My husband and I are considering a Vancouver/Canadian Rockies trip with our two sons, ages 12 and 16. We have about one week in August, though could possibly stretch it to 8 or 9 days max. We would fly from Southern California to Vancouver, spend two days sightseeing in Vancouver, and then head to the Rockies. My husband does not want to drive all the way from Vancouver to the Rockies because he doesn't like long car rides. I am thinking that we could fly from Vancouver to Calgary, rent a car, visit Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, and then fly home from Edmonton. Or, we could fly Vancouver to Edmonton and leave out of Calgary. Do either of these plans make sense? How long would you recommend in each place? We would love to stay at the Chateau Lake Louise for part of the time and the Jasper Park Lodge for the other part.

I had to smile when you talk about driving "all the way from Vancouver to the Rockies".. see http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/c...t-pid-6023857/

To expedite travel from Vancouver to the Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper areas, flying to either Calgary or Edmonton is a good plan. It's about an hour's drive (give or take) from Calgary to where you enter mountains, further of course to reach Lake Louise. In-the-mountains driving time will depend even more on stops you choose to make along the way but Google maps is a great resource for getting distances. Counting that day of travel from Van into Alberta, you could spend 2-3 days at Lake Louise. That leaves 2-3 days for driving on to Jasper and exploring that area and driving into Edmonton to fly out and home. This leg could be your longest drive, 4+ hours for sure to Edmonton International from JPL. If that sounds like too long for your husband's enjoyment, then maybe just stay in the Banff/Lake Louise area and fly in/out of Calgary after your Vancouver visit.
You'll need to decide what you would enjoy doing in the Rockies... hiking, boating, dining, horseback riding, hot springs, shopping, gondola, glacier viewing, to name some possibilities. =)
Have fun planning, and welcome to our beautiful corner of the world!

out_and_about - the mountains sitting behind Vancouver aren't the Rockies, they're the Coast Mountains. The Rockies are just one of many mountain chains in western Canada, but they're specifically the mountains located on the border of Alberta and BC.

Ya, I know dat... but wanted these folks to realize that if they are just looking for mountains (Rockies or otherwise) they are not too far from Vancouver. I could have been more detailed in my comment I guess. =)

Gotcha! It's actually a fairly common mix-up, which is why I felt compelled to reply. I used to work at an info centre and a lot of people think all the mountains in western Canada are called the Rockies.

Back to the original questions, I too agree flying from Vancouver to Calgary and then embarking on the road trip to Banff and then Jasper and back to Banff makes the most sense.

I've been to Jasper several times since I've been to Banff.
I/we take the Canadian from Vancouver to Jasper and then rent a car in Jasper. IMHO the scenery around Jasper is just as spectacular as Banff/Lake Louise. I/we enjoy staying at the Jasper HI Hostel near the north end of the Icefields Parkway.
You get a great view of Mt. Robson for a few minutes from the train if the weather is good.

Ruptha it looks fine to settle your self somewhere without taking so many problems.If you are in Banff you can go several time to the Jasper but do remember that you can make your trip momentum if this is romantic weather!!!!

Thank you for the replies! The itinerary sounds manageable based on your input. Out and About, yes, I was aware that there are mountains near Vancouver, having been to Whistler/Blackcomb in the past. However a Canadian friend of mine told me Jasper is not to be missed, hence the plan I came up with. For the record, I could be happy driving to a new stop every day and enjoying the sites along the way, but that's not my husband's or my kids' idea of fun.