TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF CANADA

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Are you planning a trip to the Rocky Mountains of Canada And you don't know where to start? In this article we will tell you everything you need so you can prepare this adventure in the best possible way. We will tell you when to go, where to go, what to visit, what to bring, what to do if you find a bear, etc. Come on, here are our Tips for traveling to the Rocky Mountains of Canada:

It is best to go to from june, we arrived in mid-May and there were still frozen lakes and areas closed to the public (for snowfall or for being at the end of the hibernation period of the grizzly bear). Keep in mind that in July and August this usually pertains to people. In winter the snowfall is constant, the wind is common and the temperatures below zero permanent ...

Here we leave you a weather graph throughout the year of Banff:

If your idea is to ONLY visit the Rocky Mountains in Canada, the ideal option is to fly to Calgary, the nearest big city, rent a car and head towards Banff National Park. To get to Calgary from Spain, One idea is to fly with direct flight to Toronto or Montreal (about 8 hours), and then take a domestic flight to Calgary (about 4 hours). If you have some more time we recommend that you spend a few days visiting them.

→ Direct flights from Spain to Toronto
→ Direct flights from Spain to Montreal

→ Flights from Toronto to Calgary
→ Flights from Montreal to Calgary

Another plan is to make acircular path through the Rockies from Vancouver, and spend a few days in this interesting city. This is what we did, and we spent a total of 11 days of roadtrip plus 3 days in Vancouver. We opted to follow the clockwise direction, reaching the Rocky Mountains from the north, by Jasper, and returning from the south. To get to Vancouver There are no direct flights from Spain, and the combinations are endless:

→ Flights from Spain to Vancouver

We have not the slightest doubt: roadtrip for free! It is the only way to reach all places (except those that have to be reached after a kick, of course!), And the scenic roads are those that leave you stunned for hours. In addition, gasoline in Canada is very cheap (less than € 1 / liter). Download the Gas Buddy app to know the updated prices and the nearest gas stations.

Ok butWhere to book and with what company? We always recommend using the Auto Europe car rental comparator, for us the one that offers the best prices and the most coverage.

And if you choose to rent one van or one mobile home, my friend, you have succeeded! In this case it is also better to use the Motorhome Republic website that compares several rental companies and you can get good discounts. To find campsites where you can spend the night you can use the app WikiCamps CA (There are very few free places to park and spend the night, but there are), or book through the official website of National Parks reservation.pc.gc.ca.

In Canada they are very Strict with parking areas, and if you leave it in a place that is not allowed, you run the risk of a man in uniform coming out of the nearest sewer to fine you. Pay attention to the signs, do not park at a distance less than 6 meters from a crossing or stop, do not do it in front of a fire hydrant, check if the area is paid (and pay!), Etc.

The ideal would be to spend at least one week in the Rocky Mountains. If you can also combine it with other parts of Canada like Vancouver or the west coast cities (Toronto, Montreal or Quebec) it would be perfect!

Our recommendation is to make two bases: one in Jasper to dedicate 3 days to Jasper National Park, and another in Banff or Lake Louise of 4 days in which to visit the best of Banff and Yoho National Parks.

Accommodation in Jasper
Accommodation in Banff
Accommodation in Lake Louise

More or less conditioned camps have been installed along the Rocky Mountains, which usually open only in summer. If your idea is to travel by car and take a tent, or rent a van or motorhome, camping is an excellent idea to save money (it will always be cheaper than staying in hostels or hotels) and enjoy nature to the fullest . We recommend you book your places in advance, and do it on the official website of the parks reservation.pc.gc.ca. The prices are among the 15-30CAD per person.

You can make a campfire (always in the right places), cook some sausages, have some beers and smoke a dog (yes, sir ... cannabis in Canada is legal). Of course, it meets the rest schedules, from 11pm to 7am (or in other words, do not be the heavy one that does not let others rest).

Campsites at Jasper National Park
Campsites at Banff National Park
Campsites at Yoho National Park

The free camping It is NOT allowed.

Then we leave you a map of the Rocky Mountains of Canada with the places to visit, the most important trekkings and the sites of interest.

To see each area in more detail, visit our dedicated articles:

Jasper National Park
Banff National Park
Yoho National Park

The weather in this area is quite changing, even in summer. So it doesn't hurt to wear some warm clothes, such as long pants and a light jacket or sweater. Then the typical: comfortable footwear, t-shirts and shorts, a windbreaker (better if it is waterproof)… In addition, you can not miss a small backpack to wear on the trekkings.

If you travel in summer you can stick some cool dip in many of the lakes, so do not forget to put the swimsuit and a towel. They will also serve you for the Hot Springs.

