LakesideChick

As a teacher in Australia, my long break is in Dec / Jan.... so I have the opportunity to travel for 4-5 weeks at this time of the year. We are contemplating visiting either Canada (for the first time) or revisiting Europe or theUSA.
We are after some ideas / advice regarding:
Canada must visit places in winter time
Pros / cons to travelling in Canada in winter
Things to be wary of
We are into photography, history, walking - not so much skiing - so any recommendations on where to go would be great.
We are independent travellers but not experienced at all driving in icy or snowy conditions.

zootsi

Quebec City has a huge winter carnival, an ice hotel, and lots of winter activies. However be prepared for some extremely cold temperatures and lots of snow. Montreal can also be fun in winter, and is rich in ethnic retaurants, funky shops, and intresting neighborhoods. Again it is a very cold city in winter. On the plus side, there will be considerably less tourists (except for winter carnival) and the snow makes everything look magical. 4-5 weeks is a long time to spend in bone chilling weather if you are not used to it. Many Canadians head for Mexico this time of year. If you are not used to driving in snow and ice, it can be a white knuckle experience.

colduphere

This may be a little late for you. It is pretty neat to see so many thousands of people skating on a canal - you can walk if you want to:

http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/events/winterlude-2/

NorthwestMale

Canada is the 2nd-largest country on the planet, and so the specific answers you desire are quite varied.

Since you're arriving from Australia (and committed to loooooooong hours on a plane anyway)... you could so easily <I>strategize</i> and <b>FLY</b> to 2 or 3 spots <I>in Canada</i> so as to lessen the impact of the <b>harsh Canadian winter</b>.

The central Vancouver area can be m-m-m-m-m-mostly anticipated to NOT be <i>snowed-in</i> to the point of your being immobilized there... <b>and IF</b> you were immobilized there, you could do a lot worse than to be IN the center of cosmopolitan Vancouver.

*** Vancouver might get heavy snow at some point, rendering inhabitants somewhat reluctant to move about, but it is generally gone in a day or three, and thus not too intimidating to vacationers from afar who are reduced to having to see it in the winter.

<I>In a <b>perfect world</b></i> you could somehow drive from Vancouver to Calgary to see at least some of the Canadian Rockies... BUT the very best parts are closed during winter, and some of the rest is surely greatly restricted by winter weather. You could at least learn why the noteworthy <b>Coca Cola on Ice</b> highway garnered its nickname.

In addition, you might fly from Calgary to Montreal or Quebec City for additional winter time scenery and activities. Ideally you could take a trip from one of those to the other, <i>on the ground</i>, along the scenic river path between them.

Toronto is by far the largest city in Canada, but for winter scenery I would opt for Vancouver, Montreal and Quebec (City) before Toronto.

Toronto is large and flat, requiring more <I>getting around</i> on wintery streets in cold weather. (you could go there if Niagara Falls is among your interests) Montreal is on an island, and is somewhat compacted by that factor. Vancouver is generally in a different, milder climate from most of wintery Canada, and Quebec (City) is only 1/3 the size of Vancouver, and just more than 1/5 the size of Montreal, so it is more easy to navigate and enjoy during the winter.

The photography can be awesome, but perhaps it is best the colder you get (within reason). Some of my favorite photography had frozen lakes and rivers as backdrop in the far north of Canada.

Also, it is worth mention that because so much of Canada is always impacted by the terrible and cold winters, their road-clearing system is about as advanced as you could hope. So hopefully you as inexperienced snow drivers could still get around... perhaps just without creating deadlines for yourself that demanded driving on THIS or THAT exact date IN Canada during the winter.

ShelliDawn

I would suggest visiting Vancouver as well. As NWMale said, it doesn't get the snow/cold that most of the rest of Canada gets in the winter. And coming from Australia, it's a likely spot to arrive.

If you don't want to drive but want to see the mountains, consider taking the train. Via Rail is the national passenger train and can be taken from Vancouver to Edmonton and further east. A great way to see the country without the stress of winter driving on the wrong side of the road.

