annie11

I am taking an organised tour next year across Canada,taking in Montreal,Toronto,Niagara,Banff,Jasper,Kamloops,Van couver and Whistler mountaineer train and 3 nights in whistler..
I am taking parents aged 81 and 83 years old and travelling from uk.I would like to know how easy it is to get round these places on our days off the tour.We would like to use public transport and parents unable to walk for too long at once and not long distances.As many suggestions of things to do and transport would be appreciated.

BAK

Toronto and Montreal are as easy to get around in as London.

Subways with elevators and escalators, lots of cabs on the roads, a fair numbr of benches for resting...
BAK

annie11

thanks for that,it is a worry in view of their ages.
Any other coments and suggestions from anyone would be very welcome

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello annie11,

Would you be able to give us a link to a web site that shows the tour's itinerary? If I knew what was and was not included in the tour and how much free time you had in Banff, Jasper and Vancouver, I could think of suggestions for those places.

hdm

I think you should check with the transit authorities in each city to see which stations have elevators. Also, check again just before you leave to see if all of these elevators are working -- often they're under repair for long periods of time.

Sam_Salmon

3 nights in Whistler for those with mobility challenges is 2 too many.
There is no public transport in Whistler that would be of use to you.A quick driving tour of the area/maybe a trip to the top of the mountain is all they'll be able to do.
Vancouver is a much better choice for your remaining time..

Judy_in_Calgary

>>>>>>I think you should check with the transit authorities in each city to see which stations have elevators. Also, check again just before you leave to see if all of these elevators are working -- often they're under repair for long periods of time.<<<<<<

With all due respect, hdm, I consider that to be an impractical suggestion. If you have time to do that before embarking on an overseas trip, you have fewer family and work obligations than I have. Alternatively you are even more of a travel geek than I am. I like planning, but I have my limits.

I don't know how many people there will be in annie11's party. At a minimum there will be three. If annie11 has a partner who will be undertaking this journey as well, there will be four. If three or four people split the fares for short cab rides in the major cities, the fares will be reasonable on a per person basis.

That was why I asked annie11 to provide us with a way of seeing what would be included on her tour's itinerary and how much free time she would have in each place. In my opinion it's impossible to give annie11 really good advice without access to that information.

Annie11, while I'm on that subject, it also would help to know the time of year at which you'll be travelling and what sorts of things interest the members of your travel party (museums, art galleries, scenery, fine dining, wildlife, etc., etc.).

annie11

Thank you to replies and happy to receive as much advice as possible.Was very interested about Whistler advice.This has probibly saved a wasted journey.I enclose the itinery for all advice and I am travelling from May 30th 2006 for 3 weeks with my husband,elderly parents and myself.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPS
Unlikely to do the Whistler Mountaineer now so will extend with another excursion.



DAY 1 LONDON • MONTREAL
We begin with Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service™ to Heathrow Airport and our scheduled daytime Air Canada flight direct to Montreal. On arrival at Montreal our coach awaits to take us to our hotel the Plaza Hotel Centre-Ville or the Best Western Ville - Marie. This evening is free to enjoy the hotel facilities and the choice of local eating places.

DAY 2 MONTREAL
This morning we have arranged for a morning city tour to familiarise us with Montreal, a wonderful city that manages to combine the best of the North American lifestyle with the culture and excitement of France. In the wonderfully preserved old town you will become aware of the strong French influence in the architecture and in the number of restaurants. The rest of the day is free to discover for yourself Montreal’s colourful and cosmopolitan attractions.

DAY 3 MONTREAL
An early start this morning as we board our coach for the journey to Quebec City, located in one of the most beautiful natural settings in North America. The Old City is beautifully preserved and is steeped in four centuries of French history and culture. It is the only fortified city in North America and for this reason UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Treasure Site. This evening we return to our hotel in Montreal.

DAY 4 MONTREAL • TORONTO
We depart for Ottawa whose natural beauty and man-made amenities combine to make it one of the world’s most striking capitals. Three rivers converging at the parliament buildings - not unreminiscent of our own Westminster with the Peace Tower standing in for Big Ben - command a bluff overlooking the Ottawa River. We have the opportunity to take an early lunch before travelling to Toronto via the old town of Kingston. On arrival we check in to le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel.

DAY 5 TORONTO • NIAGARA
Our morning sightseeing tour will introduce you to the contrasts of the city, where splendidly restored buildings rub shoulders with ultra-modern skyscrapers. A journey up to the C.N.Tower, which pierces the sky line to a height of 1815 feet, is an exhilarating experience. Harbourfront is a charming combination of new and renovated buildings, shops, cafés and restaurants. In the afternoon we depart for Niagara Falls and our first sight of this natural wonder. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Sheraton on the Falls.

