Vancouver > Jasper > Banff > Calgary

[Mygreenescort]

Hello friends! So excited to be taking my first RV trip this summer! Renting from canadream and cannot wait!! My question goes out to anyone that might have insight on a specific leg of my trip: Vancouver - Jasper. I'm deciding whether I should stop halfway between Vancouver and Jasper for a night or go the full 8hrs there in one day. Is there anything interesting at all to see/do in the way or any cool places to stay?

The whole trip will take a week.

2 nights Vancouver
1 night inbetween Vancouver/Jasper
1 night Jasper
2 nights lake Louise
1 night Banff
Wake up and return RV in Calgary

Hoping for some thoughts on this itinerary and suggestions on things to see or do on the way.

- Garret

[slickest1]

I would suggest you research campgrounds starting at Clearwater, Blue River, and Valemount. There are not a great abundance of rv sites so research may be worthwhile.
It is a scenic trip and hope you enjoy. Welcome to B.C.

[answerswillvary]

Moved to RVing in Canada for more input.

[4runnerguy]

Day 6 is way long! Have you ever driven from Estes Park to Grand Lake through Rocky Mountain NP? Banff to Jasper is four times as long and you have several side trips and or stops on that day.

Might I suggest scheduling your trip to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake for Day 7 as a day trip from your Banff CG? There's a lot to see and do there. On Day 6, just visit those places north of Lake Louise. Between stopping for pictures and visiting places like the Icefields, you'll still probably get into Banff pretty late that evening.

Combined, Banff and Jasper are 15 times the size of RMNP! And you aren't even getting to visit nieghboring Yoho and Kootenay which are righteous parks in their own right.

[DaveG39]

looks good for the time you have. Lots of view places near icefields visitor center also things to see close to whistler's (the town isn't much but the scenery is nice). Tunnel mountain is nice and close to town and scenery. Busy trip. Short time. ENJOY!

[paulj]

Try to view Lake Louise and Moraine in the morning. The sun will illuminate the EW valleys better.

[nightshift]

obgraham wrote:
More Jasper, IMHO. Lake Louise takes less time to see.

Yes. Maligne Canyon must not be missed. Jasper is the best part of the Rockies, in my opinion. We stayed 4 nights and it still wasn't enough.

[Uncle_Rj]

Day 6 is going to be very busy for you but it may be the highlight of the trip. You could spend weeks in that section and still not see and do everything.

You are going to four different lakes that day, but they are all beautiful and different. I'd try to schedule your day so you hit Moraine Lake later in the afternoon/early evening. It gets VERY busy there and the parking lot isn't very big. They often close the road because it is too busy. The crowds are not nearly as bad early and late in the day.

DO NOT TRY TO BIKE THERE FROM LAKE LOUISE! I know they rent bikes in Lake Louise and even suggest this as a trip. Keep in mind that it is a 10 mile trip one way and it is uphill most of the way to Moraine Lake. Add in the fact that the road is very busy and there are next to no shoulders on the road. You will spend 2-3 hours biking there on an already busy day. You can take a look at the road on Google Earth Streetview and make your own call though. We cycle a lot and I would never consider doing this road except in non-peak times.

You might want to look at taking Highway 1A from Lake Louise to Banff. It is slower but will not be as busy as Highway 1. There is also a much greater chance of seeing wildlife especially if you go later in the day. If you have time, the hike to Johnston Canyon is nice.

Tunnel Mountain 2 is our least favorite of the three campgrounds in Tunnel Mountain. It is pretty wide open and only a few sites have fire rings. We like the TM Trailer Court quite a bit better but you can not have fires there.

[Mygreenescort]

IDman wrote:
You ever hear of "Paralysis by Analysis"? That is where you are as you are over-thinking this trip. Just make some reservations, go and enjoy, and stop worrying about how many hours to spend in each spot!

Think you're totally right. Definitely over analyzing this trip. Slightly nervous (in a good way) since it's my first RV trip ever. Booked Whistler and Banff! Can't wait!

Thanks everyone for the help!

[IDman]

You ever hear of "Paralysis by Analysis"? That is where you are as you are over-thinking this trip. Just make some reservations, go and enjoy, and stop worrying about how many hours to spend in each spot!

[Mygreenescort]

Really curious to know what everyone thinks of this itinerary. I almost feel as if one thing needs to be cut out cause it's feeling a little crammed. So to the people that have traveled these roads before, what (if anything) should be cut from this list?

