Need help planning a summer family vacation to British Columbia
Oct 13th, 2010, 05:38 AM
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Need help planning a summer family vacation to British Columbia
A few summers ago my husband and I went to the Canadian Rockies (Banff and Jasper). We loved this trip and although we would love to return, I think we should see something new. This August we are planning a trip with our boys (9 and 11) to British Columbia. We can fly into Vancouver and stay for 10 days. I would love to explore the Vancouver area for a couple days and then go to the mountains. For some reason when I planned our Rockies trip I easily found lots of itinerary ideas and must sees. I am having trouble finding similar information. If anyone out there in Fodor land has suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. FYI, we have a moderate budget and would enjoy staying in cabins, b&b's or inns. Also, we are not opposed to driving one way and taking a train back (if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg).
Thank you for your help!!
Thank you for your help!!
Oct 14th, 2010, 06:28 PM
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Sounds like a great trip! I don't think there's necessarily that much less information about the BC Coastal area - it's just that the choices are less obvious than the big ones in the Banff/Jasper area of Alberta. So you'll have to work harder to develop an itinerary!
A few suggestions:
While you're based in Vancouver, do a couple day trips to explore the area. You can drive up the Sea to Sky Highway to Squamish and Whistler. If your kids like to hike, there's a great climb up the Stawamus Chief in Squamish that takes about 3 hours round trip. The hike itself can be a bit of a slog, but the views from the summit are awesome - as is the sense that you've summited something!
You could do a daytrip to Bowen Island - just a short ferry ride from Vancouver - and go kayaking. Or head to Deep Cove (North Shore) to go kayaking/hiking the Baden Powell Trail.
Drive up Mt. Seymour or Cypress and explore the trails in the alpine area. (You have to pay to take the pricey gondola up Grouse, so I'd personally stick with one of the other two north shore mountains.)
So - those are all local suggestions. When you're ready to leave the Vancouver area (and there really is enough here to keep you busy your whole trip!) my vote would probably be to head into the interior. It will be hot and sunny, there are vineyards to explore, awesome warm lakes with sandy beaches and an arid landscape. You could head to the Okanagan or Shuswap Lakes - both are about a 4-5 hour drive from Vancouver. If you want to drive a bit farther, I think the mountains around Revelstoke are stunning - Glacier National Park near Rogers Pass is beautiful.
A lot of people will suggest going to Vancouver Island or one of the Gulf Islands. These are beautiful too and definitely worth taking time to explore - I just really like BC's interior myself.
A few suggestions:
While you're based in Vancouver, do a couple day trips to explore the area. You can drive up the Sea to Sky Highway to Squamish and Whistler. If your kids like to hike, there's a great climb up the Stawamus Chief in Squamish that takes about 3 hours round trip. The hike itself can be a bit of a slog, but the views from the summit are awesome - as is the sense that you've summited something!
You could do a daytrip to Bowen Island - just a short ferry ride from Vancouver - and go kayaking. Or head to Deep Cove (North Shore) to go kayaking/hiking the Baden Powell Trail.
Drive up Mt. Seymour or Cypress and explore the trails in the alpine area. (You have to pay to take the pricey gondola up Grouse, so I'd personally stick with one of the other two north shore mountains.)
So - those are all local suggestions. When you're ready to leave the Vancouver area (and there really is enough here to keep you busy your whole trip!) my vote would probably be to head into the interior. It will be hot and sunny, there are vineyards to explore, awesome warm lakes with sandy beaches and an arid landscape. You could head to the Okanagan or Shuswap Lakes - both are about a 4-5 hour drive from Vancouver. If you want to drive a bit farther, I think the mountains around Revelstoke are stunning - Glacier National Park near Rogers Pass is beautiful.
A lot of people will suggest going to Vancouver Island or one of the Gulf Islands. These are beautiful too and definitely worth taking time to explore - I just really like BC's interior myself.
Oct 18th, 2010, 07:26 AM
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Not knowing where you're coming from, I'd remind anyone that BC is HUGE. Driving from the coast to the Rockies would take 10 to 12 hours easily. That would kill 2 days of your trip when there are plenty of things to do much closer to the coast.
Vancouver itself holds many family adventures. Science World, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, and shopping Robson/Granville Streets will keep you busy for a few days. Walk the Canada Place area at night. Often in the summer, there are cruise ships all lit up and the Olympic Torch looks particularly pretty at night.
