Vancouver to Banff
Feb 13th, 2019, 11:44 AM
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Vancouver to Banff
Hi. I am planning a 8 day trip in June from Vancouver to Calgary by car. Any suggestions as to what is a "must see" on the route, and scenic drives, etc? Where to stay overnight?
Feb 19th, 2019, 11:40 AM
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Welcome!
It's hard to give further advice without understanding more about your trip. Are these 8 days meant to be solely for getting from Vancouver to Banff, or are you intending to see the Rockies within this time period? What are your interests? Budget?
Also, when exactly is this trip? That's key because the very end of the month bumps up into a national holiday here (July 1) -- and that's when accommodation starts becoming much, much harder to find. At this point, availability in some of the more tourist destinations may well be very limited. Earlier the month availability is usually better, though in tourist areas, peak pricing usually starts by the end of May.
It's worth a quick geography lesson if you're not familiar with the area. The Rockies are a fairly narrow mountain range right on the Alberta/BC border. Between the Rockies and Vancouver - a good 12 hour drive - you cross several other mountain ranges. To see the Rockies alone - Jasper/Banff/Lake Louise/Yoho - we generally suggest at least a week. Then at least two days for a fairly quick drive from Vancouver.
So if you are trying to see the Rockies, I'd strongly suggest flying to Calgary, the renting a car and splitting your days between Jasper and Banff/Lake Louise/Canmore. And book accommodations ASAP - people are already reporting issues trying to find places to stay in Jasper, especially at the end of the month. Otherwise you need to get across BC in a couple of days (one night) and then use the rest of your time in the Rockies - and check how much one way rental car fees will cost you. In June, they could be considerable.
If indeed, though, the 8 days are solely for going from Vancouver to Banff, I'd probably split your stops between 2-3 locations. Perhaps 2-3 nights in the Okanagan to enjoy the lakes, warmer weather and wine (and fresh fruit and veggies). Then maybe a couple of nights in Revelstoke to see the mountains and a bit of the history of the area. If you're interested in more outdoor activities, Golden is a possible stop, albeit not as attractive as other locations.
It's hard to give further advice without understanding more about your trip. Are these 8 days meant to be solely for getting from Vancouver to Banff, or are you intending to see the Rockies within this time period? What are your interests? Budget?
Also, when exactly is this trip? That's key because the very end of the month bumps up into a national holiday here (July 1) -- and that's when accommodation starts becoming much, much harder to find. At this point, availability in some of the more tourist destinations may well be very limited. Earlier the month availability is usually better, though in tourist areas, peak pricing usually starts by the end of May.
It's worth a quick geography lesson if you're not familiar with the area. The Rockies are a fairly narrow mountain range right on the Alberta/BC border. Between the Rockies and Vancouver - a good 12 hour drive - you cross several other mountain ranges. To see the Rockies alone - Jasper/Banff/Lake Louise/Yoho - we generally suggest at least a week. Then at least two days for a fairly quick drive from Vancouver.
So if you are trying to see the Rockies, I'd strongly suggest flying to Calgary, the renting a car and splitting your days between Jasper and Banff/Lake Louise/Canmore. And book accommodations ASAP - people are already reporting issues trying to find places to stay in Jasper, especially at the end of the month. Otherwise you need to get across BC in a couple of days (one night) and then use the rest of your time in the Rockies - and check how much one way rental car fees will cost you. In June, they could be considerable.
If indeed, though, the 8 days are solely for going from Vancouver to Banff, I'd probably split your stops between 2-3 locations. Perhaps 2-3 nights in the Okanagan to enjoy the lakes, warmer weather and wine (and fresh fruit and veggies). Then maybe a couple of nights in Revelstoke to see the mountains and a bit of the history of the area. If you're interested in more outdoor activities, Golden is a possible stop, albeit not as attractive as other locations.
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