First time for an Aussie to Canada
Jun 13th, 2005, 07:33 PM
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First time for an Aussie to Canada
My wife and I are planning to come to Canada for the first time in September and are aiming to spend a month there. We would like some help with what we should do and how we should get about. Our initial thoughts are as follows.
Fly into Vancouver and spend a couple of days there, including visting Victoria. We were then thinking of hiring a car and driving round through Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff and down to Calgary. We are thinking about the car option so we can stop at our lesuire to look at things rather than being stuck on a bus or train, and only stopping when they stop. We are not sure then wether we should drive back to Vancouver and catch a plan over to Toronto, or skip from Calgary to Winnipeg on a plane for a couple of days and then another plane to Toronto, or to go straight from Calgary to Toronto.
Once in Toronto, we were thinking about spending a couple of days there, and then getting a car again and driving to Niagara Falls, then to Ottowa, Montreal and Quebec City.
We are planning on spending about 12 days on each side of the country. Does this sound feasible at all?
Any help suggesting driving routes and places to see and things to do along the way would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully we will get the hang of driving on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to. We will be aiming to do small hikes along the way to experience the country side. I am also an avid photographer, so things of interest along those lines would also help. Suggestions of small, nice friendly hotels along the way would also be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Fly into Vancouver and spend a couple of days there, including visting Victoria. We were then thinking of hiring a car and driving round through Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff and down to Calgary. We are thinking about the car option so we can stop at our lesuire to look at things rather than being stuck on a bus or train, and only stopping when they stop. We are not sure then wether we should drive back to Vancouver and catch a plan over to Toronto, or skip from Calgary to Winnipeg on a plane for a couple of days and then another plane to Toronto, or to go straight from Calgary to Toronto.
Once in Toronto, we were thinking about spending a couple of days there, and then getting a car again and driving to Niagara Falls, then to Ottowa, Montreal and Quebec City.
We are planning on spending about 12 days on each side of the country. Does this sound feasible at all?
Any help suggesting driving routes and places to see and things to do along the way would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully we will get the hang of driving on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to. We will be aiming to do small hikes along the way to experience the country side. I am also an avid photographer, so things of interest along those lines would also help. Suggestions of small, nice friendly hotels along the way would also be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Jun 13th, 2005, 07:57 PM
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Hello tinmanran,
Given your time frame and how much of the country you want to see, I suggest you skip Winnipeg.
I would also make the comment that 2 days for Vancouver is inadequate, all the more so if those 2 days are to include a visit to Victoria.
In my opinion it takes 3 full days to do justice to Vancouver. Although it does make for a long day, you can visit Victoria as a day trip from Vancouver.
Vancouver lends itself to being divided into 3 segments.
Day 1 - The central parts of Vancouver, including Stanley Park, Granville Island Market, and Robson Street.
Day 2 - From your base in downtown Vancouver, cross Burrard Inlet to visit the North Shore. Go to Lynn Canyon and Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.
Day 3 - Visit the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. It depicts the traditional lifestyle of the First Nations people of the west coast, and is my favourite Vancouver attraction after Stanley Park. Since the UBC campus is to the south of downtown, it makes sense to combine this with other activities in that general direction -- Queen Elizabeth Park, VanDusen Gardens and a drive along English Bay.
Day 4 - Visit Victoria. There are several ways of getting there. If you want to take your rental car on the ferry, make a prior reservation at www.bcferries.ca , and arrive 45 minutes before sailing time even if you have a reservation. The ferry doesn't sail directly from Vancouver to Victoria. Rather it sails from Tsawwassen on the mainland, which is at least half an hour south of Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, which is about half an hour from Victoria. So, as you probably can tell, it takes about 3-1/2 hours to get from one downtown to the other.
Another option is to use Pacific Coach Lines to get from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria. That is a bus / ferry combination.
You can also fly from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour by seaplane. In each case the harbour is adjacent to the downtown core. the flight takes 35 minutes.
You see the views from every possible angle if you go by seaplane in one direction and bus/ferry in the other direction.
The Butchart Gardens are Victoria's most famous attraction. They are a little way out of the centre of town. You need a car, a taxi or a city bus to reach them. Other than that most things that a tourist would want to see on a day trip are accessible on foot. With a population of 325,000 Victoria has quite a compact downtown core.
I suggest you visit Victoria in the middle of your Vancouver stay. It's not convenient to have a long day's outing on the eve of your departure for the Rockies.
I'll suggest a Vancouver - Calgary itinerary in another post.
Given your time frame and how much of the country you want to see, I suggest you skip Winnipeg.
I would also make the comment that 2 days for Vancouver is inadequate, all the more so if those 2 days are to include a visit to Victoria.
In my opinion it takes 3 full days to do justice to Vancouver. Although it does make for a long day, you can visit Victoria as a day trip from Vancouver.
Vancouver lends itself to being divided into 3 segments.
Day 1 - The central parts of Vancouver, including Stanley Park, Granville Island Market, and Robson Street.
Day 2 - From your base in downtown Vancouver, cross Burrard Inlet to visit the North Shore. Go to Lynn Canyon and Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.
Day 3 - Visit the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. It depicts the traditional lifestyle of the First Nations people of the west coast, and is my favourite Vancouver attraction after Stanley Park. Since the UBC campus is to the south of downtown, it makes sense to combine this with other activities in that general direction -- Queen Elizabeth Park, VanDusen Gardens and a drive along English Bay.
Day 4 - Visit Victoria. There are several ways of getting there. If you want to take your rental car on the ferry, make a prior reservation at www.bcferries.ca , and arrive 45 minutes before sailing time even if you have a reservation. The ferry doesn't sail directly from Vancouver to Victoria. Rather it sails from Tsawwassen on the mainland, which is at least half an hour south of Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, which is about half an hour from Victoria. So, as you probably can tell, it takes about 3-1/2 hours to get from one downtown to the other.
Another option is to use Pacific Coach Lines to get from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria. That is a bus / ferry combination.
You can also fly from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour by seaplane. In each case the harbour is adjacent to the downtown core. the flight takes 35 minutes.
