Curt

OK we had planned to drive from Vancouver to Banff in one long day. However, now getting cold feet and considering flying on Westjet (some nice fares on offer). Fly into Calgary and then rent car there and drive to Banff. Other way we would do one way rental (flying back to States from Calgary, already booked). Putting pencil to paper seems that it will cost about $50 US total more to do the fly when figuring gasoline costs as part of drive. I am leaning toward just flying and getting there, figuring the extra 50+ bucks will sure be worth it. This is for September by the way. What I would like to see are your thoughts on this. 1 1/2 hour flight plus drive time to Banff from Calgary ( 1 1/2 hours??) versus 9-10 (or more) driving time and getting to Banff late. Please comment on this. Thanks so much

rkkwan

Fly.

It's a long drive from Vancouver, and not the easiest. It's non-freeway after Kamloops, with lots of passing involved if you want to make good time.

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello Curt,

I don't know which factors you're counting towards the cost of each option. For example, I don't know if you're compared car rental rates if you eliminate the one-way drop off fee you'd possibly be paying if you drove from Vancouver to Calgary.

At this point I will not compare the finances for you. I'll just compare the time.

I don't think you'll find that flying takes as little time as you seem to think.

This is the amount of time I would allow if it was my trip:

0.5 hours to drive from downtown Vancouver to airport
0.5 hours to fill rental car and return it
1.0 hour check in for domestic flight
1.5 hours flying time
0.5 hours to retrieve luggage in Calgary
0.5 hours to drive across Calgary
1.5 hours from western city limits to Banff
_______________

6.0 HOURS TOTAL
_______________

Besides that, the drive from Vancouver to Banff is pretty.

Something you could consider doing is not driving all the way to Banff in one day. For example, you could drive to Revelstoke (population about 8,000) or Golden (population about 4,000).

Vancouver to Revelstoke is about 6.5 hours, not counting stops.

Vancouver to Golden is about 8.5 hours, not counting stops.

Note that, if you drove to Revelstoke, you would hardly be spending more time travelling than if you flew from Vancouver to Calgary and drove to Banff that day.

I love the country between Revelstoke and Golden, and you most likely would not see that if you flew to Calgary and drove to the Rockies. Rogers Pass, which is between Revelstoke and Golden, is impressive.

In addition to that, the inland temperate rainforest around Revelstoke is a special phenomenon. I've read that British Columbia is the only place in the world that has <b>inland</b> temperate rainforests.

If you were to spend that first night in Revelstoke or Golden, you could see Yoho National Park's sights on the way to Banff the next day. Yoho NP is between Golden and Lake Louise. The favourite landmarks there are Emerald Lake (just west of the hamlet of Field) and Takakkaw Falls (just east of Field).

Yoho NP is something I would highly recommend to you even if you approached it from the Banff side. By seeing it on the day that you drove from Revelstoke / Golden to Banff, you'd be saving yourself a return trip.

Indeed, while you were about it, you also could see Moraine Lake and Lake Louise on your way from Revelstoke / Golden to Banff, and that also would save you some repetition.

When you fly from Calgary to the U.S., you'll need a longer check in, 2 hours. That's because you'll clear U.S. immigration and customs at Calgary Airport. Then your flight will be treated like a domestic flight when it lands in the U.S.

Hope that helps.

rkkwan

Hahha... I see that while I typed my two-line reply, Judy was giving out her excellent advice.

Anyways, I want to say that while my suggestion is the opposite to Judy's, I don't disagree with anything she writes. However, if you need to get to Banff that night, then you're in for a long long driving day, and won't have time to stop anywhere she mentions.

Her 6-hour door to door time estimate for flying is about right. But still that means you'll be in Banff at 2pm if you leave your hotel in Vancouver at 8am. Still lots of time to wander around, or go over to Lake Louise or Morraine Lake, etc. In contrast, you'll be arriving around 8pm totally exhausted, if you start the same time and drive; after factoring lunch and rest stops.

It would make a nice two-day drive, as Judy suggested. But don't do it if you have to be in Banff that night.

[I also want to add that I'm the biggest road trip fan on Fodors. I've taken trips to Canada for the sole purpose of driving its roads. During my last trip to the Rockies, I spent about 4 extra hours driving roundtrip from Lake Louise to Rogers Pass, just to see it.]

bob_brown

I think the rental car price is the determining factor. If total cost driving versus total cost flying are about equal, then I think it is a toss up.

The driving once you leave Kamloops until you after you leave Golden and ascend the gorge to the flat area is not easy going.

I have driven it both ways, and dislike it until I get to Revelstoke.