I agree with the suggestions from the last post. Bowen Island and Whistler are awesome day trips. Vancouver Island has many pretty sights such as the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, the promenade (sea wall) in Nanaimo, the beaches in Tofino; but once again, be aware of space. Vancouver Island is larger than all the Islands that compose Great Britain. Just as you wouldn't be able to see all of England, Scotland, and Wales in one day, you have to budget time appropriately for the Island. Also, other than the fact to get there you need to take a ferry (which can be expensive, and easily takes 2 hours plus a third hour in line-up), it really doesn't feel like an Island: it's simply too big. Vancouver Island (and each city on it) is a trip in itself.
Having lived all over BC, I would head to the interior as well. Beautiful vineyards everywhere, a much different landscape than everywhere else in the province. You will think you've entered different country. I would set up (hotel) in Penticton. With kids, the channel (lazy river) is a must. As a tourist I would take advantage of the Coyote bus service. For $10 a person, you get an inner-tube rental and the bus will take you from the end of the channel ride back to the beginning as often as you want for the day (each float trip is about 45 minutes to an hour). So much fun! Also in Penticton, Skaha lake is a wonderful way to chill out for the day at the beach. Kelowna, is only an hour drive north so you could spend a day there as well. Oosoyoos, Canada's only desert, is only an hour drive south from Penticton. So there's lots to see and do.
Traveling with a family, car rental makes the most sense. Try to get a contract with unlimited km. And be aware (i.e. if you want to take a train one-way), unless a rental company needs to relocate a car, they usually charge a $250 drop-off fee if you don't return the car to the city in which it was rented.
Vancouver itself holds many family adventures. Science World, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, and shopping Robson/Granville Streets will keep you busy for a few days. Walk the Canada Place area at night. Often in the summer, there are cruise ships all lit up and the Olympic Torch looks particularly pretty at night.
I agree with the suggestions from the last post. Bowen Island and Whistler are awesome day trips. Vancouver Island has many pretty sights such as the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, the promenade (sea wall) in Nanaimo, the beaches in Tofino; but once again, be aware of space. Vancouver Island is larger than all the Islands that compose Great Britain. Just as you wouldn't be able to see all of England, Scotland, and Wales in one day, you have to budget time appropriately for the Island. Also, other than the fact to get there you need to take a ferry (which can be expensive, and easily takes 2 hours plus a third hour in line-up), it really doesn't feel like an Island: it's simply too big. Vancouver Island (and each city on it) is a trip in itself.
Having lived all over BC, I would head to the interior as well. Beautiful vineyards everywhere, a much different landscape than everywhere else in the province. You will think you've entered different country. I would set up (hotel) in Penticton. With kids, the channel (lazy river) is a must. As a tourist I would take advantage of the Coyote bus service. For $10 a person, you get an inner-tube rental and the bus will take you from the end of the channel ride back to the beginning as often as you want for the day (each float trip is about 45 minutes to an hour). So much fun! Also in Penticton, Skaha lake is a wonderful way to chill out for the day at the beach. Kelowna, is only an hour drive north so you could spend a day there as well. Oosoyoos, Canada's only desert, is only an hour drive south from Penticton. So there's lots to see and do.
Traveling with a family, car rental makes the most sense. Try to get a contract with unlimited km. And be aware (i.e. if you want to take a train one-way), unless a rental company needs to relocate a car, they usually charge a $250 drop-off fee if you don't return the car to the city in which it was rented.
Oct 18th, 2010, 03:41 PM
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Hi all,
As I am living in Vancouver, i just wanted to jump in giving some tips; but everyone has already been really helpfull and exhaustive. I arrived few month ago in Vancouver from Paris so, in a way, I am still a tourist, and I acknowledge that there is a lot of things to do in familly.
You can bike around Stanley park and take a breack on 3rd beach, all the museums are "kids friendly" and offer activity really adapted to them. I really enjoyed going on Bowen Island this summer, the trip really worth it.
If you want some more information about Vancouver and things to to there, check out this website
http://www.2vancouverbc.com/tourism/...v-things-to-do
it's really useful when you don't know the city!
Hope it helped
Cheers
As I am living in Vancouver, i just wanted to jump in giving some tips; but everyone has already been really helpfull and exhaustive. I arrived few month ago in Vancouver from Paris so, in a way, I am still a tourist, and I acknowledge that there is a lot of things to do in familly.
You can bike around Stanley park and take a breack on 3rd beach, all the museums are "kids friendly" and offer activity really adapted to them. I really enjoyed going on Bowen Island this summer, the trip really worth it.
If you want some more information about Vancouver and things to to there, check out this website
http://www.2vancouverbc.com/tourism/...v-things-to-do
it's really useful when you don't know the city!
Hope it helped
Cheers
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