Driving from Kelowna to Jasper
Apr 18th, 2005, 06:58 PM
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Driving from Kelowna to Jasper
My husband and I are spending 9-10 days driving through the Rockies in mid-May. We are driving from Vancouver to Kelowna overnight and then from Kelowna to Jasper. I know this is a very long drive, can you advise if it is best to go via Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway or up and around via Kamloops. According to my research, via Kamloops is quicker but via Lake Louise is much more scenic. We will be heading back to Lake Louise a few days later so we can really take our time to enjoy the Icefields Parkway on the way back. Is via Lake Louise too much for one day or with longer day light hours would it be do-able. We have already booked our accommodation but if really necessary we could swap it around and stay at Lake Louise first and then Japser if this would be better. Would appreciate any advice.
Apr 18th, 2005, 07:55 PM
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Hello Hills,
It is feasible to drive from Kelowna to Jasper via Lake Louise in a day. It takes 9 hours, not counting stops. In addition to that, you'll lose an hour when you cross from the Pacific to the Mountain Time Zone between Revelstoke and Golden, BC. So that means you should calculate the driving time as if it would take 10 hours, not counting stops.
To get from Kelowna to Jasper via Kamloops would take 7-1/2 hours, not counting stops, according to Map Quest. Time change makes it seem like 8-1/2 hours.
I personally do like the scenery between Revelstoke and Golden, and I think it would be a shame to miss it.
If I was driving from Kelowna to Jasper via Lake Louise in a day, this is how I think I would tackle it.
I'd skip breakfast and I'd pull out of the parking lot of my Kelowna accommodation at 7 am. I'd drive as far as Vernon, which is an hour away. That would take me to 8 am.
In Vernon I'd stop for half an hour to have breakfast, and I'd be on the road again at 8.30 am.
I'd drive 4 hours to Golden, where I would take an hour's break to have lunch and fill my car. To my body clock my arrival in Golden would feel like 12.30 pm, but actually it would be 1.30 pm because of the change in time zones.
After my hour-long lunch break, I'd be on the road again at 2.30 pm. It would take me 1 hour to drive to Lake Louise and an additional 3 hours to drive to Jasper, so I'd get to Jasper at 6.30 pm.
By the time I checked into my Jasper accommodation and found a place to eat, I might be able to sit down to dinner at 7.30 pm. A bit of a stretch, but not too bad.
Sunset in Jasper will be close to 9.30 pm.
But now that I've walked you through that day's potential itinerary, I'm wondering to myself why you're doing this. You're on vacation. Getting up early enough to be able to drive out of Kelowna at 7 am doesn't make sense to me.
As I mentioned in another thread, 9-10 days in the Rockies strikes me as being just a little much at that time of year. So I believe you easily can afford to deduct one day from some other place in the Rockies in order to make your Kelowna - Jasper drive more leisurely.
Kelowna to Lake Louise is 6 hours, not counting stops. Because of the change in time zones, treat it like 7 hours.
It is feasible to drive from Kelowna to Jasper via Lake Louise in a day. It takes 9 hours, not counting stops. In addition to that, you'll lose an hour when you cross from the Pacific to the Mountain Time Zone between Revelstoke and Golden, BC. So that means you should calculate the driving time as if it would take 10 hours, not counting stops.
To get from Kelowna to Jasper via Kamloops would take 7-1/2 hours, not counting stops, according to Map Quest. Time change makes it seem like 8-1/2 hours.
I personally do like the scenery between Revelstoke and Golden, and I think it would be a shame to miss it.
If I was driving from Kelowna to Jasper via Lake Louise in a day, this is how I think I would tackle it.
I'd skip breakfast and I'd pull out of the parking lot of my Kelowna accommodation at 7 am. I'd drive as far as Vernon, which is an hour away. That would take me to 8 am.
In Vernon I'd stop for half an hour to have breakfast, and I'd be on the road again at 8.30 am.
I'd drive 4 hours to Golden, where I would take an hour's break to have lunch and fill my car. To my body clock my arrival in Golden would feel like 12.30 pm, but actually it would be 1.30 pm because of the change in time zones.
After my hour-long lunch break, I'd be on the road again at 2.30 pm. It would take me 1 hour to drive to Lake Louise and an additional 3 hours to drive to Jasper, so I'd get to Jasper at 6.30 pm.
By the time I checked into my Jasper accommodation and found a place to eat, I might be able to sit down to dinner at 7.30 pm. A bit of a stretch, but not too bad.
Sunset in Jasper will be close to 9.30 pm.
But now that I've walked you through that day's potential itinerary, I'm wondering to myself why you're doing this. You're on vacation. Getting up early enough to be able to drive out of Kelowna at 7 am doesn't make sense to me.
As I mentioned in another thread, 9-10 days in the Rockies strikes me as being just a little much at that time of year. So I believe you easily can afford to deduct one day from some other place in the Rockies in order to make your Kelowna - Jasper drive more leisurely.
Kelowna to Lake Louise is 6 hours, not counting stops. Because of the change in time zones, treat it like 7 hours.
Apr 19th, 2005, 10:21 AM
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Hello,
I don't know, why you want to see Kelowna. Maybe you have special reasons for this.
In all other cases I would recommend a route via Kamloops. Vancouver -> Kamloops -> Wells Gray PP -> Jasper -> Banff -> Kelowna -> Vancouver is the classical round trip within BC&Alberta. Your schedule looks for me a little mixed up.
I don't know, why you want to see Kelowna. Maybe you have special reasons for this.
In all other cases I would recommend a route via Kamloops. Vancouver -> Kamloops -> Wells Gray PP -> Jasper -> Banff -> Kelowna -> Vancouver is the classical round trip within BC&Alberta. Your schedule looks for me a little mixed up.
Apr 19th, 2005, 10:37 AM
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Hills, tom22 is right. I hadn't realised you were doing a round trip out of Vancouver. My advice was based on a one-way trip, starting in Vancouver, ending in Calgary. Then, when I saw tom22's message I went back through your previous posts and realised you were going to be doing a round trip.
Jun 2nd, 2005, 12:16 PM
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I'm trying to plan a road trip, round trip leaving and returning to Vancouver that goes closely follows Tomm22's intinerary: Vancouver, Jasper, Golden, Banff and Kelowna back to Vancouver. Any itineraries, must-see's and places to stay would be GREATLY appreciated. p.s. It's for a group of Auzzie/Kiwi/South African males if that helps!
Jun 2nd, 2005, 01:07 PM
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Paul Beddows, a Vancouver resident, has created an excellent itinerary on his web site at:
http://www.vancouver.hm/drivebc.html
His itinerary is the circular route that tom22 has mentioned. Paul gives distances, approximate driving times, a map for each day's travel, and attractions to see along the way. He says his itinerary is designed for someone who has 10 - 14 days to spend on the trip.
In my opinion it's an excellent itinerary, a case of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Hope that helps.
http://www.vancouver.hm/drivebc.html
His itinerary is the circular route that tom22 has mentioned. Paul gives distances, approximate driving times, a map for each day's travel, and attractions to see along the way. He says his itinerary is designed for someone who has 10 - 14 days to spend on the trip.
In my opinion it's an excellent itinerary, a case of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Hope that helps.
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