Calgary to Vancouver trip - advice please

[nickcrowhurst]

Some young friends here in the U.K, a married couple in their twenties, have hired a motorhome for 3 weeks from 8th to 29th August, and will travel from Calgary to Vancouver. They all love the outdoors, and will hike, climb, swim, dive with air bottles and sail or paddle small craft. They are both fit. He is a naval officer, and she is a teacher. It is their first trip to Canada, and they would appreciate some advice as to a good route and beautiful places to visit. Thanks.
Nick.

[bobkelly]

Nick---This is a great trip your friends are taking. For starters, the trans canadian hwy, route 1, is a great senic ride with many adventures along the way. I'd recommend an add on starting at Lake Louise. Go north on the Ice Fields hwy to Jasper, then west on hwy 16 about an hour and then southwest on hwy 5 until it rejoins route 1 west at Kamloops to Vancouver.

[cameront120]

Immediately West of Calgary is Kananaskis. It's just outside Banff (too busy for my taste) and has some great camping spots and beautiful scenery. Itmakes a great base camp for exploring and hiking.

They may also enjoy a trip South from Kamloops through the Shuswap and into the Okanagan. They can tour orchards and vinyards. Even tour a few wineries. I recommend that they take the old Hope/Princeton Highway (Highway 3) to Banff. It's slower, but much more scenic than the Coquihalla. Once they've reached the West Coast, I would head North to the Sunshine Coast, or immediately board a ferry and head for Vancouver Island and drive to the West side of the island to see Long Beach and maybe do a little surfing on Chesterman's Beach, near Tofino.

Regardless of where they go, they are coming to one of the most beautiful places on the planet, possibly even the universe!

[nickcrowhurst]

Bob and Cameron, many thanks for the information. I've forwarded it to the young couple. Any further similar information would be gratefully received.
Nick.

[Wabbiteer]

The drive from Calgary to Vancouver is 10 hours, hope they have the energy to find 495 hours of activities for the remainder of their time...

Bamff is world-class scenery to contemplate - but dropping down to a USA southern loop (cheaper fuel) and seeing Glacier National Forest and across our Interstates to the Cascades and perhaps seeing Mt St. Helens, etc. then up through Vancouver to points north is a valid alternative. Prince Rupert would better show the Canadian Pacific Northwest than the gentrified Southern British Columbia (also known as the Florida of Canada). Regretfully, Canada Route One is a truck route with smashing scenery, very heavy traffic. I was disappointed during fuel stops by tired and dirty facilities - good they are traveling in a coach!!

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by Wabbiteer

The drive from Calgary to Vancouver is 10 hours

If you're driving a rocket powered motorhome, perhaps. Why anyone touring Calgary to Vancouver would do it all in one day is beyond me. Especially when there is much beauty to be seen in between.

Thanks so much for slagging my part of the world. Sorry your trip through it was so, ummmm...memorable.

[Wabbiteer]

Originally Posted by cameront120

If you're driving a rocket powered motorhome, perhaps.

Arrgh, Urban sprawl is encroaching even in Alberta with new intersections, speed restrictions and whatnot I suppose.. Mapquest has the time at 11 hours 23 Minutes for the 604 miles now...

Originally Posted by cameront120

Why anyone touring Calgary to Vancouver would do it all in one day is beyond me. Especially when there is much beauty to be seen in between....

Then I dare not admit I've also driven it at night, eh?

Originally Posted by cameront120

Thanks so much for slagging my part of the world..

I admit the Saskatchewan and Manitoba crossings may have clouded my memory and I truly apologize.... Yet Vancouver has as much in common with Alberta as San Francisco has with Yosemite so I certainly did not 'slag' your part of the world. Let's not confuse politeness with accuracy, that is, as far as 125 words or less can convey..

If a picture is worth a thousand words, here is two thousand apologies from my time on the Trans-Canada Highway...

[firedog]

I just drove that west on route 1, Calgary to Whislter.grades are 10% ->15% very steep.4 mountain passes,Kicking Horse Pass, Rogers Pass,are very steep.be very careful. check your brakes.Good Luck

[pmclemore]

If they have time, then perhaps one of the ends of the earth would have appeal. I refer to Stewart BC and Hyder AK. This is a side trip, but a glorious one. Bears, glaciers, salmon, able to drive up and look down on a glacier. Truly a one-of-a-kind place.

And where The Thing was filmed, to boot.

Pat