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lgliser
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I want to go to Canada!  I don't know a THING about it though.  Who can help?  I have recently seen a picture of Lake Moraine and it's so beautiful - I have to see it!  And I have heard of Whistler, but I don't know that we'd want to ski.  (I know in Colorado this summer we went to plenty of ski villages and there was plenty to do so is it the same there)?  I think both of those places are more in the western part, right?  

What time of year is good?  Where else should we go?

Edited by lgliser
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I can't tell you much, except that we went to Montreal last summer, and into the countryside about an hour out. We had a fabulous time. Loved it. I would highly recommend Montreal.

 

Our car died (literally - while driving! Scary!) and the place that fixed it was amazing. We've since joked around about going back for planned maintenance. They loaned us a car, and we went on with vacation. Painless.

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Canada is huge :D 

You could do a combo of Vancouver, Whistler 

or Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler & the Rockies 

Whistler has activities year round.  They have amazing eco tours & ziplines, and the gondolas for great views. http://www.whistler.com/activities/zipline/

If I ever win a lottery I want to do the Rocky Mountaineer train trip.  https://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA_BC/

Going over the Rockies via the regular railway (VIA Rail Vancouver to Jasper) is also great. I did that a long time ago & would gladly do it again. 

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Canada is huge :D 

 

 

Yes, it it. You really need to look at a map, and choose a certain area. 

 

- BC coast is gorgeous, as is the interior (Kamloops and the Okanogan)

- Rocky Mountains are very beautiful,

- The prairies span 3 provinces and are huge, 

- Ontario has many lovely places to see (Niagara Falls and area, Toronto, Ottawa - the capital, Lake of the Woods west of Lake Superior, Algonquin Park)

- Quebec has many great areas (Montreal, Quebec City, Gaspe along the south shore of the St. Lawrence river)

- The maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland)

 

As far as weather and seasons, unless you really want winter activities, pick spring, summer or fall. The temperatures of the various regions vary greatly, so do some research via the internet.

Edited by wintermom
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My family just got back from Canada. We drove into Waterton Lakes NP across the border from Glacier NP and from there to Banff and Jasper then back down through Yoho NP, Canada's Glacier, and Mt. Revelstoke. We were going to hit Vancouver but ran out of time and had to get home. It was amazing. We hiked Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. Up in Jasper we went to the hot springs and did a hike along bridges. (I can't remember what it is really called.)

 

We are from southern California where we've been in a drought for four years so to see all of the green was just magical, at least for me. On the other hand they are having a very strange summer and it rained every day and was cold the whole time we were there. It also turns out that one of our tents is so old the waterproofing is not the best--poor kids sleeping in a wet tent.

 

I would highly recommend these National Parks--I don't know much about other parts of Canada but the west is beautiful and well worth the time. They also have an Explorers program similar to our Jr. Ranger program where they earn metal tags they can wear. They are all different colors--my kids were very excited to get a rainbow!

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My family just got back from Canada. We drove into Waterton Lakes NP across the border from Glacier NP and from there to Banff and Jasper then back down through Yoho NP, Canada's Glacier, and Mt. Revelstoke. We were going to hit Vancouver but ran out of time and had to get home. It was amazing. We hiked Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. Up in Jasper we went to the hot springs and did a hike along bridges. (I can't remember what it is really called.)

 

 

Lucky you! All these areas are amazing, but if you don't have time to do all these, pick one or two of the parks to explore. Banff and Jasper are very close to each other, and the highway between them is very picturesque. Calgary is close to Banff, and has a large airport if you're flying in. 

 

If you're driving, the distances are large. Our provinces are much bigger than the average US state. Don't under-estimate how long it takes to get from one place to another.

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I want to go to Canada!  I don't know a THING about it though.  Who can help?  I have recently seen a picture of Lake Moraine and it's so beautiful - I have to see it!  And I have heard of Whistler, but I don't know that we'd want to ski.  (I know in Colorado this summer we went to plenty of ski villages and there was plenty to do so is it the same there)?  I think both of those places are more in the western part, right?  

What time of year is good?  Where else should we go?

