If we drive between Seattle and Lake Louise/Banff, is it ALL mountain passes, or what is it like? Would it be difficult for someone that has a fear of heights?

I don't recall anything about the areas I've covered, along various paths there, which would cause any fears to rise up...

And of course we're talking <I>summery</i> driving conditions here...


The famed <I>"Coca Cola on Ice"</i> can prove a match for anybody during the winter.

Just know that it is not US freeway-style roads. There will be some of that, but a good deal (especially over the mountains) is a 2-lane highway with occasional passing lanes. In summer, you have a good chance of getting stuck behind a big rig or RV. Speed limits also lower.

Nothing particularly scary to me, but I don't have a fear of heights. Depending on the degree that this bothers you, you may or may not find it unsettling.

There are many different routes you can take. I'd recommend driving north along I5 toward Vancouver, then connect from Hwy 99 to Hwy 1 eastbound to Hope. From Hope take Hwy 5 (the Coquihalla) to Merritt and over to Kamloops.

Now, from Kamloops you can take the highway north to Jasper, which is a relatively tame highway to the Rockies. It doesn't really feel like you're in the mountains as the highway follows the valley bottom next to the river the entire time. The thing is, you want Banff and Lake Louise, right? You don't want to go to Jasper.

Instead, from Kamloops you'd then head east along Hwy 1 to Salmon Arm, Sicamous, and Revelstoke, then Golden, Lake Louise, and Banff. You do climb a bit more on this route, but it's a major truck route and transit corridor - you're not on some Inca trail hugging the cliff. It's not like driving the curvy mountainous roads to Mount St Helens (which I personally found scary).

My recommendation is to look up the routes in Google Maps and then look up Google Street View to see what it's really like.

Wow, thank you, this has been very helpful. One question, if I were to take the route you suggest by going up toward Vancouver first, how long do you think the drive would take to my destination? 10 hours?

Wow, thank you, this has been very helpful. One question, if I were to take the route you suggest by going up toward Vancouver first, how long do you think the drive would take to my destination? 10 hours?