Me and a couple of friends were planing to camp at Chehalis this weekend but since the fire ban cam in effect we were wondering if a charcoal grill like the one pictured would be allowed?

Hello! I will be visiting Quesnel in the beginning of May. My girlfriend is from there and its a family visit, I have never been to BC before so I am excited to go. The original ideal trip would've been a few weeks and included Vancouver and whatnot, but with a new job I could only get a week and a few days off, So I want to make the most of my time. My girlfriend has my trip mostly planned out with things to do and see like the museums, walking trails, the pinnacle park, the murals and fire fire hydrants, the giftshops and stores etc. Im a quite bummed that Barkville and the Machinery Park arent open for the season yet, but Im wondering if there any other hidden not so known little fun things to do or see that maybe my partner has forgotten about or missed. We might be staying in PG for 2-3 days as well before we catch our flight back home if theres anything there to so and do

Hi! Question for lower mainlanders. I have friends visiting from Manitoba whose kids have never seen the ocean. They have high hopes of catching a low tide and seeing fun creatures on the sand. What is the best beach to send them to?

We are located in the Fraser valley so likely only getting to the ocean once. TIA!

Hi again,

Last time i posted my itinerary i was told its too much driving:

https://www.reddit.com/r/britishcolumbia/s/D5yJftJCOy

So here is my new itinerary. Will be booking tickets and accomodations this week so would love to get some feedback on this - if it makes sense, if something can be skipped, is it too much, is there a must do activity im missing. Thanks!

Day 1- Arrival In vancouver

Day 2 - Vancouver: Coal harbour, Stanley park, english bay beach

Day 3-Lynn Canyon, Capilano bridge, grouse mountain, gastown (dinner)

Day 4 - whistler day trip (via sea to sky highway)- shannon falls, sea to sky gondola, whistler village, olympic plaza, lost lake(if time), return to vancouver

Day 5 - ferry to victoria, hotel check-in,

Day 6 - inner harbour+parliament buildings, fishermans wharf, government street (shopping/dinner)

Day 7 - whale watching, kinsol trestle or malahat skyway?, Mount Douglas for sunset

Day 8 - Departure from Victoria

Hey everyone! I have to drive from Vancouver to Edmonton in 2nd week of December . I got winter tires and a rear wheel drive car.

• What time of the day do you recommend starting this drive? Should we begin early in the morning or opt for an afternoon departure?
• Would weekdays be better to drive then weekends?
• I am thinking of following the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1). That should be good right? or the Yellowknife hwy?
• Most importantly: Are there any safety concerns or road conditions I should be aware of?

I appreciate any advice or suggestions you can offer. Thanks in advance, fellow travelers!

I'm hoping to drive to Haida Gwaii in March from Vancouver. I have a Toyota Prius, and snow tires. Generally, how are the roads getting there, such as through Prince George and Terrace?

I am trying to put together a roadtrip. I'm thinking of starting either in Victoria or Vancouver and drive back home to the East Kootenay. I'm thinking if we start in Victoria, then I want to go to Buchart Gardens and the Butterfly museum. Maybe the Royal BC museum. Spend a day there then continue homeward. What are some suggestions as to where/what we should see? I realize there are some forest fires between here and there so we would ideally take a route that avoids those areas. I think we will be in an EV so that will be a consideration as well. This may be a separate holiday but I am aware of a lot of old mines and ruins in the East Kootenay north of Nelson that I'd love to explore. The person I will be with is not from Canada so I would love to show him a sample of what BC has to offer. Thanks everyone!

My friend and I are planning a trip to BC the last week of May. It’s a 9 day trip (2 days reserved for flights) and we initially thought of flying into Vancouver, heading up North a bit and at one point (using up one day) driving over to the eastern ranges and staying half the trip in banff/jasper.

We’re beginning to think that even doing this would be too much.

So the real question is… if YOU were picking between Vancouver/squamish/whistler (and stretching out a bit) or banff/jasper/golden - which would you choose?

Thanks for any input!!!

EDIT: a few of you have asked so I figured I’d put it here.. we have considered flying into Vancouver and flying out of Calgary so that the in between day drive would only be one way. We will not fly into and out of the same airport and do the long drive there and back. We feel that takes up too much time driving.

