Seattle to Canada Rockies trip???
 

Just starting to plan. Have free miles with Southwest so I'll be flying into Seattle. Will rent a car and drive to the Canada Rockies for about 10 days.Would like tip on routes from anyone who has made the trip. Is there a "best" month to go or "worst" month to go.

We personally prefer September. Also, we like to fly into Spokane on Southwest for our trips to the Canadian Rockies. There are limited flights compared to Seattle, sure, but it's a good option. Easy airport to get in/out.

We traveled through the Canadian Rockies in August and the weather was perfect.

Unless you want to spend time in Seattle (and with 10 days you might not have enough time) the idea of flying into/out of Spokane is a good one. You can reach Banff easily in a day from Spokane vs. 1 1/2 or even 2 days from Seattle.

The key to visiting Banff/Jasper is to get accommodation booked as soon as you can. August is great, but you're likely to find things pretty booked up; I'd agree that September - even getting into the autumn (which comes early) in the Rockies is also terrific.

I'd recommend a look that includes the Kootenays in one direction. Nelson BC is very picturesque, and traveling through the Kootenays is a superb experience. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/Fy4cmWi26Tm (do the loop in either direction.)

I'm here in Seattle. And I agree about not including it for the plans you outline. Even if you have to fly into SeaTac for some reason, you can catch a commuter 1-hour flight over to Spokane to start your road trip.

As our flight from Orlando tends to arrive into Spokane late evening (11-11:30p), we also like to stay at the Ramada just across the street. It's a very quick and easy walk, even with luggage, maybe a minute or two. Then in the morning, walk back across and pick up your rental car. Couldn't be more convenient.

How is this: Spokane to Banff...Lake Louise...Icefield Parkway...Kamloops...Spokane

When are you planning this trip for? 2019 I hope. If trying for this year, you will have a difficult time finding any lodging throughout the Canadian Rockies and if found be prepared to pay. Also, regardless of timing, you need to really research what is open and closed-roads, trails, sites. parking etc. That will be the deciding factor for what you can see and consequentally where you should find lodging. And be prepared for any driving time in the National Par area's to be probably double what you expect.
I wholeheartedly suggest popping into a different set of forums (BC/Alberta/Canadian Rockies) on a site that begin with a T and check out all recent-and there are many!-posts regarding this type of trip. Having done this trip from Seattle over 17 days last year I know what it takes to be successful and it takes time and much planning. Not an easy do on short notice.

Not sure how Kamloops got there, but okay. I still would heartily suggest looking at Spokane - Banff - Lake Louise - Icefield - Revelstoke - Nelson - Spokane instead. The ride along BC 23/BC 6 between Revelstoke and Nelson is terrific, and the drive through (funky) Metaline Falls back to Spokane is really nice, too. (See the map in post no. 4 above.)

I'm looking for places to stay for next year on a couple sites. Could not find a Holiday Inn/Days Inn/Comfort Inn.....nothing I ever heard of before. Am I going "across the border"...or Russia?

You are traveling through largely wilderness areas, keep in mind. You'll run into the same lack of chain places here in the U.S. What locations are you looking at for stopping, we can perhaps help that way. But expect independents unless you come into a more populous area. Don't expect chain places in the National Parks.

In general, Best Westerns are pretty common. I've stayed in Ramada, Holiday Inn Express, Coast, and various others.

Also, I hope you didn't mean that comment as sarcastically as it seemed to me. :smirk:

Thanks a ton!! I have now added Revelstroke and Nelson to my trip and crossed off Kamloops. 937 miles and 18:49 hours of 6 1/2 hours driving to first stop of Lake Louise.

A great place to stay in Nelson is the Hume Hotel. It's a historic property that has been refurbished but still retains many original architectural elements. The food at the Library Lounge restaurant is very good. Hume Hotel - Nelson Hotel, Accommodations in Nelson BC

Going south from Revelstoke towards Nelson, you'll be treated to a free car ferry ride across Upper Arrow Lake. Just drive until the road ends, then wait for the ferry. I didn't tell my husband about it in advance the first time we made that trip - the expression on his face was priceless when the road just came to an end in the seeming middle of nowhere. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/t...row-lake-ferry

In addition to the free ferry (you're in the Columbia River headwaters, by the way) there are some interesting towns along that route, including picturesque New Denver, with its moving memorial park on the site of one of the Canadian Japanese internment camps from WWII.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ee948aed06.jpg

Not far away is the ghost town of Sandon, where in addition to some old "ghost town-y" buildings, for some reason a whole bunch of old city buses from Vancouver have ended up (go figure) adding their own rather melancholy look to the (incredibly scenic) place.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c97112a1c2.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...31ef592b63.jpg

I'm booking a year ahead. Looked on several sites and the hotel cost is almost unbelievable!! I thought San Francisco was high in the middle 90's but the Canada Rockies area is UNREAL. I'm a single guy traveling alone and some of the places to stay are $300/$400 even $500 not for the week....BUT FOR ONE NIGHT! Canada Rockies are now off my list.....no way a Senior on SS can afford it. Thanks for all that helped. I've been to Toronto/Niagra Falls and that was not bad....no way I could afford this trip. For next year I now have set my sights on Smokie Mountains.

your choices for where to look may be skewing your results. a lot of places in the area are not included in many of the big web accommodation sites. also, if the cost is posted in Canadian Dollars it will look higher than it will turn out to be. if you really wan to do this area, post your desired budget per night here and folks can pass along options. i would not give up quite yet.

Agree with melproffit. For Banff, look for lodging in Canmore, about 20 minutes from the park entrance. In Jasper, look for private home accommodations at www.stayinjasper.com. You should also look into the hostels in Jasper and Banff. HI Jasper | Book Direct for Best Rate

No private homes and NO WAY I'd stay in a hostels (unless you mis-spelled hotel.) The higher the cost....the less days I can afford for trip. I never get under the covers in ANY hotel. When I get off the plane I look for a Walmart. Get 2 blankets (one to put on top of bed....one for over me) and one pillow for my trip. I can NEVER take a bath/shower in a strange bathroom...no matter how long the trip. I'd go $150 per night (maybe $175)....would like 7 days if the cost is lower. Help is needed. I've been to Yellowstone/Grand Canyon/LV/Nashville/Toronto the past few years....no problem with cost.

Booking a year ahead is probably an issue. Increasingly hotels are mimicking the airlines with "revenue management" algorithms. The farther out you book, the more they're likely to hedge against their internal costs spiking in the meantime. I'd be booking summer hotel space sometime this autumn or winter rather than looking a full year ahead.

However I think your budget targets for this region at peak travel periods are rather unrealistic.

Unreallistic? Really your saying to expensive. I never knew Canada was sooooooo expensive. I went to Niagra Falls on the Canada side and did great on price. Same as Toronto. I can get on Ebay and get Gatlinburg lodging (Smokies) for $75 a night for timeshare rental. Rockies in Colorado were great prices.