You see the views from every possible angle if you go by seaplane in one direction and bus/ferry in the other direction.
The Butchart Gardens are Victoria's most famous attraction. They are a little way out of the centre of town. You need a car, a taxi or a city bus to reach them. Other than that most things that a tourist would want to see on a day trip are accessible on foot. With a population of 325,000 Victoria has quite a compact downtown core.
I suggest you visit Victoria in the middle of your Vancouver stay. It's not convenient to have a long day's outing on the eve of your departure for the Rockies.
I'll suggest a Vancouver - Calgary itinerary in another post.
Jun 13th, 2005, 08:12 PM
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I have visited out there and covered the same ground you are planning to visit.
I think a car is the way to go if driving on the wrong side of the road does not bother you.
I think 12 days in the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver might be enough. It depends on how much "foot touring" you want to do.
I recommend most highly that you drive the Icefields Parkway between lake Louise and Jasper.
The mountains in Alberta are beautiful and I go there often even though I live almost 3,000 miles away.
One aspect of car rental you should take into account is the drop fee penalty for not returning the car to the same location at which you initially rented.
That fee can be fairly steep.
You might want to rent a vehicle in Vancouver for the visit to Victoria and return the car in Victoria. Fly to Calgary and rent another vehicle to visit the Canadian Rockies.
Then fly to Winnipeg because it is a long haul from Calgary and your time is relatively short.
Winnipeg to Toronto is not a short jump either.
I am sure that you are used to long drives in Australia, but many people do not realize that from Toronto to Calgary is a 4 hour flight - close to 2200 miles.
Toronto - Montreal is a little shorter - 340 miles
Although I am not a Canadian, I think you will enjoy visiting there. I know I have enjoyed all of my trips to both eastern and western Canada.
I think a car is the way to go if driving on the wrong side of the road does not bother you.
I think 12 days in the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver might be enough. It depends on how much "foot touring" you want to do.
I recommend most highly that you drive the Icefields Parkway between lake Louise and Jasper.
The mountains in Alberta are beautiful and I go there often even though I live almost 3,000 miles away.
One aspect of car rental you should take into account is the drop fee penalty for not returning the car to the same location at which you initially rented.
That fee can be fairly steep.
You might want to rent a vehicle in Vancouver for the visit to Victoria and return the car in Victoria. Fly to Calgary and rent another vehicle to visit the Canadian Rockies.
Then fly to Winnipeg because it is a long haul from Calgary and your time is relatively short.
Winnipeg to Toronto is not a short jump either.
I am sure that you are used to long drives in Australia, but many people do not realize that from Toronto to Calgary is a 4 hour flight - close to 2200 miles.
Toronto - Montreal is a little shorter - 340 miles
Although I am not a Canadian, I think you will enjoy visiting there. I know I have enjoyed all of my trips to both eastern and western Canada.
Jun 13th, 2005, 08:32 PM
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Here's the promised Vancouver - Calgary itinerary.
Day 1 – Arrive Vancouver.
Days 2 to 5 - Explore Vancouver & Victoria.
Day 6 – Drive to Kelowna in the morning. Enjoy Lake Okanagan and perhaps visit a winery in the afternoon.
Day 7 – Drive to Lake Louise.
Day 8 – Explore Lake Louise and nearby Moraine Lake.
Day 9 – Drive the Icefields Parkway (Hwy#93) to Jasper. There are many scenic lookout points, and this seemingly short drive easily occupies a day.
Day 10 – Explore Jasper’s environs.
Day 11 – Drive back down the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise. You can do it faster this time since you will have stopped at the major scenic lookout points on the way up. The scenery looks different when it’s viewed from the opposite direction, so do not look upon this as a wasted effort. Then turn east and proceed to Banff / Canmore.
Day 12 – Drive to Calgary and fly to Toronto. Ideally your flight will leave around noon, so that you don't have to get up and rush to Calgary too early in the morning.
This itinerary does not give you time in Calgary. Although Calgary is a pleasant enough city, I do not believe you would be justified in spending time in Calgary with the amount of territory you want to cover in the amount of time you have at your disposal. When it comes to cities, Vancouver and Victoria are far higher priorities than Calgary is, in my opinion.
I was going to warn you about the one-way drop off fee that my proposed itinerary would involve, but I see that Bob has covered that already.
Day 1 – Arrive Vancouver.
Days 2 to 5 - Explore Vancouver & Victoria.
Day 6 – Drive to Kelowna in the morning. Enjoy Lake Okanagan and perhaps visit a winery in the afternoon.
Day 7 – Drive to Lake Louise.
Day 8 – Explore Lake Louise and nearby Moraine Lake.
Day 9 – Drive the Icefields Parkway (Hwy#93) to Jasper. There are many scenic lookout points, and this seemingly short drive easily occupies a day.
Day 10 – Explore Jasper’s environs.
Day 11 – Drive back down the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise. You can do it faster this time since you will have stopped at the major scenic lookout points on the way up. The scenery looks different when it’s viewed from the opposite direction, so do not look upon this as a wasted effort. Then turn east and proceed to Banff / Canmore.
Day 12 – Drive to Calgary and fly to Toronto. Ideally your flight will leave around noon, so that you don't have to get up and rush to Calgary too early in the morning.
This itinerary does not give you time in Calgary. Although Calgary is a pleasant enough city, I do not believe you would be justified in spending time in Calgary with the amount of territory you want to cover in the amount of time you have at your disposal. When it comes to cities, Vancouver and Victoria are far higher priorities than Calgary is, in my opinion.
I was going to warn you about the one-way drop off fee that my proposed itinerary would involve, but I see that Bob has covered that already.
Jun 13th, 2005, 08:39 PM
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We usually stay with friends when we go to Vancouver and Victoria, so I have little experience of hotels in those cities.
The same is true of the Okanagan Valley, so again I cannot help you with accommodation in Kelowna.
