sludick

Argh - I accidentally just deleted my post. At any rate, for #4:

I suggest you do not stop at either Revelstoke or Kamloops. Instead, aim for Salmon Arm or Sicamous for your overnight. Revelstoke is too soon, and Kamloops is just another city. In between Revelstoke and Sicamous, stop to stretch your legs and learn a little bit about the last spike driven in for the Canadian Pacific Railwood, linking the west and east coasts of Canada:

http://britishcolumbia.com/things-to...craigellachie/

sludick

Just to be clear, my above suggestion is based on the assumption you would be starting from Lake Louise and not Jasper. Yes, it is a very long drive between the Rockies and Vancouver; we usually make it a full 2-day drive.

steve_Australia

Thank you for that suggestion Sludick, interesting history is one of our driving factors for travelling - and yes, our plan is to drive from Lake Louise.

live42day

I will put in my 2 cents here. For the west coast and Vancouver, Victoria I suggest you book accommodation as soon as you narrow down your dates. The earlier you book the cheaper and more variety you have of places to stay. Tofino and Ucluelet especially book up quickly. Either Ucluelet or Tofino is just fine as you will most likely visit both anyhow. There are 1/2 hour from each other and both have much to offer. For a beachfront stay however Chestermans, Cox, Middle beach , (Tofino side) are your best options. Ucluelet is more of a rugged view. If you let me know what kind of accommodation you are looking for I can help with choices there. Just a hotel, or kitchenette?

We drove to Calgary via Jasper and Banff and return a couple years ago. Instead of staying in Banff we found a place just outside in Canmore which we really liked, it was beautiful, had some great hiking and close enough to Banff to visit but not be in the craziness of all the tourists. We did the gondola ride in Jasper and up close and personal (behind an electric fence barrier) with grizzly bears.

Sounds like a great trip.

steve_Australia

Thanks live42day. We are always interested in kitchenette accommodation rather than hotel if possible. My wife is coeliac so it is far better to do our own cooking where possible to avoid problems.
I would be interested in the accommodation just outside Canmore if possible as well please.

live42day

Steve we just found something at the last minute, it was a motel maybe the Rocky Mountain Ski lodge, but there are so many nice condos in Canmore. I meant that we stayed right in Canmore, which is just outside of Banff. If you look on something like booking.com lots of choices come up. I would book before too long for here as well as it is quite popular.

steve_Australia

Thanks LIVE42DAY. Yes, we took your advice and booked in Canmore. Banff was way too expensive, so we are happy with our choice.
Speaking of accommodation though, we are having a lot of trouble finding affordable accom. in Jasper. Is there a town similar to Canmore - not far from Jasper and much cheaper?
Also, once we have left Jasper we plan to drive south down the Icefields Parkway and then stay at Field, BC and Salmon Arm, BC before driving on to Whistler. But again, we are having trouble finding accommodation in those two places. Do you have any other recommendations other than Field and Salmon Arm when driving from Jasper to Whistler?

sludick

Have you tried Sicamous rather than Salmon Arm? They are close. We've stayed in the Best Western in Sicamous and it's pretty good.

If you are looking at May next year, it's possible that it's too early in the season for some properties. We enjoy staying in Patricia Lake Bungalows in Jasper (slightly outside town, woodsy with a lake). https://patricialakebungalows.com/units-rates/ However, there is not another town close by, so lodging can be pretty scarce in the Jasper area. Haven't used them, but private home accommodations are common there - check https://stayinjasper.com/.

steve_Australia

Thanks Sludick, I will look at both your suggestions.

DaveS

Our go to in Jasper is Patricia Lake Bungalows as mentioned by Sludick, appears they open May 1st and with very reasonable rates then. I’d be surprised if they’re booked in May, send them an email. Our past two trips we waited too long and Patricia Lake was booked so we stayed at Becker’s South of Jasper, nice place as well and reasonable. Field is a very small town with limited accommodation, you might have to go to Golden.