Canada Holiday

[Summersoul]

Hey
So we have decided to book our next holiday to Canada next year. We were planning to go 16 years ago but I fell pregnant with DD1 and we never went. If you were me with DH and 2 teenage DDs where in Canada would you go? I love the idea of Banf or Lake Louise but DH really wants to see Niagra falls .... anyone have any advice?

We did a 3 week holiday in Canada for my 40th. Week 1 was Vancouver Island and Vancouver which we absolutely loved; week 2 was a remote ranch trekking for bears and other wildlife which was amazing then week 3 was Banff; Lake Louise and Jaspar. The Icefield Parkway drive was amazing but the actual towns were very touristy and whilst we are glad we have been we wouldn't go back whereas the other areas we went to would definitely be on our list if we could go back. We were there in May and even then it was coachloads of people at all the sights.

We did 3 weeks with 2 teenagers and a tween in 2018. Flew to Toronto, did Niagara Falls and then Quebec. Flew across to Vancouver (which actually disliked but worth a visit) picked up an RV and then dud Vancouver island, back to mainland and Jasper, lake Louise and Banff. Flew back home from Calgary.
Would do it all again in a heartbeat so many tales get reminisce about and somethings just make me stop in my tracks and smile.

What bellie did sounds good.

Knight inlet ... I went in. September when the bears come to the rivers for the salmon. Amazing place

Another one for Vancouver. It's gorgeous. Haven't been to Vancouver Island but a planning either that or a trip up the Okenagen Valley this summer (she says hopefully). That's where all the vineyards are in BC

I wasn’t wild about Vancouver itself either. But it came at the end of a holiday which took in the Rockies and Vancouver Island and I think I was just exhausted and not ready for city life.

I would definitely say, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. The drive between the three of them via the icefield parkway is spectacular. I also suggest a visit to Maligne Lake/Spirit Island in Japser, my DH and I got married there 5 years ago. Enjoy!

BC definitely, I got an overnight train from Vancouver to Jasper. BC is just stunning, I saw a bear, two wolves, beaver dams, went out on glaciers. The East coast doesn't have a patch on it IMO. The town at Niagra Falls isn't great at all, better on the Canadian side but nothing to write home about, I'd happily give it a big miss. Toronto didn't do it for me either, I much preferred Vancouver.

We did 3 weeks - a night in Vancouver then drove to Tofino, stayed in Crystal Cove which was amazing. Ferry across then scenic drive to Whistler which is great in the Summer with loads of reasonably priced ski accommodation.
We then drove up to the Rockies and spent time in Lake Louise, Jasper and Banff.
I enjoyed the first leg of the trip more as Tofino on Vancouver Island is gorgeous. The Rockies have amazing scenery but I think there's more for children to do in Vancouver /Vancouver Island and Whistler.

@rookiemere

We did 3 weeks - a night in Vancouver then drove to Tofino, stayed in Crystal Cove which was amazing. Ferry across then scenic drive to Whistler which is great in the Summer with loads of reasonably priced ski accommodation. We then drove up to the Rockies and spent time in Lake Louise, Jasper and Banff. I enjoyed the first leg of the trip more as Tofino on Vancouver Island is gorgeous. The Rockies have amazing scenery but I think there's more for children to do in Vancouver /Vancouver Island and Whistler.

I cried when we left Tofino, fell in love with the place. We were planning on going back this year for my 50th but I don't want to make any plans for anywhere abroad at the moment, hopefully next year

@bareface99 we've been twice, Mackenzie beach is one of the most gorgeous places on earth.

We stayed here www.crystalcove.ca/ and it was pricey but you can get cabins right on the actual beach front and it's just a gorgeous place. DS loved it as well.

Definitely hope to go back sometime.

@StinkerTroll

🇨🇦 is my spiritual home, one of my favourite places is Prince Edward Island (East Side, favourite book is Anne of green gables!), however the best Canadian holiday I've done was a few days in whistler then a week on vancouver Island both in the summer, completely stunning (I have done whistler in winter as well but I'm more of a human snowball than snow boarder so prefer all the mad summer activities). As a previous poster mentioned niagra is stunning when stood in the right place, turn slightly left and you get a view of what looks alarmingly like Blackpool!

PEI is my favourite place too. West for me though!

Hoping for summer 2024, my dream holiday is a sleeper train through the Rockies

@RovenderKitt
Don’t sleep! You will miss all the scenery! I think the trains stop and you stay in a hotel overnight. The trips are in daylight.

This all sounds amazing. Can I ask what price you'd expect to pay for a family of 5 for 2 weeks? Might be a silly question, just wondering if it was within reach.

