Vancouver to Banff

[NineteenSeventy2]

Hi,
I’m off to Canada (hopefully) in July and flying into Vancouver. I have hired a car and my two teens (18 and 14) will be coming with me. I’ve been before but many years ago.
Anyway, I want to spend some time in Vancouver but probably at the end of the holiday (2 weeks long) but was thinking of a road trip to Banff the up to Jasper and back down to Vancouver. I know it’s a long drive to Banff so was thinking about staying over somewhere 1 or 2 nights on the way there and on the way back from Jasper. Any recommendations for nice places to visit/stay en route?
Will a two night stay in Banff be enough?

I’m starting to think we should just stick to Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Whistler. I definitely don’t want to spend a lot of time driving. The other option is getting a train to Banff. I have booked accommodation (AirBNB) for the full two weeks but it’s free cancellation if I change my plans.

I think you'll have a great trip whatever you do.

If you do go for the Vancouver/Van Island/Whistler combo, you could get the ferry on your first day directly from the airport to the port near Victoria. I've not been there but heard its good, then gradually wind your way over a few days to Tofino. I'd definitely recommend at least a couple of nights around Tofino. From there the Horsehoe Bay ferry takes you back to the mainland and then I remember the 3 hr drive to Whistler being amazingly scenic. Then back to Vancouver for your last couple of nights.

I think that would be a wonderfully full trip , but not excessive amounts of driving. When we did our 3 week trip we did do the Rockies as well and I remember thinking that I enjoyed the other parts more, as whilst the Rockies are amazingly scenic, it was pretty busy and rammed with tourists wherever we went and we did have some exhausting long driving days.

Vancouver Island is absolutely incredible! Would definitely recommend Tofino as others have said but worth looking at staying in ucluelet - it's cheaper and less touristy. Definitely plan to do orca watching (I'd recommend going from cowichan bay - then you do go into US waters so you could tick off going to the US as well ) and there are bear watching trips you can do from ucluelet too.

I think you would struggle to do the rockies if you are flying in and out of Vancouver due to the distances involved. Unless you did an internal flight to Calgary. We really didn't like Banff as a town, it was busy, touristy and expensive. Canmore is nicer and less pricey! To really be able to make the most of going to the Rockies I think you need longer than 2 days. We did one week in Vancouver/ Vancouver Island and one week in the Rockies. And that didn't feel like enough time to see everything!

Thanks for the ideas everyone! I’ve saved them!

@NineteenSeventy2

I’m starting to think we should just stick to Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Whistler. I definitely don’t want to spend a lot of time driving. The other option is getting a train to Banff. I have booked accommodation (AirBNB) for the full two weeks but it’s free cancellation if I change my plans.

I think that is a good plan. It is a lot of driving to get to Jasper etc. if you look at a map, and find Kamloops and Celista on Shuswap Lake, those are places we drive to from Vancouver.

Usually we budget a whole day for the drive,so we can get a few rest stops. The entire drive is about 5 to 6 hours. It can be longer if there is road construction.

Part of the issue is getting out of Metro Vancouver, which takes us ages as we live quite far west in the city, the traffic is awful to be honest. You really end up crawling along until you get over the Port Mann Bridge.

Vancouver Island is nice. So is Whistler in the summer. We have seen bears up there. We have stayed at the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside. If you get a room facing Blackcomb Moutain you can watch the crazy mountain bikers and we have seen bears just ambling across the hill. The pool and hot tub are on that side too.

It is great to rent bikes. There is also a lake (Alta Lake) good for swimming and a picnic.

Victoria is very pretty, especially the Inner Harbour. Lovely for walking. Good restaurants. An English fee. Our provincial legislature is there and is quite an attractive building. We have stayed many times at the Marriott downtown who had a great breakfast buffet and nice rooms. They'll bring you a mini fridge if you want. They also have indoor pool.

Up Island there are gorgeous beaches on both coasts. Miles of sand. Also huge forests. Lots of small towns. Yes, Tofino and Ucluelet are fantastic.

