Help Me Plan a Canadian Adventure!

Ah, Canada. Our great neighbor to the north that I have paid far, far, too little attention to, having visited on a mere two occasions…once on a road trip through southern Ontario and on a quick jaunt to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. Yes, I’ve been to Canada, but I really haven’t seen all that much of the wonders that Canada has to offer.

All that will change this summer, when I am head to the TBEX ’11 Travel Blogging conference in Vancouver. From there, I will set off on a an adventure in British Columbia. Just what will I do? Well, that’s where you come in!

Flipping through Lonely Planet‘s guide to British Columbia has inspired me with the following three possibilities and I want to know what YOU think! Only thing is that I am trying to keep this trip as cheap as possible. Here are my options:

Sail the Inside Passage to Alaska


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A boat journey along the Inside Passage is supposed to be one of the most stunning in the world, so much so that it is an area that many cruise ships traverse. But there is a far more economical way to travel and that is via Alaska’s state-run ferry, the Alaska Marine Highway System. Originating in Bellingham, Washington in the U.S., it’s a multi-day journey to reach Alaska’s Inside Passage. But instead of backtracking to Washington, I would want to catch BC Ferries‘ Inside Passage Service from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert, BC where one can connect to the Alaska Marine Highway System up to Juneau, Haines and even Whittier some 60 miles away from Anchorage.

The Cost:

*Note: Total Transportation cost includes CAD at current exchange rate of CAD$0.964 to USD$1.00.

The Problem:

Getting home! It is NOT cheap to fly from Alaska to the continental U.S.! Perhaps this plan is better saved for when I have more money to spend? There isn’t a one-way flight from Juneau to NYC for less than USD $350.00 at the moment!

Visit Banff & Jasper National Parks


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It’s hard to think of the Canadian Rockies without thinking these two incredibly famous National Parks! Images of the soaring peaks and of pristine Lake Louise plaster guidebooks enticing you to come and join the throngs that visit the parks annually. Only thing is, the parks are pretty far away from Vancouver, so much so that they straddle the border with Alberta which makes getting there rather expensive prospect! And getting around the parks would almost definitely require a rental car. If I were to choose this option, I would fly back to NYC from Calgary.

The Cost:

I could either take the train from Vancouver to Jasper (which I would much prefer to do) or the bus from Vancouver to Jasper or Banff.

The Problem:

The cost of getting around the national parks, which could be a HUGE expense! Rental cars aren’t cheap by any scope of the imagination at CAD$69.00 per day and every company I’ve looked at charges a whopping CAD$250.00 fee for a one-way rental, which would make a longer rental with a return to Jasper a much better, yet still pricey deal.

There’s also a tour company that caters towards backpackers and individual travelers called Moose Travel Network that run “hop-on, hop-off” trips through the parks and range in price between CAD $199.00 and CAD $299.00 depending on how in depth a trip it is. Though I am really not a fan of tours, this could be a viable option.

The Best of Both Worlds


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If I really wanted to be extravagant, I could do a combination of my first two plans, by taking BC Ferries from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert, BC. From there, I could catch a two-day train ride to Jasper where I could make my way down to Banff before heading to Calgary for my flight home.

The Cost:

The Problem:

Again, getting around the parks could be a real problem, as renting a car could prove prohibitively expensive.

Explore Vancouver Island


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There really is a whole lot more to Vancouver Island that just Victoria proper. And while the provincial capital is a picture of European charm, the rest of the island is supposedly incredibly diverse, both culturally and geographically. Less ambitious than my other plans, an exploration of Vancouver Island could be a relaxing and picturesque place to spend some time! A nice network of intercity buses exists and if I wanted my own freedom, a car rental would be considerably more affordable here (CAD$29.00 per day), allowing one to explore the charming towns, lush forests and picturesque peaks, as well as the nearby Gulf Islands. Under this scenario, I would fly home from Vancouver.

The Cost:

As I don’t have a real plan of attack here, it’s a bit difficult to come up with a cost analysis, though given the amount of stops I would want to make, I imagine renting a car would be a bit more cost effective than a bus, with 6 days totaling around CAD$200.00 with tax. What I do know are the costs of the ferry’s to and from the Mainland.

The Problem:

None. In fact, Vancouver Island would be the most cost effective destination that I could choose, which is an awfully enticing idea.

What Do You Think?

Now, I want to hear your thoughts. Have you been to any of these places?Are there other places in BC I should be checking out? Can I do this more cheaply than I am anticipating? Are all these ideas totally crazy??

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

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