 

lake moraine is in the banff national park/area. (west side of alberta)  go.  the whole bow river valley is incredibly beautiful. be sure to get to jasper (lots of wildlife) and down the icefields parkway (several hours) to lake louise.  banff-the-town, is east. 

we went this year.  a week wasnt' long enough.  it's beautiful. hikes, wildlife, history,

whistler is north of vancouver BC. there's stuff to do in summer.

if you like city - vancouver is lovely.  stanley park is in the heart of the city, and has old growth forest.  queen elizabeth park has beautiful formal gardens - and a view of the city.  if you go - do go to victoria, which is the provencial capital.  the tswassen ferry through the channel islands are very nice.

eta: and richmond immediately south of vancouver) has the largest 'china town" outside of asia.  and UBC and first nations . . . .

 

Edited by gardenmom5
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So...saying "I want to go to Canada" is like a European saying "I'm going to the US and want to see NYC, Miami, LA and Chicago. I have a whole 10 days". Umm...(my cousin once tried this--it was pretty comical)

 

Some questions to ask yourself:

How much time do you have?

How much money are you willing to spend?

Will you fly or drive, and if drive, what part of the country do you currently live in?

What kinds of areas do you like? Ocean, mountains, cities, French culture, prairies?

Where do you like to vacation currently? If you love Denver, you might consider Calgary. If you live in New England and want to drive, the maritimes a good bet.

What kinds of things do you want to do?

 

It's a big, diverse country, just like the US. The provinces are larger because there fewer of them, but the majority of the population lives within something like 200 miles of the border. That doesn't mean there aren't great things to do and see farther north, just to give you an idea--especially if you are driving.

 

If you can give any specifics, lots of us would love to help plan your trip!

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Just spent a week in Nova Scotia, along the Acadian Shores up to Grand Pre, and I'm already planning other trips to New Brunswick, Quebec City and Montreal! It was a great mix of outdoor adventure and historical sites--the whole family loved it.

 

People were super friendly and you can request fabulous tourism materials online. I agree that you need to focus on a certain area and look carefully at driving times. We didn't even see all of Nova Scotia! Focusing on one region allowed us to really experience the tides and changing light and feel like it was a vacation, not just a trip.

 

Amy

Edited by Acadie
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Lucky you! All these areas are amazing, but if you don't have time to do all these, pick one or two of the parks to explore. Banff and Jasper are very close to each other, and the highway between them is very picturesque. Calgary is close to Banff, and has a large airport if you're flying in. 

 

If you're driving, the distances are large. Our provinces are much bigger than the average US state. Don't under-estimate how long it takes to get from one place to another.

 

We spent most of our time in Banff and Jasper--they are the largest and had the most to do. Although I'd like to go back and spend more time in Yoho at the Burgess Shale Field. The ranger at the Banff VC was hilarious--"you should do this hike and this and this." By the time he finished we would have had to be in Banff for a month and still probably wouldn't have done all of the hikes.

 

Your provinces are bigger and your speed limits lower--there's a huge difference between 50 mph and 50 kmph!

 

But it's so worth it.

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Echoing what others have said, Canada is huge - larger than the US.  It's the second largest country in the world (total area).

 

It's also my second home (sort of - not officially, but I grew up literally on the border and my step mom is Canadian).  But I only have experience with the eastern half.  I still need to get to the western half.  I can highly recommend plenty in the eastern half though.

 

I love the country - well - except for winter.  We prefer to visit in the spring/summer/fall and enjoy talking with other Canadians escaping winter in the south during the cold.

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I'm partial to Saskatchewan, but tourists sort of look at it at think, "What's there?" lol.

 

There are many wonderful things to see and do in Canada, but picking one area is hard. I would suggest avoiding most cities, as I find one to be much like another, unless there's a specific landmark or activity. Visiting Canada probably has to involve driving!

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WE have taken many vacations to Canada.  There are a lot of great areas.  So far on different trips we have seen Victoria and Vancouver, MOntreal Quebec City and more northern Quebec, Eastern BC and Banff, Jasper, and Calgary, and NIagara Falls and Toronto,  and our last trip was western Ontario by Lake Superior.  All the places were really different and all had interesting sites.  Sometime I want to go to the Maritime Provinces.