If you have the money, the Rocky Mountaineer is a luxury tourist train that goes through the Rockies and will go through Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary. It stops there so you can't take a train further east from Calgary. You'd need to make your way to Edmonton (easily done) and get on Via Rail.

LakesideChick

Thank you all so much for the hugely useful and interesting advice. I've got a lot of thinking to do! No doubt I'll be back with more questions! I really appreciate your time and knowledge!

ltt

my first reaction was no. during that time of year, travellers should want a winter holiday which usually involves some skiing and you should be an experienced winter snow/ice driver not to mention all the cold weather coats, gloves, etc you need. having a week in banff/jasper/lake lousie around christmas can be magical but not with your interests. vancouver island / vancouver won't get the large amount of snow but it can be rainy and that's a limited area. quebec city is suppose to be nice at christmas. i think maybe somewhere in the US or europe might suite you better and save canada for a trip when you can come during our summer months.

Daniel_Williams

I live in Montreal and even enjoy Canada in the winter sometimes. However, for someone into walking, the reasonably high possibility of weather conditions that make exploring by foot unpleasant is out there (slush, ice, blizzards, extreme cold) for much of everywhere outside BC's west coast. Sure, we get the halcyon -5 degrees C days with blue skies and sun where kids with rosy cheeks are ice skating on ponds & folks are cheerily snowshoeing up mountains against a beautiful powdery white backdrop from a fresh snowfall, where things can truly seem like a winter wonderland. However, more days than not though the winterscape can seem bleak, even sometimes against an attractive backdrop like that in Quebec City.

I recommend heading south in the USA or Europe so you can more comfortably explore.

kgsneds

I believe the Rocky Mountaineer only runs late Spring to early Fall. In the winter, your only choice is the Via Rail and even that is prone to delays (less weather related, more just Via Rail related...).

Like ltt, I think winter in the Rockies is magical, but it's not a place for walking. Winter in the mountains is about skating, skiing, snowshoeing, sitting by the fire and good meals. We certainly have plenty of history here, but it's best explored in the summer months.

I do think you are best looking at Ontario or Quebec where you will experience winter, but have more non-outdoor options for things to do. Or Vancouver if you don't mind a less snowy view of the world. And a place where you wouldn't need to drive much, if at all.

NorthwestMale

I didn't even contemplate the <b>train</b>, but if the train will go through from Vancouver to <b>Edmonton - did somebody say??</b>, it would be worth the chance to cross the Canadian Rockies somewhere, AND I myself wouldn't mind being <I>caused to <b>visit</b></i> Edmonton in the winter.


In Edmonton you can marvel at how they somehow manage life during the harsh Canadian winter despite being larger and farther north than is most anything else in North America of similar size. Definitely go to the largest shopping mall in the western hemisphere (www.wem.ca) (not for the standard-ish shops, but for the many other amenities which allow the locals to do <I>normal</i> things despite it being 40 below zero outside).

Along that line of thinking, I would also go and visit the <I>Muttart Conservatory</i>, which allows plant life from <I>the rest of the world</i> to <b>(stay alive)</b> during the northern winters. It's probably odd to be inside there, in the warm and humid conservatory, while it is 40 below outside...

<b>...aaaaaaaaaaaaaand maybe it will be <I>more odd</i> to be OUT</b>side when it's 40 below during the Canadian winter.


But yes... OZ to Vancouver... visit there several days... then train to Edmonton, and then fly to Montreal... and maybe a train to Quebec City.

Maybe <I>winter rates</i> MIGHT let you afford Quebec nights at <I>Le Chateau Frontenac</i>... where <b>IF</b> by chance you are snowed to the point of being immobile, you can just stare out windows (though perhaps <I>not yours</i>...) out at the picturesque setting on the river below.


If you go to Canada during winter with the mindset that <I><b>"it IS what it IS..."</b></i> then you really CAN broaden your horizons!

