants in Montreal. Of course, check the opening times beforehand, always.

      This idea looks something like this

      Best time of the day to go: probably before lunch (again, double check the day see if the restaurant is open), or for sunset time.

      Price: $

      Off the beaten path activity combination #2: Bike ride + Beer

      When you’re in Montreal in the summer, you’ll see lots of bike stations called BIXI.

      These are all fun and nice, but I personally find them better suited for locals who are looking to go from point A to point B very quickly.

      As a visitor, you want to enjoy the city and actually take your time, so I would advise using a more specialized rental company that’s better suited for visitors, like Ma Bicyclette, for example, located near the Atwater market.

      If you want to visit a nice nature spot by bike, I suggest you go to Parc Rene-Levesque. It’s truly beautiful!

      As for the beer place, I would recommend Terrasse St-Ambroise a big, outdoor terrasse that’s a classic spot for bike lovers as it’s near the bike path on the canal.

      The bike rental + Parc Rene Levesque + Terrasse St-Ambroise Combo

      Best time of the day to go: early afternoon (around 2-3 pm), that way you have enough time to bring the bike back, etc.

      Price: $$

      Off the beaten path activity combination #3: Morning Walk Along the River + Coffee & Croissant

      Verdun is one of the most amazing neighbourhoods in Montreal (ok, we’re totally biased because that’s OUR neighbourhood), but really.. it’s THE place to be at.

      We even have a new urban “beach”… how awesome is that?

      Now, one of the BEST things you can do in Verdun is simply to walk along the waterfront… it’s sooo freaking beautiful.

      (Ok, if you find walking boring, although I promise you it’s not, remember you can always rent a bike from option #2 and do that kind of thing instead).

      After your walk, you can finish it all up with a nice coffee and croissant from Sweet Lee’s and Café Saint-Henri. It’s two separate vendors, but they share the same space.

      One spot that’s really fun to visit is the Natatorium building. This is a public pool that is a totally cool looking art-deco type building.

      Seriously, the croissants at Sweet Lee’s Bakery are NO JOKE. I almost regret working so close to them because the temptation is always there!

      Source: Instagram account Sweet Lee’s Bakery
      Nice little strategic walk in the local neighborhood

      Best time to go: late morning, or mid-afternoon.

      Price: $

      Off the beaten path activity combination #4: 5 à 7 + Music show

      If you’re a music geek, you’re lucky because Montreal is one of the BEST cities for music shows.

      Going to a local bar or music venue totally makes you feel like a local.

      It’s the best! We go see shows all the time when we travel.

      Check out places like Bandsintown to see if your favorite artist is playing in the city.

      Or: if you’re more into the indie rock type thing, we have a local promoter called Blues Skies Turn Black that brings some of the newest and coolest bands.

      For 5 à 7 (which basically means Happy Hour), there’s plenty of bars and places, but here are two of our favorite ones:

      • Benelux (for beer lovers), especially the location in Downtown on Sherbrooke Street will be closer to music venues.
      Serious Cocktails at Le Mal Necessaire= A Must. Source: Instagram Le Mal Necessaire

      Best time to go: 5 à 7 pm 😉 because most shows start at 8-9 p.m

      Price: $$$ depending on the ticket for the show.

      Off the beaten path activity combination #5: Relaxation + Brunch

      Ok… every yin needs a yang right?

      After so many days of moving around and visiting things and combining ideas to optimize your time, you may want to have some relaxation time.

      And so we’re on to the next thing that always makes me feel like a local… That is: to visit the cities’ yoga studios and gyms!

      If you’re looking for some nice yoga studios, I highly recommend Modo (various locations – it’s hot yoga) or Wanderlust (not hot, but it’s with music though).

      These studios offer a variety of classes, all day long, some more dynamic, some more yin and relaxing.

      It can be a great opportunity to recharge your energies!

      Date idea: if you go to Wanderlust, there’s an amazing and very stylish filipino restaurant called Junior close to it. That can be your after-brunch idea!

      I know Junior offer brunch on weekends for sure (but again, always check opening hours on your own).

      Yoga + brunch idea

      Best time to go: 10 am ish and then brunch.

      Price: $$$

      And there you have it: some off-the-beaten path date ideas for your next Montreal trip.

      I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you’re visiting Montreal but you also want to visit other places in Quebec, consider renting a Lazy Camper Van.

      These are minimalistic Toyota Siennas, 100% equipped with everything you need to eat, sleep and travel in nature!

      Thank you for reading this post!

      Follow Lazy Camper Van on Instagram and Facebook for more information, offers and content about traveling in Quebec et the art of simple living (ON the road, and OFF the road!)!

      ?Are you visiting Montreal but you would also like to visit the rest of Quebec, road trip style? Then check out our available mini camper vans for rental. Follow your inspiration on the road! Request a quote here.

      Sonia Ortiz

      Co-Founder Lazy Camper Van

      Loves coffee, doggos and existential questions. Habla español. Venezolana-Canadiense.