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We spent most of our time in Banff and Jasper--they are the largest and had the most to do. Although I'd like to go back and spend more time in Yoho at the Burgess Shale Field. The ranger at the Banff VC was hilarious--"you should do this hike and this and this." By the time he finished we would have had to be in Banff for a month and still probably wouldn't have done all of the hikes.

 

Your provinces are bigger and your speed limits lower--there's a huge difference between 50 mph and 50 kmph!

 

But it's so worth it.

 

 

Ah, our speed limits are not lower.  If the speed limit says 80km/h that means 50mph.  They never equal each other (unlike Celsius and Fahrenheit at -40 degrees)

 

Although in my family we do joke that those American miles are much longer than Canadian miles.

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Oooh I love all of the replies!  

 

 

 

So...saying "I want to go to Canada" is like a European saying "I'm going to the US and want to see NYC, Miami, LA and Chicago. I have a whole 10 days". Umm...(my cousin once tried this--it was pretty comical)

Some questions to ask yourself: 
How much time do you have?
How much money are you willing to spend?
Will you fly or drive, and if drive, what part of the country do you currently live in?
What kinds of areas do you like? Ocean, mountains, cities, French culture, prairies?
Where do you like to vacation currently? If you love Denver, you might consider Calgary. If you live in New England and want to drive, the maritimes a good bet. 
What kinds of things do you want to do? 

Ha - I know!  And I don't mean to sound so ignorant, but I truly do know nothing about it!  Your questions are perfect - I didn't really even know what to ask, so THANKS!  Here are some answers:

I'd say about 2 weeks of vacation.

Is $5000 enough?  We are a a family of 5.  The only trips we've done were Disney World trips (each costing 5-6k) and this summer we did Colorado.  We stayed in Dillon and loved it so much.  

We live in KC.  I had  thought it would be a fun drive but I guess that would eat a lot of our time.  But I still lean toward it.  

I think we'd like mountain areas mostly.  Maybe ocean too.  French culture...maybe, but not a huge priority.  But now that I'm typing that I think I may be changing my mind.  It would probably be really cool!  But I think I'd still say it woudln't be the main point of the trip.

I think we'd like to do a decent amount of hiking and exploring.  

I saw some Facebook friends' pictures of them canoeing at Moraine Lake.  It was SO beautiful.  I want some experiences like that.  Maybe like a hot springs??

 

Yoho National Park was mentioned.  Yoho is my maiden name (I know.... I know).  So that would be kinda cool to see!  And Google Maps says it's close to Moraine Lake.  And Banff.  I'm kind of Googling as I'm reading replies and responding.  

 

Looks like we could spend some time in the areas I just mentioned, and then go a bit farther and hit Whistler and Vancouver.  

 

 

 

My family just got back from Canada. We drove into Waterton Lakes NP across the border from Glacier NP and from there to Banff and Jasper then back down through Yoho NP, Canada's Glacier, and Mt. Revelstoke. We were going to hit Vancouver but ran out of time and had to get home. It was amazing. We hiked Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. Up in Jasper we went to the hot springs and did a hike along bridges. (I can't remember what it is really called.)

This all sounds awesome too!!  And in the same general area for the most part.  See, I think I am leaning toward the west....

 

 

 

 All these areas are amazing, but if you don't have time to do all these, pick one or two of the parks to explore. Banff and Jasper are very close to each other, and the highway between them is very picturesque. Calgary is close to Banff, and has a large airport if you're flying in. 

Good to know!  I had thought we'd drive (from Kansas City) but maybe we would fly.  I wonder if flights are super pricey.  

 

 

lake moraine is in the banff national park/area. (west side of alberta)  go.  the whole bow river valley is incredibly beautiful. be sure to get to jasper (lots of wildlife) and down the icefields parkway (several hours) to lake louise.  banff-the-town, is east. 

we went this year.  a week wasnt' long enough.  it's beautiful. hikes, wildlife, history,

whistler is north of vancouver BC. there's stuff to do in summer.

if you like city - vancouver is lovely.  stanley park is in the heart of the city, and has old growth forest.  queen elizabeth park has beautiful formal gardens - and a view of the city.  if you go - do go to victoria, which is the provencial capital.  the tswassen ferry through the channel islands are very nice.

eta: and richmond immediately south of vancouver) has the largest 'china town" outside of asia.  and UBC and first nations

I was thinking MOSTLY more nature type things but I thinking seeing Vancouver sounds awesome too.  Love the recommendations!

