Western Canada Roadtrip! - suggestions & info
Discussion
Hello all...
following the great success of our recent Utah/Colorado/Arizona roadtrip, thanks in no small part to all the help from this forum, I'm back for some more top tips and stories of your Canadian adventures!...
Basic plan:
2 weeks roadtrip in western Canada
two flight options that spring to mind - in/out of Vancouver, or into Vancouver & out of Calgary
We know we want to see Vancouver, Vancouver island, Banff, & Jasper, with some time for some hiking/kayaking etc at the latter two...
Also, Orca-spotting from Vancouver.
What else is a must-see in that general area?
Would you go for a loop from Vancouver, or an A-to-B Vancouver > Calgary?
(they don't seem to have interesting rentals in Canada, so there might be no mustang/camaro this time
)
following the great success of our recent Utah/Colorado/Arizona roadtrip, thanks in no small part to all the help from this forum, I'm back for some more top tips and stories of your Canadian adventures!...
Basic plan:
2 weeks roadtrip in western Canada
two flight options that spring to mind - in/out of Vancouver, or into Vancouver & out of Calgary
We know we want to see Vancouver, Vancouver island, Banff, & Jasper, with some time for some hiking/kayaking etc at the latter two...
Also, Orca-spotting from Vancouver.
What else is a must-see in that general area?
Would you go for a loop from Vancouver, or an A-to-B Vancouver > Calgary?
(they don't seem to have interesting rentals in Canada, so there might be no mustang/camaro this time
)How long do you have?
Its a fair distance between Vancouver and Calgary and so if you have less than two weeks, and want to do the things you list, I'd do it one way.
Go around in a loop if you have more than two weeks
They don't rent interesting cars as the roads are not great for hooning, we normally rent a pickup to add some fun to the experience (i.e. drive something that you would not normally)
Its a fair distance between Vancouver and Calgary and so if you have less than two weeks, and want to do the things you list, I'd do it one way.
Go around in a loop if you have more than two weeks
They don't rent interesting cars as the roads are not great for hooning, we normally rent a pickup to add some fun to the experience (i.e. drive something that you would not normally)
We did one way from Vancouver to Calgary back in September 2013.... Fantastic trip.
If I remember correctly:
3 x nights Vancouver
2 x nights Whistler
1 x night Kamloops
2 x nights Kelowna
1 x night nr. Wells Grey National Park
2 x nights Jasper
1 x night Lake Louise
2 x nights Banff
It was a little 'hectic' and we could easily have doubled our time in each location. Driving distances were ok though
Some photographs of our adventure here...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monzaevo/sets/721576...
rgds
Jonathan
If I remember correctly:
3 x nights Vancouver
2 x nights Whistler
1 x night Kamloops
2 x nights Kelowna
1 x night nr. Wells Grey National Park
2 x nights Jasper
1 x night Lake Louise
2 x nights Banff
It was a little 'hectic' and we could easily have doubled our time in each location. Driving distances were ok though
Some photographs of our adventure here...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monzaevo/sets/721576...
rgds
Jonathan
excellent set of photos!
I was wondering about bear watching... (the sign about bear-watching etiquette). Did you manage to see any?
I'd love to add that to the list if there's a good place to go for it.
What did you think of the places you stayed? would you swap nights around between them if you were planning the same trip again?
I was wondering about bear watching... (the sign about bear-watching etiquette). Did you manage to see any?
I'd love to add that to the list if there's a good place to go for it.
What did you think of the places you stayed? would you swap nights around between them if you were planning the same trip again?
The above is a pretty good way to do it - scrap Vancouver Island if you only have two weeks and go Vancouver - Calgary.
As for Bears, the Callaghan highway is off route 99, south of Whistler (it's the route into the Olympic park/biathlon area) and is where we used to recommend folks to go to see bears without paying for a tour!
As for Bears, the Callaghan highway is off route 99, south of Whistler (it's the route into the Olympic park/biathlon area) and is where we used to recommend folks to go to see bears without paying for a tour!
Pierscoe1 said:
excellent set of photos!
I was wondering about bear watching... (the sign about bear-watching etiquette). Did you manage to see any?
I'd love to add that to the list if there's a good place to go for it.
What did you think of the places you stayed? would you swap nights around between them if you were planning the same trip again?
We saw one Black Bear run across the road in front of us (Whilst driving v.slowly) in the Wells Gray National Park.... I think this type of sighting was exactly what was required, as I'm not sure what the reaction of the other half would've been had we came across one on foot!! I would imagine mad panic.I was wondering about bear watching... (the sign about bear-watching etiquette). Did you manage to see any?
I'd love to add that to the list if there's a good place to go for it.
What did you think of the places you stayed? would you swap nights around between them if you were planning the same trip again?