Nice accommodations in Lake Louise are Baker Creek Chalets, Paradise Lodge and Bungalows, and Deer Lodge (as long as you get one of the larger rooms at Deer Lodge). If those properties are beyond your budget, Lake Louise Inn is a reasonably priced place by the standards of Lake Louise.
In Jasper there are many home accommodations. They are similar to B&Bs. They don't serve breakfast, but many of them include kitchenettes. A fellow Calgary resident, Hana, recently posted a complimentary review of 105 Patricia Street, and laurafromtexas has posted a complimentary review of Crayston's.
If you don't like the idea of home accommodations, Becker's Chalets, Jasper House Bungalows and Pine Bungalows are other Jasper properties that often receive favourable reviews here.
When it comes to the Banff / Canmore area, I am fond of two small inns that are across the street from each other in Canmore. They are Lady Macdonald Inn, which has a dozen rooms, and Georgetown Inn, which has a couple of dozen rooms. Both of them include generous hot and cold breakfasts in their prices. Another Canmore property that has received a favourable review here is Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge.
For the rest of your journey I will turn you over to the Ontario and Quebec experts.
Hope you have a great trip.
The same is true of the Okanagan Valley, so again I cannot help you with accommodation in Kelowna.
Nice accommodations in Lake Louise are Baker Creek Chalets, Paradise Lodge and Bungalows, and Deer Lodge (as long as you get one of the larger rooms at Deer Lodge). If those properties are beyond your budget, Lake Louise Inn is a reasonably priced place by the standards of Lake Louise.
In Jasper there are many home accommodations. They are similar to B&Bs. They don't serve breakfast, but many of them include kitchenettes. A fellow Calgary resident, Hana, recently posted a complimentary review of 105 Patricia Street, and laurafromtexas has posted a complimentary review of Crayston's.
If you don't like the idea of home accommodations, Becker's Chalets, Jasper House Bungalows and Pine Bungalows are other Jasper properties that often receive favourable reviews here.
When it comes to the Banff / Canmore area, I am fond of two small inns that are across the street from each other in Canmore. They are Lady Macdonald Inn, which has a dozen rooms, and Georgetown Inn, which has a couple of dozen rooms. Both of them include generous hot and cold breakfasts in their prices. Another Canmore property that has received a favourable review here is Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge.
For the rest of your journey I will turn you over to the Ontario and Quebec experts.
Hope you have a great trip.
Jun 13th, 2005, 09:21 PM
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Hello - I lived in Sydney in 2000 for 5 months on Bridge Street. Here are a few links:
Sports
http://www.torontonomads.com/
http://www.ontariofooty.com/index.shtml
http://www.canadiancricket.org/
Toronto Australian and New Zealand Club
http://www.chrislangan.ca/html/tranzac.html
Ozzie food
http://www.torontowebsites.com/direc..._zealand.shtml
My favourite pub in Ontario is Bentley's in Stratford Ontario - about an hour west of Toronto and home to excellent theatre scene. (http://www.stratford-festival.on.ca/)
Visit the LCBO (Ontario liquour store) at LCBO Summerhill - 10 Scrivener Square in Toronto. Large Australian
wine selection.
When in Niagara Falls, visit Niagara on the Lake - the Centre of Canada's eastern wine region and Peller Estates (http://www.peller.com/peller/)
Also, another excellent theatre scene at the Shaw Festival
http://www.shawfest.com/
http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/countries/cato.html
A town not to be missed on the way to Ottawa from Toronto is Kingston Ontario. It is home to Queen's University, the Royal Military College, Fort Henry, the Signals Museum, Victorian houses ala Melbourne and sailing on Lake Ontario.
My favourite hotel is the Radisson.
Sports
http://www.torontonomads.com/
http://www.ontariofooty.com/index.shtml
http://www.canadiancricket.org/
Toronto Australian and New Zealand Club
http://www.chrislangan.ca/html/tranzac.html
Ozzie food
http://www.torontowebsites.com/direc..._zealand.shtml
My favourite pub in Ontario is Bentley's in Stratford Ontario - about an hour west of Toronto and home to excellent theatre scene. (http://www.stratford-festival.on.ca/)
Visit the LCBO (Ontario liquour store) at LCBO Summerhill - 10 Scrivener Square in Toronto. Large Australian
wine selection.
When in Niagara Falls, visit Niagara on the Lake - the Centre of Canada's eastern wine region and Peller Estates (http://www.peller.com/peller/)
Also, another excellent theatre scene at the Shaw Festival
http://www.shawfest.com/
http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/countries/cato.html
A town not to be missed on the way to Ottawa from Toronto is Kingston Ontario. It is home to Queen's University, the Royal Military College, Fort Henry, the Signals Museum, Victorian houses ala Melbourne and sailing on Lake Ontario.
My favourite hotel is the Radisson.
Jun 14th, 2005, 11:43 AM
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tinmanran,
I have been to most of the provinces in Canada and I live about 120 miles from Canada so I'll tell you what I know:
A month in Canada is a healthy amount of time all right but you could really enhance your stay if you made sure to FLY across much of the central part and focused your time east and west.
Someone spoke of the strategy to employed by avoiding the rental car "drop" fee and that seems like something you should probably shoot for.
Perhaps flying into Vancouver (or even Calgary) and then doing a circular loop that hit Edmonton (still home of the world's largest shopping mall, for a short while longer) and then some of the areas in central BC, would make sense.
I'm not too sure about adding Victoria to your itinerary given how much time it takes to get over there and back (I live about 85 miles from Victoria and I've been there twice in my life!)
If you took 12 days out west, you could do 3 in Vancouver... 2 in the Cdn Rockies, 2 in Calgary, 2 in Edmonton, and 2 or 3 days in transit from Edmonton through the rockies and central BC areas.
THEN you fly from Vancouver to Toronto, skipping the praries of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which are said to be flat and a whole lot of driving between the best sights and experiences.
Once in Toronto and still with plenty of your time left, you'd first hit Niagara Falls and then spend much of 3 days exploring the city of Toronto. Then drive to Ottawa to see Canada's capitol (1 night or 2 nights).
