We plan to travel this July to Glacier Park, Montana to visit our friends. Rather than flying back right away, we though we would drive perhaps north to Banff, stay for a few days, and fly back from Kalgary. We were wondering: (1) Is it a pleasant drive from Glacier Park to Banff? (2) Is it possible to rent a car at Kalispel & return it at Kalgary?

Hello Miya,

Yes, it's a pleasant drive from Glacier National Park to Banff.

Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park adjoins the U.S.'s Glacier National Park immediately to the north. Like Glacier National Park, Waterton is in the Rockies. From Waterton, you would take Hwy #6 to Pincher Creek. This would take you out of the Rocky Mountains into the foothills landscape. At Pincher Creek you would turn west on Hwy #3 to Frank Slide. At Frank Slide you would turn north on Hwy #22. You would pass the foothills communities of Longview and Black Diamond and eventually reach Hwy #1 (the east-west Trans Canada Highway). You would drive west until you rejoined the Rocky Mountains at Canmore or Banff.

Here is a map of Alberta:

http://www.watertoninfo.ab.ca/mapab.html

Although the route would be a little longer, it also would be possible to cross over into British Columbia, and approach Banff from that direction. In that case you would take Hwy #3 from Pincher Creek to Cranbrook. Then you would turn north on Hwy #93 and drive through Radium Hot Springs until you reached Hwy #1 between Lake Louise and Banff townsite.

Here's a map of the B.C. Rockies area:

http://www.travel.bc.ca/regions/bc_rockies/

The Calgary Stampede, a big annual rodeo festival, will be on from July 9 through July 18. Calgary gets very booked up during that time. July and August are prime tourist months in the Canadian Rockies anyway, and the Stampede adds to the numbers, as there are people who want to see both the mountains and the Stampede. Unfortunately this puts pressure on accommodation prices in the Rockies. Rates are way higher in the summer than they are in the spring.

Calgary is very booked up during Stampede, so if your visit happens to coincide with Stampede and you want to spend a night or two here before flying out, you should make your Calgary reservations ASAP.

Spending a day at the rodeo is fun, but if you don't want to do that it may be possible to largely avoid Calgary. Since Canmore and Banff townsite are only 1 hour and 1.5 hours from Calgary respectively, you may be able to spend your last night in Canmore or Banff, especially if your departing flight is not too early in the morning.

And, yes, it's possible to rent a car in Kalispell and return it in Calgary. You may be more limited in the car rental companies you can use. I did a test request for this option at Avis's website (using them as an example of a major car rental company), and it was available. You may have to pay a drop off fee for picking up in one location and dropping off in another.

Hope this helps.

Miya, I forgot to mention that driving from Waterton to Banff along Hwy #22 would take about 3 hours without stops.

If you take that route, however, I suggest taking a detour to see Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre:

http://www.head-smashed-in.com/

You need a couple of hours to do the Interpretive Centre justice. Add to that the fact that you would need to drive a little out of your way to see it, you would need to stop for lunch somewhere, and your trip from Waterton to Canmore or Banff townsite would become an all-day affair. But it would be a pleasant way of spending a day.

Judy,
Thank you for your helpful info.

Miya

I have a question for Judy in Calgary..
We are looking at the same trip as this poster. Want to fly into Montana, see Glacier National Park and then head up to Banff and Lake Louise. Thinking of either renting a car or train to get up to them. Do you have any recommendations as to which might be better. While visiting Glacier we would like to stay at a hotel on the Canadian side of which I cannot remember the name, so hopefully you do. It was an older lodge type hotel on a knoll with a beautiful viewing looking directly down the lake with a very large porch. We saw it on the travel channel. We would like to stay at the Fairmont's in Banff and Lake Louise. We were then thinking of flying home from there. You seem very knowledgeable in this part of the country. Do you have any recommendations on the above as what might be logistically wrong with our thoughts. ANy suggestions, comments etc are greatly appreciated. Also, we were thinking of about 7 to 10 days. Would that be too long, too short?
We love nature, hiking and as this will be a anniversary trip we would like some nicer accommodations.
Thanks a bunch!

Hi Milkeway4,

There are people here who know way more about the area than I do, and I hope they'll weigh in with their opinions and advice. Nonetheless, I'll try to answer your questions.

>>>>>>Want to fly into Montana, see Glacier National Park and then head up to Banff and Lake Louise. Thinking of either renting a car or train to get up to them. Do you have any recommendations as to which might be better.<<<<<<

I don't know of a passenger train from Montana to Alberta. The only passenger trains of which I'm aware around here are ones that travel roughly east-west, So, as far as I know, driving is the most realistic option.

