We will be spending around 3 and a half days in banff the third weekend of october (from 17th).Is that too much or too little a time to spend there ? we have a hard stop return to calgary to catch a flight after three and a half days.

Would a day/2 day trip to jasper be advisable or make banff the base and make trips from there ?

With only three days, I would stick to Banff/Lake Louise. The drive to Jasper is more than a one day trip; you can actually do it in one day but you spend your entire time driving and not stopping to enjoy the scenery. However, you could drive partway up the Icefields Parkway to see some of that scenery.

Hi,

We were in Banff in late July on our way to Alaska in our RV. I am doing a blog of the trip with pictures. If you want go to

www.northtoalaskajuly2009.blogspot.com

and go bsck to the posts in early Aug for Banff-two nights, Lake Louise-one night and Jasper-one night. You might find something to help your planning.

We are not hikers so, if you are planning on hiking you will need more time than we spent.

Have fun, it is beautiful country.

I love the mountains so I would say that three and a half days is not enough !!

Is this your first trip to the Canadian Rockies? There are many sights to see, and the time of the year that you travel makes a big difference to how much you see and what you can do.

If you can go directly to Jasper first, spend one night there, then drive to Lake Louise and Banff, that would maximize the territory that you visit. However, there is plenty to see and do in the Canmore-Banff-Lake Louise area.

Note that after the Thanksgiving weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving on October 12th this year), many of the tourist venues close for the winter season.

In October the days are much shorter than in July, so you'll have less time per day to see the sights for just that one reason (nearly 17 hours of daylight in early July as compared to less than 11 hours in mid-October).

And - since October is a transition month (the season is changing), you may encounter anything from warm sunny autumn days to snowy wintery days. Nights will definitely be cold and frosty. If it's clear the stars in the sky will be amazing.