Next you're off to Montreal for perhaps 3 nights before driving further east to Quebec City, which is a good deal more "french" than metropolitan Montreal.
If you are game, with perhaps another full week left in your alloted time, you should trek toward the Atlantic provinces first visiting the Gaspe Peninsula in eastern Quebec, then down along New Brunswick's east coast, perhaps making a day trip to Prince Edward Island if you're interested.
Then skip over to Nova Scotia and go immediately north to Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail for some striking scenery. A couple of days up there is plenty.
Then go to Halifax and enjoy the largest city in the maritime provinces. Have lunch or dinner at Peggy's Cove and maybe drive for a while down the Atlantic Coast south of Halifax.
Do take at least a few hours to see the highest tides on earth in the Truro, Nova Scotia area... or perhaps wait until returning through New Brunswick to visit "Hopewell Cape" for a full sense of how powerful the tides in the area really are.
Soon you're on your path back toward Toronto, to turn in your car and fly home.
You can decide how you're doing for time and let that dictate your route through New Brunswick and then maybe cover some of the backroads as you drive through Quebec.
So many of the small towns in Quebec have the most stunning churches... and you don't see them so well from the main highway. These towns were particularly prominent along the shores of the St. Lawrence River.
If you time everything perfectly you can get this full dose of Canada in the month of which you speak.
Some of the weather in the north and central regions can start to get uncomfortably cold by early October so by sticking with east and west, you're affording yourself the best chance of a fantastic trip.
Don't worry about the driving on the opposite side of the road. In Canada by late September you won't find that many cars in the rural areas where most of your driving will likely be.
Check airfares and things to determine which two spots to fly in and out of... it could be either Vancouver or Calgary in the west (since a circuitous loop makes most sense anyway)... and most likely Toronto or Montreal in the east.
Hope this helps in some way.
I have been to most of the provinces in Canada and I live about 120 miles from Canada so I'll tell you what I know:
A month in Canada is a healthy amount of time all right but you could really enhance your stay if you made sure to FLY across much of the central part and focused your time east and west.
Someone spoke of the strategy to employed by avoiding the rental car "drop" fee and that seems like something you should probably shoot for.
Perhaps flying into Vancouver (or even Calgary) and then doing a circular loop that hit Edmonton (still home of the world's largest shopping mall, for a short while longer) and then some of the areas in central BC, would make sense.
I'm not too sure about adding Victoria to your itinerary given how much time it takes to get over there and back (I live about 85 miles from Victoria and I've been there twice in my life!)
If you took 12 days out west, you could do 3 in Vancouver... 2 in the Cdn Rockies, 2 in Calgary, 2 in Edmonton, and 2 or 3 days in transit from Edmonton through the rockies and central BC areas.
THEN you fly from Vancouver to Toronto, skipping the praries of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which are said to be flat and a whole lot of driving between the best sights and experiences.
Once in Toronto and still with plenty of your time left, you'd first hit Niagara Falls and then spend much of 3 days exploring the city of Toronto. Then drive to Ottawa to see Canada's capitol (1 night or 2 nights).
Next you're off to Montreal for perhaps 3 nights before driving further east to Quebec City, which is a good deal more "french" than metropolitan Montreal.
If you are game, with perhaps another full week left in your alloted time, you should trek toward the Atlantic provinces first visiting the Gaspe Peninsula in eastern Quebec, then down along New Brunswick's east coast, perhaps making a day trip to Prince Edward Island if you're interested.
Then skip over to Nova Scotia and go immediately north to Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail for some striking scenery. A couple of days up there is plenty.
Then go to Halifax and enjoy the largest city in the maritime provinces. Have lunch or dinner at Peggy's Cove and maybe drive for a while down the Atlantic Coast south of Halifax.
Do take at least a few hours to see the highest tides on earth in the Truro, Nova Scotia area... or perhaps wait until returning through New Brunswick to visit "Hopewell Cape" for a full sense of how powerful the tides in the area really are.
Soon you're on your path back toward Toronto, to turn in your car and fly home.
You can decide how you're doing for time and let that dictate your route through New Brunswick and then maybe cover some of the backroads as you drive through Quebec.
So many of the small towns in Quebec have the most stunning churches... and you don't see them so well from the main highway. These towns were particularly prominent along the shores of the St. Lawrence River.
If you time everything perfectly you can get this full dose of Canada in the month of which you speak.
Some of the weather in the north and central regions can start to get uncomfortably cold by early October so by sticking with east and west, you're affording yourself the best chance of a fantastic trip.
Don't worry about the driving on the opposite side of the road. In Canada by late September you won't find that many cars in the rural areas where most of your driving will likely be.
Check airfares and things to determine which two spots to fly in and out of... it could be either Vancouver or Calgary in the west (since a circuitous loop makes most sense anyway)... and most likely Toronto or Montreal in the east.
Hope this helps in some way.
Jun 14th, 2005, 11:49 PM
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I'm not a Canadian expert but I've been to Calgary a couple of times, its a nice town but not worth spending any length of time there, half a day before the flight would be sufficient.
I thought Lake Peyto beside Lake Louise was spectacular.
I used to live in Toronto and my advice would be to take the bus to Niagara rather than renting a car as the bus station is in downtown Toronto and its a direct link that takes about 45 - 60 minutes. They leave about every 30 minutes and costs very little.
I would also highly recommend that you look at using www.priceline.com.hk for your hotel reservations and www.hotwire.com for your car rentals.
Priceline is great you can see what other people have paid for hotels in the places that your wanting to stay by using www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com, you'll be amazed at the savings, the only downside is that you don't always get the hotel you want and you can't cancel.
Geordie
I thought Lake Peyto beside Lake Louise was spectacular.
I used to live in Toronto and my advice would be to take the bus to Niagara rather than renting a car as the bus station is in downtown Toronto and its a direct link that takes about 45 - 60 minutes. They leave about every 30 minutes and costs very little.
I would also highly recommend that you look at using www.priceline.com.hk for your hotel reservations and www.hotwire.com for your car rentals.
