Everything You Need to Know about Traveling Across Western Canada
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND?
Canada is huge. Alberta and British Columbia are huge. And public transportation in Canada isn’t the greatest, especially with the ongoing pandemic where many buses and shuttle services are currently not running. So hands-down the best way to get around is by renting your own vehicle.
For the first 3 weeks of our trip, we rented our camper van from North Campervans, a fantastic small business. This made sleeping and cooking on the road a breeze, and the van was compact enough that we had no trouble with parking.
For our last week, we rented a car through Hertz when we stayed in hotels. Another great alternative to traditional car rental companies is Turo, where you can rent directly from the car owners.
WHAT ARE THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT?
Check out our 10 day itinerary for Alberta here! If you want to know exactly where we went on our 26 day journey across Alberta and British Columbia with North Campervans, read about it here.
WHICH NATIONAL PARK PASS SHOULD I GET?
In order to enter National Parks like Banff, Jasper, and Yoho, you need to have a National Park Pass. This entry fee covers the maintenance and preservation of all the parks in Canada, giving you access to every National Park across the country.
The entry fee is not a one-time payment, as you have to pay for each day spent in the park. Even if you have accommodation booked within the park, the pass is still a necessity and parking lots are frequently monitored to make sure you have the pass displayed on your windshield.
Daily admission is $10 per adult, $8.40 per senior, and free for youth under 18. If you are traveling with more than 1 person in your vehicle, you can get a family pass at $19.60 per day. If you are planning on staying in the parks for many days, it makes the most financial sense to buy the Annual Family Pass for $139.40, which is good for one year.
You can either buy a new park pass online, at the park gates, or buy a used one on local marketplaces such as Facebook or Kijiji. We were able to successfully resell our park pass after our trip for $100.
HOW IS THE WEATHER?
Keep in mind that when you are in the mountains, the weather can change unexpectedly. Always have a buffer day or two on your trip to account for inclement weather, and be sure to always bring multiple layers with you. Before you head out, always check the weather forecast here.
Some mornings we would start the day off with winter hats and gloves, and would be in our bathing suits and shorts in the afternoon.
HOW IS THE WILDLIFE IN WESTERN CANADA AND HOW DO I STAY SAFE?
There is an abundance of wildlife in Western Canada. We saw everything from deer, elk, moose, beavers, goose, black bear, wolves, pikas, raccoons, mountain goats and chipmunks. All were really cute, but are also very wild. Keep in mind when you see them along the Icefield Parkway and around the many lakes, that these are wild animals and must be treated so. Feeding them can cause them to turn aggressive, and can end up with the animal or you getting hurt.
We unfortunately did not see a grizzly bear (although we specifically went looking for them) but we did see a black bear from far away. If encountered up close, both of these bears can kill you.
Whenever we went hiking, we made sure we brought along bear spray with us, which is to be used as a last-resort defence. Be sure to start spraying the bear spray from the ground up if you do need to use it. When you are hiking, be sure to talk in loud, clear voices in order to keep wildlife away.
We never left food outside on our campsites, and made sure everything was properly packed and stored before going to bed.
WHERE SHOULD I CAMP?
There are many, many campgrounds available in the National Parks. By Banff, our favourite one is Two Jack Lake, while in Jasper, we loved Wapiti Campground. If any of these are full, be sure to check out the overflow campground options at Lake Louise Overflow and the Snaring Overflow Camp in Jasper. The beauty of these campgrounds is that they are a great place to sleep- and at only $10 per car, are super affordable. You can pitch your tent at both.
We also relied on I.Overlander to help us find camping spots, which is a website that allows submissions from other campers on suggestions to sleep. Not all of these were ‘real campsites’- this app just helps you find places that are safe to sleep in overnight (sometimes people would recommend sleeping outside certain visitor centres, parking lots, etc).
HOW IS THE CELL PHONE RECEPTION/COVERAGE?
Our service provider is Koodoo (a subsidiary of Telus) and we had decent coverage in most parts. We frequently had LTE, and mostly always had 4G, unless we were out deep in the mountains (such as Lake O’hara, or at Spirit Island). Keep in mind that the majority of the Icefields Parkway drive from Lake Louise to Jasper does not have any coverage, except for a tiny area by the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre.
CAN I FLY MY DRONE IN ALBERTA?
In order to fly your drone in Canada, you have to apply for a drone license from the Canadian Government. You cannot fly your drone in any of the National Parks, otherwise you risk getting a hefty fine. Since most of the sights you will see are in National Parks, you basically can’t fly your drone anywhere. We only flew it in the Okanagan Valley, and while we did see people fly it briefly at Lake Louise, it’s definitely not worth the risk.
THE PURSUIT COLLECTION PASS
A great way to save money on attractions is to get the Pursuit Collection Pass. Included in this pass are the Banff Gondola, Columbia Skywalk, and the Lake Maligne Cruise for $124 per adult.
our other canada blogs:
Questions about road tripping in Canada during the Covid-19 Pandemic? Click here.
Read about our experience renting a campervan rental with North Campervans in Alberta. Click here.
10 Day Ultimate Alberta Road Trip - Banff, Jasper, And Everything In Between. Click here.