Help! Need Last Minute Advice on Itinerary!
Jul 16th, 2009, 08:02 AM
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Help! Need Last Minute Advice on Itinerary!
Hi,
After seeing an alluring photo in the NYTimes of the Sunshine Coast, I booked my one-week vacation to BC—my husband and I are leaving in a little over a week. Our plan is to fly into Vancouver, spend 4 nights in Halfmoon Bay on the Sunshine Coast, head back to Vancouver for one night, and then make the big drive over to Banff, where we’ll spend three nights before flying out of Calgary.
While I can’t change the second leg of the trip (we are OK with the long drive), recent research has made me conclude that perhaps we’d be better off spending the first leg of our trip on Vancouver Island (specifically, Tofino), rather than Halfmoon Bay on the Sunshine Coast. There just doesn’t seem to be much going on there. Am I wrong? I still have time to do the switch from Sunshine Coast to Tofino.
We love to hike and spend time on the beach, and eat.
What do you guys think? I just want to make sure I get the full BC experience, and we really want the first half of our trip to be fantastic (from what I read, Banff/Lake Louise can’t not be fantastic!)
Thanks in advance for any help.
Best,
Leah
After seeing an alluring photo in the NYTimes of the Sunshine Coast, I booked my one-week vacation to BC—my husband and I are leaving in a little over a week. Our plan is to fly into Vancouver, spend 4 nights in Halfmoon Bay on the Sunshine Coast, head back to Vancouver for one night, and then make the big drive over to Banff, where we’ll spend three nights before flying out of Calgary.
While I can’t change the second leg of the trip (we are OK with the long drive), recent research has made me conclude that perhaps we’d be better off spending the first leg of our trip on Vancouver Island (specifically, Tofino), rather than Halfmoon Bay on the Sunshine Coast. There just doesn’t seem to be much going on there. Am I wrong? I still have time to do the switch from Sunshine Coast to Tofino.
We love to hike and spend time on the beach, and eat.
What do you guys think? I just want to make sure I get the full BC experience, and we really want the first half of our trip to be fantastic (from what I read, Banff/Lake Louise can’t not be fantastic!)
Thanks in advance for any help.
Best,
Leah
Jul 17th, 2009, 06:54 PM
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Well, haven't been to either Tofino or Halfmoon Bay, but just checked out the travel time to Halfmoon and it would be quicker to get there then Tofino.
Plotted out travel time to Halfmoon Bay through Google Maps (did a West Georgia Street, Vancouver - which is a major road in downtown Vancouver) and it came out to 2 1/2 hours travel time total.
Same start point to Tofino on Vancouver Island (including ferry) totals 6 1/2 hours travel time.
Now..considering the drive from Vancouver to Banff is about a 9 1/2 hour drive (on a good day with no stops) you have a long second leg ahead of you. The drive will be even longer since we are in prime holiday time here in Vancouver so the highways out of Vancouver are busy...and the major highways heading from Vancouver to Banff can be really busy. I often drive to Revelstoke, which is 3 hours west of Banff, and on a good day with few stops it takes at least 6 1/2 hours...that`s with no sightseeing.
Anyways, all that said...I would recommend going to the Sunshine Coast for your first leg. The scenery is amazing anywhere along the coast in BC and I know you will still get the full BC experience.
Hope that helps!
Plotted out travel time to Halfmoon Bay through Google Maps (did a West Georgia Street, Vancouver - which is a major road in downtown Vancouver) and it came out to 2 1/2 hours travel time total.
Same start point to Tofino on Vancouver Island (including ferry) totals 6 1/2 hours travel time.
Now..considering the drive from Vancouver to Banff is about a 9 1/2 hour drive (on a good day with no stops) you have a long second leg ahead of you. The drive will be even longer since we are in prime holiday time here in Vancouver so the highways out of Vancouver are busy...and the major highways heading from Vancouver to Banff can be really busy. I often drive to Revelstoke, which is 3 hours west of Banff, and on a good day with few stops it takes at least 6 1/2 hours...that`s with no sightseeing.
Anyways, all that said...I would recommend going to the Sunshine Coast for your first leg. The scenery is amazing anywhere along the coast in BC and I know you will still get the full BC experience.
Hope that helps!
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