I wouldn't swap any of our stays, but would definately have preferred longer in each place. For example, we only actually had a couple hours drive in Wells Gray National Park, which meant we got to see the place (and a bear) but 'barely' scratched the surface.
Agree with comments about Icefields Parkway.
Actually, the more I write here and I can only remember one disappointment.... and that was the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. A grand hotel, and one of the more expensive of the trip... and the most disappointing. It felt like it was surviving out of history rather than providing the sort of service expected of it
Rgds
Jonathan
ps - We also drove past a Delorean in full Back to the Future bodykit as we headed to Whistler!
geordieracer said:
scrap Vancouver Island if you only have two weeks and go Vancouver - Calgary.
Callaghan highway is off route 99, is where we used to recommend folks to go to see bears without paying for a tour!
excellent. thanks for the pointers.Callaghan highway is off route 99, is where we used to recommend folks to go to see bears without paying for a tour!
MonzaEvo said:
I wouldn't swap any of our stays, but would definately have preferred longer in each place. For example, we only actually had a couple hours drive in Wells Gray National Park, which meant we got to see the place (and a bear) but 'barely' scratched the surface.
sounds good. thanks for the info. unfortunately we're restricted to 2 weeks due to holiday allowance...
just want to make sure we make the best use of it.
Did some google-mapping... and it looks like you could do the vancouver > Calgary drive in 3 easy days... so the distances don't look too bad at all.
off to do more research now.... thanks all.
If you’re going to Calgary, try and coincide it with the Stampede http://cs.calgarystampede.com/ a Cowboy/rodeo event that takes over the entire city, think Edinburgh Festival but with horses and beer! Seriously awesome event and even if you hate Cowboys et’al you’ll get drawn in by the atmosphere and failing that Cowgirl chicks are hot!
geordieracer said:
The above is a pretty good way to do it - scrap Vancouver Island if you only have two weeks and go Vancouver - Calgary.
Unless you want to go see Butchart gardens.http://www.butchartgardens.com/
jimmyjimjim said:
We have family throughout BC and on Vancouver Island. It sparsely populated but has a highway running almost the full length of it so getting around is quite easy. Find the whole place very friendly and laid back-apparently it's to Canadians what Florida is to the yanks....I love Vancouver, we've always had great weather but as a non-city type it's about the only city I've been to and thought I could see myself living there.
I would agree not to try and squeeze too much in it's a huge country and there's always next time.
Tofino is rather nice. In fact all of it is.
I'm doing some of this later this year. Well, Jasper/Banff/Lake Louise (might skip Banff, and just stay in Lake Louise though). 3 nights each, then one in Kamloops to break up the long drive to Seattle.
This is part of a bigger trip (Into Seattle > Mt Rainier NP > Glacier NP > Lake Louise > Jasper > Kamloops > Seattle > Olympic NP > Eugene > Crater Lake NP > Somewhere else > Out from SF).
Lots of driving, but should be fun.
Think i'll have to rough it in one of the worse hotels in Lake Louise now as everything is a little expensive for me!
For me it's a photography trip, so i'm thinking Lake Louise makes more sense as a base than Banff.
This is part of a bigger trip (Into Seattle > Mt Rainier NP > Glacier NP > Lake Louise > Jasper > Kamloops > Seattle > Olympic NP > Eugene > Crater Lake NP > Somewhere else > Out from SF).
Lots of driving, but should be fun.
Think i'll have to rough it in one of the worse hotels in Lake Louise now as everything is a little expensive for me!
For me it's a photography trip, so i'm thinking Lake Louise makes more sense as a base than Banff.
My two pence:
Best route is fly to Calgary and fly back from Vancouver. Calgary is a stepping stone for Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper. Tons of beuatiful sightseeing to be done there (although Jasper is a bit out of the way).
Having done that route a couple of times now, I wouldn't say there is much to be gained by taking time to drive from Banff to Vancouver. Personally, I'd aim for Revelstoke and perhaps one other stop on the way (not Kamloops; Kamloops is a s
t hole).
Vancouver is great. Victoria is quaint, but an excellent place from which to do whale watching. Best transport between the two is a floatplane, but that would leave you stranded in Victoria and unable to get to Tofino, which is beautiful (although booking accommodation can be tricky).
Whistler is also a good place to spend a few days (trekking, biking, white water rafting, kayaking, tons to do), and the drive into Vancouver from north of Whistler (via Lilloet) is better IMO than the straight highway into Van from the east.
If you have a spare 2h in Van, head to DVC at Port Coquitlam. I'll let you find out what that is, but it is great fun.
Best route is fly to Calgary and fly back from Vancouver. Calgary is a stepping stone for Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper. Tons of beuatiful sightseeing to be done there (although Jasper is a bit out of the way).