>>>>>>While visiting Glacier we would like to stay at a hotel on the Canadian side of which I cannot remember the name, so hopefully you do. It was an older lodge type hotel on a knoll with a beautiful viewing looking directly down the lake with a very large porch. We saw it on the travel channel.<<<<<<

I don't know how feasible it would be to stay on the Canadian side of the border and do justice to Glacier National Park. I really don't know.

All the same, since you asked, I imagine the hotel to which you're referring is the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park. I have never stayed there, and I don't know anyone who has. Please do more research on it. I notice the comments at Tripadvisor are rather critical.

If you have not already posed questions about Glacier National Park on the Fodors United States forum, I expect you would get a lot of good answers there.

>>>>>>We would like to stay at the Fairmont's in Banff and Lake Louise.<<<<<<

First let me say I think Lake Louise is a great base for seeing the Canadian Rockies. You can use it as a base for visiting Johnston Canyon and Banff townsite to the east, the Columbia Icefields to the north, and Yoho National Park to the west.

Second let me say that the Fairmont property, Chateau Lake Louise, is in an incomparable location overlooking the lake.

That said, the Chateau does get mixed reviews here, and it also has received mixed reviews from my personal friends. A recent poster praised it very highly. He said it was clean, friendly, served excellent food, etc., etc. Yet another poster, reviewing it after a Christmas 2003 / New Year 2004 trip, said the food was merely okay and the furnishings and fixtures were getting tired.

Points that go against the Chateau, in my opinion, are that it accommodates a lot of tours, and one shares the lakefront path with umpteen day trippers.

The Post Hotel, a very upscale log cabin style place in the village of Lake Louise, would provide you with a cosier, more intimate atmosphere. The Post Hotel also is renowned for its cuisine. It's horribly expensive during high season, though -- at least it is by the standards of my budget. Please come back and ask more questions if you want more reasonably priced suggestions.

>>>>>>We were then thinking of flying home from there.<<<<<<

Calgary is the most practical departure point if you've been staying in Lake Louise, Banff or Canmore. However, I would strongly advise you to reserve an outgoing flight that departs at noon or later. You'd have a 2 hour drive from Lake Louise to Calgary. If you're flying to a destination outside of Canada, you have to be at the airport 2 hours before your flight. Add an hour for something to go wrong, for your rental car drop off to take longer than expected or whatever, and you're looking at departing from Lake Louise 5 hours prior to your flight.

If you must catch a morning flight out of Calgary, it's better to overnight in Calgary.

If you want a "special" hotel in Calgary for your last night, the Kensington Riverside Inn is a small, charming, 4 star hotel just outside of the downtown core.

The Fairmont property in Calgary, the Palliser, is an excellent hotel, but I advise against going into downtown Calgary and trying to navigate the one way streets. To my mind that precludes the Palliser.

A hotel that's conveniently situated with respect to the airport is the Greenwood Inn. It's located in a less than exciting commercial district, but it's a pleasant, clean, comfortable place with friendly staff.

>>>>>>Also, we were thinking of about 7 to 10 days. Would that be too long, too short?<<<<<<

If your vacation time permits, I think it would be nice to take the longer option of 10 days. I don't recommend Calgary to people who are very rushed, as it's way more important to see the mountains than it is to see Calgary, in my opinion. However, if you're able to stretch your trip to 10 days, I think you'd be able to end off with a full day in Calgary, and I do think there is enough here to keep someone meaningfully occupied for a day.

Having flown to that part of North American several times in the last 20 years, I have a few suggestions to offer.

First, trains? That is not exactly how you will get there.

Second, rental car from Kalispell returning it in Calgary? That may be perhaps possible in execution, but by the time you pay the price it will not be.

Car rental feels out of Calgary tend to be very expensive, and dropping a rental car in a foreign country carries a substantial price tag as well.

The last time I rented a car in Kalispell I ended up with Rent a Wreck because the others were so expensive. Even then, I had a milage cap placed on the rental agreement.

I suggest you simplify your trip both in coming and going and in cost and fly in and out of Calgary. It is a very accessible airport, a very good airport, and accommodations around the airport, within 5 miles easy driving, are outstanding. (My personal choice is the Greenwood Inn. A very nice almost luxury room is reasonable, assuming you arrive toward the end of the stampede or after it is over.)

