Canada, British Columbia Travel Advice

[LaCerbiatta]

Planning a trip to Canada, probably BC next summer. We're 4, 2 dc who will be 14 and 18 at the time.

Thinking about flying to Calgary and then making our way to Vancouver with stops in the way. Thinking about 10-14 days. Probably renting a car although we'd love one of those scenic trains through the rockies as well!

Had a look at Trailfinders and the prices are a bit more than I was expecting: ~£2800 per person without flights, I'm guessing it works out cheaper if you organise everything? Although feels a bit overwhelming....

If you've been, how have you done it, via travel agency or just organised it wourself? And how much did it cost? Also any suggestions of places to go, places to stay, what to avoid, would be really welcome, thank you!

Organised it all ourselves
Flew to Calgary collected hire car and drove to Banff for 3 nights
Stayed in a place called Field in a log cabin for 2 nights
Headed along the Icefields parkway to stay in Jasper for 3 nights
Travelled on the train over 2 days to Vancouver stayed there for 3 nights
Took the ferry to Vancouver island for 3 nights and then home
Prebooked some activities before we left so had plans to work around
Fabulous trip

@harridan50 that's pretty much what we were thinking!! How much did it all cost if you don't mind sharing?
And where did you look for accommodation? AirBnB?

Also, would love to hear more about the train. Were you on standard class? Was it not really uncomfortable for 2 days? Was it worth it?

We went with really nice hotels going airbnb would have saved a lot
Train was the rocky mountaneer so again expensive did chat to someone who took the everyday train quite tiring but gets you from a to b
Loved Vancouver island and the rockies loved Vancouver a bit less
Prebooking some things was cheaper.....Banff gondola, visit to the glacier, Malige lake cruise as a package.
Other things book as you go ...hot springs, whale watching, lake louise ,lake moraine
It is expensive...food drink etc
Fabulous country well worth it have only been back a couple of weeks

Have a look at Rickshaw travel - we built up their ‘bite size trips’ into an itinerary that was:
3 nights in vancouver
2 nights in whistler
1 night in a Tee pee white water rafting
2 nights at a log cabin by a lake near Wells Grey Provincial Park
2 nights Jasper
1 night ice field parkway hotel
2 nights Banff

It’s was about £2200 per adult and £1800 per child including car hire and flights, plus quite a lot of activities as outlined in the bite size trips (so whale watching and a bike tour in Vancouver for example) BUT that was pre covid and a child was classed under 12. Due to covid we didn’t actually get to go until last year by which time one child was over 12 so had to pay the adult price.

We also tagged on ourselves 2 nights in Drumheller in an Air BnB - that is dinosaur and hoodoo country and quite fun. Personally I would start in Vancouver - the rockies are the highlight so I’d want to end there!

Although the train did appeal be aware its long days - when we looked at it, it was boarding the train at 6 or 7am and not getting off until 9pm, and then the same the next day. For older kids that might be fine, but didn’t suit us. (Might do it when retired!)

I think actually it was 3 nights Banff.

Anyhow, you can build up the trips as you want - so can include Vancouver island if you wish. I do think prices might have increased significantly though.

Other option would be to hire a motorhome - we met quite a lot of people doing more or less the same route in a motorhome.

We did it ourselves. But opposite route so Vancouver- Tofino - Whistler- a stop on the way - then Rockies.
I can send you the hotels we used if you would like.

We went for 2 weeks - the drive between Vancouver and Calgary is pretty soul destroying and not great stops in between the two.

I'd be tempted to fly from Vancouver to Calgary so you have more time and energy in each destination.

We've done a couple of trips, both starting from Vancouver, one including Vancouver Island and one heading east to Jasper and Banff.

We did a mix of glamping type options (https://parks.canada.ca/voyage-travel/hebergement-accommodation/otentik) motels and some nicer hotels.

All arranged independently.

We found booking flights and car hire as a package saved a lot of money.

Whale watching, bear watching, hot springs were the highlights and the big expenses. Most other costs were drinking and eating.

Another option for 2 weeks is just do Rockies, or just do Vancouver/Vancouver Island/Whistler.

Have a look at Canadian affair - for car hire and flights.

Taking notes to check later, thanks so much everyone!!

@rookiemere is the journey from Calgary to Vancouver really that bad? Was expecting it to be amazing with all the stops! Or do you mean it's soul destroying to do it in one go?

