Terri

Has anyone done this? My husband and I will have a few weeks and are thinking of heading to Banff over the holidays. What route would you recommend, and, taking weather into account, how long would you expect to spend on the road? We are debating between I5 up to the TransCanada Hwy and 80 up to E. Oregon/Washington (weather might be too much of a factor with the latter).

We'll be driving a 4WD Audi Avant with good tires and also have chains (though have never needed them in the snow). Thanks for your suggestions.

Terri

lili

just my opinion, but it seems you're taking a bit too much on w/just two weeks, driving that much in the winter ... we were in banff in march and while the weather was nice, many of the roads off the main highway to sites in the park were still snowed in. i'd suggest flying and renting a car and doing some skiing in lake louise/banff if that's where your heart is set to go.
also, from souther british columbia (nelson) it took about 6-8 hours drive to get to banff, and that's in sunny march driving conditions. (if you do this anyway, get a natural hotspring book and stop at some of those along the way, the undeveloped ones are the best

John

On the I-5 corridor December would be a little early for snow to be a big factor - maybe a little in the Siskyous, maybe not. Ditto I-90 or the TC Hwy. over the Cascades; the Rockies are likely to be another story, however. From Seattle/Vancouver I'd allow 2 easy driving days to Banff, one is possible but it's a bear. If you're coming from southern Calif., you might take I-15 all the way to the border, from which it's around 200 mi. on to Banff. 3-4 days each way ought to handle it, faster if conditions permit. Remember daylight is very short, too.

I'd seriously consider some fly-drive alternatives, though, of which there are scads for skiiers et al. Remember Calgary is just down the road.

gary

John, I think you should check your geography. I-5 enters Canada just south of Vancuver where it becomes BC99.
From the border to Banff, using the Coquihalla to Kamloops and the Trans Canada #1 Kamloops to Banff is about 850 Kms or over 500 miles.

In December you will definately hit snow at the Coquihall summit and from Revelstoke through to Banff. The driving conditions for someone unused to snow could be very unpleasant. I'm with Lilli - if it's within your budget fly to Calgary and rent a car for Banff. I don't think any route between S.F. and Banff will be possible without hitting heavy winter conditions even if you drive East first to Salt Lake City and North through to the Alberta border although this might be a little less strenuous because it will involve freeways through the whole distance. If you insist on driving make sure you have good winter tires and read up on driving in winter conditions. Finally if you take the route to Banff from Vancouver take it in two stages - first day to Kamloops, second to Banff.

John

Thanks Gary, I've driven from Seattle to Banff on several occasions. I indicated the snow issue on the TCH would likely only be an issue in the Cascades (i.e.) past Hope, but that by the time one gets to Revelstoke/Golden etc. it is more likely. My time from Banff to YVR last time was around 8 hrs (via the Coquihalla and an extra hour in traffic crawling through the valley), hence I suggested 2 days approx. in winter, thereby allowing for slowdowns for snow. The Coquihalla is probably faster but is it higher and maybe more prone to snow than the main TCH? Methinks maybe.

Terri, I didn't immediately notice your possible use of I-80. Yukky IMO (rhymes with Truckee.) Too many mountain passes. You might keep an eye on the weather reports, and if it's okay, go I-5 to US 97, then north to I-90, then east to I-15 if you want. Like Gary said, more freeway, but there's still the problem of those pesky Rockies.

gary

Sorry John - when I reread your message I realized I'd misread it. I think we're both in agreement on our advice to Terri. If you can afford it - fly. In trying to drive getting there is not likely to be half the fun.

gary

Sorry John - once I reread your message I realized I'd misread it. I think we're in agreement in our advice to Terri to Fly if they can afford it. If they drive in all probablity it';s very unlikely that getting there will be half the fun.

terri

Thanks for your thoughtful suggestions. We're still trying to decide whether or not to drive. We've driven from Seattle before, just not in December. We'll keep an eye on the weather and road conditions as we get closer to going.

Terri

ja

Hi, terri-
Just adding my two cent's worth here.... as an Albertan, born and raised, and a driver in North-Central Alberta for over two decades, I'd definitely advise the fly/drive from Calgary option. The weather here in winter can undergo a radical change for the worse in just an hour; I would hesitate to undertake a highway drive of any duration here on the prairies in December, let alone in the mountains, and especially when very high-altitude (eg- Coquihalla) road conditions are involved. Play it safe!

SS

my two cents... the coquihalla is frequently plowed and just fine to drive on most days in the winter, of course at slower speeds than in the summer and take precautions. We drive it every xmas from vancouver to kamloops. Unless there is a huge storm, with a little common driving sense, good winter tires and a well maintained vehicle, you will be fine.

another option is to fly to vancouver and then drive from there - 2-3 days to banff easy....

gary

But if you're going to fly and Banff is where you're going - why fly into Vancouver instead of Calgary? The differance in fare is probably less than the cost of gas from Vancouver to Banff not to mention the overnight accomodation.