Trip to Canada - Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver suggestions

spr1nt3r

Hi all,
Me and my other half got flight tickets to visit Canada. 3 cities, 5 days in each. We picked Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Have never been to Canada not really sure where to begin. Traveling September this year.
Any suggestions on any of the cities? Mainly looking for sightseeing although tips on other attractions/events are welcome. We are thinking to get hotel or motel in each city or even outside and can rent a car, use public transport or both if needed. No ties or limits within reasonable budget.
We would like to hear any thoughts, ideas and suggestions on the trip from those of you who have been there, lived there or have friends and family. Thank you kindly in advance.

p.s. condolences to individuals and families who where exposed to recent flood disaster in Calgary

jjbrien

Lived in Toronto for 2 years so heres some suggestions

Take a day trip down to Niagara falls its well worth seeing. If you do a tour they usually go to the falls, rainbow rapids and a wine yard. But renting a car and driving down is cheaper and gives you more to do.

Id recommend you go out to the Toronto Islands as well fab out there and you get a great view of the city. Also the Hockey Hall of Fame is a must, which is near St Laurence Market again an absolute must if your going to Toronto. There is lots to do and see. The Kensington Market is also a hip area too worth spending a few hours looking around it. Also the Queen Street area is worth walking around and having a look at all the hip cafes and shops that line it. Since you will be in Canada in September you might get to see a pre season hockey game. Also Toronto is has Canada's only MLB baseball club the Toronto Blue Jays and Canada's only NBA basketball team the Toronto Raptors but i think the basketball doesn't start until October. But there should be lots on to do and see.

spr1nt3r

Thanks a lot for the tips jjbrien. Sounds a handful already for few days there. Will Google the ideas you have mentioned. Most of them seem doable.

AFK123

I lived in Vancouver for a year and a few things that I would suggest are the Gourse grind but you want to be reasonably fit for that.

Get a seaplane tour of Vancouver and the surrounding areas. Its an amazing view.

Take a bike ride around Stanley Park. if the weather is nice, you wont find a better way to spend a day.

Granville Island is another cool place to go and like jjbrien mentioned, if you can get an ice hocket game inyou should try. Vancouver have the Canucks which is the main team but they also have a small minor league team who are good too but much cheaper and easier to get tickets

In Vancouver public tranport is brilliant and I wouldnt consider any other way to get around.

spr1nt3r

Thanks for the tips. Seaplane seems exciting. I have never been on one..

tiny_penguin

I was in Calgary about 3 years ago - take a trip up the Rocky Mountains to Banff. So gorgeous and about an hours drive from the city, I was in Calgary just under a month but with family so stayed out in the suburbs and only took a few trips into the city. We pretty much spent every weekend up in Banff/Lake Louise as it was so amazing. Also if you are into Star Trek take a drive to Vulcan - star trek themed town a bit outside Calgary!

spr1nt3r

Calgary, last piece of the puzzle. Banff sounds nice. Not sure about Star Trek place but will look into it anyway, thanks.

JohnEnglish

What kind of stuff do you like to do? (I've lived in Toronto all my life.)

davidm20

Vancouver...best city i was ever in, was there for a week in 2005

Stayed in the Cambie Hostel in a dbl room, very basic but a brilliant location with a great bar and cafe attached.

Climbed the grouse grind, came down by cable car, brilliant but missus nearly killed me for making us do it. Passed on the way up by pensioners!!!

Stanley park by bike is a must.

Also a trip out whale watching...

There is a big suspension bridge somewhere but I skipped it and went to a forest park past it, maybe someone else could tell u the name of park i went to but I cant for the life of me remember.

People in the city are so nice and helpful.

We got there by train from Toronto. 3 days, in coach, great but wouldn't do it again. Baniff is 24hrs thru the Rockies each way by train. Don't think it would fit into ur schedule

So jealous, can't believe it was 2005

Enjoy

spr1nt3r

Trip planning still in progress. Hotels seems to be mad expensive. Thought because of country being bigger there would be more saturated market with some price lowering competition but they seem to be all doing quite alright there.
JohnEnglish - just want to have a relaxing trip with some sightseeing that's about it. Not expecting much.

JohnMearsheimer

I lived in Vancouver and just outside Lake Louise in Alberta for a while. In addition to what people suggested about doing in Vancouver I'd suggest a trip to Whistler and Victoria on Vancouver Island.