Priceline is great you can see what other people have paid for hotels in the places that your wanting to stay by using www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com, you'll be amazed at the savings, the only downside is that you don't always get the hotel you want and you can't cancel.
Geordie
Jun 15th, 2005, 04:55 AM
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I would not pack all of Canada into one trip although one month is a good base.
My recommendation: Skip Toronto and concentrate of the Western parts of Canada. Take a look under www.hellobc.com
There are losts of good travel tips and hidden treasures in this part of Canada.
My recommendation: Skip Toronto and concentrate of the Western parts of Canada. Take a look under www.hellobc.com
There are losts of good travel tips and hidden treasures in this part of Canada.
Jun 15th, 2005, 07:15 AM
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Lots of good advice so far. The good parts I'd echo or add are:
1/ A car in Vancouver is worth the money and effort, and I'd suggest you spend one night at least in Victoria, so this might be your last day on the coast. Then from Victoria take the car ferry back to the mainland on day and drive into the mountainns that day.
2/ drive through the mountains, enjy them, make sure you see the Columbia Icefields, and perhaps, don't go as far north as jasper. After driving from Vancouver and spending lots of time in the mountains, Jasper can be simply more of the same.
3/ Calgary is well worth a day, but as others have said, if time is tight, probably a day is long enough. Edmonton is to be saved for your second or third trip to Canada.
4/ In the Calgary area, there are lots of small towns with weekend summer and early fall rodeos. If you can find one of these, it is well worth a day learning about this part of western Can/Am culture.
5/ From calgary, with all due respect to Winnipeg, Regina and the rest fo the west, fly to Toronto.
6/ You could spend two days with no car in Toronto, with no problem at all. Then rent a car early one morning, drive to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake, and that evening drive back past Toronto and getyourself a hotel near Cobourg or Port Hope or even Belleville, reached late in the evening, after dark.
7/ That means the next morning you are well on your way to somewhere -- two choices.
8, 9 etc all mixed together... You could go to Montreal, Quebec City, back to Montreal, then ottawa, then back to Toronto. Or Belleville to ottawa to Montral to Quebec City to Montreal, and fly home from there. Regardless, there are lots of circle routes -- Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston and the Thousand Islands, that you can work out so you get back to Toronto for your airplane, or choose to fly from Montreal.
PHOTOGRAPHY -- tell me more about what you like to shoot, how, etc., and I can add advice. Digital or film? Nature or Urban peoplescapes, etc. Want to vist some great caemra stores? Need processing in Canada?
September in Canada can include snow in Banff and beautiful colored leaves north of Toronto, Montreal, ottawa and Quebec City.
1/ A car in Vancouver is worth the money and effort, and I'd suggest you spend one night at least in Victoria, so this might be your last day on the coast. Then from Victoria take the car ferry back to the mainland on day and drive into the mountainns that day.
2/ drive through the mountains, enjy them, make sure you see the Columbia Icefields, and perhaps, don't go as far north as jasper. After driving from Vancouver and spending lots of time in the mountains, Jasper can be simply more of the same.
3/ Calgary is well worth a day, but as others have said, if time is tight, probably a day is long enough. Edmonton is to be saved for your second or third trip to Canada.
4/ In the Calgary area, there are lots of small towns with weekend summer and early fall rodeos. If you can find one of these, it is well worth a day learning about this part of western Can/Am culture.
5/ From calgary, with all due respect to Winnipeg, Regina and the rest fo the west, fly to Toronto.
6/ You could spend two days with no car in Toronto, with no problem at all. Then rent a car early one morning, drive to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake, and that evening drive back past Toronto and getyourself a hotel near Cobourg or Port Hope or even Belleville, reached late in the evening, after dark.
7/ That means the next morning you are well on your way to somewhere -- two choices.
8, 9 etc all mixed together... You could go to Montreal, Quebec City, back to Montreal, then ottawa, then back to Toronto. Or Belleville to ottawa to Montral to Quebec City to Montreal, and fly home from there. Regardless, there are lots of circle routes -- Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston and the Thousand Islands, that you can work out so you get back to Toronto for your airplane, or choose to fly from Montreal.
PHOTOGRAPHY -- tell me more about what you like to shoot, how, etc., and I can add advice. Digital or film? Nature or Urban peoplescapes, etc. Want to vist some great caemra stores? Need processing in Canada?
September in Canada can include snow in Banff and beautiful colored leaves north of Toronto, Montreal, ottawa and Quebec City.
Jun 15th, 2005, 07:15 AM
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I must say, after reading Northwest Male's itinerary for the eastern part of Canada, I will politely say that I personally would find doing all that (Toronto-Nova Scotia and back, while fitting in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, PEI, Gaspesie) in 12 days would drive me totally insane, and in my mind would be so rushed as to do nothing justice.
I would, if I were you, follow more your original plan for the east:
Day 1-3. Arrive Toronto. Explore the sights of Toronto over the 2-day period.
Day 4. Visit Niagara Falls, Niagara-on the-Lake, perhaps still holding on to your Toronto hotel.
Day 5. Drive to Ottawa, explore city a bit.
Day 6. Explore Ottawa.
Day 7. Easy drive to Montreal. Explore Montreal.
Day 8-9. Montreal.
Day 10. Drive to Quebec City
Day 11. Quebec City.
Day 12. Quebec City back to Toronto.
I would, if I were you, follow more your original plan for the east:
Day 1-3. Arrive Toronto. Explore the sights of Toronto over the 2-day period.
Day 4. Visit Niagara Falls, Niagara-on the-Lake, perhaps still holding on to your Toronto hotel.
Day 5. Drive to Ottawa, explore city a bit.
Day 6. Explore Ottawa.
Day 7. Easy drive to Montreal. Explore Montreal.
Day 8-9. Montreal.
Day 10. Drive to Quebec City
Day 11. Quebec City.
Day 12. Quebec City back to Toronto.
Jun 15th, 2005, 07:29 AM
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Sorry, hit "post my reply" too quickly. You could PERHAPS cut a day off Toronto, adding a day somewhere in Quebec (maybe to explore the Charlevoix region north of Quebec City); that's up to you though, depends if you want more city or scenery.
