The Rockies:
The Rockies actually lie on the
border of BC and Alberta. The main Highway, the Jasper-Banff is
actually located on the Alberta side, paralleling the border. It
is a spectacular road to drive. Towns inside the National Park's,
namely Banff and Jasper tend to be quite pricey and it is best to
stay in a town outside the Park boundaries if you wish to save
money. The town of Revelstoke on the Trans Canada Highway (BC
side of Banff) has a good inexpensive hostel. There is now a Hostel in Banff as
well. See the links in the
table below. You can also find cheaper accommodation in Canmore,
just outside the park on the Alberta side. I have provided a link
to bed and breakfast accommodation, there. Both the towns of
Banff and Jasper are tourist traps, but most visitors enjoy both
of them. There is a heavy Japanese presence in Banff, both
merchants and visitors. Both the Jasper and Banff areas offer
myriad recreational opportunities such as hiking and horseback
riding.
There is a one time admission to
the National Parks in the form of a sticker you apply to your
car. It is valid for the season. The 3 main routes to the Rockies
from Vancouver are the southern route along Highway 3, the Trans
Canada Route along Highway 1 and the northern route along Highway
5 and 16. There is an expensive tourist train, the Rocky Mountain
Express (about $500, phone 1-800-665-7245 if you are interested)
that runs from Vancouver along the southern CPR route, or
regularly scheduled VIA Rail service to Jasper along the Northern
CNR route. Be wary of Bears in National Parks, especially when
camping, they are used to people and are attracted by food. There
are Grizzlies present in both Parks. (See precautions in my
"Camping"
section.)
You can get there from Vancouver or Calgary by train or bus. The
southern section is only serviced by an expensive tourist train, "The Rocky
Mountaineer". The cheaper public train takes the less scenic northern route via
Jasper to Edmonton. Problem with that is, that some areas are crossed at night.
The best option is to drive, but there are also several companies that offer
coach tours. The cheapest alternative is the "Moose Bus" which is a backpacker
bus with 3 departures a week along the same route. You can get-on / get-off on
this service which is a bonus. Several other companies offer tours from
Vancouver, ranging from 5 days (about the minimum) to 15 days at prices ranging
from about $800 to over $3000. There are several links in the table below.