Of the rest of things, don't forget an adapter for the Plug (since you wear, you get a universal one), sunscreen, sunglasses, cap, anti mosquitoes and a basic medicine cabinet.

However, before leaving check out the forecasts of time to get a closer idea of the clothes you are going to need

Is it necessary to carry Mountain boots? We are not very favorable to carry a dead weight in the backpack just to use it in a couple of trekkings, so the answer would be this: if you travel in summer we would NOT carry them. Another thing is if the trip is in another era, where most of the trails will be covered by snow or will be wet, in that case it is advisable to wear these waterproof boots or that the approach of your trip is “I will do all the trekking that there is "... then, obviously you have to bring some good boots. But it has NOT been our case :-p

The Rocky Mountains of Canada are made up of 4 national parks. In order to access them, it is necessary to purchase a pass at one of the ticket offices located on the entrance roads (or search online for a valid second-hand one). There are two options:

For days: 19.80CAD for each day.
Annual pass: 136,40CAD.

Both are valid for all parks, so the annual pass will compensate you if you are going to be 7 days or more. We spent 6 days in this whole area, but we prefer to buy the annual pass, who knows if it will be worth it for a future trip (or resell it). Prices are per car, regardless of the number of people traveling, and can be paid in cash or by card.

In this wonderful place in the heart of Canada there are three of those considered the best ski resorts in the world: Norquay, Lake Louise Ski Area and Sunshine Village. The season usually goes from mid-November to the end of May.

As for the price, the 1-day pass costs between € 60 and € 80.

There is coverage in the cities and the surrounding area, but in the entire area of the Icefields Parkway there is not, and in most trails in the mountains either. Even so we always advise to buy a SIM card local with data, or take one from home. In this case we use Holafly's during the entire trip through Canada. They also have the option of a card to use in Canada and the United States, in case your trip passes through these two countries. By the way, if you buy it with these links you have a discount 😉

As you will go through areas without coverage, it is best to download the app Maps.me and the map of the area, so we can use it offline and know exactly where we are at all times. It works quite well and is very realistic. You can also use it to follow trekkings (it even informs you about the relief).

It is important to know that tourists are NOT covered by the free public health of Canada. And the precisely cheap private is not. Being also on a trip in which we will have enough action, it is totally advisable to take out travel insurance with high coverage.

We always travel with IATI, in our opinion, the best travel insurance. And within their options, the most interesting would be the insurance Iati Star or the Iati Premium Star, with very wide limits in medical assistance and also include adventure sports (cycling, kayaking, hiking ...). Book it from this link and enjoy a 5% discount.

In the north, in the part of Jasper, they usually inhabit black bears, while in the Banff area you can find both black bears and grizzly. Are there chances that you will find one on a trekking? Yes, but are there chances of you dying in a bear attack? Well, almost nil ... Before preparing the trip to Canada we read something about it, and one of the data that surprised us was that there are only 5 deaths per bear in a year between Canada and the United States. So the odds are remote. Now ... cushion, cushion: - /

It is best not to become obsessed, people who live there live normal life, go for a walk in the woods when they feel like it and do not lock themselves in their homes. We also met several people who went out alone to walk on remote routes, lost in the mountains, and who saw no bear.

What would be the precautions? Always go out with an anti-bear spray (we were always left at HI hostels), make noise when you go out for a walk, and if you get together in small groups of 4 people or more much better (bears don't usually attack, but to less groups). If you find yourself in the middle of the road, stand calm, slowly move back and return where you came from. There are many articles like this that tell you how to act in case of encounters with bears so you already have homework.

- Book everything (flights, accommodation, campsites, car or van rental ...) with in advance. It is a very fashionable destination and the season is short, so it is essential to be a forecaster and get ahead. Not only to have better prices, but only to have availability!

- Before traveling take off the Bnext card so that your bank does not crunch you in commissions. If you are two or more, get one each to double the limits. Here we tell you more about this card. In addition, it does not hurt to also ask for the N26 card, in case the first fails. Both are free and have excellent conditions to use abroad. It seems to us something fundamental for a trip to the Rocky Mountains (and really ... anywhere).

- In the high season (usually the summer months) this area is quite peta, and most people have a rental car. On the other hand the parkings are limited... so it goes without saying that early risers to get from the first to the most famous places, not to spend half an hour going around hoping to find a place.

- The App Wikiloc it will help you to follow the trekkings more famous. And you can always consult the technical data of each route on the web www.alltrails.com

- Visit the official page of the national parks of Canada To download maps and stay on parrot for the latest alerts:

Jasper National Park
Banff National Park
Yoho National Park

So far our Tips for traveling to the Rocky Mountains of Canada. Although we are sure that the list of doubts that arise before the trip is much higher, so we invite you to leave us a comment with your experiences to increase all recommendations 😉