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BC road trip

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  • 21-04-2017 9:15pm
    #1
    SuomiJohn
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭


    Me and the wife are heading over to Vancouver in July on the IEC visa.
    First thing we will be doing is taking a 2 week road trip around British Columbia. We will be traveling in a camper-van.

    Has anyone on here done anything similar? What are the chances of getting turned away from campsites to park up at night if they are full?
    From some quick googling it recommends pre-booking, but we don´t really have a set route so I don´t fancy making reservations if possible!

    I also found its illegal to park up for the night in a layby, not that I would fancy it anyhow!

    Also, any places that are a must visit?! I am putting a list together of places to go.

    Thanks.


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    #2
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    Depends what you're into but I'd suggest a loop along the lines of: Vancouver --> jasper --> Banff --> kelowna --> Vancouver.

    That's very broad brush just giving a few ket waypoints but if you check out those places and the surrounding areas you will find lots of things to see and do.

    Id recommend prebooking. I understand the desire for a more flexible travel experience but everything books up like lightening especially in the summer. I'd say even now you could have some difficulties with availability.


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    #3
    SuomiJohn
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭SuomiJohn


    Thanks for that!, I took your advice and picked a route (about 4000kms, Whistler, Banff, Jasper, Prince Rupert etc) around BC, Alberta then a few days on Vancouver Island.

    Also booked all campsites along the way, A bit more relaxed about it now! Just hope we don´t have problems with the camper as we are on a schedule now.

    Just need to somewhere to stay in Vancouver for a week after the road trip!


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    #4
    el diablo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,752 ✭✭✭el diablo


    The national parks (especially Banff, Jasper etc) will be crazy busy this summer as they're free entry all summer due to Canada's 150th birthday. Many campsites etc have been fully booked up several months in advance.

    We're all in this psy-op together.🤨



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    #5
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    el diablo wrote: »
    The national parks (especially Banff, Jasper etc) will be crazy busy this summer as they're free entry all summer due to Canada's 150th birthday. Many campsites etc have been fully booked up several months in advance.
    Yeah I have no idea why they did that seems like flushing a massive amount of revenue down the toilet. Still, can jasper and Banff get much busier?!


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    #6
    circular flexing
    Registered Users Posts: 2,587 ✭✭✭circular flexing


    breadmonkey wrote: »
    Yeah I have no idea why they did that seems like flushing a massive amount of revenue down the toilet. Still, can jasper and Banff get much busier?!

    The camping is not free, only the entry fee for day use is being waived.


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    #7
    el diablo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,752 ✭✭✭el diablo


    breadmonkey wrote: »
    Yeah I have no idea why they did that seems like flushing a massive amount of revenue down the toilet. Still, can jasper and Banff get much busier?!

    I agree. It makes no sense to waive the national parks entrance fees for the whole year. The parks are already massively overcrowded especially during the summer months. It was a ridiculous decision and will do more harm than good to the busier parks.

    We're all in this psy-op together.🤨



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    #8
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    circular flexing wrote: »
    breadmonkey wrote: »
    Yeah I have no idea why they did that seems like flushing a massive amount of revenue down the toilet. Still, can jasper and Banff get much busier?!

    The camping is not free, only the entry fee for day use is being waived.

    Yep. Can't remember how much the pass was last summer but I think I paid around 50 quid for a week for a few of us. That multiplied by tens of thousands of visitors seems like a pointless loss of revenue for a group of national parks that doesn't need help to bring in throngs of visitors.


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    #9
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    Hi

    I also plan a RT from Vancouver to Calgary. Myself and my girlfriend will have a rental car and we will be travelling at the end of September. I was hoping to just wing it and look for accommodation wherever we decide to stop. I know places can be expensive in the main places like Jasper & Banff, but what about lesser touristy places along alternative routes, etc.. Could we just rock up and get a place to stay there and then. We will be going to Jasper & Banff, so we could maybe pre-book 2 nights in each of these and wing the rest of it. We will be doing the RT for about 10days.

    Also, could camping be an option at that time for places lower than Jasper & Banff?

    Any info would be grateful.

    Thanks


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    #10
    circular flexing
    Registered Users Posts: 2,587 ✭✭✭circular flexing


    knucklehead123 wrote: »
    Hi

    I also plan a RT from Vancouver to Calgary. Myself and my girlfriend will have a rental car and we will be travelling at the end of September. I was hoping to just wing it and look for accommodation wherever we decide to stop. I know places can be expensive in the main places like Jasper & Banff, but what about lesser touristy places along alternative routes, etc.. Could we just rock up and get a place to stay there and then. We will be going to Jasper & Banff, so we could maybe pre-book 2 nights in each of these and wing the rest of it. We will be doing the RT for about 10days.

    Also, could camping be an option at that time for places lower than Jasper & Banff?

    Any info would be grateful.

    Thanks

    It should be pretty easy to get accommodation a long the way at that time of the year. A lot of the campsites close down after Labour Day (early September). They are still open in that you can walk into them but there's no services being maintained during the winter. I would also say late September would be too cold for it (just my opinion!)