Having done that route a couple of times now, I wouldn't say there is much to be gained by taking time to drive from Banff to Vancouver. Personally, I'd aim for Revelstoke and perhaps one other stop on the way (not Kamloops; Kamloops is a s
t hole). Vancouver is great. Victoria is quaint, but an excellent place from which to do whale watching. Best transport between the two is a floatplane, but that would leave you stranded in Victoria and unable to get to Tofino, which is beautiful (although booking accommodation can be tricky).
Whistler is also a good place to spend a few days (trekking, biking, white water rafting, kayaking, tons to do), and the drive into Vancouver from north of Whistler (via Lilloet) is better IMO than the straight highway into Van from the east.
If you have a spare 2h in Van, head to DVC at Port Coquitlam. I'll let you find out what that is, but it is great fun.
Matt.. said:
Greg66 said:
not Kamloops; Kamloops is a st hole
Do you have any other location ideas? Ideally looking for somewhere sub 5hrs from Seattle. Kamloops is ok for that. It's just somewhere to eat/sleep for me really. But obviously i'd rather be somewhere worth staying.t holeThe reason I dislike Kamloops: it is a town marked out along a long river valley, so it's like a strip development. The area is geographically a desert, notwithstanding the river. The terrain is this unremitting brown, and it is f
king hot. Really fking hot. It feels dusty, even though it probably isn't. Did I mention that it was brown and hot though? Greg66 said:
My two pence:
Having done that route a couple of times now, I wouldn't say there is much to be gained by taking time to drive from Banff to Vancouver. Personally, I'd aim for Revelstoke and perhaps one other stop on the way (not Kamloops; Kamloops is a st hole).
excellent stuff. thanks for all the tips. It's good to know which towns are worth avoiding! (guess TripAdvisor isn't allowed to do rating for Towns per-se...)Having done that route a couple of times now, I wouldn't say there is much to be gained by taking time to drive from Banff to Vancouver. Personally, I'd aim for Revelstoke and perhaps one other stop on the way (not Kamloops; Kamloops is a s
t hole). Loved that part of the world....
If you take a drive from Vancouver to Whistler that can be pretty spectacular - Squamish is a nice town and there are a few places along that road that are worth seeing. If you are an x-files fan plenty scenes in the vancouver area to see.....ovaltine cafe. North Shore is nice capillano bridge grouse mountain cypress mountain. Canadian roads are terrible compared to european - take highway one as you leave vancouver it quickly goes down hill. and although dual to Kamloops after there is piecemeal. Then the scenery can be distracting. Its pretty much one road to a place.... like if the sea to sky takes a landslide you can be facing a 500 mile detour...
Seattle aint too far away if you are city fiend - both vancouver and seattle are cities worth seeing - space needle and pike place market. granville market and lonsdale quay in vancouver. different takes on the pacific northwest.
There are a lot of places to see - but you need to decide on what you want to flavour the holiday with it is very outdoorsy indeed. Squamish for mountain bikes and as for the micro breweries..... they are something else.
circle 1 Vancouver to Nanimo to Victoria to Vancouver two ferry crossings. flavour of two cities.
Circle 2 Vancouver to Nanimo to Victoria to Port Angeles to Seattle to Vancouver
circle 3 Vancouver to Kamloops to Calgary to Glacier National Park to Spokane to Seattle <= big trip......
Vancouver to Whistler
If you take a drive from Vancouver to Whistler that can be pretty spectacular - Squamish is a nice town and there are a few places along that road that are worth seeing. If you are an x-files fan plenty scenes in the vancouver area to see.....ovaltine cafe. North Shore is nice capillano bridge grouse mountain cypress mountain. Canadian roads are terrible compared to european - take highway one as you leave vancouver it quickly goes down hill. and although dual to Kamloops after there is piecemeal. Then the scenery can be distracting. Its pretty much one road to a place.... like if the sea to sky takes a landslide you can be facing a 500 mile detour...
Seattle aint too far away if you are city fiend - both vancouver and seattle are cities worth seeing - space needle and pike place market. granville market and lonsdale quay in vancouver. different takes on the pacific northwest.
There are a lot of places to see - but you need to decide on what you want to flavour the holiday with it is very outdoorsy indeed. Squamish for mountain bikes and as for the micro breweries..... they are something else.
circle 1 Vancouver to Nanimo to Victoria to Vancouver two ferry crossings. flavour of two cities.
Circle 2 Vancouver to Nanimo to Victoria to Port Angeles to Seattle to Vancouver
circle 3 Vancouver to Kamloops to Calgary to Glacier National Park to Spokane to Seattle <= big trip......
Vancouver to Whistler
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