Should I drive from Vancouver to Banff?

We don’t typically road trip. But when our plans to visit the Caribbean were pretty well trashed by one of the worst severe hurricane seasons on record, I had to scramble to set up something new while Luke scrambled to cancel all of our bookings. Luckily, I found some stupid cheap fares to Seattle on Frontier Airlines, and decided that we’d do a great — if brief — northwestern road trip. The bulk of this would be the drive from Vancouver to Banff.

So, should you do it? Short answer? Absolutely. Long answer? Know what you’re getting into!

Boyfriend Perspective: So much driving!!!

The drive from Vancouver to Banff and back: Our trip

Pros of road tripping through Alberta and British Columbia

Icefields Parkway near Jasper

Luke approaching Tangle Creek, right from the road

• The scenery. There is so much beauty in this part of the world, guys. And because we were there when the colors were starting to change, everything looked so vibrant and alive. Whether we were driving through agricultural areas chock-a-block full of hay and silos or through wooded preserves or along river banks, the world was full of color and character. Even when we went unexpectedly out of our way, I didn’t mind nearly as much as I thought I would, just because it was such a pleasant drive.
• Set your own pace. Speed limits are pretty high on a lot of these highways and back roads, so — unless you’re passing through a bunch of towns or residential areas — you’ll find yourself able to cruise along pretty nicely.
• Make it up as you go. This was the best part, as far as I’m concerned. There are SO MANY PLACES to stop along the way. If you’re a smarty, you’ll find places to stay overnight along the way so you can really experience some of these different stops. But, if you do it like we did, you have the option of adding things in on your 10 hour drive. Is it worth getting in an hour later to stop at [insert cool looking place here]? Some of the best adventures are spontaneous, so this is what can make a road trip like this one so much fun.

Boyfriend Perspective: Pack a bunch of snacks, get a full tank of gas, camera, and a passenger. The roads do have enough variation that, as a driver, you often can’t do much more than glance around.

Cons of the trip

Traffic and construction on the Icefields Parkway

• It’s a hell of a distance. A 10–12 hour drive is a doozy. That means you’re getting up and getting your first meal at a decent hour, and committing to being on the road until well after dark that night. While it might be worthwhile, it’s also completely draining and exhausting, and something you should be prepared for before you make the choice.
• When it gets dark, it gets DARK. Driving through AB and BC pretty much means driving through mountains and along back roads. And that means less in the way of nice, nighttime lighting. It can get a little hairy when it looks like you’re driving into a wall of pitch blackness, or when you know what a good chance there is of something 4-legged stepping out in front of your car without you knowing, or trying to navigate oddly-marked or congested construction zones in the dark.

Boyfriend Perspective: Did I mention it was a lot of driving. I would not recommend doing this by yourself without an over night stay along the way. Just too much.

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Originally published at Two Restless Homebodies.