• From A to B
• Accomodations
  • Calgary, Kamloops, Vancouver Island: Home exchange
  • Lake Louise
  • Jasper
  • Vancouver Island: Telegraph Cove
  • Vancouver
• Activities
  • Gondola Banff and Columbia Icefield Adventure
  • Lake Louise Shuttle
  • Vavanby Trail Ride
  • Tide Rip Grizzly Tour
  • MARS Wildlife Rescue Center
• Costs
• Visa?

From A to B

We flew with Lufthansa from Brussels to Calgary, with a stopover in Frankfurt. For the return flight, we departed from Vancouver and also had a stopover in Frankfurt. We booked these flights through Connections.
https://www.connections.be/

We used a rental car for our local travel. We picked it up at Calgary Airport and dropped it off in downtown Vancouver before our stay there. We didn't need a car in Vancouver itself anyway. We found the best deal for us with Auto Europe. We had no problems with this company.
https://www.autoeurope.be/

The ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island (and back) was very well organized. Everything went smoothly and on time. We booked in advance through the BC Ferries website.
https://www.bcferries.com/current-conditions/HSB-NAN

Accomodations

Calgary, Kamloops, Vancouver Island: Home exchange

In Calgary en op Vancouver Island verbleven we bij locals die op dat moment gewoon thuis waren. We hadden de volledige kelderverdieping ter beschikking. De mensen gingen doorheen de dag gewoon naar het werk, dus we hadden zeker voldoende privacy. ’s Avonds zorgden ze meermaals voor eten en hadden we samen gezellige babbels. We kregen tal van tips.

In Kamloops we stayed in the apartment of a family who was traveling during our stay.

Two of the three families have already visited us in Belgium. It's been really great to connect with them!

Lake Louise

The Lake Louise Inn is a sprawling hotel with several two-story buildings. The rooms are spacious and clean. There are plenty of amenities: an indoor pool, mini golf, three restaurants and more. Shops and a tourist information office are also within walking distance.
It is possible to hike to Lake Louise from here.
We were very pleased with this hotel. It was a pleasant stay with ample parking.
Be sure to reserve a table at the restaurant in advance if you plan to dine there in the evening. When the hotel is fully booked, you may have to wait a long time to get a table.
https://www.lakelouiseinn.com/

Jasper

Jasper is a charming town with plenty of dining options. We stayed at the Mount Robson Inn, a motel with very friendly staff, ample parking, and a decent breakfast. Unfortunately, this motel was destroyed by the 2024 wildfires. Reconstruction began quickly, so it might (hopefully!) be available for booking again soon.
https://mountrobsoninn.com/

Vancouver Island: Telegraph Cove

On Vancouver Island, we stayed one night at Telegraph Cove, a very charming resort. The hotel resembles a village in itself. It's quite expansive with several buildings and cottages. There's a shop and a restaurant. There's even a small museum. However, the museum was expensive, so we didn't visit it.
We stayed in one of the dockside suites, rooms in a larger building. No great luxury but more than adequate for one night. Clean, especially! There are also separate cabins and rooms in the lodge higher up the hill.
https://telegraphcoveresort.com/

Vancouver

Vancouver has a wealth of hotels. We chose the Blue Horizon Hotel and we were very pleased with it. It's centrally located, within walking distance of many attractions. Across from the hotel is a bakery where we enjoyed two delicious breakfasts. The hotel has an indoor pool, which was a welcome change of pace between our many visits.
From our room, we had an impressive view of the city. (Definitely ask for a room on one of the higher floors!)
There's a parking garage at the hotel but we didn't use it. Parking is expensive and you don't really need a car in the city. It's best to plan Vancouver by the beginning or the end of your trip so you can either pick up your car after your stay or return it before.
https://www.bluehorizonhotel.com/

Activities

Gondola Banff and Columbia Icefield Adventure

The gondola was fun! Afterward, you can enjoy a beautiful view. If you have more time than we did, it might be worth doing the hike.
We found the Columbia Icefield Adventure a bit disappointing. Huge crowds crammed into special vehicles designed to drive onto the glacier. It must be harmful to the environment with the smelly exhaust fumes... Although we heard that they're working on adapting the vehicles. Perhaps this activity will be possible in the future with respect for the climate. We heard from other people that they had taken a guided walk on the glacier. That might be a better option.
https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/

Lake Louise Shuttle

Be sure to keep an eye on the website. It's best to book immediatly on the day the reservations start for your date . We checked the website a few days later and the time slot we wanted to book was already fully booked.
https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/parkbus/louise

Vavenby Trail Ride

Very friendly people, a delicious lunch and lovely horses. The ride itself is a bit monotonous. When we were there, it was 40°C and a large part of the ride was in the blazing sun.
https://www.vavenbytrailrides.ca/

Tide Rip Grizzly Tour

We had a spectacular excursion from Telegraph Cove! We set off in the morning by boat, searching for grizzly bears. We certainly saw them, with plenty of extras: humpback whales, dolphins, orcas, bald eagles, a seal and a brown bear. The guide was very enthusiastic and informative. Breakfast and lunch were included. Moreover, it was a small-group excursion, which we always appreciate.
The excursion was very expensive! We weighed the pros and cons and hesitated for a long time… But in the end, it was more than worth the money!
https://grizzlycanada.com/

MARS Wildlife Rescue Center

Not a must-see but if you're looking for an extra activity near Campbell River, this is definitely an option. The people here do a great job caring for the animals.
https://marswildliferescue.com/

Costs

We paid €1000 per person for the flights, including luggage. We didn't book until January for a July departure. In my opinion, this was rather late, as I always try to book flights about nine months before departure. So, perhaps it could be cheaper if you book even earlier.

The hotels cost us around €500 per person. Thanks to the home exchanges, we were able to reduce these costs.

We paid €1200 for the rental car for almost three weeks. This includes the extra costs because we returned the car at a different location than where we picked it up.

The pre-booked activities came to €500 per person. A big chunk of that was the grizzly bear tour, which cost us €300 per person.

In Canada, life is quite expensive. A simple dinner for four people can easily cost €100 (four pastas and a soft drink each). A tip of 15 to 20% is expected. This will, of course, quickly deplete your budget.

Visa?

To enter Canada, you need an ETA. You must arrange this in advance and can easily do so online. Be sure to order this document from the official website. There are many fraudulent websites that resemble the real site but charge ten times as much.
https://www.canada.ca/

Do you want to experience our entire journey?

Would you like to learn more about our trip and read about our experiences? Then take a look at our travel stories.
Western Canada Travel Stories