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-   -   Suggestion :Good Road Map Atlas for BC & Alberta region (Driving Purpose) (https://www.fodors.com/community/canada/suggestion-good-road-map-atlas-for-bc-and-alberta-region-driving-purpose-433986/)

s6656 May 21st, 2004 02:03 AM

Suggestion :Good Road Map Atlas for BC & Alberta region (Driving Purpose)
 
AFter all the planning and tips from the board (esp.Judy & Bob), we are almost ready for our 3 week trip to Vancouver/Rockies.

The only thing that i miss out is the road map for this trip. In Europe, we live by the Michellin road guides which are excellent. I need advice what would be a good road map atlas for our trip. Areas we will be covering is Victoria, Tofino, Vancouver to Calgary and also parts of US (Motana,Idhao & Washington).

Any advice on this.

Judy_in_Calgary May 21st, 2004 05:45 AM

Hello S6656,

The Michelin road atlas series is good for North America too. Michelin has a road atlas for Western Canada. I notice at Amazon's website that there also is a combined Michelin road atlas for the Western USA and Western Canada. I haven't actually seen that combined one with my own eyes, however.

I personally am a guidebook junkie. One gets sooooo much more out of an area if one has a guidebook. If I remember correctly, you're coming from overseas, and I hate to suggest weighing you down with guidebooks. But there is no question in my mind that your trip will be so much more meaningful to you if you have a road atlas AND guidebooks or at least one guidebook.

The Moon Handbook series is excellent. As far as the Canadian portion of your trip is concerned the two most relevant Moon books would be:

"Moon Handbooks British Columbia" by Andrew Hempstead

and

"Moon Handbooks Alberta : Including Banff, Jasper, and the Canadian Rockies" by Andrew Hempstead

If you can't bear to lug so many books around, you'll benefit from having at least a Western Canada guide and a US Pacific Northwest guide published by one of the many guidebook companies, such as Lonely Planet et al.

S6656, this isn't addressed to you, but to anyone who might be coming to the Canadian Rockies only (and not to British Columbia and the US Pacific Northwest as you'll be doing).

A good overall guidebook to the Canadian Rockies is called exactly that, "Canadian Rockies" by Graeme Pole. It's available from Amazon, and I've seen it in the bookstore at Calgary Airport.

For people who are specifically into hiking, Bob Brown's favourite is indeed the classic book on the topic:

"The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide : A Hiker's Manual to the National Parks" by Brian Patton and Bart Robinson. We have the 1978 edition! But I notice Amazon is selling a 2000 edition.

Less ambitious walkers will get value out of "Walks and Easy Hikes in the Canadian Rockies" by Graeme Pole.

laverendrye May 21st, 2004 01:24 PM

The best atlases are by MapArt, and are available at most bookshops in Canada. There are separate ones for BC and Alberta, and they have a good scale and lots of detail.

For roadmaps, the provincial highways/tourist official maps are excellent.

maryann May 21st, 2004 02:23 PM

I went to the Canadian websites and they sent me maps of the provinces and of the parks. Had all the info. that we needed.

brookwood May 21st, 2004 07:27 PM

I have driven all over Alberta and British Columbia with the official provincial road maps. Travel Alberta sent me a very complete kit of materials.
The same is true of the BC folks.
www.hellobc.com will take you to the web site. or call 250 387 1642 outside of North America.
If you are overseas, it might be a problem getting the materials to you in time.
You could buy a map of either province after you arrive.

I assure yuo that the Alberta and BC maps are very good. I have visited Alberta several times and drive freely all over the province with that map.
for the cities, I did get a street map of Calgary and one of Edmonton after arrival.


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