That said, let me offer a few more comments. The drive along Alberta 22 from Lundbeck to Longview is 111 K.
At Longview, the route turns west for 50 k to route 541. From there, Banff is another 150K, thereabouts. (Map figures indistinct.)
The route via 541 takes you past the entrance to Peter Lougheed Provincial park. It is one of the provincial park jewels of Alberta and visiting it is suggested. From Peter Lougheed, the route continues north through glaciated peaks to the Trans Canada, and then west through Canmore to Banff.

If you do decide to make life less expensive and fly in and out of Calgary, let me suggest that you bring your passport, and for the rental vehicle, have a note from the rental desk saying that you have permission to drive the car across the border.

Even so be prepred for a bunch of stupid questions like "What is your name?" when the border agent is looking at your passport. And the next thriller is "Whose car is this?" although you have just handed him a rental contract.

A compact car from Hertz rented at the Kalispell airport will run you about $690 for two weeks.
If you rent in Calgary, and return in Kalispell, you can get a Ford Taurus for 1380 Canadian that equates to about $1160 US.

If you go Calgary all the way, you can rent the car for 2 weeks at a rate of
$190 weekly or a total of about $380.

I might add that auto return at Calgary is the easiest of any airport I have ever used in the United States, Canada, or Western Europe.
Last summer when I returned the car, I was checked in before the car stopped rolling. I am not joking. The checkin person saw me coming, read the number, put it into her hand-held computer terminal device, and handed me my receipt while I was getting out of the car.

At any rate, I do suggest you consider some of the fiscal realities of the situation before progressing with your plans. Of course if a rental fee of $1300 for two weeks is trivial, more power to you.

WOW!!!!!! I'm impressed with all of your help. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! You have given me much to think about. I will take some time now, research your information and will probably come back with more questions. Our Anniversary is actually the third week in August but we could certainly go in September if thats better. THe Post Hotel certainly sounds more like what I have a tendency to lean towards. Private, intimate and elegant. The rental car advise is also something I will have to look into. I would probably do better on flights if I flew in and out of Calgary rather than into Montana and out of Calgary.
Thank you all again VERY MUCH for your help! I have a lot of fun homework to do!
Have a nice evening.

The Post is a good place. I suggest you give it very strong evaluations.
I am reluctant to say "take it" but I will say take a good look before turning it down.

And, if you plan on going over the line to the USA, I was not trying to convey mirth about the crossing. I did get the 3rd degree despite that fact I had my passport and the rental contract.
Not good enough I suppose.
If you do rent a car in Calgary and drive it to the states, be sure to have in writing from the rental agency that you have fully disclosed and discussed with them that you will cross the border.

The Canadian officials will not give you a hard time if you answer pleasantly and directly. Hint: remove your sun glasses. The Canadian border guys and girls are skilled at reading expressions. I also suggest you turn the engine off. There is a standard set of question all entrants into Canada will be asked about alcohol, liquor and firearms. If you give polite, audible answers I think you will be on your way in just a very few minutes without having to show any documents. (I have yet to show any kind of papers at a highway border crossing. The airport is a different matter; your passsport makes life simpler.)
The only time I ever saw a driver entering Canada get a hard time of it was in 1986. In many, many crossing since then I have never had a similar experience.

At the Chief Mountain crossing, there was a VW camper van immediagely ahead of me. The van itself had a wild psychedelic paint job; the driver acted like he was half stoned on something. He was talking erratically and unclearly.
In reponse to the questions about liquor and firearms, he flipped off that he had enough hootch in the van to get all of the Indians drunk and enough explosives to blow up that part of Alberta.

The officials asked him to pull over to the side where about 4 of them assembled to do a very thorough dismantling job.

I was waved forward in line for my turn.
I answered as politely as I knew how!! And I was soon on my way.

As we pulled away, slowly so we could watch the show,the insides of the van were rapidly becoming the outsides. The spare tire had been removed, but I do not know if the tire itself was removed from the rim. Everything in a box or a suitcase was exposed to view.

But that was only 1 incident in many crossings. 99% of the time the Canadians are fully professional and play it straight. Play the same way and you will have no trouble.

What I really meant to say in my poorly phrased statement above is that the Canadian officials have always been polite and professional when I crossed the border by car or entered Canada at an airport.

They asked me the required questions in a very pleasant manner. I gave truthful answers, and I was allowed to proceed without farther ado.

I think the point I stated was badly put language wise So I wanted to clarify it.

An earlier post referred to a rate with Hertz. For what it's worth, I reserved a car in January for a 10 day period late June/early July and an intermediate car was 144 week CAD/AAA rate.