what are buses like
Apr 24th, 2005, 02:13 PM
#2
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I have always rented a car and driven to where I wanted to go. The bus option never appealed to me. Tour buses have a fixed schedule and at even the best places it seems to me to be quick off, quick look, quick back on, and then off again to repeat another quick one.
Apr 24th, 2005, 02:22 PM
#3
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Hello aussie3,
I do not recommend that you catch a bus from Jasper to the scenic spots in the Canadian Rockies and then on to Calgary.
There are scheduled buses (Greyhound, Brewster, etc.), but they do not stop at the scenic lookout points.
There also are guided tours (Brewster et al) that cover the territory, but they are expensive. In addition to that, as bob_brown said, they let you off to take a quick photo of this or that tourist icon, and then you have to hop back on again.
If three of you will be sharing the cost, I believe that renting a car will be the cheapest (and by FAR the most flexible) option.
For us Canadians one of the hazards of renting a car in one city and dropping it off in another is the drop off fee. I think I've seen an Aussie poster referring to this as a "one-way charge." Non-Canadian posters have reported that, when they've rented a car for their Canadian vacation through an office of a multi-national car rental chain that is located in their home country, the drop off charge has been waived. It's probably worth your while to look into that.
Another potential problem with renting a car is if all three of you are under 25 years of age. In that case car rental companies may ding you with an extra charge for being young drivers. I'm not sure what that's all about. I think it may have something to do with insurance. Anyway, if the age issue applies to you, that is another thing you'd be well advised to look into. However, I would say that the "penalty" would have to be totally outrageous before I would consider a bus to be a better option than a rental car.
Don't be afraid of driving on what feels to you like the "wrong" side of the road. Once you're outside of the cities, it's easy. I know because I've driven in countries in which the local driving convention has felt wrong to me. I'm not a confident driver, and if I coped well with the switch I'm sure just about anyone can.
If you drive from the Rockies to Calgary Airport, you can avoid much city traffic by using a tip that "ltt" first mentioned here at Fodor's.
You'll approach Calgary on the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1). You'll be driving eastwards. Turn north onto Stoney Trail when you reach the first traffic light on the outskirts of Calgary. Then turn east onto Country Hills Boulevard. That will take you all the way to the airport.
Hope that helps.
I do not recommend that you catch a bus from Jasper to the scenic spots in the Canadian Rockies and then on to Calgary.
There are scheduled buses (Greyhound, Brewster, etc.), but they do not stop at the scenic lookout points.
There also are guided tours (Brewster et al) that cover the territory, but they are expensive. In addition to that, as bob_brown said, they let you off to take a quick photo of this or that tourist icon, and then you have to hop back on again.
If three of you will be sharing the cost, I believe that renting a car will be the cheapest (and by FAR the most flexible) option.
For us Canadians one of the hazards of renting a car in one city and dropping it off in another is the drop off fee. I think I've seen an Aussie poster referring to this as a "one-way charge." Non-Canadian posters have reported that, when they've rented a car for their Canadian vacation through an office of a multi-national car rental chain that is located in their home country, the drop off charge has been waived. It's probably worth your while to look into that.
Another potential problem with renting a car is if all three of you are under 25 years of age. In that case car rental companies may ding you with an extra charge for being young drivers. I'm not sure what that's all about. I think it may have something to do with insurance. Anyway, if the age issue applies to you, that is another thing you'd be well advised to look into. However, I would say that the "penalty" would have to be totally outrageous before I would consider a bus to be a better option than a rental car.
Don't be afraid of driving on what feels to you like the "wrong" side of the road. Once you're outside of the cities, it's easy. I know because I've driven in countries in which the local driving convention has felt wrong to me. I'm not a confident driver, and if I coped well with the switch I'm sure just about anyone can.
If you drive from the Rockies to Calgary Airport, you can avoid much city traffic by using a tip that "ltt" first mentioned here at Fodor's.
You'll approach Calgary on the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1). You'll be driving eastwards. Turn north onto Stoney Trail when you reach the first traffic light on the outskirts of Calgary. Then turn east onto Country Hills Boulevard. That will take you all the way to the airport.
Hope that helps.
Apr 24th, 2005, 04:02 PM
#4
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I second the motion, Judy's that is.
The Calgary airport is usually user friendly. So is most of Calgary.
I like visiting there.
One way rentals are expensive. I have priced them and rejected the idea.
I once considered renting in Calgary and dropping in Vancouver. I could have flown from Calgary to Vancouver more cheaply -- two people.
If you rent, Enterprise has the best rates I have seen currently, BUT, there is a hook in the bait. If you drive the car into BC, there is suddenly a milage cap. (Kilometers). The same is true if you want to take the car into Montana.
The next best rate I have seen is with Thrifty. Hertz and Avis were out of my league cost wise.
The Calgary airport is usually user friendly. So is most of Calgary.
I like visiting there.
One way rentals are expensive. I have priced them and rejected the idea.
I once considered renting in Calgary and dropping in Vancouver. I could have flown from Calgary to Vancouver more cheaply -- two people.
If you rent, Enterprise has the best rates I have seen currently, BUT, there is a hook in the bait. If you drive the car into BC, there is suddenly a milage cap. (Kilometers). The same is true if you want to take the car into Montana.
The next best rate I have seen is with Thrifty. Hertz and Avis were out of my league cost wise.