Night 1 and 2 in Vancouver
Day 3 drive majority of the way to Jasper,
Night 3 stop in or near Clearwater or Blue River.
Day 4 drive into Jasper taking in the sights
Night 4 Whistlers (would love a fire pit)
Day 5 drive to Columbia Icefields
Night 5 Camp in Icefields parking lot
Day 6 Drive to Lake Louise and visit Peyto and Bow lake on the way. Canoe on Lake Louise and also see Moraine Lake. Possibly Bike there.
Night 6 Camp in Tunnel Mountain 2
Day 7 Explore Banff
Night 7 Camp in Tunnel Mountain 2
Day 8 leave Banff around 6am to return RV between 8-10am

[Mygreenescort]

4runnerguy wrote:
When you're planning your days, remember that speed limits are typically lower than those you're used to in CO. There are some parts of the Trans Canada that are the equivalent of 65 MPH (110 KPH), but you'll find 50 to 60 MPH (80 to 100 KPH) equivalents off that main highway. From Jasper to Banff, the fastest you'll probably see is 45 MPH equivalent (70 KPH). Plan your travel times accordingly.

So good to know, thanks dude!!

[Mygreenescort]

DrewE wrote:
There are generally two holding tanks on the RV: one for "black water" and one for "grey water" (or "gray water" if you prefer that spelling). Black water is what goes down the toilet; sometimes the bathroom sink is also plumbed into the black water tank for various reasons. The gray water tank holds what goes down the other drains. There is, of course, also a fresh water tank.

You can dump the tanks either at your site, if you have a sewer hookup, or at a dump station (often called a sani-dump in Canada). In either case, this is basically a sewer pipe at ground level that you stick a hose from the sewer dump into and pull valves to let the sewage flow into the sewer. You can look up the details on their web sites, but I would guess that the park campgrounds would probably have a dump station to use.

Often there's a water hose for cleaning out the dump hose at the dump station, and a separate spigot nearby for filling the fresh water tank with potable water. Using the cleaning hose to fill the fresh water tank is not a brilliant idea, even if the water comes from the same source, as the hose is likely to be at least somewhat contaminated.

How long you can go between dumps depends mostly on your water usage--showering and dishwashing in particular. If you use campground showers (assuming they're available) and conserve water generally, you might be able to go all week without dumping...but it would probably be tricky. If you all take long showers in the motorhome, you may need to dump (and refill) more than once a day. Navy showers are recommended: turn on water, get wet, turn off water, lather up, turn on water, rinse off, done.

Electricity should not be much of a problem if you're a little bit conservative with its use (turning off lights when not needed, avoiding using an inverter for long periods or with things that need a lot of power, etc.) The motorhome will charge the battery from the vehicle alternator when you drive, and it will also be charged if you are plugged in at a camp site.

I'm sure the rental agency will go over all the details with you, and probably provide some literature as well.

This is literally so helpful, thanks man!

[4runnerguy]

When you're planning your days, remember that speed limits are typically lower than those you're used to in CO. There are some parts of the Trans Canada that are the equivalent of 65 MPH (110 KPH), but you'll find 50 to 60 MPH (80 to 100 KPH) equivalents off that main highway. From Jasper to Banff, the fastest you'll probably see is 45 MPH equivalent (70 KPH). Plan your travel times accordingly.

[DrewE]

There are generally two holding tanks on the RV: one for "black water" and one for "grey water" (or "gray water" if you prefer that spelling). Black water is what goes down the toilet; sometimes the bathroom sink is also plumbed into the black water tank for various reasons. The gray water tank holds what goes down the other drains. There is, of course, also a fresh water tank.

You can dump the tanks either at your site, if you have a sewer hookup, or at a dump station (often called a sani-dump in Canada). In either case, this is basically a sewer pipe at ground level that you stick a hose from the sewer dump into and pull valves to let the sewage flow into the sewer. You can look up the details on their web sites, but I would guess that the park campgrounds would probably have a dump station to use.

Often there's a water hose for cleaning out the dump hose at the dump station, and a separate spigot nearby for filling the fresh water tank with potable water. Using the cleaning hose to fill the fresh water tank is not a brilliant idea, even if the water comes from the same source, as the hose is likely to be at least somewhat contaminated.

How long you can go between dumps depends mostly on your water usage--showering and dishwashing in particular. If you use campground showers (assuming they're available) and conserve water generally, you might be able to go all week without dumping...but it would probably be tricky. If you all take long showers in the motorhome, you may need to dump (and refill) more than once a day. Navy showers are recommended: turn on water, get wet, turn off water, lather up, turn on water, rinse off, done.

Electricity should not be much of a problem if you're a little bit conservative with its use (turning off lights when not needed, avoiding using an inverter for long periods or with things that need a lot of power, etc.) The motorhome will charge the battery from the vehicle alternator when you drive, and it will also be charged if you are plugged in at a camp site.

I'm sure the rental agency will go over all the details with you, and probably provide some literature as well.