 

As far as time of year... I literally just got this wild hair so nothing has really been discussed.  Fall is generally my favorite time of year so would everything be pretty that time of year?  But would there be as much to do?  I imagine ski places are busy obviously in the winter but then also in the summer.... 

 

Thanks for all of the replies!  This definitely has helped me get started on my planning!

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I live here and I've travelled a bit in parts of the country.  Quebec City is more interesting (IMO) than Montreal, but Ottawa is my favourite city.  Those would be my top 3 picks for cities.  I've been all over the west, but I've never been to Churchill.  I have a great longing to go to Churchill.  Everyone who has ever been there has waxed poetic about the experience.  It's kind of every cliché thing you think of when you think of Canada -- except very beautifully raw.  Anyway.... this will get you there:  http://www.everythingchurchill.com/

 

ETA: If you're into extreme sports, I suggest Saskatchewan in February.  There's not really anything to do. Just surviving it should get you bragging rights and a really great story to tell your grandchildren. ;)

Edited by Audrey
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As far as time of year... I literally just got this wild hair so nothing has really been discussed.  Fall is generally my favorite time of year so would everything be pretty that time of year?  But would there be as much to do?  I imagine ski places are busy obviously in the winter but then also in the summer.... 

 

Thanks for all of the replies!  This definitely has helped me get started on my planning!

 

The fall season is nice, but short. The altitude is high, and it's a lot farther north than Kansas, so Sept and Oct are "fall," as it can easily snow late Oct and Nov. 

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Oooh I love all of the replies!  

 

Ha - I know!  And I don't mean to sound so ignorant, but I truly do know nothing about it!  Your questions are perfect - I didn't really even know what to ask, so THANKS!  Here are some answers:

I'd say about 2 weeks of vacation.

Is $5000 enough?  We are a a family of 5.  The only trips we've done were Disney World trips (each costing 5-6k) and this summer we did Colorado.  We stayed in Dillon and loved it so much.  

We live in KC.  I had  thought it would be a fun drive but I guess that would eat a lot of our time.  But I still lean toward it.  

I think we'd like mountain areas mostly.  Maybe ocean too.  French culture...maybe, but not a huge priority.  But now that I'm typing that I think I may be changing my mind.  It would probably be really cool!  But I think I'd still say it woudln't be the main point of the trip.

I think we'd like to do a decent amount of hiking and exploring.  

I saw some Facebook friends' pictures of them canoeing at Moraine Lake.  It was SO beautiful.  I want some experiences like that.  Maybe like a hot springs??

 

Yoho National Park was mentioned.  Yoho is my maiden name (I know.... I know).  So that would be kinda cool to see!  And Google Maps says it's close to Moraine Lake.  And Banff.  I'm kind of Googling as I'm reading replies and responding.  

 

Looks like we could spend some time in the areas I just mentioned, and then go a bit farther and hit Whistler and Vancouver.  

 

This all sounds awesome too!!  And in the same general area for the most part.  See, I think I am leaning toward the west....

 

Good to know!  I had thought we'd drive (from Kansas City) but maybe we would fly.  I wonder if flights are super pricey.  

 

I was thinking MOSTLY more nature type things but I thinking seeing Vancouver sounds awesome too.  Love the recommendations!

 

As far as time of year... I literally just got this wild hair so nothing has really been discussed.  Fall is generally my favorite time of year so would everything be pretty that time of year?  But would there be as much to do?  I imagine ski places are busy obviously in the winter but then also in the summer.... 

 

Thanks for all of the replies!  This definitely has helped me get started on my planning!

 

 

We are flying into Calgary and the flights are pretty expensive.  500-1000 a person, which is not first class.  We are flying on miles so that is going to help.   We are only going for 11 days.  I don't know if we could drive there and have time to do things in 2 weeks.  I guess you could if you were a crazy road tripper who would drive lots in a day.  I am not that person.

It is a 23 hour drive for you if you are thinking of going into the Calgary area.   