DAY 6 NIAGARA
Today is free to walk around the town which specialises in unusual attractions such as the Houdini and Guinness Book of Records museums. Attractive and elegantly laid out parkland and greenery face the American and Horseshoe Falls. A trip on the ‘Maid of the Mist’ boat, which takes you right up to the Falls, is recommended and you can also go behind the Falls through tunnels hewn out of the rock. Another evening to relax and view the illuminated falls by night. Please note that operation of the ‘Maid of the Mist’ is dependent on favourable weather conditions in April.

DAY 7 NIAGARA • BANFF
This morning we transfer to Toronto airport for our Air Canada flight across central Canada to Calgary in the province of Alberta. On arrival our coach is waiting to take us to Banff, set in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Our hotels are the Banff Caribou Lodge or the Ptarmigan Inn.

DAY 8 BANFF
We tour the surrounds of Banff and Lake Louise, where from the gardens behind the chateau we have a picture-postcard view of the magical Victoria Glacier. We return by a different route which enables us to enjoy the beauties of the region. In the evening you will be spoiled for choice amongst the local restaurants.

DAY 9 BANFF
Today we have a free day in one of the loveliest small towns in North America, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and set in lushly green National Park. On the outskirts of town is Sulphur Mountain, with its enclosed gondola ride to the 7,500 ft. summit from where there are some breathtaking views of the Bow Valley and Banff town below. The celebrated Banff Springs Hotel located just beyond Sulphur Mountain, is well worth a visit. Our final night in Banff enables us to sample yet more of the local cuisine.

DAY 10 BANFF • JASPER
Today we head northwards through the Rockies to Jasper. We stop at the Columbia Icefield and there may be an opportunity for an optional ride by snowbus on the Athabasca Glacier (Operation of the snowbus is subject to favourable weather conditions). As we journey on, jagged mountain peaks are occasionally obscured by high forested valleys through which our roads cuts. This is the habitat of moose elk, mountain goat and the black and grizzly bear. We drive to Jasper and our hotel the Amethyst Lodge arriving late in the afternoon.

DAY 11 JASPER
Today we board our coach for an unforgettable sightseeing journey that begins with the limestone gorge of Maligne Canyon and continues along the shore of Medicine Lake. To rushing Maligne River and one of the most photographed spots in the world, the breathtaking Maligne Lake. Our evening is spent in Jasper, with an included barbecue dinner.

DAY 12 JASPER • KAMLOOPS
We begin a spectacular drive through areas of wild and rugged beauty interspersed with aquamarine lakes, passing Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, to Kamloops and our hotel for the night, The Executive Inn.

DAY 13 KAMLOOPS • VANCOUVER
After breakfast we continue west, enjoying the ever changing natural scenery. In the afternoon we arrive in the beautiful city of Vancouver and our hotel for the next three nights, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia.

DAY 14 VANCOUVER
One of the world’s most sophisticated cities, Vancouver has the advantage of one of the most spectacular settings in the world, in the foreground the encircling Pacific Ocean and as a backdrop, the grandeur of Grouse Mountain. As an introduction we have arranged an orientation tour, then you are free to discover the wonders of the city for yourself. You may wish to join the optional excursion to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge as detailed below.

DAY 15 VANCOUVER
A relaxing day to further enjoy Vancouver. You may wish to take an excursion to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Laying claim to being one of Canada’s most beautiful cities, Victoria with its attractive harbour, is well worth a visit. With Vancouver being such a cosmopolitan city, there is evening entertainment of all kinds and restaurants offering the cuisines of the world.

DAY 16 VANCOUVER • LONDON
More free time this morning to enjoy some last minute exploration or shopping in Vancouver. Later this afternoon we transfer to Vancouver Airport for our return flight direct to London. Or Extend your stay

DAY 17 LONDON
On arrival at London Heathrow Airport our staff will greet you and transfer you to Titan transport for your journey home to your own front door.





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klam_chowder

Maybe you could take advantage of Hop on Hop off bus tours in the cities so that even if they did not want to get off, they could see the highlights and learn a little history of the area (usually there is some narration with the tours).

Another idea is boat tours.

In Vancouver, you could take the train up to Whistler and the steamboat back down. That might be interesting for you all to do.

Enjoy-la!

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello annie11,

Thanks for supplying details of your tour. I'm very busy. I'm a technical editor in the health, safety and environment field. My work tends to go in "feast or famine" cycles. At the moment I'm in a "feast" phase. That is, I'm working on two contracts simultaneously, one on week days and the other on weekday evenings and on weekends.

