Portland to Vancouver to Calgary and Banff
Jul 31st, 2023, 01:35 PM
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Portland to Vancouver to Calgary and Banff
We live in Oregon and are thinking of going to Calgary and Banff in October. I’d like to go to Vancouver as well but I can’t decide if that makes sense. Would it be better to fly to Vancouver from Portland, spend a couple of days there, then fly to Calgary and rent
a car for that portion of the trip, and then fly back to Portland from Calgary? Or take the train to Vancouver, then fly to Calgary, rent a car, and fly back to Portland when we’re finished? Or do the entire trip by car? Or skip Vancouver altogether and save it for another trip? Thanks for your input!
a car for that portion of the trip, and then fly back to Portland from Calgary? Or take the train to Vancouver, then fly to Calgary, rent a car, and fly back to Portland when we’re finished? Or do the entire trip by car? Or skip Vancouver altogether and save it for another trip? Thanks for your input!
Aug 6th, 2023, 02:24 PM
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Personally I’d save Vancouver for another trip. But it depends on your intentions and interests.
Calgary and Banff are an entire time zone away, several mountain ranges to the east of Vancouver. It would make sense to fly to Calgary, rent a car, and drive to Banff if that’s the focus of your trip.
Otherwise, you could spend weeks exploring all the quirky historic mountain towns, lakeside resort regions, wine regions, and mountainous wilderness parks between Vancouver and Banff. It would be a shame to speed through it all. And October’s a gorgeous time to be in the Okanagan Valley and the Kootenays - two of my favourite regions between Banff and Vancouver.
It’ll be the tail end of summer alpine hiking season and beach season in Vancouver while winter will be showing its face in October in Banff, with snowfall at higher elevations, freezing temperatures overnight, and seasonal roads and activities closed for the season. But accommodation will be cheaper because of this.
What are your intentions for Calgary and Banff? Have you been to Vancouver before?
Calgary and Banff are an entire time zone away, several mountain ranges to the east of Vancouver. It would make sense to fly to Calgary, rent a car, and drive to Banff if that’s the focus of your trip.
Otherwise, you could spend weeks exploring all the quirky historic mountain towns, lakeside resort regions, wine regions, and mountainous wilderness parks between Vancouver and Banff. It would be a shame to speed through it all. And October’s a gorgeous time to be in the Okanagan Valley and the Kootenays - two of my favourite regions between Banff and Vancouver.
It’ll be the tail end of summer alpine hiking season and beach season in Vancouver while winter will be showing its face in October in Banff, with snowfall at higher elevations, freezing temperatures overnight, and seasonal roads and activities closed for the season. But accommodation will be cheaper because of this.
What are your intentions for Calgary and Banff? Have you been to Vancouver before?
Last edited by BC_Robyn; Aug 6th, 2023 at 02:27 PM.
Aug 6th, 2023, 11:35 PM
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Thanks for your reply, Robyn! I’ve never been to Vancouver (other than a quick overnight before a cruise to Alaska)…we did do Victoria and the environs last year. My main intentions are to see parts of Canada I haven’t seen before and to enjoy some autumn scenery.
