jgbg

G'day from "down under"!

Having some last minute changes to our June itinerary.

On "Day 1" we are driving from Vancouver and are staying at Canmore ("night 2&quot. Where would you suggest we spend "night 1"? (We are returning via Kamloops so would like to stay in a different town.)

Trying to make the drive times "equal" on each day as it is a long way, however I realise there may be more to see once you get closer to the National Parks.

Have looked on the map and Kelowna looked to be a big township. However what about Vernon and Revelstoke - silly question but are they townships with accommodation or just "petrol stops"?

Open to any other suggestions.

Thanks. Cheers

Cruiseryyc

Kelowna - fairly big town. Vernon - smaller town. Both of them are in the Okanagan Valley so you will be surrounded by lots of lakes. Revelstoke is right in the middle of the mountains, you will be surrounded by mountains. Any of the three would be good stopping points. They will all have a good selection of motels/hotels and restaurants.

ltt

have you considered taking the southern route from vancouver to canmore. you could night over in nelson, kimberly or, driving further, fairmont hot springs is nice. this would allow you to see a differnet part of the province.
otherwise, i'd pick vernon or salmon arm in the okanagan as a stopover.

Sam_Salmon

Agree with Itt about taking highway 3 the southern route and aiming for Nelson, any further would be a tiring day though even for Ocker champion long distance drivers.=D>

jgbg

Thanks for your ideas.

LTT - I had a look at the southern route and total kms (Van-Can) is 1128km/14hrs-3mins compared to 'northern' route (via Vernon/Revelstoke)of 864k/9h-48mins which is a lot shorter. So I think we'll take the northern route. But thanks for the tip.

Will research Vernon and Revelstoke a bit further. Anyone have any accomm recommendations at either of these towns?

Cheers

Lynette

Why don't you try Salmon Arm or Sicamous instead of Kamloops.
The towns on Shushwap lake are pretty.

ShelliDawn

Hi jgbg,

Just to let you know that the driving time between Calgary and Vancouver, via Kamploops and the Coqhuihalla highway (which is the fastest route) is just over 11 hours. And that's going flat out with only fuel stops. Going via Kelowna/Vernon, I would add an extra hour, making it 12 hours.

If you're breaking it into two days, the extra time is not as big an issue, but just wanted you to have better idea of driving times.

bob_brown

Sheila and I have had the same time experiences when driving between Vancouver and Calgary.

I have never tried to make the journey in one day. The road after you leave Kamloops and travel through Salmon Arm, over Rodgers Pass in Glacier Np, skirt Golden, and climb to the crest of Kicking Horse Pass is fairly slow going.

Once you leave Lake Louise the pace picks up as the Trans Canada becomes a wider highway.

Revelstoke, Vernon, and other places would be good stopping points.
I think it depends on your travel objectives. There is a motel at Rodgers Pass that is well situated for views of Glacier National Park, provided the day is clear!!

Revelstoke is at the level of the Columbia River, so it is down in a valley.

ShelliDawn

Hi Bob,

Just noticed this is the second post in two days where you call me "Sheila". My name is "Shelli".

jgbg

G'day again! Appreciate your responses and we're certainly taking them all on board.

We were thinking of:
Day 1 - mostly driving (max 550km);
Day 2 - driving with stopping/sight seeing.

Just before anyone else posts - we're driving Vancouver to Canmore (and not Calgary)

Read in the Lonely Planet that Revelstoke is a busy railway center and "you may eventually stop twitching at the ear-splitting blasts of trains passing through town". Anyone stayed at Revelstoke and were kept awake with the trains?

Cheers

Heather49

I've often stayed in Revelstoke and have never been bothered by the trains. My MIL lived fairly close to the tracks too.

rm_mn

Hiway 1, the Trans-Canada follows the railroad that hauls cargo from the Canadian prairies to the Vancouver seaport. The rail line is busy 24 hours a day. Any cargo that doesn't go by rail goes on a truck on the Trans-Canada. If you are a light sleeper or used to quiet nights, Revelstoke may not be as pleasant as Vernon or Kelowna. Since you are breaking this into 2 days anyway, you may enjoy the different scenery/history of the more southern route through Osoyous, Castlegar, Creston, Cranbrook, Radium Hot Springs and through Kootenay Naional Park to rejoin the Trans-Canada at Castle junction. Using the Trans-Canada as a return route will give you different scenery as you go through Yoho National Park and Glacier National Park on your way back to Kamloops. Instead of trying too hard to make the driving times equal, make the trip times equal by stopping at various places along the route.

bob_brown

You will have to excuse my eyesight. The cataracts will be gone soon.
I got my nose up against the screen and saw I was wrong.

bmacdon

Noise is an issue for me and although I think Revelstoke is a great little town, I did not get a good sleep in one of the motels across the street from the tracks. There are B&B's further away in the residential areas, so those might be an option for you.

jgbg

In case anybody is interested in doing the same thing, we decided to stay at SALMON ARM. Found the prettiest little spot on the lake. A real little gem and we were so glad we did our stopover here.