(and at worst case, you can always stop in Darwin on the way home just to thaw out)

laverendrye

I can't imagine why anyone would want to visit Edmonton in the winter, aside from seeing relatives or friends or on business--not for the West Edmonton Mall,and not even to see the Oilers (maybe in a couple of years from now). You don't want to be outside in -30C weather, to say nothing of -40.

if you do want a taste of Canadian winter while taking in some history and cultural events, your best bet would be Québec City for Carnaval in the first two weeks of February. http://carnaval.qc.ca/en/

You could add on a couple of days in Montréal.

But as others have noted, most Canadians try to get away from the cold in the winter, even those of us who like outdoor winter sports (I draw the line at skiing when the temperature is below -25C).

If you do come, plan to use public transportation. If you are not used to winter driving you could well find yourself in difficulties. Even Canadians take a while to get used to it at the beginning of every winter.

Borealis

Oh c'mon man. Edmonton is actually very pleasant in winter. There may be two or three days per winter with temperatures around minus 30 Celsius or below, but most of the time it's not that cold.
Last January, for example, we had a stretch of more than 10 days ABOVE freezing, up to +10C.
Plus Edmonton is quite dry, so we don't have anywhere near the amount of snow that Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City have (not to mention that in all the decades I've lived here, we've never had an ice storm that downed power lines as they frequently seem to have on the eastern part of the continent).
Yes, it's a dry cold, and on calm sunny days, it's lovely. It's a great place to live and work and raise an family, but might not really be a "hot" tourist destination.

But that doesn't answer your original question. The most beautiful places to visit (in my opinion) are the Rockies - amazingly scenic any time of the year. The drive from Calgary to Banff takes a little over an hour - the Trans Canada #1 is usually bare and dry even in winter (and even if it is snowing, believe it or not - the winds associated with the snowfalls on the low humidity prairies usually mean that snow doesn't often accumulate, the flakes are small and "dry" and are blown into ditches).

From Banff the drive to Lake Louise is about 50 minutes - now there you will see lots of snow, but the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is located right on the lake which has skating and cross-country skiing on it (sports gear can be rented). You can also take a horse-drawn sleigh ride along the edge of the lake. Lots of opportunities for photography!!

The drive up to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway may or may not be open (depends on the high altitude weather, avalanches etc.), but is worth it if it's sunny and clear - astounding scenery - and if you have lots of time to do the drive back to Calgary on the same route.

LakesideChick

Thanks everyone...... appreciate your ideas and opinions. At this stage we are looking at flying into New York and incorporating Quebec City / Montreal and possibly Toronto into our trip. Any thoughts on these destinations appreciated!

takeaway7

I love visiting Montreal in winter. Yes, it's extremely cold, snowy and windy outside, but you never really have to go outside. They've got all these underground walking passages that connect subway stops to shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants and hotels. It's really an amazing system.

lanejohann

Hmm
I'd still vote for vancouver to Banff or fly to Calgary ..do the Banff area and then fly to Vancouver and explore the surrounds including whistler and even dipping down to Seattle
Banff is lovely in winter and there are some daytrips you can do - lake Louise lake emerald ..get up to jasper
We even went out to golden where the wolf sanctuary is..just for the day
We also hired a car on Vancouver island ..and that was great even in winter..spectacular scenery and you can see a lot in three or four days
If you're set on the New York side of things.. I can't comment cos I haven't been but so far nothing in the world compares to the beauty of Canada...summer or winter
You will love it either way
My husband is Canadian and says Quebec City is beautiful but Montreal and Toronto ( he grew up in Toronto )not so much in winter...he'd vote for New York

lanejohann

Oh and if you do need warm gear I highly recommend LL Bean
We have bought all our heavy winter stuff from them online
Much cheaper and better quality than Kathmandu etc in oz
I bought their just above knee length parka with hood and it withstood a European and Canadian winter ..didn't feel the cold at all
Do take woollen thermals including long johns ..you can buy at target and they're soft to the skin
LLBean have some that are wool with a cotton lining for extra softness
I bought nice woollen jumpers like polo necks ( cashmere) from woolovers ... A uk company ..very cheap compared to myer and dj prices
glasssons have woollen stuff too but you've probably missed the opportunity