Canadian Rockies - trip ideas

We spent a couple weeks in Jasper and Banff a few years back. Stunning! I know very little about it, but I had heard last summer's fires were devastating, particularly in Jasper. You may want to check out what areas were impacted and if you want to avoid certain parts or postpone the trip.

You could check flying into Calgary. We drove from Minnesota and from Calgary, we went thru Jasper, north to south and then on to Banff.

I think if you want flexibility you should consider renting a car. Sadly, there are not great train connections other than the expensive Rocky Mountaineer. Many people will rent in Calgary and then drive to Vancouver. This does have the disadvantage of paying a drop off fee, but it is possibly the more scenic route.

If it is truly the Rockies you want to do Calgary is closer than Vancouver and depending on your timeframe it might make the most sense to just fly in and out of Calgary.

I would take a look at what areas interest you the most. How long do you have?

In 2019, I took the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver solo, with a stop of 3 nights in Jasper on my own. It doesn’t make a lot of stops, but you can get on (or off) at any stop. The Canadian is a lot less expensive than the Rocky Mountaineer (although not cheap), but each has their pros and cons. It has no planned activities at cities - you just disembark, do your own thing, then get back on the next train (or not) as desired (and as reserved). While it’s a sightseeing train, it is also transportation. So the stops are just long enough for people to disembark or board, reload supplies, etc., but not sightseeing. If you want to sightsee, you have to get off and stay, then continue whenever the next train comes through (or however long you want to stay). The trains don’t come daily.

There are some casual activities on board (and marvelous meals) but mostly it’s the scenery and the peace. I chose to stay on for 3 nights; get off in Jasper and stay 3 nights; then get back on for one night to Vancouver. I reserved a private compartment, but there were less expensive bunks and even less expensive places to just sit up.

https://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/rockies-and-pacific/toronto-vancouver-canadian

I would agree with Lisa, that a car rental and doing your own accommodation booking might be preferable to the very expensive Rocky Mountaineer. It's more like a My Way bus tour, but with a train and DIY excursions that fit within the train stop hours, which aren't all that long. I wouldn't recommend the Canadian for the next couple of years. It's only Rockies stop is Jasper, and it is still in the recovery phase after the devastating fires.

If driving, it would make sense to fly into Calgary, then stay in Banff and/or Lake Louise for a few days. If time and interest allows, perhaps travel into BC to Vancouver, with an overnight in Kamloops, via the TransCanada Highway.

Or for something different, after Banff and Lake Louise, drive to Drumheller to see the Tyrell dinosaur museum, drive the dinosaur trail, and see the HooDoos. Then return to Calgary for your flight home. Unfortunately you would be too early to experience the Stampede.

Having a car in the Canadian Rockies is amazing. The road (Icefields Parkway) from the park entrance outside Calgary to Jasper is one of the most scenic roads in the world. I defy anyone to drive it and not stop a dozen times to admire the views and take photos. I stayed in Banff and then in Jasper. I saw lots of wildlife - elk grazing on the the Banff golf course at sunset, a herd of bighorn sheep along the road near Jasper, and more than one bear. Hike around Lake Louise, take a 2-hour cruise on Maligne Lake near Jasper. Venture out on the Athabasca Glacier, hike to Athabasca falls.

The earlier in May you can go, the better . . . fewer crowds, more wildlife.

We did a great four day bus tour of the Canadian Rockies a few years ago from Vancouver. It was great. The tour company was Key West Tours.

I had researched taking the train tour from Vancouver for the same four days, but it's price was THREE times the cost of the bus tour.
We did Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise.

We have been to this area a handful of times, including with our kids. I would not take the train for this trip. Full disclosure, I have not taken it there at all, but am basing my comment on our experience and then my mom's taking the train. Yes, it is more like a cruise, which my mom thought was great. We live in the Seattle area so just drive our own vehicle there. I like having that as we are able to change our plans on a moments notice, and we can see more. Depending on flights, take a look at Seattle or even Spokane. Seattle may have cheaper flights. We drive over to ID and then up over the border.

Do you like to hike? If so, this is a great area. The Lake Agnes/Big Beehive hike (aka Plain of Six Glaciers) at Lake Louise is well known, for a reason. Most people only go as far as the tea house though, so after that there are far fewer people.