Do you guys do road trips?  Could your kids ride that far in a short amount of time? 

 

I am not sure if you need passports when you are driving in.  But if you are flying you do.  That adds to the cost too.   Unless you guys have passports already.

 

If you drive I bet you could do it for that for 5-6k.  Depending on where you want to stay.  

 

I am hoping not to spend that much, but the flights are not in my budget.  

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^^ Yes, you need passports for every individual regardless how they enter the country.

 

Good to know.  Maybe the driving in vs flying thing changed years ago.  

 

It does add to the expense of the trip if you don't already have them.

 

Pictures, Passport fees, birth certificates, processing fees, and postage fees to get birth certificates. 

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We drove up from San Diego, through Glacier in Montana, into Waterton Lakes and then all over Banff and Jasper--we were in those two parks for five days of our two weeks. It took us about 2-3 hours to go from our campground in Jasper to the Yoho Visitor's Center. But we stop at signs and other cool things. The spiral train tunnels were way cool--we got to see a train going in an out of the tunnels.

 

I felt like after Yoho I was just driving though. Mountain driving, especially when it's just two lanes, is very different than freeway driving and it took us a long time to get to Mt. Revelstoke.

 

We camp and hike whenever we go places--it's how we make vacations affordable and have money to do things like canoeing on Moraine Lake. That was an awesome experience, even after it started pouring on us and the kids decided that canoeing wasn't all they thought it would be. It was chilly but yeah, you are just in the middle of gorgeous mountains and trees. We saw a pika on the shore and watched for logs floating around. (My odd was paranoid that the logs were going to attack. She directed my dh how to get around them leaving a wide berth.)

 

I love the mountains and it was just what I needed after living in brown, drought-starved San Diego. The amount of green--I just drank it in. And we got to see bears and elk. We wanted to see moose but they never came out. And the Icefields Parkway was cool--glaciers right there. So much amazing stuff and well worth it!

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We drove up from San Diego, through Glacier in Montana, into Waterton Lakes and then all over Banff and Jasper--we were in those two parks for five days of our two weeks. It took us about 2-3 hours to go from our campground in Jasper to the Yoho Visitor's Center. But we stop at signs and other cool things. The spiral train tunnels were way cool--we got to see a train going in an out of the tunnels.

 

I felt like after Yoho I was just driving though. Mountain driving, especially when it's just two lanes, is very different than freeway driving and it took us a long time to get to Mt. Revelstoke.

 

We camp and hike whenever we go places--it's how we make vacations affordable and have money to do things like canoeing on Moraine Lake. That was an awesome experience, even after it started pouring on us and the kids decided that canoeing wasn't all they thought it would be. It was chilly but yeah, you are just in the middle of gorgeous mountains and trees. We saw a pika on the shore and watched for logs floating around. (My odd was paranoid that the logs were going to attack. She directed my dh how to get around them leaving a wide berth.)

 

I love the mountains and it was just what I needed after living in brown, drought-starved San Diego. The amount of green--I just drank it in. And we got to see bears and elk. We wanted to see moose but they never came out. And the Icefields Parkway was cool--glaciers right there. So much amazing stuff and well worth it!

 

Amazing you drove from SD.  How long was the whole trip?

 

And I am also giving you a shot out for camping the whole time.  Amazing.  I know we could save lots by doing it.  I just dont want to.

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Amazing you drove from SD.  How long was the whole trip?

 

And I am also giving you a shot out for camping the whole time.  Amazing.  I know we could save lots by doing it.  I just dont want to.

 

We were gone for 14 days and didn't actually camp the whole time. Every 3-4 days we stayed in a hotel. We have two teenage boys and an almost 11yo dd so we needed showers. Plus it rained the whole time and we needed a chance to dry out every once in a while. The majority was camping though.

