one way car rental US to Calgary??
Feb 16th, 2007, 05:55 AM
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one way car rental US to Calgary??
We are flying into portland, oregon from Georgia to visit relatives this summer. I have always wanted to visit Glacier
Nat. park and the Banff area. It looks like Alamo and National car rental (according to Breezenet.com) will let us pick up a car in Portland and drop it off in Calgary with no drop off charge. Are they reputable? Does this sound reasonable if we have 12 additional days to visit these areas? We would fly out of Calgary. Thankyou.
Nat. park and the Banff area. It looks like Alamo and National car rental (according to Breezenet.com) will let us pick up a car in Portland and drop it off in Calgary with no drop off charge. Are they reputable? Does this sound reasonable if we have 12 additional days to visit these areas? We would fly out of Calgary. Thankyou.
Feb 16th, 2007, 07:27 AM
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Both Alamo and National are reputable firms. I, personally, have had more experience with National and their cheery green booths are everywhere/all major airports in Canada. I think you have the start of a good plan there: your timing sounds fine You may want to add in the Okanogan Valley in BC. Driving through the Rockies in summer is very beautiful and your will love Glacier National Park and Banff. You would be well-advised to get hold of a guide book for the area and do some basic bookings for Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary itself WELL in advance. They are very popular tourist destinations.
Bon Voyage!
Bon Voyage!
Feb 16th, 2007, 09:09 AM
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Depending on when you’re going to do this trip, you may or may not be able to drive the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. At least according to rumours I’ve heard, parts of the road were washed out by heavy rains in the summer of 2006, and repairs are slated for early summer 2007. Folks tell me that the GTTSR will be out of commission during the latter half of June and possibly into part of July as well. I don’t know details, and I don’t even know if what I’ve heard is true. But I feel it would be worth your while to check it out.
If the GTTSR issue is sorted out, you might consider this itinerary:
Days 1 & 2 : Drive from Portland to West Glacier.
Day 3 : Drive the GTTSR through Glacier National Park. Overnight in the Many Glacier / Swiftcurrent on the east side of GNP.
Day 4 : Cross the USA-Canada border, and drive to Waterton Lakes National Park.
Day 5 : Drive up Hwy #22 (a.k.a. the Cowboy Trail) to Longview. At Longview, turn west onto Route #541, drive over the beautiful Highwood Pass (open only after June15th), and drive north on Hwy #40 through Kananaskis Country. Turn west onto the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1), and drive to Banff.
Days 6 & 7 : From your Banff base, explore Banff National Park and nearby Yoho National Park. If you do nothing else, visit Moraine Lake.
Day 8 : Drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper.
Days 9 & 10 : From your Jasper base, explore Jasper National Park.
Day 11 : Drive to Calgary. This will involve driving back down the Icefields Parkway (Hwy #93), the road that connects Jasper and Lake Louise. Do not consider it a waste of time. It is an extremely scenic route, and the mountains look different when you view them from the opposite direction.
If you are flying out the next morning, stay in the northeast quadrant of Calgary, near the airport. If you’ll be sight seeing in Calgary the next day, stay downtown or in Motel Village. Although Motel Village is outside of downtown, in the northwest quadrant, it has a good train connection to downtown.
Day 12 : Look around Calgary or fly home. (It was not clear to me whether or not the 12 days that you had available included the day on which you would fly home.)
Day 13 : If you did not fly home on Day 12, fly home on this day.
If you are unable to drive the GTTSR, you could drive up the west side of the Canadian Rockies to Lake Louise and Banff. That route would involve driving up Hwy #93 through Cranbrook and Radium Hot Springs.
Another option to consider, if you cannot drive the GTTSR, is to approach the Canadian Rockies through the Okanagan Valley (Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon), as LJ suggested.
If the GTTSR issue is sorted out, you might consider this itinerary:
Days 1 & 2 : Drive from Portland to West Glacier.
Day 3 : Drive the GTTSR through Glacier National Park. Overnight in the Many Glacier / Swiftcurrent on the east side of GNP.
Day 4 : Cross the USA-Canada border, and drive to Waterton Lakes National Park.
Day 5 : Drive up Hwy #22 (a.k.a. the Cowboy Trail) to Longview. At Longview, turn west onto Route #541, drive over the beautiful Highwood Pass (open only after June15th), and drive north on Hwy #40 through Kananaskis Country. Turn west onto the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1), and drive to Banff.
Days 6 & 7 : From your Banff base, explore Banff National Park and nearby Yoho National Park. If you do nothing else, visit Moraine Lake.
Day 8 : Drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper.
Days 9 & 10 : From your Jasper base, explore Jasper National Park.
Day 11 : Drive to Calgary. This will involve driving back down the Icefields Parkway (Hwy #93), the road that connects Jasper and Lake Louise. Do not consider it a waste of time. It is an extremely scenic route, and the mountains look different when you view them from the opposite direction.
If you are flying out the next morning, stay in the northeast quadrant of Calgary, near the airport. If you’ll be sight seeing in Calgary the next day, stay downtown or in Motel Village. Although Motel Village is outside of downtown, in the northwest quadrant, it has a good train connection to downtown.