To be honest I'd give Calgary a skip unless you're there for the Stampede in July. Other than that I found it insanely boring. The good thing about Calgary is that it's near the Rockies. I would base myself in Banff or Lake Louise instead of Calgary. Other places of interest would be Peyto Lake and Emerald Lake. The scenery is the most beautiful and dramatic I've ever seen. The drive on the Icefields parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper is amazing.

I did visit Toronto when I was in Canada, it's nice. Go to Niagara Falls. Canadian wine country is in that area too if your're into that.

Northern Monkey

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

I lived in Vancouver and just outside Lake Louise in Alberta for a while. In addition to what people suggested about doing in Vancouver I'd suggest a trip to Whistler and Victoria on Vancouver Island.

To be honest I'd give Calgary a skip unless you're there for the Stampede in July. Other than that I found it insanely boring. The good thing about Calgary is that it's near the Rockies. I would base myself in Banff or Lake Louise instead of Calgary. Other places of interest would be Peyto Lake and Emerald Lake. The scenery is the most beautiful and dramatic I've ever seen. The drive on the Icefields parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper is amazing.

I did visit Toronto when I was in Canada, it's nice. Go to Niagara Falls. Canadian wine country is in that area too if your're into that.

This! I'm going myself in September (Toronto, Rockies and Vancouver) We are basically flying into Calgary from Toronto and then hiring a car and heading straight for Banff/lake louise and on to Jasper (and then driving across to whistler and on to Vancouver). 2 city breaks with a lot of scenery wedged in between!

JohnMearsheimer

Northern Monkey wrote: »

This! I'm going myself in September (Toronto, Rockies and Vancouver) We are basically flying into Calgary from Toronto and then hiring a car and heading straight for Banff/lake louise and on to Jasper (and then driving across to whistler and on to Vancouver). 2 city breaks with a lot of scenery wedged in between!

Just wondering are you going on a package or did you book everything independently? All the packages I've seen are from UK websites and come out very expensive. Myself and my girlfriend are thinking of going to BC and Alberta next year. When I was living in the Rockies I didn't really have to worry about logistics too much or doing things in the space of a week or 2. I'm not sure how to approach it if we did it in a week or 2.

Northern Monkey

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

Just wondering are you going on a package or did you book everything independently? All the packages I've seen are from UK websites and come out very expensive. Myself and my girlfriend are thinking of going to BC and Alberta next year. When I was living in the Rockies I didn't really have to worry about logistics too much or doing things in the space of a week or 2. I'm not sure how to approach it if we did it in a week or 2.

We are doing it independently, we went to trail finders, but they were coming out more expensive on the flights (€75 per person extra), so we thought it was better to sort it out ourselves.

Either way it is going to be expensive, our flights came out at €840 each (Dublin-Toronto, Toronto-Calgary, Vancouver-Dublin), car hire is roughly €4-500 for 9 days (this includes an additional fee for hiring in Calgary and dropping off in Vancouver). We haven't booked hotels yet, but it is averaging something like €150 per night for 3-4 star.

In terms of itinerary, we are looking at the following stops:

Toronto 3 nights
Banff 2 nights
Lake Louise 1 night
Jasper 2 nights
Sun Peaks 1 night (seems about half way between jasper and whistler and looks nicer than Kamloops)
Whistler 2 nights
Vancouver 3 nights

As I say, we haven't booked hotels, so the above may change once we research what we want to do a bit more, the only fixed stopover is Toronto as we have to fly from there to Calgary.

JohnMearsheimer

Northern Monkey wrote: »

We are doing it independently, we went to trail finders, but they were coming out more expensive on the flights (€75 per person extra), so we thought it was better to sort it out ourselves.

Either way it is going to be expensive, our flights came out at €840 each (Dublin-Toronto, Toronto-Calgary, Vancouver-Dublin), car hire is roughly €4-500 for 9 days (this includes an additional fee for hiring in Calgary and dropping off in Vancouver). We haven't booked hotels yet, but it is averaging something like €150 per night for 3-4 star.

In terms of itinerary, we are looking at the following stops:

Toronto 3 nights
Banff 2 nights
Lake Louise 1 night
Jasper 2 nights
Sun Peaks 1 night (seems about half way between jasper and whistler and looks nicer than Kamloops)
Whistler 2 nights
Vancouver 3 nights

As I say, we haven't booked hotels, so the above may change once we research what we want to do a bit more, the only fixed stopover is Toronto as we have to fly from there to Calgary.

Thanks Northern Monkey. Looks like we had better get saving Good call on avoiding Kamloops too, it's not the most interesting place to make a pit stop.