We looked at this, but decided it was too much travel so decided on Vancouver, Vancouver island Victoria, Tofino, Nanaimo) then Whistler. We booked it all ourselves.
we stayed here in Whistler
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/nita-lake-lodge.en-gb.html?aid=311076&label=hotel-76392-ca-ifbyCAD4vL8Zg5bQJ6HFZAS394353636857%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-297601666555%3Akwd-6111944029%3Alp9180938%3Ali%3Adet%3Adm%3Appccp%3DUmFuZG9tSVYkc2RlIyh9YRlijhKLEMjJ1VfY2UohyHQ&sid=281adb6538840886a57841d5f81c0bd5&dest_id=900000001;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;hpos=1;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;srepoch=1689009155;srpvid=273d79002bf701d0;type=total;ucfs=1&
And here in Victoria
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/oswego.en-gb.html?aid=303948&label=victoria-i_i5KH8RDBXfZmpAYuOXuAS393029741426%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1100%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-146342137510%3Akwd-527075901%3Alp9180938%3Ali%3Adet%3Adm%3Appccp%3DUmFuZG9tSVYkc2RlIyh9Yf5EcukO1MOGLSSAuId8ToA&sid=281adb6538840886a57841d5f81c0bd5&dest_id=-575350;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;hpos=1;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;srepoch=1689009257;srpvid=10d87933676c01e3;type=total;ucfs=1&

Not sure what happened there.
it’s the Oswego in Victoria and Nita lake lodge in whistler.

i'm in kamloops if you have any kamloops questions.

The hotels would be great if you could. Thank you!

It's a 8.5 hr drive from Vancouver to Lake Louise so I guess it's not dreadful.

It's just you have a choice of doing it in one go which is too much in one day, or turning it into an overnight stop which effectively means you're using 2 days of your holiday on not so great scenery.

Thanks so much @greenspaces4peace , I'll let you know!

Thanks @ShanghaiDiva , did you fly to and out of Vancouver? Was considering Calgary as the flights are cheaper....

Other option would be to hire a motorhome - we met quite a lot of people doing more or less the same route in a motorhome.

This is what we did but the other way round, Vancouver to Calgary, when the kids were younger.

It was the best ever holiday. We went to Vancouver Island, Whistler, Clearwater, Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff and then Calgary, we had almost 3 weeks.

It definitely wasn't soul destroying there were long drives but we really enjoyed them. The Motorhome worked out really well and was cost effective.

Canada fly-drives are a common trip I book for clients, one tip is to check the price difference between starting in Calgary vs. Vancouver.

For one client, flying to Vancouver first then flying back from Calgary worked out at £800pp flights compared to £1400 pp flights the other way.

Similarly, it can be much cheaper to get return flights to Calgary and then hop back to Calgary from Vancouver on a flight on the way back. Return flights for one client to Calgary were £780pp with AirCanada and then £75pp to get from Vancouver to Calgary compared with £1700pp to fly out to Calgary and then back from Vancouver with AirCanada and British Airways.

If you are doing it yourself, it’s worth checking the variables out.

Thank you @lifeturnsonadime !Not sure about the motorhome 😬. Will see the family think....

Will play around with flights, thanks for the tip @cherryassam

motorhome is very popular and really a great way to experience the west.
although someone might say the interior of bc is not as majestic as the mountains and ocean from an geography perspective the reason it's dry and arid is a great lesson for kids. i find the icefield highway terribly boring BUT at one spot the explanation as to the depth of the snow and the movement really made me understand the volume involved something i never fully grasped till in my 40's.
we do a lot of camping.
and have driven the drive semi annually for decades.
the first nations have a pow wow that is an amazing to see every august.

@LaCerbiatta
yes, we flew in and out of Vancouver.

My advice is to fly to Vancouver and rent a car - do a round trip returning car to Vancouver otherwise it's very expensive. Plenty of reasonable sleeps 4 hotel rooms available. Plot a route staying 2-3 nights each place. Top tip to reduce the rental cost is to hire not at the airport. I hired from enterprise in the sandman hotel downtown Vancouver, a quick ride on the metro, stay overnight in the hotel and pick up in the morning.

We did this last year - flew into Vancouver and out of Calgary and did Whistler, back to Vancouver ,then Rocky Mountaineer in Silver Leaf to Jasper and then Banff. We hired a car for the second week but used buses too. A local independent travel agent sorted it for us but when we go again ( and we will, it was amazing) we'd plan it ourselves.

Hi so hotels and rentals we stayed in - our main objective was not to have to share a room with DS :

Vancouver- sylviahotel.com/ hotel is a bit faded but it has a great family room with 3 queen sized beds, one in a separate bedroom. Or at least it did a few years ago

Tofino - possibly you won't fit in Van Island if going up to Rockies, but if you do this is an amazing place to stay. Not cheap but such a great location www.crystalcove.ca/

Whistler - loads of cheap high quality rentals in summer time

Lake Louise - www.paradiselodge.com/ had two separate bedrooms, but I'd probably just stay in Banff and visit tbh

Banff - hotel no longer exists I think but there are loads of options

Jasper - www.patricialakebungalows.com/ trying to figure out what accommodation you could book was tricky - but this is a few years ago now. Stunning location- a bear crossed the road on our way up to it and elks wandered round the grounds