Those central BC mountain ranges, the Monahees, Selkirks and the Purcells are spectacular, particularly the Selkirks because they have such sharp tops and sheer faces.

There is something to be said for both.
Flying to Calgary means some backtracking. Driving means some drudgery time on the two-lane portion from Kamloops to the crest of Kicking Horse Pass.

Borealis

I'm with Judy on this one. In addition to the total time for travelling, you'll also lose an hour between Vancouver and Calgary (different time zones). Of course, you also lose that same hour when you drive, but if you do it over two days, you don't really notice it as much.
If you are committed to doing the journey in one day, then the best choice is to fly. If however you have the flexibility to change the journey to two days, by all mean drive.

If you do drive, I would suggest driving Vancouver to Kelowna on day one - the Okanagan Lake is a very pretty area, plus it's the wine growing region of B.C. - and then drive the rest of the way to Banff on day two (through Revelstoke and Golden as Judy describes it above).

Curt

Thanks to all for the responses. We are actually going to Lake Louise rather Banff proper so that reduces the time just a bit but still same basic hours needed. We would like to get to our hotel (already reserved) that night just to give us a whole day to explore around Lake Louise and Banff on Saturday since we will be flying out of Calgary on Sunday afternoon. I figure that Sunday will be basically a day that is get up, have breakfast, check out, and drive to the airport, turn in the car, and fly away. I am familiar with the customs procedure in Canada and will allow plenty of time.

We could cancel our first night and spend it on the road but that would cut into the time for Lake Louise. Ah, well we will decide. Still leaning toward the drive just to see the country even though will be very tired by the time we pull into Lake Louise. After we do this I will post a report on how it went. Again thanks for input and if anyone else has ideas please post them.

warrsher

We are driving from Vancouver to Calgary the 1 st week of Oct because we want to see the country. we booked a compact car from National Car Rental but through expedia.ca is the cheapest way I could find.Total including taxes and all is $287.14 canadian for 1 week. Basic insurance is covered and if you have a CIBC Gold Card or some equivilent that covers the collission and comprehensive.
Have a great trip.
Warren

Curt

As promised a report on the drive from Vancouver to Lake Louise. We arrived in Vancouver on Sep. 9 on a cruise ship. As we had requested early disembarkation we were able to be on the road by 930 am. We picked up our car at Hertz on Seymour street in downtown Vancouver and left their office right at 930. We drove Highway 1 to the Coquihalla Highway and then took that to Kamloops. We arrived there around 130 or so and had lunch and visited the old train depot area. This was the only stop of any length (about 45 minutes). After lunch at Tim Horton's we gassed up and drove on, again on Highway 1. Only other stops were for gas and potty breaks. We did loop through Revelstoke down town area and it is very nice.

The weather was good with mixed clearness and some light rain until we got to Golden and it went down the tubes. Heavy rain and fog and the worst stretch of the road was from Golden to Lake Louise across the mountains. What a winding road and at this time under major construction. The combination of rain, fog, and construction barriers and lack of good lane markings made this one stressful and unpleasant stretch. However, that was the only bad piece and we survived it (the heavy truck traffic is what made it even more difficult here) and arrived at the hotel in Lake Louise 11 hours after leaving the Hertz office in Vancouver. I had read several reports about the drive and most indicated 10 hours was typical time for this drive so considering the weather from Golden on I thought 11 hours was a good time. Except for the one stretch after Golden I found the drive to be very nice and not taxing at all. We are glad we did the drive as we were able to see the awesome scenery and the neat little towns on the way. Would I do it again? Probably not but I am glad we did it the one time. If anyone is thinking of doing this go for it. If you have time to break it up into a two day drive the town of Revelstoke looked like a very nice little town and would be a good place to spend the night.

Be sure to take the Coquihalla Highway into Kamloops and do not stay on 1 all the way from Vancouver to Kamloops. This saves quite a bit of time and the scenery is great. There is a $10CD toll on the Coquihalla Highway.

mikeyuty

Definitely suggest flying vs. drive, when you drive by the time you get there you will be tired...plus the small risk of having car break down or getting lost etc; then renting a car in calgary or banff will be a good idea, but we took the brewster bus tour, look at their web, picks you up at fairmont hotels plus drop off...no need to compute which options will be cheaper...its the CONVENIENCE,,,

Curt

Yes after the drive we were tired but if we had flown we would have missed the glorious sights along the way. One of the most beautiful places we have ever driven through. Like I said, except for the piece just after Golden it was an easy, though long, drive, but we thought it was worth the time and effort ... once. Next time we fly!