Going to Banff and Jasper

I am trying to plan this trip, please give me your input on the following:
1) what is the closest US city to Banff and Jasper national parks with Major
airport
2) what would be the best way to spend one week in the area?
3) is renting a Van (we are a family of 5) a good idea
4) Recommended travel agent, hotels, travel resources, travels guides
Thanks
a.a.

"Alaa Ali" wrote:
I am trying to plan this trip, please give me your input on the
following: 1) what is the closest US city to Banff and Jasper national
parks with Major airport
2) what would be the best way to spend one week in the area?
3) is renting a Van (we are a family of 5) a good idea
4) Recommended travel agent, hotels, travel resources, travels guides
Thanks
a.a.

Why US city...try Calgary...define major airport ??

Ummmm..... Great Falls, Montana - but you'd be hard pressed to have anyone
say that was "Major". After that you are talking Seattle and a 14 hour
drive.

What's wrong with the International airport in Calgary - a whopping 75
minutes from Banff?

You need some real basic information at this stage of your planning. Why not
try searching the web for "Banff" and "Jasper" getting some ideas and then
coming back here to refine the information?








"Alaa Ali" wrote in message
...
I am trying to plan this trip, please give me your input on the following:
1) what is the closest US city to Banff and Jasper national parks with
Major
airport
2) what would be the best way to spend one week in the area?
3) is renting a Van (we are a family of 5) a good idea
4) Recommended travel agent, hotels, travel resources, travels guides
Thanks
a.a.

Alaa Ali:
1) what is the closest US city to Banff and Jasper national parks
with Major airport

Depends on what you mean by major. Seattle (with 3,500,000 people
in the metropolitan area, and therefore lots of flights) is about
11-12 hours' drive away from Banff. Spokane (200,000 people) is
7-8 hours away and was the first answer I thought of. In Montana,
Great Falls (60,000) and Missoula (50,000) are about 6-7 hours away,
and Kalispell (15,000) is about 5 hours away, but by now we're clearly
not talking about "major" airports.

Unless you're using a pass that's only valid in the US, or something
like that, you'd surely find it easier to fly to Calgary (1-2 hours
from Banff) or, as a second choice, Edmonton (3-4 hours from Jasper).
--
Mark Brader "It flies like a truck."
Toronto "Good. What is a truck?"
-- BUCKAROO BANZAI

My text in this article is in the public domain.

Alaa Ali wrote:

I am trying to plan this trip, please give me your input on the following:
1) what is the closest US city to Banff and Jasper national parks with Major
airport
2) what would be the best way to spend one week in the area?
3) is renting a Van (we are a family of 5) a good idea
4) Recommended travel agent, hotels, travel resources, travels guides
Thanks
a.a.

Hi a.a.,
My son and I flew AA to Calgary last month, then rented a car at
the airport (1 week for about $120 U.S.) We then drove to Banff(about
1.5 hours), then Jasper. We did some skiing and also a lot of hiking,
since it was in the 60's F. We also drove down to Kananaskis Country,
about an hour south of Banff. Depending on how much you want to spend,
you can camp, stay in hostels or live it up at the Banff Springs Hotel
for $400/night. Jasper has some very good hiking and biking. Have fun!

tarheel tom

You can add Salt Lake City to the mix. It's about 13 hours, a straight
shot up I-15 to the border, then onto Provincial Route 4 plus some
others into Calgary. Once in Calgary, it's a quick drive on the Trans
Can to Banff. But, I agree with the others that you should just fly
into Calgary, unless you have some restriction on flying into Canada.

Kitty Panza

Mark Brader wrote:
Alaa Ali:

1) what is the closest US city to Banff and Jasper national parks
with Major airport


Depends on what you mean by major. Seattle (with 3,500,000 people
in the metropolitan area, and therefore lots of flights) is about
11-12 hours' drive away from Banff. Spokane (200,000 people) is
7-8 hours away and was the first answer I thought of. In Montana,
Great Falls (60,000) and Missoula (50,000) are about 6-7 hours away,
and Kalispell (15,000) is about 5 hours away, but by now we're clearly
not talking about "major" airports.

Unless you're using a pass that's only valid in the US, or something
like that, you'd surely find it easier to fly to Calgary (1-2 hours
from Banff) or, as a second choice, Edmonton (3-4 hours from Jasper).

In article gers.com,
Aramis wrote:
} Ummmm..... Great Falls, Montana - but you'd be hard pressed to have anyone
} say that was "Major". After that you are talking Seattle and a 14 hour
} drive.
}
} What's wrong with the International airport in Calgary - a whopping 75
} minutes from Banff?

Don't forget Spokane. We are going through there instead of Calgary
because the airfare was literally less than half the price.

} You need some real basic information at this stage of your planning. Why not
} try searching the web for "Banff" and "Jasper" getting some ideas and then
} coming back here to refine the information?

Even better, get a good book. Try Hempstead's Moon Handbook to the
Canadian Rockies.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!