Day 12 : Look around Calgary or fly home. (It was not clear to me whether or not the 12 days that you had available included the day on which you would fly home.)
Day 13 : If you did not fly home on Day 12, fly home on this day.
If you are unable to drive the GTTSR, you could drive up the west side of the Canadian Rockies to Lake Louise and Banff. That route would involve driving up Hwy #93 through Cranbrook and Radium Hot Springs.
Another option to consider, if you cannot drive the GTTSR, is to approach the Canadian Rockies through the Okanagan Valley (Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon), as LJ suggested.
Feb 16th, 2007, 06:24 PM
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That is so helpful... We are going from July 18-30. I was originally thinking we would not go as far up as Jasper due to already spending so much time in a car and we hoped to do a lot of hiking. But maybe that is feasable. Also, is it reasonable to stay in Cranmore rather than Banff? Any hotel suggestions are appreciated (hopefully $150 US or less). We have a 10 and 11 yr. old, and a pool/hot tub is nice.
Anyway, thanks for the itinerary. That is so helpful.
Anyway, thanks for the itinerary. That is so helpful.
Feb 16th, 2007, 09:19 PM
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The fee to drop a car in Calgary after renting it in the US needs to be considered. I have no knowledge of a rental company that will let you do that little gambit -- not saying you cannot, just saying I don't know.
As for a hotel in Calgary, if you are flying out, you may want to drop the rental at the airport where just about every major franchise has an office: National, Hertz and Avis I know are there from personal experience.
My choice of a hotel for departure purposes is the Greenwood. It is one block off of the Barlow Trail in northeast Calgary. The Barlow is the direct route to the airport.
Once you clear McKnight Boulevard, there will be very little to impede your progress. In fact, I have never had any problem getting from the Greenwood to the airport.
I have not checked prices recently, but in the past we had a stronger $US.
The hotel has a pool, and it is located near quite a bit of shopping where there are places to eat. The restaurant in the hotel is decent and convenient.
National is a reputable company. Alamo is a major player in the rental car game as well. I have had no personal experience with Alamo.
With any of these rental companies they will pressure to take all kinds of insurance. Some of the gambits they use are silly, but legal.
I know once in Phoenix, we were told that the Hyundai Sonata we had lacked the power to get us to the Grand Canyon without having to labor up the grade, 5,000 feet or so between Phoenix and Flagstaff. What we needed was a Dodge Charger with a gas guzzling V8 engine.
Utter balderdash. The Sonata was fine all the way.
In DC-Baltimore we were fed a line that the only car available in our reserved price range was a PT Cruiser. What we needed was a big car for the traffic.
Our PT Cruiser never materialized; we got a Chevvy Impala when we walked to the lot.
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisi...rfactsheet.pdf
There will be considerable rebuilding of the Sun Road for the next few years. The damage done in 2006 will hopefully be repaired for this summer season.
The 2007 repairs will be underway, but the cited article says that traffic will be allowed.
You may opt for the shuttle service that is planned.
I am not sure what to expect. Parts of that road don't leave many options. There is no place to put a detour!!
We shall see. I suggest you call the park headquarters and see if you can get some good information. Not too likely, but try.
As for a hotel in Calgary, if you are flying out, you may want to drop the rental at the airport where just about every major franchise has an office: National, Hertz and Avis I know are there from personal experience.
My choice of a hotel for departure purposes is the Greenwood. It is one block off of the Barlow Trail in northeast Calgary. The Barlow is the direct route to the airport.
Once you clear McKnight Boulevard, there will be very little to impede your progress. In fact, I have never had any problem getting from the Greenwood to the airport.
I have not checked prices recently, but in the past we had a stronger $US.
The hotel has a pool, and it is located near quite a bit of shopping where there are places to eat. The restaurant in the hotel is decent and convenient.
National is a reputable company. Alamo is a major player in the rental car game as well. I have had no personal experience with Alamo.
With any of these rental companies they will pressure to take all kinds of insurance. Some of the gambits they use are silly, but legal.
I know once in Phoenix, we were told that the Hyundai Sonata we had lacked the power to get us to the Grand Canyon without having to labor up the grade, 5,000 feet or so between Phoenix and Flagstaff. What we needed was a Dodge Charger with a gas guzzling V8 engine.
Utter balderdash. The Sonata was fine all the way.
In DC-Baltimore we were fed a line that the only car available in our reserved price range was a PT Cruiser. What we needed was a big car for the traffic.
Our PT Cruiser never materialized; we got a Chevvy Impala when we walked to the lot.
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisi...rfactsheet.pdf
There will be considerable rebuilding of the Sun Road for the next few years. The damage done in 2006 will hopefully be repaired for this summer season.
The 2007 repairs will be underway, but the cited article says that traffic will be allowed.
You may opt for the shuttle service that is planned.
I am not sure what to expect. Parts of that road don't leave many options. There is no place to put a detour!!
We shall see. I suggest you call the park headquarters and see if you can get some good information. Not too likely, but try.