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    #11
    radiata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 386 ✭✭radiata


    Here's a website that gives a list of all the free campsites in BC. I've stayed in some of them which were really nice.
    https://freecampsites.net/#!British+Columbia&query=region

    There are many other beautiful areas in BC besides Jasper and Banff without all the tourists. I'd recommend bringing a pair of hiking boots and heading to Bugaboo provincial park, it's stunning looking. There are also some really good hikes in Revelstoke and Glacier national park with beautiful scenery if you're into all that.
    PM me if you want any more information. I live in Kelowna and can give you a list of other places well worth visiting


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    #12
    el diablo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,752 ✭✭✭el diablo


    radiata wrote: »
    Here's a website that gives a list of all the free campsites in BC. I've stayed in some of them which were really nice.
    https://freecampsites.net/#!British+Columbia&query=region

    There are many other beautiful areas in BC besides Jasper and Banff without all the tourists. I'd recommend bringing a pair of hiking boots and heading to Bugaboo provincial park, it's stunning looking. There are also some really good hikes in Revelstoke and Glacier national park with beautiful scenery if you're into all that.
    PM me if you want any more information. I live in Kelowna and can give you a list of other places well worth visiting
    Jasper and Banff are both in Alberta. ;-)

    We're all in this psy-op together.🤨



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    #13
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    SuomiJohn wrote: »
    then a few days on Vancouver Island.

    Just a few days? The Pacific Coast of BC is incredible.

    There's Victoria, The capital of BC, also Port Alberni.

    Also, and I've never done this, but if you go to Port Hardy on the north end of Vancouver Island you can take a ferry up into Northern BC, it looks amazing winding through the coastal islands, seriously remote, then drive back down south.

    http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/


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    #14
    el diablo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,752 ✭✭✭el diablo


    You're probably spreading yourselves too thin. That'll be a lot of driving if you want to see Vancouver Island as well as going east to Rockies/Banff/Jasper and everything in between.

    We're all in this psy-op together.🤨



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    #15
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    radiata wrote: »
    I'd recommend bringing a pair of hiking boots and heading to Bugaboo provincial park, it's stunning looking.

    Thanks. This is definitely the type of place i was looking for. i will surely look into this park some more.


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    #16
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    el diablo wrote: »
    You're probably spreading yourselves too thin. That'll be a lot of driving if you want to see Vancouver Island as well as going east to Rockies/Banff/Jasper and everything in between.

    We have 6 days in Vancouver before we start on our actual road trip, so we plan on doing maybe a day/night on the island and a day trip up to whistler. I know there is a bus to whistler, so a day trip there would be enough. We really only want to go up there to do those ziplines. Accommodation is expensive there so we don't want to stay the night.

    I know many would say that a day trip or even one night to Vancouver island would not be enough, but its all we can allocate at this stage.

    Is moped renting a thing over there? I would love to rent one and drive around some of the Island.


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    #17
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    Also

    If someone could give me an idea of a daily budget. I know it always depends on a lot of things, but our accommodation, fuel, and some tourist places are separate, so we are looking at about €70/$100 a day between us for food and beers (not every night tho).


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    #18
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    I suggested getting to the western side of Vancouver island party to see The Pacific Ocean, although its not that easy.
    Obviously a bit too time consuming if you're heading east from Van.


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    #19
    circular flexing
    Registered Users Posts: 2,587 ✭✭✭circular flexing


    knucklehead123 wrote: »
    Also

    If someone could give me an idea of a daily budget. I know it always depends on a lot of things, but our accommodation, fuel, and some tourist places are separate, so we are looking at about €70/$100 a day between us for food and beers (not every night tho).

    Depends how you want to eat. It's worth noting that most hotels don't include breakfast in their standard rates. $100 for me would be a bit on the skimpy side, particularly in Vancouver.


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    #20
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    circular flexing wrote: »
    Depends how you want to eat. It's worth noting that most hotels don't include breakfast in their standard rates. $100 for me would be a bit on the skimpy side, particularly in Vancouver.

    We are not bothered about where we stay and we are staying in hostels mostly. And most of the ones we have booked have breakfast included which is a bonus. I doubt we will be in pubs at night as we want to walk the parks during the day and I will be driving, and being hungover will just not cut it. I'm sure there will be a few nights of drinking, as it is a holiday after all, but this would be buying drink to have in the hostel with other like minded backpackers. I'm sure we will also make use of the hostel kitchens for dinners, and make picnics for lunch to have in the parks.

    My biggest worry is the cost to enter parks and other attractions such as gondola rides, hot springs, etc.


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    #21
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    knucklehead123 wrote: »
    Also

    If someone could give me an idea of a daily budget. I know it always depends on a lot of things, but our accommodation, fuel, and some tourist places are separate, so we are looking at about €70/$100 a day between us for food and beers (not every night tho).

    Just realised i said $100 between us. That was meant to be $100 per person per day.


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    #22
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    circular flexing wrote: »
    Depends how you want to eat. It's worth noting that most hotels don't include breakfast in their standard rates. $100 for me would be a bit on the skimpy side, particularly in Vancouver.

    Sorry, I amended my post about the budget. I was meant to write $100 per person per day. Yes I think $100 between two people per day would be skimpy.


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    #23
    jeepcj
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭jeepcj


    If you spending the night an any bigger towns, you can usually stay in the wallmart car parks, A lot of RV'ers do this and most Wallmarts support it. Yellow ones support it red ones don't https://www.allstays.com/c/walmart-british-columbia-locations-map.htm


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    #24
    knucklehead123
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭knucklehead123


    jeepcj wrote: »
    If you spending the night an any bigger towns, you can usually stay in the wallmart car parks, A lot of RV'ers do this and most Wallmarts support it. Yellow ones support it red ones don't https://www.allstays.com/c/walmart-british-columbia-locations-map.htm

    Can you stay here in your car or do they only allow RV's?


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    #25
    jeepcj
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭jeepcj


    knucklehead123 wrote: »
    Can you stay here in your car or do they only allow RV's?

    Not 100% sure but can't really see a problem with it. Most car parks, shopping centres ect in small towns won't have issues with cars staying overnight. Lots of 24 hr truck stop/petrol stations also allow overnight parking, some also have showers


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