Going from Toronto to Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia
Jun 4th, 2011, 12:54 PM
#1
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Going from Toronto to Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia
I will be going to those locations with about 4 other people for a month during the summer. I was wondering, should i purchase a guidebook for each location? or just a basic Canada one? Also, are there any places in each province you recommend? one month isn't enough time to see every part of those provinces.
Could you also give me some tips on how to use these guidebooks? i'm new to the "planning with guidebooks" world and don't want to become too dependent on them. haha, thank you!
Could you also give me some tips on how to use these guidebooks? i'm new to the "planning with guidebooks" world and don't want to become too dependent on them. haha, thank you!
Jun 4th, 2011, 01:33 PM
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To start, lookup all four provinces on the internet and contact the tourist boards, and have them send you information. All four will have excellent materials.
Can you tell us more about yourself and your group? Do you have any particular interests, hobbies, etc.
Three of the provinces have very big, and very intresting cities, (not Saskatchewan, which has two medium sized cities with le4ss of interest, but worth a day each, depending...)
And how are you getting around? Will you have a car in each province? Will you have a car to get from province to province?
The big advantage of a good guide book is that you can get an idea of what is there before you arrive, instead of cominghome and realizing you missed something you would have really enjoyed.
All four provinces have a lot of outdoors to them -- lakes, forests, farms to visit, ranches to visit in Alberta and British Columbia; mountains in Alberta and B.C., too
Start witgha good CANADA guide book -- lots of us here believe Fodor's books are really good, and some of us are quoted in them.
After some research inthe CANADA book, you may decide you want a provincial guide, or, in regard to Toronto and Vancouver most likely, a city guide book.
Tell us more.
BAK
Can you tell us more about yourself and your group? Do you have any particular interests, hobbies, etc.
Three of the provinces have very big, and very intresting cities, (not Saskatchewan, which has two medium sized cities with le4ss of interest, but worth a day each, depending...)
And how are you getting around? Will you have a car in each province? Will you have a car to get from province to province?
The big advantage of a good guide book is that you can get an idea of what is there before you arrive, instead of cominghome and realizing you missed something you would have really enjoyed.
All four provinces have a lot of outdoors to them -- lakes, forests, farms to visit, ranches to visit in Alberta and British Columbia; mountains in Alberta and B.C., too
Start witgha good CANADA guide book -- lots of us here believe Fodor's books are really good, and some of us are quoted in them.
After some research inthe CANADA book, you may decide you want a provincial guide, or, in regard to Toronto and Vancouver most likely, a city guide book.
Tell us more.
BAK
Jun 5th, 2011, 02:48 PM
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Oh! thank you for that, I'll make sure to call and ask for a few things .
there will be about 5 of us, we're about 18-20, we were planning to get around mostly by Greyhound, bikes, city transportation systems, etc.
We wanted to do a lot of hikes, canoeing, bike riding, zip lining, the such. so more physical?
We had planned to sleep at hostels, campsites, and probably rent a house in the places we stay longer.
We had intended to spend about 1000 or so each for transportation,1500-2000 for accommodations and the such, and an additional 3000 on other
yup
thank you for the tips!
there will be about 5 of us, we're about 18-20, we were planning to get around mostly by Greyhound, bikes, city transportation systems, etc.
We wanted to do a lot of hikes, canoeing, bike riding, zip lining, the such. so more physical?
We had planned to sleep at hostels, campsites, and probably rent a house in the places we stay longer.
We had intended to spend about 1000 or so each for transportation,1500-2000 for accommodations and the such, and an additional 3000 on other
yup
thank you for the tips!
Jun 6th, 2011, 05:53 AM
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Good. Travelling kids. We need more of you.
First, Canada is huge, so keep this in mind.
Vancouver will be your favorite city. Municipal bus service and a ferryboat called the sea bus, get you around very well, from urban downtown to hiking trails and kayak rentals in Deep Cove. There are downtown beaches with swimmable water.
Canada is not a hotel-country like so much of Europe, but you will find some.
Check http://www.globalbackpackers.com/ in Toronto, at the corner of King Street West and Spadina Avenue. This is on the edge of the entertainment district, near lots of interesting places for you.
My office for 20 years was a couple of blocks away.
Can't help on other hostels.
Check the bus company for multiday passes, but alsocheck Viarail Canada, which is Canada's national passenger railroad.
www.viarail.ca
Via has some special youth fares, package fares, etc., depending ontime of year, and you may be able to find some trips where you sleep on the train.
Check your times with on-line schedules. You may find that, like most Canadians, time forces you to just ride through Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Where are you from?
First, Canada is huge, so keep this in mind.
Vancouver will be your favorite city. Municipal bus service and a ferryboat called the sea bus, get you around very well, from urban downtown to hiking trails and kayak rentals in Deep Cove. There are downtown beaches with swimmable water.
Canada is not a hotel-country like so much of Europe, but you will find some.
Check http://www.globalbackpackers.com/ in Toronto, at the corner of King Street West and Spadina Avenue. This is on the edge of the entertainment district, near lots of interesting places for you.
My office for 20 years was a couple of blocks away.
Can't help on other hostels.
Check the bus company for multiday passes, but alsocheck Viarail Canada, which is Canada's national passenger railroad.
www.viarail.ca
Via has some special youth fares, package fares, etc., depending ontime of year, and you may be able to find some trips where you sleep on the train.
Check your times with on-line schedules. You may find that, like most Canadians, time forces you to just ride through Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Where are you from?