 

Let's see:

Day One to Las Vegas (Red Rocks and see my parents)

Day two to Salt Lake City (stayed with my sister)

Day three to the Bitter Root Mountains on the border of Montana and Idaho we stopped in Twin Falls to see the falls and at Craters of the Moon NM (did the Lunar Ranger program there, it was cool)

Days 4-5 in Glacier (St. Mary campground and Fish Creek campground)

Day 6 hotel in Pincher Creek Canada. The hotel was nice but the big draw was the waterslide at the pool

Days 7-9 Banff--this is where it started to rain and pour on us. We stayed at the Two Jack Main campground

Day 10 hotel in Jasper. We needed to dry out--some of us were getting sore throats and one of the tent's waterproofing went out

Day 11 Wabasso campground in Jasper.

Day 12 A private campground in Revelstoke. There were thunderstorms that night. The next morning we just tossed our stuff into the car and left.

Day 13 Hotel in Kelso Washington

Day 14 Lava Beds NM on the border of CA and OR. This was a great campground, not least because we were able to dry everything out.

We spent the morning in Lava Beds going through the caves and started driving home about 2:30pm. We got into our driveway at 3am. California is a really long state.

 

Probably more than you wanted to know but that's how we did it. It was messy and wet and wonderful. And we now know that we need to get a new tent that will keep the water out.

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I have all of the pamphlets and things from the parks last week. There are maps and notes and things on them. If anyone can use them, I can't mail them to you. We don't usually keep these things but it seems like a shame to throw them away. (We use them at the parks, so it's reasonable to get the maps, but we don't need them now.)

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FYI, just to give you an idea on distance since you are thinking about driving, it is 2000 miles from KC to Vancouver. And 900 miles between Vancouver and Yoho. Those are some pretty serious distances.

 

we're in the seattle area, and crossed at sumas (not nearly as busy as blaine).  it was 10 hours of driving.  we came down through yoho into the Idaho panhandle on our return. 

 

We are flying into Calgary and the flights are pretty expensive.  500-1000 a person, which is not first class.  We are flying on miles so that is going to help.   We are only going for 11 days.  I don't know if we could drive there and have time to do things in 2 weeks.  I guess you could if you were a crazy road tripper who would drive lots in a day.  I am not that person.

It is a 23 hour drive for you if you are thinking of going into the Calgary area.   

Do you guys do road trips?  Could your kids ride that far in a short amount of time? 

 

I am not sure if you need passports when you are driving in.  But if you are flying you do.  That adds to the cost too.   Unless you guys have passports already.

 

If you drive I bet you could do it for that for 5-6k.  Depending on where you want to stay.  

 

I am hoping not to spend that much, but the flights are not in my budget.  

 

calgary is in another country (Canada).   you are not flying from one American city to another - you are flying internationally.  you PAY to do that.   you are crossing a border - and customs rules apply.  (and airlines fees.)

canmore is the closest city to Calgary that is in the rockies - it's a little over an hour west, and 15 - 20 minutes to Banff. it is larger than Banff, and cheaper for accomodations. lake louise - the beginning of the ice fields highway than runs to jasper - is 45 minutes from canmore.

 

re: passports - long gone are the days you only need a driver's license to go to Canada . . . . you *must* have a passport (or nexus card) for every person in your group. no matter their age. even infants must have a passport.

 

eta: costs of passports -  can range upwards of $125 per person for renewals, more for first time passports. (avg. $165)  it's another $60 to expedite as it can take several months to process.  (we had to renew dudeling's end of april - they were eight weeks out, right about the time we were supposed to leave, so we expedited. less than two weeks.).  you need a *certified* birth certificate (which is an additional fee and time constraint if you don't already have one for everyone in your group.)

adult passports last 10 years, then you will need to renew.  child's passports last five years, and they won't get a first adult passport until age 16.  all children's passports (even renewals)  must be done in person. (with both parents providing documentation it's okay with them.)

Edited by gardenmom5
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^^ Yes, you need passports for every individual regardless how they enter the country.

 

 

Good to know.  Maybe the driving in vs flying thing changed years ago.  

 

It does add to the expense of the trip if you don't already have them.

 

Pictures, Passport fees, birth certificates, processing fees, and postage fees to get birth certificates. 

 

It change not long after 9-11.... same for Canadians going to the US.   We didn't use to need a passport, but now we do.

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If you like malls, the largest mall in the world is in Edmonton.   (West Edmonton Mall)

 

Banff has hot springs, along with some other places around there.

