There are a number of different routes to follow the classic Rockies tour by car. The trip can take anything from two or three days to a couple of weeks, depending on the number of stops along the way. One option is to take the Trans-Canada Highway, or Hwy. 1, from Calgary through Banff and Lake Louise to Kamloops where a switch to Hwy 5. takes you on to Vancouver. This is the shortest route at around 605 miles. An alternative is to turn north at Lake Louise for the Icefields Parkway, or Hwy. 93, to Jasper. Travelers can also deviate along the Crowsnest Highway from Kelowna to Vancouver.
The Rocky Mountaineer train travels between the two cities east- and west-bound. It takes two days and stops in Banff and Kamloops. The train follows the historic track constructed over 100 years ago that was instrumental in uniting east and west Canada. Travelers with the GoldLeaf Service can take in the views from the split-level Dome Coach and are provided with gourmet hot breakfasts and lunches, complimentary drinks and transfers to and from the train. Travelers can also consider taking the tour through the Rocky Mountains on a private Canadian Pacific steam locomotive.
Banff is "a handsome town with a main street lined with colonial-style buildings," according to Travels. It's one of the first stops on the tour after driving or riding through the conifer-lined peaks and canyons of Banff National Park. Popular destination Lake Louise is an emerald-coloured lake overlooked by Mount Victoria. There are many accommodation options in Lake Louise and Banff to suit most budgets.
After passing over the continental divide, visitors will descend past Lake Wapata and through Kicking Horse Pass. Adventure seekers can step out of the car for a chilly walk over the Columbia Icefield, which is one of the largest expanses of ice outside the Arctic Circle. Visitors can walk on the Athabasca Glacier, one out of eight of the Park's ice blocks. If it's a rainy day, they can pay a visit to the Grizzly Bear Refuge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, near Golden, or the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre for a glimpse of the area's wildlife in a safe environment.
Drivers can take the Meadows in the Sky Parkway to Revelstoke National Park through alpine meadows, steep gorges, waterfalls and lakes. After Revelstoke, they can drive around Lake Columbia, taking the car across on the ferry, to pick up Hwy. 6 to Vernon. Nestled in the Okanagan region, Vernon is a small town surrounded by orchards, rivers and lakes. From here, travelers can follow the tour through Kelowna to Vancouver via the Crowsnest Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway.