When things have calmed down in a couple of weeks, I'll return here and see how much information you've received from others. Depending how much or how little info you've received, I'll supplement other posters' thoughts on how to spend your free day in Banff and how to spend your time in Vancouver.

Just as a point of clarification, your basic itinerary shows 3 nights in Vancouver. I gather your 3 nights in Whistler were to have been an extension added on to the basic itinerary. If I've understood you correctly, you'll now have 6 nights to spend on the west coast. Have I understood that correctly? I think clarification on that point will help anyone who wants to advise you regarding your west coast stay.

In my opinion, Vancouver deserves at least 3 full days.

I believe it then would be nice to cross over to Vancouver Island and stay in Victoria for a couple of nights.

The time of year at which you'll be travelling will be very suitable for most of your stops. When it comes to the Lake Louise area, I wouldn't advise going a single day earlier than you'll actually be going. Moraine Lake, which is 14 km from Lake Louise, and which I HOPE your tour will include, might be looking decent by then. If I wanted to be absolutely certain that you'd see it at its turquoise best, I'd be even more comfortable if you were going a week later.

Hope that helps. As I said, I'll return in a couple of weeks.

hdm

Judy,
Clearly, Annie is concerned about making this trip as easy as possible for her parents. She hopes to use public transportation which in at least two of the cities she's visiting, includes subways. There would be too many steps for her parents to deal with and escalators are often dangerous for people with mobility problems. Hence my suggestion about elevators.

Not all of the cities the OP is visiting will have subways. In fact, it may only be Montreal, Toronto and possibly Vancouver. I'm pretty sure Annie can get this information via internet and would be pretty easy even if you had to do it by e-mail. She could probably find this information for all cities in less than a half hour at the computer. A small price to pay, time-wise, especially since she's not travelling till next year.

If I were travelling with people who had difficulties with mobility and hoping to use public transit, I'd find the time to check it out. It's not that difficult even for those of us with considerable family and friend obligations. With all due respect.

Judy_in_Calgary

You're right, hdm. Silly me, I was using my experiences with Calgary's civil servants to estimate the speed with which Annie might receive responses from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. But I'm sure transit staff in those cities are much more responsive than their Calgary counterparts. I'm sure if Annie contacts them for a quick update a short time before her trip, they'll be more than happy to oblige. Fortunately Annie's tour itinerary doesn't require her to address any enquiries to Calgary Transit.

annie11

Just to clarify my situation.......... I have done a lot of research on the internet but having never been to anywhere like the states or Canada,I am unfamiliar with some details.A short walk to a travel advisor may not be that short to another.We are extending by three days in Vancouver(making 6 days in total) and although I am a little concerened about our free days,I was hoping to do other excursions or use the hop on, hop off bus service that is suggested.My parents are mobile but not sprightly and as they have never travelled out of England before,they see this as a trip of a lifetime and are keen to see as much as possible.I have looked at lots of information on the internet,but experience tells me local knowledge is far superior to any internet site ,so thanks to everyone who can offer this.I appreciate anyone taking time to look at my query and taking the trouble to reply,so I hope this clarifies everything.Thanks to all.

hdm

Annie,
Here is the url for the disabilities page of the Toronto Transit Authorities website.

http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/accessible.htm#eatb

Just cut and paste it into your search engine. At the bottom of the page it lists which subway stations in Toronto have elevators and where on the platform they're located. I believe there's also a phone number that you can call while you're here that will tell you which, if any, of those lifts is out of service.

Enjoy your visit to Toronto!

Judy,
All that work done so soon? Sorry Calgary has such a poor transit system though I've not heard complaints from friends who live there. It took me about 1 minute to get this information on the web. And still I manage to have a busy job and a family...however do I do it!

Sam_Salmon

Your parents will find Vancouver area transit easy to navigate.
Buses have a 'kneeling' feature which means no climbing off/on the bus.

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello hdm,

>>>>>>All that work done so soon?<<<<<<

No, I stayed up till 1.30 a.m. last night, and will be burning the midnight oil again tonight. However, I find it difficult to work flat out for 18 hours a day, and feel the need to take a half hour break here or there. Usually a visit to Fodor's provides a pleasant diversion when I'm working hard. That didn't turn out to be the case yesterday because I succumbed to the temptation to argue with you, and everything went downhill from there.

When I'm having one of my more lucid moments, I know there's no point in being sarcastic about another poster's advice. More often than not, it offends the other poster. Besides that, the person who posed the question in the first place doesn't really need to be "rescued" from advice with which I disagree. If the advice doesn't appeal to them, they won't follow it anyway.

But, since I did open the discussion with you, perhaps I owe it to you to clarify in a bit more detail what I meant.