 

The Highway to the Sun (in the US) going through the Waterton Lakes / Glacier International Peace Park is pretty wonderful (I've only been a passenger - I doubt I could ever drive it myself....)

 

The prairies are pretty cool.

 

Churchill is fantastic... Whales and Polar Bears....

 

Then there is the East...   Montreal, Quebec, the Maritimes....  

 

Heck, the whole darn country is beautiful and interesting.

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ETA: If you're into extreme sports, I suggest Saskatchewan in February. There's not really anything to do. Just surviving it should get you bragging rights and a really great story to tell your grandchildren. ;)

Ha! I snorted and lol-ed. There are lots of things to do! They're just all inside ;) or involve going from one inside place to another!

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we're in the seattle area, and crossed at sumas (not nearly as busy as blaine).  it was 10 hours of driving.  we came down through yoho into the Idaho panhandle on our return. 

 

 

calgary is in another country (Canada).   you are not flying from one American city to another - you are flying internationally.  you PAY to do that.   you are crossing a border - and customs rules apply.  (and airlines fees.)

canmore is the closest city to Calgary that is in the rockies - it's a little over an hour west, and 15 - 20 minutes to Banff. it is larger than Banff, and cheaper for accomodations. lake louise - the beginning of the ice fields highway than runs to jasper - is 45 minutes from canmore.

 

re: passports - long gone are the days you only need a driver's license to go to Canada . . . . you *must* have a passport (or nexus card) for every person in your group. no matter their age. even infants must have a passport.

 

eta: costs of passports -  can range upwards of $125 per person for renewals, more for first time passports. (avg. $165)  it's another $60 to expedite as it can take several months to process.  (we had to renew dudeling's end of april - they were eight weeks out, right about the time we were supposed to leave, so we expedited. less than two weeks.).  you need a *certified* birth certificate (which is an additional fee and time constraint if you don't already have one for everyone in your group.)

adult passports last 10 years, then you will need to renew.  child's passports last five years, and they won't get a first adult passport until age 16.  all children's passports (even renewals)  must be done in person. (with both parents providing documentation it's okay with them.)

 

Yes I do know that Calgary is in another country.

I was just trying to give a guide of how much tickets might be as a guide.

 

We only needed 2 birth certificates.   Mine and our babies as we haven't ordered that yet.  We paid to have pictures done.   Yes we all went in person with dh to get it done.  It was $110 for mine and $80 for each kid.  Plus processing fees.  We did it the week before 4th of July and we got ours all back in less than 2 weeks.  And we did not pay for expediting.  I was very impressed.

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You do NOT need passports to enter Canada from the USA if you are driving.  You can get passport cards instead, and they're a lot cheaper.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/card.html

it's called a nexus card - and *everyone* in the car must have one in order to use that lane.   if you go by boat or air - you must have a passport.

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it's called a nexus card - and *everyone* in the car must have one in order to use that lane.   if you go by boat or air - you must have a passport.

 

almost

 

Nexus is for expedited travel. You don't need a nexus card to drive across the border if you have either a passport card or a passport book.  Theoretically nexus cards just make crossing the border faster. I say theoretically because sometimes the lines all go equally slow :tongue_smilie:   You can use a nexus card in lieu of a passport card when driving, or in lieu of a passport book when flying between Canada/US.  

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus

 

This is an old article that explains the different cards etc. The pdf on the border/customs website is still dated 2009, so I don't think anything has changed since it was written.

 

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/passports-required-canadian-travel-33630.html

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I'm partial to Saskatchewan, but tourists sort of look at it at think, "What's there?" lol.

 

There are many wonderful things to see and do in Canada, but picking one area is hard. I would suggest avoiding most cities, as I find one to be much like another, unless there's a specific landmark or activity. Visiting Canada probably has to involve driving!

There's at least a couple things to see or do. LOL Moose Jaw Tunnels and spa water, Southern Prairie Railway, Big Muddy, etc. Just the small matter of driving all over the province to see and do. :) Edited by fraidycat
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Yes the last time I was out of the country I drove into Canada and we didn't need passports. This was right before 9-11.

Passports are required, not for entry to Canada, but for RE-entry to the US, so they might not let a person in if they're afraid you'll get stuck in Canada. :)

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