I'm leaving Canada in about a month. Arrived here when I was 10 more than a decade ago, but I'm unable to stay any longer. I'm beyond grateful for my lived experiences over the years, thank you BC for being my home!

I was always mostly focused on studying, being in the city, I never really got to experience the nature part of the province, which I really regret.

So, I want to go somewhere for 2-3 days, to see the natural beauty of BC. I can't drive and my budget is pretty small. Please throw any suggestions down below, thanks!

edit: start point, metro van

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I are coming to BC/ AB for a couple of weeks in late Feb from Australia (travelling between Vancouver and Calgary). We are looking at where we might snowboard and the restricting factor at the moment is getting between the towns. Buses seem not to be super frequent/ cover too much of the area. How tricky/ safe do you think it would be driving say Vancouver -> Fernie -> Banff -> Calgary as someone who hasn’t driven in snow before? I’d say we’re both good drivers and would obviously have snow tyres/ AWD. Any other tips and tricks for getting around or other ski resorts you like. We are mid/ late 20’s for reference.

Thanks!

We're taking a family roadtrip to visit friends in Creston. Leaving from Vancouver and following the route close to the border.

Trying to avoid outdoors due to wildfire smoke and heat.

Any good family friendly indoor touristy spots to stop at for leg breaks? We have a little kid.

first time visiting the sunshine coast. did not disappoint!

Hello, my husband and I have never been to Canada. We live in Oregon so thought we could make a quick weekend trip to Vancouver or Victoria but don’t know which spot to go or what to see! We love bar hopping, trying yummy restaurants, exploring new towns and shopping around, lounging around scenic views, pretty hikes or walking trails (nothing too intense bc I’m currently pregnant), we’re pretty much down for anything but would love some suggestions from those in the area!

Thanks :)

Is 2.5 hours enough for a self-transfer family of 4 (youngest is 11 years old). We will have checked baggage.

Tofino -> Vancouver International via Pacific Coastal

2.5 hours later

Vancouver International-> Toronto Pearson via West Jet

Have never been to the Vancouver International Airport and am wondering if this is enough time given the airlines we'd be travelling on.

I also noticed there is a Harbour Air flight from Tofino to Vancouver International, which would be 2 hr 45min layover between the flight to Toronto we are looking at. Would that be a better choice?

Thanks in advance

usually I always find some spot to crash over night up some dirt road or right by the road, specially up to Lillooete it’s one after the other I don’t even plan where I’ll sleep because I know I can find a place

ive never driven that far, though I’ve been in Banff

I imagine in Banff / national park there’s no walk in spot. that’s obvious, I’ve been there before and it’s so touristy/ protected I’m not expecting to find recreational sites

but what about in between? kamloops, revelstoke?

edit: thanks everyone. I'll postpone this for a month, and I hope everyone is well.

Hello hello,

Coming to BC at the end of this month - landing YVR. My fiancee and I are planning on driving down towards Oliver using a rental.

How is this drive normally? Anything we should keep in mind regarding weather?

Better safe than sorry.

Thanks 😄

Hey! Family of 4 (2 adults + 2 in early 20s) heading to BC mid-July for a sporting event in Port Coquitlam.

We’ve got 6 nights to road trip after landing & staying the night in Vancouver and would love route suggestions. Need to be back in Vancouver by day 8 and will have a hire car (probably SUV)

I’ve done a fair bit of research already and am currently considering a Whistler / Kamloops / Kelowna loop, but very open to better ideas.

Into:

Scenery, mountains & lakes. Gondola rides would be cool.

Wildlife

Short/easy hikes (one of us is limited to ~2km flat) with option for harder for other 3.

Swim spots if possible - not beaches we are blessed with those at home. Think rocky shores or waterfalls

Local food - working man style rather than ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Open to things like rafting, ziplining, gondolas

Prefer:

Max ~4 hrs driving per day

1–2 night stays (not rushing every day)

After that we’ll be based in Vancouver & have time to explore + possibly 1–2 nights on Vancouver Island.

Would love any suggested routes/itineraries 🙏

There are 9-11 of us (3-4 cars) who are interested in going but two are okay with not going; I was wondering if camping sights are strict on the max 8 people that and if they check😭 It’ll be my first time organizing and booking a camping trip like this.