Our favorite place to stay is at Baker Creek near Lake Louise right on the Bow Valley Parkway. They have grow this place immensely, but it is very nice. The cabins are spendy, but we love them. They book far in advance though, so if this is of interest, get on it now.

We took the Rocky Mountaineer about 10 years ago, with a night in Vancouver before the tour and several nights in Banff and Jasper, on our own with a rental car, after the train. We flew into Vancouver and home from Calgary. While it was great for us, because my husband loves trains and wanted to do the trip, I don't think it sounds like it would work well for you. It's two days of sitting on the train, with a one-night stop. Great scenery, and our train car had two young people who served our meals and periodically pointed out sights and gave us background on what we were seeing. I don't recall noticing any families or college age people on the train, although there were some young couples.

I think the idea of flying to Calgary and renting a car to explore sounds great. It would be a very long drive from Vancouver. I'd save the Vancouver area for a separate trip some other time.

If you have the time, I second the recommendation of a stop in Drumheller. We stopped on our way to Calgary. The museum was incredibly interesting and the hoodoos something to see!

We did this trip flying into Calgary and renting a car. I think a car would be best to really explore these areas. Others have given great advice already, but I would add that accommodations (especially affordable/moderately priced ones) book up very fast. I would start on securing places to stay as soon as you have an itinerary.

I'd highly recommend a car, the Icefields Parkway is one of the most spectacular drives in the world. If you do choose to drive instead of the train, and the Rockies is your priority, then flying into Calgary makes the most sense. WestJet has direct flights from Boston several times a week in May-September. WestJet also codeshares with Delta.

A word of warning, starting on the May 17 long weekend, prices in Banff, Canmore, and Jasper will skyrocket for the summer. A hotel we like costs $150 this weekend but will be $450 starting May long weekend. Even then accommodations fill up fast. Jasper likely even faster due to last year's fire destroying some hotels.

Thanks to all for the amazing advice! Extremely helpful!

We have been plagued by wildfires over the past month in my area although not to the devasting effect as what has probably occurred in other parts. I hadn't even thought of previous wildfire damage to some of the areas we may have wanted to visit. Will keep this in mind.

I have scraped the Rocky Mountaineer as it seems too pricey and other than getting to enjoy a train ride does not seem like it would suit us. The Canadian train sounds like an interesting option just to get us to a different point where we might then use a rental car for the rest of the time. I would be fine with flying in somewhere like Calgary and then renting a car for the rest of the trip myself but the rest of the family really want to incorporate a train into part of this.

We won't be able to head out until both kids are done with spring semester of college so mid-May which may put us just before/at the start of what appears high season in terms of prices for lodging. I will do some more research on some of the communities you all listed. Thanks for all this helpful info!

We had a trip to the Canadian Rockies that was planned for this past September, that we canceled due to the wildfires. Our plan was to fly into Calgary and rent a car, because we wanted flexibility for our trip. First stop was Banff for several nights. We would then drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper for a stay there. The property where we had booked a cabin in Jasper, burned to the ground, but thankfully the owner's home was saved and everyone was evacuated safely. Our final stop would have been Lake Louise, and we would have returned the rental car in Calgary. I would suggest doing some research on how those wildfires affected the areas you want to visit. Reaching Lake Louise and Moraine Lake requires research and planning due to traffic/parking restrictions. I had reserved timed shuttle tickets well in advance. The Parks Canada website provides information for that. Several of our friends have taken the Rocky Mountaineer trip. Their experience was that was very limited as to stops along the way, and quite expensive. That was one more reason why we chose to rent a car.

Donnelly, here is a tip about a special place: Lake O'Hara in BC's Yoho Park. Visitors must apply months ahead for permission.
Fantastic hiking awaits. Exceptionally beautiful lake plus nearby tarns.
One guidebook put it best:
"A perfect microcosm of all the best that the Canuck Rockies have to offer."
Satisfaction guaranteed.
I am done. the end.

We pulled our travel trailer to visit Banff, Lake Louise, Field and Jasper in 2019. We were dependent on our vehicle to get anywhere. I would suggest flying into Calgary and renting a car.