Even my plan has you moving pretty quickly in Ontario-Quebec. My itinerary has nothing against the Maritime provinces, which I think are great too; in my opinion, though, you would have to make a decision to choose between Ontario-Quebec or pick Nova Scotia-NB-PEI-maybe Gaspe in a 12 day period.
Bon voyage! DAN
Even my plan has you moving pretty quickly in Ontario-Quebec. My itinerary has nothing against the Maritime provinces, which I think are great too; in my opinion, though, you would have to make a decision to choose between Ontario-Quebec or pick Nova Scotia-NB-PEI-maybe Gaspe in a 12 day period.
Bon voyage! DAN
Jun 17th, 2005, 03:20 PM
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Just want to thank you all for your help and suggestions. Taking into account all your suggestions and those of other posts on the website, we are currently putting our itinerary together. Once we have finnished, will post to let you know what we have decided to do.
Jun 20th, 2005, 11:44 PM
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You've got lots of good advice from North Americans and here's some from an Aussie. We've been to Canada a few times and absolutely love it. Obviously you won't have enough time to do every thing but here's a few comments.
Last time we had about two weeks on the west coast and then flew across to Toronto for another ten days.
We took a hire car across to Vancouver Island and visited Tofino and fell in love with it. Quebec is out of this world and so completely different to anything in Australia so allow as much time as you can there. The old town in Montreal was a great place to visit and do make sure you visit Notre Dame Cathedral whilst there - really spectacular inside. Make sure you visit Niagara-on-the-Lake as well as Niagara Falls. The boat trip on Thousand Islands National Park near Kingston was good.
We've had no trouble driving on the wrong side of the road although the traffic in Toronto was horrific - much worse than anything we have come across previously. It certainly gives you the opportunity to stop and look when you want too. With a few exceptions, we found it better not to book accommodation ahead as it tied us down too much.
You're in for a great holiday - I'm envious.
Last time we had about two weeks on the west coast and then flew across to Toronto for another ten days.
We took a hire car across to Vancouver Island and visited Tofino and fell in love with it. Quebec is out of this world and so completely different to anything in Australia so allow as much time as you can there. The old town in Montreal was a great place to visit and do make sure you visit Notre Dame Cathedral whilst there - really spectacular inside. Make sure you visit Niagara-on-the-Lake as well as Niagara Falls. The boat trip on Thousand Islands National Park near Kingston was good.
We've had no trouble driving on the wrong side of the road although the traffic in Toronto was horrific - much worse than anything we have come across previously. It certainly gives you the opportunity to stop and look when you want too. With a few exceptions, we found it better not to book accommodation ahead as it tied us down too much.
You're in for a great holiday - I'm envious.
Jun 21st, 2005, 04:40 PM
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Daniel,
When considering that he's coming all the way from Australia, it doesn't exactly make sense to let him return with the impression that an appropriate image of Canada is along the lines of a single snapshot of, say, Watson Lake, Yukon.
For someone living in International Falls, Minnesota, perhaps it would seem that my suggestions might have him moving too fast, but maybe that isn't true for someone living not far from Tasmania.
Daniel, what would your itinerary be if you were taking a month to visit Australia?
Would you want to spend a week relaxing by a hotel pool in Toowomba?
Keep in mind that Canada is larger than OZ and then give the guy a chance to see a decent amount of it.
That was my inspiration for that collection of ideas.
Had he been coming from Boulder, Colorado I'd have made references to his "second trip to Canada", etc.
When considering that he's coming all the way from Australia, it doesn't exactly make sense to let him return with the impression that an appropriate image of Canada is along the lines of a single snapshot of, say, Watson Lake, Yukon.
For someone living in International Falls, Minnesota, perhaps it would seem that my suggestions might have him moving too fast, but maybe that isn't true for someone living not far from Tasmania.
Daniel, what would your itinerary be if you were taking a month to visit Australia?
Would you want to spend a week relaxing by a hotel pool in Toowomba?
Keep in mind that Canada is larger than OZ and then give the guy a chance to see a decent amount of it.
That was my inspiration for that collection of ideas.
Had he been coming from Boulder, Colorado I'd have made references to his "second trip to Canada", etc.
Jun 21st, 2005, 07:32 PM
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Northwest Male,
I maintain (going by having 12 days in Western Canada and 12 days in Eastern Canada) that IMO trying to see Toronto-Halifax and all the in-between you mentioned is *way* too much. Even my schedule I think has him moving pretty quickly over 12 days through the Niagara-Quebec City corridor, and there are some gems in even that region that I've not mentioned.
It's hard to say because I've never been, but if I went to Australia with 24 days, even if this were my only trip EVER to Australia, I would hate to be always on-the-go so I can "see everywhere in Australia". I'd probably rather take time to relax and get to Sydney and its many aspects more intimately, Melbourne more in depth (exploring on foot, going into various communities), etc... I think of my cousin who did a "whirlwind tour" of Europe, with one night in one place, 1/2 the day travelling, one more night, then move on to the next. She couldn't even remember what country she was in at times and felt it was way too "whirlwind" for her taste.
Everyone has their preferences of how to travel; my advice to tinmanran reflects my bias away from "whirlwind" travelling. All this said, I think it's great that you made all the suggestions that you did, to give our inquiring Australian a chance to consider the possibilities open to him, and perhaps consider an extension of his holiday.
Best wishes, DAN
I maintain (going by having 12 days in Western Canada and 12 days in Eastern Canada) that IMO trying to see Toronto-Halifax and all the in-between you mentioned is *way* too much. Even my schedule I think has him moving pretty quickly over 12 days through the Niagara-Quebec City corridor, and there are some gems in even that region that I've not mentioned.