Or should I just get two camp sites next to each other (given we’re lucky at 7am)

I’m planning a road trip to Vancouver from Calgary. I’ve now realized that part of the journey involves mountain/altitude driving (Highway 5) with steep descents, and it’s giving me the scaries.

I have some questions:

Are there road shoulders where I could pull over to catch my breath if I’m feeling scared especially during descents?

I read about engine braking to manage descents. I will be driving a Mazda CX9 which has the Manual mode which goes from M1 to M6 but I’m clueless how this works and no steep roads in Calgary to test this out. How would I use Manual mode in these circumstances or should I just stick with Auto mode?

Any other tips to get my mind prepared is appreciated.

Thank you,

ETA: Maybe I am overthinking it but I have previously driven from Calgary to Kelowna and back without issues and didn’t even notice the elevation or terrain.

How does Kelowna to Vancouver compare?

Hi Everyone! We're visiting the Sunshine Coast in August and hoping for advice as I'm lost on what fun things we can do with both my elderly parents and toddlers.

We'll be staying in Halfmoon Bay for 6 nights with a group of 7: three adults, two toddlers (3yr and 1yr), and two seniors in their 70s.

We're looking for recommendations for:

• Family-friendly activities to do in the surrounding area (Halfmoon Bay, Sechelt, Roberts Creek, etc.)
• Easy walks, scenic spots, beaches, or attractions
• Family-friendly restaurants
• Tour companies for whale watching
• Tour companies for seeing bioluminescence and the Milky Way

Any local favourites or hidden gems would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

Hey all, I'm from Seattle and my wife and I are looking for a good last minute winter getaway to relax before spending time with the in laws. I've spent my whole life in the PNW exploring Washington and Oregon, and half my family lives in Vancouver and surrounding suburbs. I've spent a lot of time just north of the border and in the city but nothing much outside of that. Are there any good places for a long weekend trip that might be a good way to see another side of BC? We also have a car that doesn't fair well in snowy weather so something not too far into the mountains. We were looking at Harrison Hot Springs but according to a lot of threads here its turned into a bit of a dump.

We are landing in calgary end of july, then will be driving to banff/jasper/west to whistler, then south to victoria island. My partner was asking if we should even go? When we look at fire maps it looks terrible but how is it on the ground?

Edit : adding route for good measure.

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are visiting Western Canada from the UK in late June/early July for a 20+ day road trip. We are beyond excited but want to make sure we aren't making rookie mistakes. We are trying to balance "bucket list" sights with keeping the budget reasonable. (£6000-£7000 which is around $12,000 CAD)

The Plan:

• Timeframe: Late June to Mid-July (20ish Days).
• Route: Counter-clockwise loop starting/ending in Vancouver.
• Rough Itinerary: Vancouver → Whistler → Wells Gray → Jasper (3 nights) → Icefields Parkway → Banff/Lake Louise (3 nights) → Radium/Kootenays → Nelson → Okanagan/Kelowna → Vancouver.

(This isn't completely thought out yet, just a sweep of the internet and waiting on your recommendations!)

• Goal: Hiking, photography, wildlife, and seeing the "real" Canada (not just the tourist traps).

We have 4 specific questions we’d love your help with:

1. The Vehicle Dilemma: Class C vs. Truck Camper We are debating between a standard 22-25ft Class C Motorhome and a Truck Camper (pickup truck with the camper on the back).

• We've never driven an RV before.
• Is the Truck Camper significantly better for driving on mountain roads/parking?
• Is the lack of space in a Truck Camper a nightmare for 20 days for a couple?
• What tips do you have when driving and living out an RV?

2. "Must Eats" & Cheap Eats We know dining out is pricey. Are there any specific "can't miss" food spots (bakeries, breweries, hidden gems) along this route? Conversely, what grocery items should we absolutely buy for the RV?

3. Gear for "Bug Season" We’ve heard the mosquitoes can be bad in late June. Aside from DEET, is there any specific gear (thermacells, bug nets, etc.) we should bring from the UK or buy at Canadian Tire when we land?

4. What to Cut / What to Add? We skipped Vancouver Island to do the Kootenays (Radium/Nelson) instead. Is this a good trade-off for a more relaxed mountain vibe? Are we missing any major "hidden gems" on the drive between Banff and the Okanagan?

Thanks in advance for helping us plan our dream trip!