# BC / Alberta accommodation



## Keitht (Aug 22, 2007)

We're hoping to spend 3 or 4 weeks touring BC and Alberta by car.  No dates - not even the year - decided upon yet, but I do like to pre-plan.
I'm already aware of BBCanada website for B&B accommodation, but are there any motel chains to be recommended / avoided at all costs.  The thought being that staying in a motel chain might make it easier to have a very loose itinerary with them phoning the next destination.  B&B's would generally require booking at least a few days in advance thereby limiting the flexibility of travel plans.  Hope that makes sense.


----------



## Kola (Aug 22, 2007)

I would advise against your approach during the summer high demand season when accomodation in most popular tourist areas is at a premium. Tour agencies book blocks of rooms in reputable motels far in advance to accomodate busloads of foreign tourists visiting places like Banff and Jasper every summer. Unless you book in advance you are likely to pay premium prices for standard accomodation and/or have to travel miles and miles away from major tourist attractions.
Before any useful advice can be offered you should decide on which BC/Alta cities/towns you want to visit and your preferred month of the year. If you are able to get t/s exchanges in your desired locations for, let's say, two of your four weeks that would make the task of adding motel/hotel nights so much easier. 

Mike


----------



## tashamen (Aug 22, 2007)

Kola said:


> I
> Before any useful advice can be offered you should decide on which BC/Alta cities/towns you want to visit and your preferred month of the year. If you are able to get t/s exchanges in your desired locations for, let's say, two of your four weeks that would make the task of adding motel/hotel nights so much easier.



I totally agree with this.  We did a similar trip quite some time ago (before our ts days) and spent a little over 2 weeks overall, and it was just not enough time - so 3 to 4 weeks sounds great.  We did go in July - mainly because we organized the trip around the Calgary Stampede dates, and I agree that if you want to do this in the summer it may be hard to do it on the fly as you travel.  However you should be able to book places ahead without much problem if you do it early enough.

Since then when we've gone back we generally just go to one or two places for about 10 days total, finding that the time spent in the car for the first long haul trip (we did Seattle - Vancouver - Princeton - Kelowna - Banff - Calgary - and someplace I forget on the way back) was a bit too much!


----------



## ricoba (Aug 22, 2007)

I agree about pre-booking accommodations if you will be traveling in the summer season.  But if it's spring or fall, things may be a bit easier, just to "wing it".

For motel chains, look at Best Western, Choice, Sandman Hotels and Coast Hotels.
, Delta Hotels The last three are Canadian chains and have a very good presence in the areas I suggested to drive.

Then of course for the old classic resorts founded by the CN & CPR, you need to look at Fairmont Hotels.


Here's a route I would take,

Vancouver a few days then ferry over to Victoria from Tswassen.  Spend time in Victoria, travel back to the mainland from Nainimo to Horeshoe Bay just north of Vancouver.  

Then travel on to Kelowna/Penticton from Vancouver via the Coquihalla Highway.

From Kelowna/Pentiction head north to Salmon Arm and head east on the Trans Canada #1 through Revelstoke/Golden and on to Banff.

From Banff, head into Calgary.

From Calgary head north to Edmonton.

From Edmonton return west to Jasper.

From Jasper head on to Kamloops and then back to Vancouver.

You will see a variety of country and lots and lots of natural beauty & wonder.

Can I come along???


----------



## Keitht (Aug 22, 2007)

I probably should have given a bit of background to this.  We have been to western Canada twice before and used a mixture of t/s exchanges (Whistler, Banff, Canmore) plus B&B (Vancouver, Victoria, Jasper, Calgary).  I might well try including t/s at the beginning or end of the trip, but we are hoping to be able to move as the mood takes us for the rest of the time.  For example, our rough itinerary might be suggesting 2 days in place Y, but we find we either only need 1 day, or want to stay 3.  That is obviously not possible with pre-booking.  I certainly understand what people are saying about availability and appreciate the concerns raised.  
We try to avoid travelling during the main school holiday season of July to early September so would probably be looking at June or mid September onward.  Thought on any potential problems at those times would be appreciated also.  We met the blackfly in Ontario in June  , are they also a problem in the west at the same time?