It's hard to say because I've never been, but if I went to Australia with 24 days, even if this were my only trip EVER to Australia, I would hate to be always on-the-go so I can "see everywhere in Australia". I'd probably rather take time to relax and get to Sydney and its many aspects more intimately, Melbourne more in depth (exploring on foot, going into various communities), etc... I think of my cousin who did a "whirlwind tour" of Europe, with one night in one place, 1/2 the day travelling, one more night, then move on to the next. She couldn't even remember what country she was in at times and felt it was way too "whirlwind" for her taste.
Everyone has their preferences of how to travel; my advice to tinmanran reflects my bias away from "whirlwind" travelling. All this said, I think it's great that you made all the suggestions that you did, to give our inquiring Australian a chance to consider the possibilities open to him, and perhaps consider an extension of his holiday.
Best wishes, DAN
Jun 22nd, 2005, 10:30 AM
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Dan,
OK, that was more fair, but he did speak of "aiming to spend a month (in Canada)".
I think we both know that "seeing everywhere in (Australia or Canada)" was always unrealistic.
The "far north" of Canada and the central part of OZ can both be passed by for reasons of time.
I basically confirm that our Aussie friend can cover 'the far west' of Canada in 12-ish days as was his instinct. Also that if inclined to skip over the prairies, that he can move quickly across to eastern Canada and allow even more time there.
Maybe the best single iota of anything I said was that he might consider doing two "loops" to avoid one-way car rentals, and that he can consider either Vancouver OR Calgary in the west, and EITHER Toronto OR Montreal in the east, as the places to fly in and out of.
That would offer four combinations to work with for determining airfares and car rental rates. Although I suspect that inter-continental arrivals are mostly Vancouver and Toronto.
Oddly, that does NOT assure that it isn't somehow cheaper to be flying on a ticket punched Sydney to Calgary VIA Vancouver than Sydney-to-Vancouver.
Airfares in the States are like that all the time.
My first response was simply my first chance to read his words and then share what I know of Canada. I know the far western provinces quite well and I go to BC many times every year. Even though I'm out west I do have a great fondness for the maritime provinces, and I guess that showed too.
Trying to step into the shoes/eyes/mind of someone traveling from OZ to Canada certainly wasn't easy but Dan, rest assured that my sole intent was in trying to help with ideas, and not put him in training for a marathon.
My last vacation trip to Canada was actually a drive from Seattle to Alaska. It's 2400+ miles one-way and I either had to resign myself to DO it and go-go-go, or make other plans. Roughly 450 of those miles are in the U.S. ... and you can do the math on the rest.
I love Canada, but as it is still the 2nd-largest country on earth, there is just a lot of "go-go-go" involved in seeing it. (and sometimes "go-go-snow"
Just imagine how many thousands (actually millions) of square miles I left out.
OK, that was more fair, but he did speak of "aiming to spend a month (in Canada)".
I think we both know that "seeing everywhere in (Australia or Canada)" was always unrealistic.
The "far north" of Canada and the central part of OZ can both be passed by for reasons of time.
I basically confirm that our Aussie friend can cover 'the far west' of Canada in 12-ish days as was his instinct. Also that if inclined to skip over the prairies, that he can move quickly across to eastern Canada and allow even more time there.
Maybe the best single iota of anything I said was that he might consider doing two "loops" to avoid one-way car rentals, and that he can consider either Vancouver OR Calgary in the west, and EITHER Toronto OR Montreal in the east, as the places to fly in and out of.
That would offer four combinations to work with for determining airfares and car rental rates. Although I suspect that inter-continental arrivals are mostly Vancouver and Toronto.
Oddly, that does NOT assure that it isn't somehow cheaper to be flying on a ticket punched Sydney to Calgary VIA Vancouver than Sydney-to-Vancouver.
Airfares in the States are like that all the time.
My first response was simply my first chance to read his words and then share what I know of Canada. I know the far western provinces quite well and I go to BC many times every year. Even though I'm out west I do have a great fondness for the maritime provinces, and I guess that showed too.
Trying to step into the shoes/eyes/mind of someone traveling from OZ to Canada certainly wasn't easy but Dan, rest assured that my sole intent was in trying to help with ideas, and not put him in training for a marathon.
My last vacation trip to Canada was actually a drive from Seattle to Alaska. It's 2400+ miles one-way and I either had to resign myself to DO it and go-go-go, or make other plans. Roughly 450 of those miles are in the U.S. ... and you can do the math on the rest.
I love Canada, but as it is still the 2nd-largest country on earth, there is just a lot of "go-go-go" involved in seeing it. (and sometimes "go-go-snow"
Just imagine how many thousands (actually millions) of square miles I left out.
Jun 23rd, 2005, 04:57 AM
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Once again, thanks to all for their suggestions. OK here is what we've decided we are going to try to do. Just for you Daniel and NorthwestMale (or more likely for ourselves), we've tried to squeeze a few more days in. We may have a slight possibility of squeezing in a few more (2)on the east coast, but only slim.
We've investigated trying to get a flight into Toronto via Vancouver as a stopover, but we are unable to do so, so we need to fly into Vancouver and then do internal flights between Vancouver and Toronto and back to Vancouver to fly out.
DAY 1 Arrive Vancouver
DAY 2,3,4 Vancouver
DAY 5 Vancouver - Kelowna
DAY6 Kelowna - Field/Lake Louise/Banff
DAYS 7,8,9 Field/Lake Louise/Banff
DAY 10 Above - Jasper
DAYS 11,12 Jasper
DAY 13 Jasper - Kamloops
DAY 14 Kamloops - Whistler - Vancouver
DAY 15 Vancouver - Toronto flight
DAYS 16,17 Toronto
DAY 18 Toronto - Niagra
DAY 19 Niagra - Ottawa
DAY 20 Ottawa
DAY 21 Ottawa - Montreal
DAY 22 Montreal
DAY 23 Montreal - Quebec
DAY 24, 25 Quebec
DAY 26 Quebec - Toronto
DAY 27 Toronto - Vancouver - Australia
We haven't quite decided on where we will stay between Field/Lake Louise and Banff, but we will stay in that area.
We will hire a car when leaving Vancouver & Toronto to return in the same places, and use public transport while in these cities.
