the rockies canada
 

I am trying to put together an itenary to the rocky mountains in sept/oct , i would like to arrive in calgary, and stay 1/2 night then visit the following places, banff, jasper lake louise , vancouver and victoria possibley whistler, i would like to go on the rocky mountaineer and go whale watching and maybe bear watcing, i dont no how long to stay in each town or how to get to each town , i dont really want to hire a car or have a coach tour every day , and how long does it take to get to each town. would like to stay around 14 - 18 days, can any one suggest any ideas

Calgary you don't need a car. http://www.visitcalgary.com/ - me? I'd say 2 days there.

You could take a Greyhound bus to Banff, park yourself for a few days, take day tours - http://www.brewster.ca/ including Lake Louise and wildlife tours. Bears? That would be the luck of the draw.

Banff via Greyhound to Jasper. http://www.greyhound.ca/home/ticketcenter/en/Step3.asp

The Rocky Mountaineer will take you from either Banff or Jasper or Edmonton through the mountains to Vancouver. http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA/ - it's 2 days travel.

Lots of options for getting around Vancouver, walking, sightseeing tours or public transit to what appeals. http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/

Whistler from Vancouver: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visi..._getting_there

You can take a bus from Vancouver onto the ferry for Victoria - the bus will drop you downtown Victoria. http://www.bcferries.com/

There's whale watching in Victoria - likely Vancouver, too. http://www.princeofwhales.com/

Maybe after reading through these sites, you can decide how much time you'd like to spend in each place.

Just a note - and a little geography - Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler are not in the Rocky Mountains, although many people think that they are. Actually Whistler is in the Coastal Range, Vancouver is mostly on the Fraser River delta with the Coastal range mountains to the north, and Victoria is across the Strait of Georgia on Vancouver Island.

Vancouver is on the west coast all the way across the province of British Columbia (B.C.) from the Rockies, which are actually on the southeastern edge of the province and bodering with Alberta.

Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise, on the other hand, ARE in the Rocky Mountains (and in Alberta).

There is a whole lot of country between the Rockies and the West Coast :)

I don't know where you are coming from, but the ViaRail "Canadian" follows the same route from Jasper to Vancouver.
The Rocky Mountaineer is a very expensive train when compared to the Canadian. I've ridden the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver in coach and have always enjoyed the mountains, tunnels and the Fraser River Valley.
I have rented a car in Jasper with limited Km's to see some of the nearby scenery.

Borealis, thanks for the reminder about the different mountain ranges.

Tomfuller, Yes, The Canadian is an option for travel through the mountains. You wil see some of the scenery on it but not as much as travelling on the Rocky Mountaineer as those trains only travel in daylight plus there's the commentary on the history of the region, warm cookies and coffee, etc. whenever you want them. The seats are comfortable and roomy and meals and one night in a hotel are included. How much does one miss during night travel on the Canadian and it doesn't likely slow down and tell travellers about the last spike at Craigellachie.

I have done Banff-Jasper by the Greyhound bus and a rental. After having done both ways, I would use a car rental next time. The roads were excellent and the bus schedule had much to be desired. Also visiting Moraine Lake and Edith Clavel was simple using a car.

I have taken Rocky Mountaineer as well as the Via Rail. The pretty parts for both ways were between Kamloops and Banff or Jasper, but really the part closest to the park. So once past Kamloops, I was happy just doze off until I got to Vancouver. Via Rail let me sleep through the night through this section. I drove Calgary-Banff. It's highway all the way.

The first time I arrived in Jasper, was by myself on the Canadian from Winnipeg. I came back with my wife 3 years later from Vancouver. We rented a car in Jasper and saw a lot of things that you can't see from any train. I had been to Lake Louise on a family vacation when I was a teenager, so I knew what to expect.
There is also a ViaRail train that originates in Jasper spends the night in Prince George (hotel) then leaves for Prince Rupert in the morning. From Prince Rupert you can take a cruise ship north to Alaska or south back to Vancouver. This might be a good way to see wildlife and whales. If I am allowed to drive a rental car into Canada from Whitefish through Calgary to Jasper I might take the Empire Builder from Portland, OR to Whitefish, MT.