Canmore/Banff to Vancouver in approx. 5 days. Can it be done? Enjoyable?
 

Hello!

My wife and I are from Manitoba and are wanting to take a trip to the Rockies. We will be arriving to Calgary on a Sunday evening or early Monday morning, renting a car and heading to Canmore ASAP. We have to be in Vancouver by Friday evening at about 5pm.

Is it possible to make an enjoyable and romantic road-trip between the two locations? We have heard great things about the area but neither of us have been. Is there anyone who has done something similar? Any suggestions people could make?

I would really appreciate the input from people from the area or who have made the trip.

Thanks!

Brett

Five days is plenty of time to drive from Calgary to Vancouver. It takes 11 hours to drive straight through. You have enough time to spend 2 or 3 days in different places along the way and do a little sight-seeing. Banff is a 1 hour drive from Calgary. The Okanagan is also a beautiful/romantic area and is about a 5-6 hour drive from Calgary. Then you would have about another 5-6 hour drive to Vancouver.

It's certainly possible. I'd stay in Canmore until Thursday morning. Spend the time exploring the sights of Banff and Lake Louise and perhaps Yoho Park. On Thursday, drive from Canmore to Kelowna through Yoho, Glacier and Revelstoke National Parks and through the Okanagan Valley. On Friday, depending on when you leave, you can take the fast route (over to the Coquihalla highway) or the longer route down the Okanagan valley and then via Highway 3 to Hope and into Vancouver.

LOL A doggie-cuzzi.

Along the same line, I read on another travel site about someone wanting a "dog spa" to leave their pet while they went away on vacation. Sheesh, when did kennels start offering treatments? Talk about niche marketing.

Oops, sorry about that folks.... don't know why that appeared here, it was supposed to be in another thread.

I wouldn't spend all that time in Canmore/Banff. There are lots of other beautiful spots along the route and that would leave the back part of the trip a bit rushed. You might want to spend a bit of time in the Schuswap/Sicamous area, or Revelstoke, or stop a few times along the Rogers' Pass...

Another option from Kamloops westward is to take the Trans-Canada instead of the Coquihalla. The scenery is fantastic through Hell's Gate.

Maybe depart Canmore/Banff on Wednesday to allow a bit more time along the way.

The Rockies are wonderful and you would see a lot just by driving through, but it would be better to stop and have a hike or a stroll in as many places as you can. If you are not hikers, the Banff Gondola is an easy option for great views, and there are roadside points of interest along your route through the parks. I would take the Highway 1A between Banff and Lake Louise for a more scenic drive and a better chance of seeing wildlife.
You could stay at Banff, Lake Louise, and Revelstoke, or just skip Lake Louise and do Banff to Revelstoke in a day.
I would use the Okanagan Valley as a stopping off point and spend at least a couple of nights there. Some of the vineyards have great restaurants, and of course there is good local wine wherever you go.
My personal favorite is Quails Gate - www.quailsgate.com
I would drive Okanagan to Vancouver in 1 day.

In addition to my comments above, if you don't spend the night in Lake Louise, you should still visit Lake Louise on your way through.

I second what bchiker says. After a day or two in the mountains near Banff/Lake Louise I would head west to the Okanagan area. The weather will be more predictable - and likely warmer too. Have a great trip.

tC

Thanks a lot for the responses every one.

Bchiker, we especially like the idea of visiting one of the vineyards. Thanks a lot for your input and we appreciate any others that come along to provide theirs as well!

Brett