BAK, as regards to photography, use a digital SLR, but might bring a second film camera with as well. Probably won't need any processing in Canada as digital is not to bad now in Aus. Would get shot by the wife is I bought any more equipment, but probably be good to look. Like taking all kinds of shots, but I guess especially scenery & nature. Any tips of places and lighting is the mountains.
We've investigated trying to get a flight into Toronto via Vancouver as a stopover, but we are unable to do so, so we need to fly into Vancouver and then do internal flights between Vancouver and Toronto and back to Vancouver to fly out.
DAY 1 Arrive Vancouver
DAY 2,3,4 Vancouver
DAY 5 Vancouver - Kelowna
DAY6 Kelowna - Field/Lake Louise/Banff
DAYS 7,8,9 Field/Lake Louise/Banff
DAY 10 Above - Jasper
DAYS 11,12 Jasper
DAY 13 Jasper - Kamloops
DAY 14 Kamloops - Whistler - Vancouver
DAY 15 Vancouver - Toronto flight
DAYS 16,17 Toronto
DAY 18 Toronto - Niagra
DAY 19 Niagra - Ottawa
DAY 20 Ottawa
DAY 21 Ottawa - Montreal
DAY 22 Montreal
DAY 23 Montreal - Quebec
DAY 24, 25 Quebec
DAY 26 Quebec - Toronto
DAY 27 Toronto - Vancouver - Australia
We haven't quite decided on where we will stay between Field/Lake Louise and Banff, but we will stay in that area.
We will hire a car when leaving Vancouver & Toronto to return in the same places, and use public transport while in these cities.
BAK, as regards to photography, use a digital SLR, but might bring a second film camera with as well. Probably won't need any processing in Canada as digital is not to bad now in Aus. Would get shot by the wife is I bought any more equipment, but probably be good to look. Like taking all kinds of shots, but I guess especially scenery & nature. Any tips of places and lighting is the mountains.
Jun 23rd, 2005, 07:18 AM
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Hello tinmanran,
In general your itinerary is looking good. However, here are a couple of tweaks you could consider.
You could think about cutting your Jasper stay shorter by one night so that you can re-allocate that night to Montreal. You can get a good sense of the Jasper area if you spend one day driving from Lake Louise to Jasper, one day exploring Jasper's environs, and another day driving out through Mount Robson Provincial Park, as you will be doing on your way to Kamloops. Would it be nice to have a second full day in Jasper? Yes, it certainly would. But by that point you would have immersed yourselves in mountains quite a bit, whereas the current version of your itinerary gives you only one full day in Montreal, and I think it could really use a second full day.
Another thing I would do if I were you is get back to Vancouver on Day 26. Spend your last night in Canada in Vancouver, so that you "only" have to fly from Vancouver to Australia rather than Toronto - Vancouver - Australia on Day 27. The flight from Vancouver to Australia is quite long enough without having another leg added to it.
Just some things to think about.
In general your itinerary is looking good. However, here are a couple of tweaks you could consider.
You could think about cutting your Jasper stay shorter by one night so that you can re-allocate that night to Montreal. You can get a good sense of the Jasper area if you spend one day driving from Lake Louise to Jasper, one day exploring Jasper's environs, and another day driving out through Mount Robson Provincial Park, as you will be doing on your way to Kamloops. Would it be nice to have a second full day in Jasper? Yes, it certainly would. But by that point you would have immersed yourselves in mountains quite a bit, whereas the current version of your itinerary gives you only one full day in Montreal, and I think it could really use a second full day.
Another thing I would do if I were you is get back to Vancouver on Day 26. Spend your last night in Canada in Vancouver, so that you "only" have to fly from Vancouver to Australia rather than Toronto - Vancouver - Australia on Day 27. The flight from Vancouver to Australia is quite long enough without having another leg added to it.
Just some things to think about.
Jun 23rd, 2005, 08:16 AM
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Photo stuff:
Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and even Quebec City are great cities for night photographhy. If you can't make room for a real tripod, at least make room for a tiny tabletop tripod, which you can put onthe top of your car, on a park bench, or lean up against a telephone pole.
Polarizers for your lenses, especially when shooting water in the lakes and rivers in the Rocky Mountains. The color of the water is a weird blue/green, and cutting the glare makes this water look wonderful.
When you run out of memory, Future Shop and Best Buy stores will proably sell you memory cards for less than camera stores.
The cioties are places to be out and about in, in the evening. You might think about a 50mm f1.8 lens, assuming one's available for your camera, as a walk-around-at-night lens. Canon's 50mm f1.8 is about $120 in Canada. There are several good camera stores in Vancouver if you decide to wait until you get here.
It gets dark fairly late into the evening in western Canada in the summer, (even in September) so your photo days will be pretty long.
I've got way to many not-vry-good hazy pictures of the mountains; if they look grey and dull to your eyes, they will look the same to the camera. But grey mountain days make for beautiful lighting for things that are closer; river beds, little animals, flowers peeking through fresh snow...
BAK
Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and even Quebec City are great cities for night photographhy. If you can't make room for a real tripod, at least make room for a tiny tabletop tripod, which you can put onthe top of your car, on a park bench, or lean up against a telephone pole.
Polarizers for your lenses, especially when shooting water in the lakes and rivers in the Rocky Mountains. The color of the water is a weird blue/green, and cutting the glare makes this water look wonderful.
When you run out of memory, Future Shop and Best Buy stores will proably sell you memory cards for less than camera stores.
The cioties are places to be out and about in, in the evening. You might think about a 50mm f1.8 lens, assuming one's available for your camera, as a walk-around-at-night lens. Canon's 50mm f1.8 is about $120 in Canada. There are several good camera stores in Vancouver if you decide to wait until you get here.
It gets dark fairly late into the evening in western Canada in the summer, (even in September) so your photo days will be pretty long.
I've got way to many not-vry-good hazy pictures of the mountains; if they look grey and dull to your eyes, they will look the same to the camera. But grey mountain days make for beautiful lighting for things that are closer; river beds, little animals, flowers peeking through fresh snow...
BAK
