cbg123

Hello my three friends and I are going on a road trip in May and we're having some trouble planning our itinerary. We are flying in from Toronto, not sure if we should fly in from Calgary or Edmonton. We plan on renting a car and travelling for ten days. Our places that are a must see for us are Banff, Jasper and Kelowna. We like hiking and adventure as well. We would like suggestions on the best way to go about our trip places to stop, suggestions on how long to stay, must see destinations and anything else can help!

justineparis

DEFINATELY fly into Calgary.. not Edmonton.

mdinbc

I think starting in Edmonton isn't such a bad idea; it is about 3.5 hour drive to Jasper, then you could head south through the parkway for a day or two to end up in Banff. then you could head west through the Kootenays to Invermere area where there is beatiful scenery and nice hotsprings.
Make your way west again through southern Kootenay area and end up in Osoyoos where you would head north through wine country and end up in Kelowna.

If you start in Calgary, it is very scenic heading west to Banff, but then you would have to head north and i'm not sure what direction you would go after Jasper.

kgsneds

There's nothing to recommend the drive between Edmonton and Jasper - long, boring and known for radar speed traps. You'll be wasting gas and energy.

Fly into Calgary, spend a night in Banff or Lake Louise, then head to Jasper for 2 nights, then back down to Banff/Lake Louise for 2-3 nights. Yes, it is back-tracking, but the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Lake Louise is one of the most scenic drives in North America, if not the world. You'll want two shots to see all the sites, especially if it's rainy/cloudy in one direction.

Then with your remaining 4-5 nights, do a loop in BC. Not sure what the specific attraction is in terms of Kelowna. In May, I'd head out via the Trans Canada - Revy the and then down via Vernon to Penticton/Osoyoos, where it will be pleasantly warm, good wine and pretty, but different scenery.

Note that May isn't going to be peak hiking season - the last ski resorts shut in mid May. What you will be able to do really depends heavily on the timing and the conditions. The higher lakes (Lake Louise etc) don't thaw until late May to early June and seasonal roads don't reopen until late May through mid June. So no access to Moraine Lake, for instance. Trails at higher elevations don't start being hikeable/safe until late May to as late as early July. In May, lower elevation trails around the townsite are your best bet, albeit you can still encounter ice/muck/mud and some snow.