----------



## ricoba (Aug 22, 2007)

Then I would stay at either a Sandman or a Coast Hotel and have them call ahead and book the next hotel for you.  As I mentioned they have lots of hotels in BC & Alberta.

There isn't a black fly problem in the west unless you are up in the interior, usually during the summer, then it's mosquito's, but not during the time you suggested.

I would go for September, but don't be surprised if you get a bit of early snow then.  It shouldn't be too bad though and it would normally melt during the daytime, and it will make the mountains, even prettier.  Kelowna/Pentiction in the Okanogan would be very beautiful at that time of year.


----------



## Canuck (Aug 22, 2007)

Holiday Inn Express is a great chain.  Big rooms, some with kitchenettes, very clean and most have indoor pools.

No black fly out West!  Snow in Sept is highly doubtful in the city, but possible in the mountains, but rare!  Vancouver, good chance of rain.

Have you been to any of the Golf Islands, like Salt Spring?  How about Vancouver Island?  Very lovely!!


----------



## BevL (Aug 22, 2007)

Snow in September?  Really, really unlikely.  But it could happen.


----------



## ricoba (Aug 23, 2007)

BevL said:


> Snow in September?  Really, really unlikely.  But it could happen.



I have been in Rogers Pass during September more than once and have been snowed on.

Granted it's not much and it doesn't really last, but even though it's unlikely it can happen.

It can also snow in Alberta in September.  But then it can snow in June too!  I just haven't personally experienced it then.


----------



## BevL (Aug 23, 2007)

ricoba said:


> But then it can snow in June too!  I just haven't personally experienced it then.



Oh, not saying it can't happen.  We lived in Edmonton for a few years.  We were sitting in shorts on a patio on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon in June.  On Monday we had a freak storm - so much snow I didn't want to drive my car!!


----------



## randyz (Aug 24, 2007)

Keith,

If you are flexible you can definitely wing it in BC in the summer. I can not speak for Banff/Jasper region. For example, I just booked 4 rooms with 2 days notice in Kelowna at Holiday Inn, 2 days before the BC Day long weekend. This one of the busiest locales in BC at that time. My main suggestion would be to book the actual long weekends in advance if you are going to be near a hotspot. 

If you have been in Western Canada you are probably aware of the many great circle routes in BC which are great for non fixed iteneraries. Sept is usually great for weather, less congestion, less cost, and in the Okanagan you have the wine festivals.

Randy


----------



## happymum (Aug 24, 2007)

My mum claims to have seen snow in Sask. every month but July. :annoyed:


----------



## ricoba (Aug 24, 2007)

happymum said:


> My mum claims to have seen snow in Sask. every month but July. :annoyed:



And she probably missed that because it happened at night and she was sleeping!!!  :whoopie:


----------



## asp (Aug 24, 2007)

I have lived on Vancouver Island for 50 years, and never seen snow earlier than Oct 31 (once) in the coastal areas where the towns and highways are - mountains are obviously different.

I don't recommend travel during July and August "on the fly", in prime tourist areas, unless you have no definite locations you wish to visit, and are not budget conscious.  Even then, unwise to go to say, Ucluelet, Tofino, Victoria (downtown), Parksville or Qualicum without reservations in August.


----------



## Laurie (Aug 25, 2007)

Keith - here's one of the best b&b's we've ever stayed in, Observatory B&B, on our drive from Vancouver to Glacier NP in Montana - an astronomy b&b in Osoyoos, BC - IMO it could be worth to spend 2 nights there, we only had one night, but got to do the nighttime sky viewing and the sun in the morning.  Great accomodations, spectacular views, outstanding breakfast, and this guy is an astronomy photography expert who has written books on the subject, and the observatory sessions were included at no extra charge (we couldn't resist buying a book tho!). They were way friendly, and interesting, and this was really really fun!

www.jacknewton.com/canada.htm

I don't know about getting space there w/o advance booking, but I'd build an itinerary around this. The BC scenery we drove thru on the way was spectacular, as well.


----------