Jun 6th, 2011, 06:16 AM
#5
The hostel you want to stay in in Toronto is the HI Hostel at 76 Church Street. http://www.hihostels.ca/
I spent 1 night in the other (backpackers). It has a barroom on the ground floor and noisy patrons. The streetcar making the turn outside at all hours of the night was not good either.
The Hosteling International hostels are always better.
Check on joining CAA for up to date information.
Are you going as far as Jasper? I like the HI hostel just outside Jasper as well.
I spent 1 night in the other (backpackers). It has a barroom on the ground floor and noisy patrons. The streetcar making the turn outside at all hours of the night was not good either.
The Hosteling International hostels are always better.
Check on joining CAA for up to date information.
Are you going as far as Jasper? I like the HI hostel just outside Jasper as well.
Jun 6th, 2011, 01:08 PM
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I should have made it clearer that we are from Toronto and am going from Toronto directly to Saskatchewan and starting our trip from there. That you both for the tips though x)
Any whoo, we had planned to either fly or take the Greyhound to Regina then to a few places in between and finally up to Saskatoon, then from Saskatoon to Lloydminister to Edmonton, etc. but I'm not too sure of places in between that are not so well known...we will surely stop by in Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise and the such, but we want to spend the most time in British Columbia.
@tomfuller, yes we would like to stop by Jasper, so thanks!
Any whoo, we had planned to either fly or take the Greyhound to Regina then to a few places in between and finally up to Saskatoon, then from Saskatoon to Lloydminister to Edmonton, etc. but I'm not too sure of places in between that are not so well known...we will surely stop by in Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise and the such, but we want to spend the most time in British Columbia.
@tomfuller, yes we would like to stop by Jasper, so thanks!
Jun 6th, 2011, 08:18 PM
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I wouldn't get a guidebook on Canada as more than half the book will be devoted to areas you aren't going to. Instead, I would start with the provincial tourism websites:
http://www.hellobc.com/
http://www.travelalberta.com/
http://www.sasktourism.com/
... and of course, you can go through the regional sections right here on Fodor's:
\
http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/canada/
If you are planning on driving from Saskatoon to Edmonton, you may want to stop at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village and/or Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton.
http://culture.alberta.ca/museums/hi...e/default.aspx
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/elkisland/index.aspx
http://www.hellobc.com/
http://www.travelalberta.com/
http://www.sasktourism.com/
... and of course, you can go through the regional sections right here on Fodor's:
\
http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/canada/
If you are planning on driving from Saskatoon to Edmonton, you may want to stop at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village and/or Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton.
http://culture.alberta.ca/museums/hi...e/default.aspx
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/elkisland/index.aspx
Jun 8th, 2011, 08:47 AM
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Is there any wisdom in you buying a car, using it for the trip, and selling it after? Buy the time you pay for five tickets to various places on various transportation services, maybe a used car would be an OK financial deal, and lots more convenient.
Don't forget to include insurnce if you run the numbers.
Anyway: the south-west corner of Saskatchewan and into Alberta, south of the Transcanada, is fascinating rolling hills territory. Makes you think a cattle drive will come over the horizon in a few minutes.
Drumheller for dinosaurs.
Keep an eye open for posters, small town newspapers, advertising weekend rodeos. No need for the Calgary Stampede.
It's a long ride (and quite boring) from Edmonton to Jasper, so think about going to Calgary and Banff and then up to Jasper through the mountains and either back down to Banff, or turn south west from Jasper to get to Vancouver.
BAK
Don't forget to include insurnce if you run the numbers.
Anyway: the south-west corner of Saskatchewan and into Alberta, south of the Transcanada, is fascinating rolling hills territory. Makes you think a cattle drive will come over the horizon in a few minutes.
Drumheller for dinosaurs.
Keep an eye open for posters, small town newspapers, advertising weekend rodeos. No need for the Calgary Stampede.
It's a long ride (and quite boring) from Edmonton to Jasper, so think about going to Calgary and Banff and then up to Jasper through the mountains and either back down to Banff, or turn south west from Jasper to get to Vancouver.
BAK
Jun 8th, 2011, 01:58 PM
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Thanks ShelliDawn! I'll be sure to look at both the site and guidebook
@BAK. well..none of us have gotten our G yet so we can't really drive on highways..so a car isn't really an option right now..nonetheless! thanks for the other tips!We do want to attend the Calgary stampede just to say we have..but we'll surely check out a couple of smaller ones. and yeah, we had planned to go from edmonton to calgary to banff and bike to jasper/lake louise
@BAK. well..none of us have gotten our G yet so we can't really drive on highways..so a car isn't really an option right now..nonetheless! thanks for the other tips!We do want to attend the Calgary stampede just to say we have..but we'll surely check out a couple of smaller ones. and yeah, we had planned to go from edmonton to calgary to banff and bike to jasper/lake louise
Jun 9th, 2011, 03:17 PM
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I hate to say it, but Regina has to be the lease interesting city in Canada - and I am being kind.
Regina to Saskatoon to Lloydminster to Edmonton is not the most interesting part of Saskatchewan, either. North of Saskatoon and southwest of Regina both provide far more opportunities for sight-filled hiking, camping, etc..
Regina to Saskatoon to Lloydminster to Edmonton is not the most interesting part of Saskatchewan, either. North of Saskatoon and southwest of Regina both provide far more opportunities for sight-filled hiking, camping, etc..
Jun 10th, 2011, 05:05 AM
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We had put Saskatoon and Regina because we had family that lived there, in addition, we weren't going to spend too much time in saskatchewan anyways x) so just a few places would've been fine. but thank you ! i'll be sure to ask what the others think