If you are going to West Canada, Vancouver and Vancouver Island its going to cost alot more - further to travel, I found Vancouver and the island more expensive generally than Nova Scotia and PEI.
Flights to Halifax are usually around £400 rtn per person, Vancouver can be double that. I'd be budgeting £2000 for flights for 5, Car hire is cheaper than UK, a lovely cabin for 5 self catering in about £200. What is lovely, is that alot of the 'attractions' are natural... walks, wildlife, small local business rather than expensive theme parks so we actually spent very little once there. I reckon £6000 would cover a family of 5 comfortably for 2 weeks in eastern Canada. ( Lobster is dirt cheap! We were BBqing it rather than steak)

Well yes! It’s around 3/4 hours further to BC! There aren’t theme parks in BC that I know of. You really go for scenery and wildlife. I definitely want to go to Eastern Canada but for awesome mountain scenery, bears and the Great Bear Rainforest, BC is a great start.

Do a couple of Canadian big hitters (we did Toronto and Niagara) then while you're in that side of the world fly down to Mexico for a week. Best holiday we ever had!

@cjpark

If you are going to West Canada, Vancouver and Vancouver Island its going to cost alot more - further to travel, I found Vancouver and the island more expensive generally than Nova Scotia and PEI. Flights to Halifax are usually around £400 rtn per person, Vancouver can be double that. I'd be budgeting £2000 for flights for 5, Car hire is cheaper than UK, a lovely cabin for 5 self catering in about £200. What is lovely, is that alot of the 'attractions' are natural... walks, wildlife, small local business rather than expensive theme parks so we actually spent very little once there. I reckon £6000 would cover a family of 5 comfortably for 2 weeks in eastern Canada. ( Lobster is dirt cheap! We were BBqing it rather than steak)

Wonderful thank you. Middle son is obsessed with Canada, he's determined he will live there when he's older. It would be lovely to do a family holiday like this after his A levels. Some great suggestions to investigate on this thread.

@cjpark
I’ve just looked at direct flight costs for Halifax from the uk. £400 in the summer is wildly optimistic. Flight costs have escalated. £650 pp is nearer the mark. We are going business to Vancouver in June but prices for economy are very high - we thought!

Campervan69 Skyscanner have rtn flights Gatwick to Halifax in August for £425 pp. You may be able to shave a bit off with taxes if any of the kids are under 12. Have fun! x

Stopping flights - yes. They are cheaper. Not worth it if you can avoid it. However I’m not sure anyone needed to save money but flights overall have gone up!

@cjpark and any other Halifax specialists, flights aren't too expensive there in the Summer, where would you recommend going ? We like outdoor activities ( at least the menfolk do) beaches and lobster.

We flew into Halifax and spent 6-7 days in the city staying in an apart-hotel. There's lots to do, citadel, titanic museum - its a lovely small city. We then hired a car and drove East to Lunenburg / mahone bay/ Peggys cove.We did this in day trips returning to Halifax. We then drove North and had a few days at Pictou Lodge (lakeside cabins) and then onto PEI for a few days.

Ah!! I’m with @StinkerTroll Canada is my spiritual home. I lived in Montreal and then Vancouver in my early twenties and travelled across the country by Greyhound. I fell in love with the country when I spent six weeks on Cape Breton as a child. When living there I eventually found it too far and got homesick but I love visiting.
In my experience the East Coast is less dramatic than the West but is more culturally interesting. Montreal is an amazing city - the restaurants, the parks, the markets - and pretty compact so easy to navigate. I wasn’t wowed by Ottawa but it was -35 when I was there. If you decide on Toronto I would fit in a couple of days to Montreal/Toronto and then spend a week at the lakes. They are not as dramatic as the West but still beautiful.
I love Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton, and PEI too. The beaches and hiking trails are much quieter in the East than the West - though things may have become busier in recent years?

Vancouver is a great city for cycling walking, markets, restaurants, hiking, kayaking or just sitting on the beach. It can feel a bit soulless where some of the downtown hotels are. You could look at B&Bs or smaller hotels in Kitsilano or other areas.
For our honeymoon I dragged my husband to Canada. We spent a few days in Vancouver. A week on Vancouver Island and then took the train from Prince Rupert to Jasper. I loved it. I agree with others that Lake Louise and Banff are very busy in summer. There are other lakes that are quieter and it is breathtaking if you hike a bit to get away from the crowds.
My favourite place is Tofino. When I lived in Vancouver I visited and stayed in the YHA and vowed to return. For our honeymoon we stayed at the Red Crow which is a B&B right on the waterfront. The owner had kayaks which we took out everyday. I highly recommend the Bear watching tour from Tofino and Whale watching - humpbacks, orcas and dolphins.
I’m saving to take the kids when they are old enough to appreciate it.