Hello,
We are planning a road trip in Western Canada the middle to end of April this year. I have a few questions.
We are wondering about lodging in Whistler, Jasper and Banff. Any suggestions of places that you love?
We are also wondering if there will likely still be snow on the roads (Highways 99 and 5) in late April and if chains are possibly needed.
Thanks so much for any help!
Katie
Chains or snow tires are mandatory on the Icefields Parkway (hwy93 Lake Louise to Banff)) up until April 1st but at that elevation you shouldn't be surprised even into June to occasionally have bad driving conditions. Through the Roger's Pass in BC near the Alberta border (hwy1) may get snowy as well. https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/activ/experience/hiver-winter/pcghiver-ipwinter/pcg-securite-safety-ip
What's your budget for hotels? Jasper and Banff will be filling up. Jasper hotels could be at a premium due to the devastating fires last summer. High end but maybe still a deal in April in Banff will be the Rimrock or Banff Springs. The Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper is spectacular.
Check out Key West Tours from Vancouver, great tour company.
You should be prepared for winter driving in all of these locations at that time of year. If you are going to drive the section of highway 5 from Vancouver to Kamloops be aware that it is a high mountain pass, and the weather can turn nasty quite quickly. All of these towns are very popular tourist destinations, and will likely still be busy with end of season skiers so if you haven’t booked accommodation yet, then do it asap. Jasper suffered a serious wild fire last year, and part of the town burned down.
We were in Alberta in late May 2017. It snowed. It didn't stick but you had to look out for black ice. Unfortunately 75% of our favorite hotel in Jasper, https://www.tekarralodge.com/, burned last year. It won't reopen until 2027. Our favorite hotel in Lake Louise is the Post Hotel, https://posthotel.com/.
Thanks all for the help!
