Vancouver is fantastic. I must admit I preferred Banff and Jasper to Whistler.
Travel Canada, Vancouver, Whistler
- Thread starter azreal
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- Jan 23, 2007
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Dont think of Whistler as just a winter destination either. The best way to see it is in the summer months, hire a car and drive the sea to sky highway, which is exactly how it sounds, water one one side of the highway, perfect green trees on the other, is magical.
Yep, went up there the other day. It's a great drive. Now is a good time to head up there too. It's 15 degrees or so but still plenty of snow.
Haven't read thread...but
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=r...eY5oFg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1567&bih=878
Travelled on that, really is worth doing at least one way, brilliant brilliant views!!
Whistler is amazing, only had half a day there as it was a last minute thing, but I'd kill to go back.
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=r...eY5oFg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1567&bih=878
Travelled on that, really is worth doing at least one way, brilliant brilliant views!!
Whistler is amazing, only had half a day there as it was a last minute thing, but I'd kill to go back.
My wife and I were initially going to do the train ride but friends said you would be better off driving as you can stop anywhere you want along the way and they were spot on
. Plus we saved a stack of money as the train is very expensive. We hired a car and drove from Calgary to Vancouver via Banff/Jasper and Kamloops. It was absolutely brilliant. We could do whatever we wanted and stay as long as wanted at places that took our interest.The sea to sky highway to Whistler has fantastic views. Would definitely recommend doing that.
I think the train sells on the comfort factor, someone else is in control, all you have to do is look, they tell you when the best views are coming up and on which side, even slowing down in certain parts. There's no traffic, when you're driving you can stop, but surely not anywhere you'd like?
It was expensive, about 300 dollars from memory. Would recommend still.
It was expensive, about 300 dollars from memory. Would recommend still.
2 days on the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Calgary is just over $1k per person. I think i would rather drive the car. We could stop anywhere on the side of the road (granted there are some spots you can't pull over). One day when we there we came across a group of cars on the side of the road just outside Banff and we wondered what was going on? We stopped and got out and there was a grizzly bear getting fish out of river to feed her cubs which was unbelievable.
I would love to do the train one day.
Sure it wasn't a black bear? You don't see too many grizzlies around there. You do see a lot of wild life on the side of the road and it's nice to stop and get photos but you've got to make sure you are some distance away. I saw tourists stopped near Whistler taking photos of a black bear and it's cubs last year. They were only about 20 metres away
They are very protective and you're not going to outrun them.Anyway, I would also like to do the trip on the Rocky Mountaineer one day. My parents did it when they visited once. They actually did it in winter around Christmas time. They said the views and food were amazing.
Our ride was 3 hours?
To whistler I mean ....
Oh yeah. That's the smaller trip. Does it really cost $300 to go to Whistler? That is pricey.
Well this is going off memory, it was 8 or 9 months ago now but It was definitely around that mark. We got the bus back for about $50.
Rocky Moutaineer is a bit of a rip off so I would expect them to charge $300 to go to Whistler.
pie chucker
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Thanks for the all the info... I'm going to Canada in a few months. Heading to Whistler to ride the mountain bike park which is meant to be amazing. Can't wait.
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I can't imagine there is many better places to ski in the world than Whistler, absolutely amazing. The village itself has a bit of everything as well, from a fun party scene to lots of family options.
You'll be here in summer? Enjoy! You'll have a great time. Whistler certainly can be enjoyed year round. I have some friends that mountain bike and they are always up there.
pie chucker
Senior List
From all accounts Whistler is just as busy in summer now as winter. The mountain bike park is huge. A lot of other ski fields are doing it as well. We're heading to Colorado afterwards to ride some of the amazing rockies...
By all
Just a bit of an opinion for what it's worth
I walked from Glacier NP in Washington state to Jasper in 2007 and spent a week in Whistler afterwards
I suppose after the surreal experience of that hike I felt let down, but I really disliked Whistler
Too many dickheads who just didn't seem to give up partying for 5 minutes to actually appreciate the beauty around them
Anyway, that's just me I suppose
Highlights of that area for me were
1- lake Morraine, took a boat out and just paddled around in unbelievable aqua water and amazing surroundings
2- lake Louise , as above but with more crowds
3- Athabasca Glacier, amazing
4- the wildlife, managed to see a moose, two grizzlies and plenty of black bears
5- camping with glaciers on either side of me
Truly an amazing area of the world
The best thing about the Canadian Rockies is how the rear up at you out of nowhere , when you enter them it doesn't feel like you go over them but almost feel you are in between the mountains, if this makes sense
Just a bit of an opinion for what it's worth
I walked from Glacier NP in Washington state to Jasper in 2007 and spent a week in Whistler afterwards
I suppose after the surreal experience of that hike I felt let down, but I really disliked Whistler
Too many dickheads who just didn't seem to give up partying for 5 minutes to actually appreciate the beauty around them
Anyway, that's just me I suppose
Highlights of that area for me were
1- lake Morraine, took a boat out and just paddled around in unbelievable aqua water and amazing surroundings
2- lake Louise , as above but with more crowds
3- Athabasca Glacier, amazing
4- the wildlife, managed to see a moose, two grizzlies and plenty of black bears
5- camping with glaciers on either side of me
Truly an amazing area of the world
The best thing about the Canadian Rockies is how the rear up at you out of nowhere , when you enter them it doesn't feel like you go over them but almost feel you are in between the mountains, if this makes sense
- Thread starter
- #45
Well i made this thread ages ago and now I'm finally here. Started in Vancouver, was there for a few days, hired a car, drove to revelstoke then Banff which is where I am now. It's awesome, why don't we have these mountains, lakes and snow in the sw of wa! After Banff is jasper then whistler where I have an Aussie friend so free accommodation, after that is Victoria then back to Vancouver for 5 days. Also got a quick trip over to Calgary in a couple of days to check out the NHL. I love it here, so glad to have seen the snow and had a play.
It is so funny looking at the pics in this thread now as I have seen so many of these places. Thanks to all those of you who provided advice and tips
Dodgy phone typing in a rush...
It is so funny looking at the pics in this thread now as I have seen so many of these places. Thanks to all those of you who provided advice and tips
Dodgy phone typing in a rush...
Spending 4 nights in Toronto in mid-late January. Any advice/recommendations for the time there?
Make sure while you are in Banff to gold the gondola up to Sulphur Mountain.
You will love the drive from Banff to Jasper. The best drive in the world by far
Not much to do in Calgary. Flames game would be good to go to though.
Niagara falls is 90 minutes down the road from Toronto.
Go to the CNN tower, the lift goes on out the outside of the tower. Great views!
It will be freezing cold over there at the time. Good luck with that!
I'll be in America (mainly the east coast) since early December so hopefully I'll be used to the freezing cold. Me and my mate were always planning on visiting Niagra, and we decided we might as well make a small trip of it across to Canada, so the original point of going to Toronto was to check out Niagra.
The CNN tower is down on my to do list now though. Cheers.
CNN tower is taller than the Empire State Building. They say on a clear day you can see the mist from Niagara Falls from the Tower.
You will find at that time of year, most people will be walking underground. There are a series of basements which link the various buildings in the CBD.