Vancouver has tons of attractions and the transit to most is decent. I would try and stay downtown. Although, if you look at the accommodation at UBC you could get a one bedroom apartment with kitchen etc for a decent price. My cousin and his family stayed there and were quite happy.

Goggle UBC and accommodation in the summer. I can't seem to attach a link today. Transit to the campus is good. The campus is on Point Grey which is surrounded by water.

Hopefully covid will be better when you come. Bring your appetite. Vancouver has absolutely fantastic asian food restaurants as we have a very large asian population.

Feel free to ask specific questions.

OP please will you come back and update when you've done the trip. I've promised my boys we'll do the same 2023 as we have some big birthdays and end of uni, A levels, primary school coming up.

I'm thinking of Vancouver and Vancouver Island only to limit the driving as youngest gets travel sick.

If you’re feeling adventurous, your kids are old enough to do the Via Ferrata at Mt Norquay in Banff.

We did this about ten years ago. Vancouver for a few days, overnight in Kamloops, a few days in Wells Gray provincial park, then Jasper then Banff (I think that’s the correct order) It was in July too. Loved it!

When are you going? As a leisure traveller you might not be able to use main highways after the devastating floods. Some main routes (Revelstoke) are reserved for commercial/frieght to ensure continuous supply. Or you might like the adventure!
But if that's a sticking point consider a cheap flight to Edmonton or Calgary and pick up a one way rental. Go either north to south eg: Edmonton via Jasper/Icefields/Banff to Calgary (or vice versa) and hop back to YVR to leave Canada.
I only know this as retired family recently (2 weeks ago) had their drive over Rockies to vacation on Van island significantly detoured.

I would save banff/jasper/glacierNP for another trip as there's lots to do in Vancouver and the islands. You can get the ferry to Seattle and do the San Juan islands (might be too similar to Vancouver). Or spend a few days in Olympic NP or Rainier NP. That would give a different type of landscape but without the long drive.

We did a 3 day kayaking/camping trip in the island last year which the kids loved.

You could easily spend 2 weeks in banff/jasper/glacier np although plenty of people tag it on to a trip to Vancouver.

We are in the process of booking a trip for September/October. We are going for 18 days. Flying into Vancouver and out of Calgary.

We are doing 2 days in Vancouver, then 4 days on Vancouver Island then we are driving up to Whistler, Clearwater, Jasper and Banff, spending 2 or 3 nights in each place. Very excited about it. We went 11 years ago when we got engaged but stayed around Banff and Jasper as we hired an RV and just loved the National Parks. We are looking forward to exploring a bit more this time as we have longer. VERY excited!

Following with interest. This is one of the top trips I'd love to do with my family when DS is old enough to remember. I bet you'll have an amazing trip, OP 😍

We flew in and out of Vancouver and got an internal flight to Banff and then drove back. I wouldn't drive there and back - eats too much into your precious time. But I'd definitely go to Banff. We stayed in Canmore (loved it), and also by Lake Louise (not in the big hotel, but just up the road). On the way back, we had a stopover in Kamloops (literally just a stopover, in a motel), and somewhere else but I forget where.
We went to Vancouver Island too, which was very nice as I recall.

We were there in 2003 and DH still refers to it as one his best ever holidays, and we've been all over the place since and had some lovely holidays!

Just discovered Real Housewives of Vancouver 🤣 so doing a bit of research.....

I think I’m going to stick with Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Whistler for this trip. I’ve been spending the last few nights looking for AirBnB’s. There are some really nice places to stay. I don’t like staying in hotels now, with 2 teens, as I think we all need our space in the evenings so I go for somewhere where we can have a room each.

@Campervan69
That sounds interesting!

Very envious! I've done a bit if travelling in the rockies and some of the highlights were emerald lake, moraine lake and lake Peyto, stunning scenery and not as touristy as Banff or lake Louise.

Drumheller near calvary is great if you are into dinosaurs!