I actually thought your suggestion about finding out which train stations had elevators was a good one. As you pointed out, Annie had plenty of time between now and her trip, and it would be very feasible for her to conduct that research.

What I thought was a less practical idea was Annie's checking shortly before she left which elevators were and were not working. It seemed to me that that was the sort of information that was less likely to be up to date on web sites and therefore was more likely to necessitate personal enquiries. From Annie's distance that probably would mean sending e-mails rather than phoning. Based on my experience of e-mailing Calgary City Hall, I did not have faith that Annie would receive prompt replies to those last minute e-mail queries.

When I posted my message, I was basing my opinion on my experience of e-mails that I had addressed to various branches of Calgary's municipal government, including the transit system. However, now that I stop to think about it, I realize I also know of people who have e-mailed municipal authorities, school board authorities, university authorities, etc., in other Canadian cities such as Toronto, and have been distressed by how long it has taken them to receive responses (when they have received them at all).

Another discussion forum on which I participate is one that is devoted to British expats in Canada. Posters on that forum quite often get distressed about the lack of response when they try to make enquiries from Canadian municipalities, school boards, etc., when they're trying to line things up for their arrival in Canada while they're still in the UK.

When I look back on my thinking now, I recall that one part of me just wanted to let the whole issue slide. Another part of me wondered what would happen if anyone from far away actually relied on getting a last minute response from a municipal transit system and then that response wasn't forthcoming. That part of me felt that a warning to Annie or any other reader in her situation was in order.

However, you did subsequently mention the idea of phoning a given city's transit office once the visitor was already in that city. I think that idea is a lot more practical than e-mailing from overseas.

Since I mentioned Calgary's transit system, I would like to clear that up as well. Although Calgary's transit system leaves something to be desired, it was not the operation of the transit system about which I was complaining. My original messages were about my lack of faith in receiving prompt e-mail responses from the transit office. That lack of faith is based on actual experience of waiting anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months to get a response.

You may wonder why I e-mail Calgary Transit and don't just pick up the phone and talk to them. The reason is that I like to have a paper trail of my correspondence with them or, if not a hard copy paper trail, then at least an electronic record. When I have seen complaints on travel discussion boards about elements of Calgary's transit system that have not worked effectively, I have told Calgary Transit about those deficiencies.

Although my earlier complaint was not about the quality of Calgary's transit system from a rider's point of view, that too leaves something to be desired. If your Calgary friends or acquaintances have not mentioned it to you, I can think of a couple of explanations. One is that they probably have more important things to discuss with you. I can't think of a single out-of-town family member or friend to whom I have mentioned Calgary Transit. When I communicate with faraway family members and friends, we have too many other things to discuss.

The other possible explanation is that your friends or acquaintances may drive to work, as many, many Calgarians do. They may not commute to work by train. If your friends or acquaintances do commute by train, if they work conventional hours in the downtown core, and if you actually raise the topic of Calgary Transit with them, I believe they will tell you that the trains are so full during rush hour that they're just gross.

Calgary Transit's inability to keep up with the size of its ridership is understandable if you consider how quickly Calgary's population is growing. It's difficult for the growth of the city's infrastructure to keep pace with the expansion of the population.

Anyway, at this point, hdm, I'd like to apologize for addressing you in an offensive way in my earlier posts, and I hope we can get back onto a peaceful footing.

hdm

Thank you for that explanation, Judy.

Annie,
Sam's post about those 'kneeling' buses has reminded me that I think we have those in Toronto too. I do must of my transit traveling by subway so I'm not that familiar with the buses. On the whole, I think you'll find this a very easy city to get around, with lots of nice spots for a 'stop and rest'.

Kate_W

Restaurant guides in Toronto often include a description of accessibility (e.g. whether there are steps to get into the restaurant or to get to the toilets); other cities probably have similar guides.

You might consider getting your parents a pair of folding cane/tripod chairs. I have no idea what they're called, but I've seen some people using them here. They seem light enough to carry like a cane, but they quickly unfold to provide a seat. For example - http://www.westons.com/acatalog/Onli...1.html#aAA8150

annie11

Thanks everyone your replies are appreciated

JQReports

Hi Annie,

Re your Montreal leg. Do you have a choice of the two hotels? By the end of May there will be no threat of snow, so even short walks will be easy.

There are no elevators in the Montreal Metro.

My parents are about the same age as yours. When they come to Montreal they like to get around by bus/Metro despite our offers otherwise. But they do appreciate taking a taxi back to their hotel after dinner, so my suggestion is to offer the same. Taxi fares in Montreal are relatively cheap, so it's a worthwhile splurge when everybody is tired.

JQ