Trip to Canda: need some help - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

OilersBaby · 12-22-2006, 08:43 PM

Calgary to Red Deer is 91 miles
Red Deer to Edmonton is 97 miles.
So from Calgary to Edmonton is 198 miles.

It doesnt seem far at all..especially considering some of the distances we drive in the US. Traffic isnt insane like here (well at least in cali)....

I would def skip Van and do the drive from Cal to RD and then to Edm, and then eventually back to Cal. Get a return flight from St Loo to Cal......and then when you rent your car, you wont have to pay the extra fees that they sometimes charge if you return your car in a different location than where you picked up!

604flames · 12-22-2006, 08:44 PM

Calgary to Edmonton is about a 2.5 - 3 hour drive. Red Deer is about the halfway point.

Scrambler · 12-22-2006, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

If you skip Vancouver game you could go to Edmonton and watch the Wild play the Oilers on the 15th. That would save you a lot of money. Hell, take the bus up there from Calgary. It's maybe 60 bucks.

Yeah, but why would he skip seeing the most beautiful, fun and entertaining city in the intended itinerary!

CRXguy · 12-22-2006, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

If you skip Vancouver game you could go to Edmonton and watch the Wild play the Oilers on the 15th. That would save you a lot of money. Hell, take the bus up there from Calgary. It's maybe 60 bucks.

Red Arrow is a very good bus to use. www.redarrow.ca

Used it all the time before when my wife was in school in Edmonton. It's new/newer, they provide pop/water/cookies!!

and it's very comfortable. Greyhound still uses their old bus, so it's a hit and miss.

If you want to drive, renting a car shouldn't be much if you dont mind a compact or mid-sized car. I would recommend National Car Rental, since they always have the cheapest prices when I rent from them.

BluesFan67 · 12-22-2006, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrambler

Yeah, but why would he skip seeing the most beautiful, fun and entertaining city in the intended itinerary!

Exactly. Would we be able to hit Vancouver without completely inconviencing ourselves? We would be driving don't forget. If we go to the game in Red Deer we would have two full days to bum around (the 15th and 16th) before the Blues/Oilers game.

Fozzie_DeBear · 12-22-2006, 09:03 PM

Since you are in a really beautiful part of the country you may want to drive straight up the highway to Edm from Calgary (3 hours max) but then drive to Jasper (west 4 hours) then south through the mountains to Banff (4 hours?) and then east to Calgary (2 hours). Or you can do it in reverse....

If you can spare the time you will not regret the drive...

Also, if you fly Westjet you get cheap Budget rent a car rates (or if you say that you work for the Government you can get a stellar rate) somewhere in the range of $40 per day with unlimited K for a Impala/Grand Prix...

Vancouver is 12-14 hours from Calgary or Edmonton (the roads are t.w.i.s.t.y.) so you have time to do it for sure and the scenery is awesome...if you do drive between Alberta and BC my advice is to avoid the Kokahala (sp?) highway (a pay road) b/c you do save a bit of time (45 min tops), but the scenery is boring...Kelowna/Penticton is not a bad place to stop

Resolute 14 · 12-22-2006, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluesFan67

That's a great suggestion regarding hitting up a WHL game. So let's say we fly into Calgary, rent a car, catch the Blues/Flames on the 12th, then make the drive through Red Deer, and then drive to Edmonton. Does that sound doable? Certainly could save us some money though it might be a slight inconvenience. How long would it take to drive from CGY to EDM if you had to guess?

As for tickets, we just want to work out some of the logistics before we worry about that and we know they won't come cheap.

Don't have to guess. Made that trip a thousand times.

Depending on where you are staying, it is about 80-90 minutes from Calgary to Red Deer. About the same time to Edmonton from Red Deer. I've typically made the drive from Calgary to Edmonton in just over 2 1/2 hours. Easily doable.

One thing I would check on in that case is that whoever you rent a car from doesnt gouge you for leaving it in a different city. I wouldn't think that renting in Calgary and dropping it off in Edmonton would be a huge problem, but Budget wanted $500 to leave a Calgary Rental in Grande Prairie (4 1/2 hrs NE of Edmonton).

Alternatively, both Greyhound and Red Arrow have bus routes that stop in Red Deer.

Resolute 14 · 12-22-2006, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrambler

Yeah, but why would he skip seeing the most beautiful, fun and entertaining city in the intended itinerary!

But he gets to visit Red Deer instead!

604flames · 12-22-2006, 09:15 PM

That's actually kinda weird that they'd play the Vancouver game in the middle of that swing.

It all comes down to how much you're willing to spend on plane tickets, but if you do fork out, there's lots to do out here. We also have a WHL team, the Giants, who are the defending WHL champions (and no I can't stand them no bias at all, honest), as well as the expansion Chilliwack Bruins an hour away.

As for other things to do in the city, there is no shortage of outdoor attractions, even though March tends to be a pretty crummy month in terms of weather.

One thing to warn you about.. More and more visitors here are starting to complain about a) the increasing number of homeless people/panhandlers and b) general unfriendliness of Vancouverites. Generally though, the city is nice, if you can handle a bit of rain. Enjoy your trip

Canada 02 · 12-22-2006, 09:16 PM

I think many Calgarians have a bias to WestJet partly because it is based there. Air Canada is sometime cheaper

YYC-YVR $142
YVR-YEG $172
Taxes should be the same as WestJet

604flames · 12-22-2006, 09:19 PM

Also, if you come to Vancouver, you can sometimes get cheaper flights out of Abbotsford International, about an hr drive out of Van. Typically WestJet flights from what I hear.

cSpooge · 12-22-2006, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canada 02

I think many Calgarians have a bias to WestJet partly because it is based there. Air Canada is sometime cheaper

YYC-YVR $142
YVR-YEG $172
Taxes should be the same as WestJet

Yes but Air Canada has dreadful service and seems to always be late.

BluesFan67 · 12-22-2006, 09:28 PM

This is great info thanks a lot fellas. 12-14 hours is definately a bit out of the way but I've always wanted to go to British Columbia. I suppose we could ditch the WHL game and drive from CGY to VAN on the 13th, chill in Vancouver for a couple days, watch the Blues play the Nucks at a sports bar, then drive on the 16th back to Alberta and on into Edmonton.

Scrambler · 12-22-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 604flames

Also, if you come to Vancouver, you can sometimes get cheaper flights out of Abbotsford International, about an hr drive out of Van. Typically WestJet flights from what I hear.

Lol, save maybe $4 flying into Abbotsford and then have over 75kms to get to GM Place. Great idea

Scrambler · 12-22-2006, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluesFan67

This is great info thanks a lot fellas. 12-14 hours is definately a bit out of the way but I've always wanted to go to British Columbia. I suppose we could ditch the WHL game and drive from CGY to VAN on the 13th, chill in Vancouver for a couple days, watch the Blues play the Nucks at a sports bar, then drive on the 16th back to Alberta and on into Edmonton.

A lot of driving, but some of the most scenic driving you can do anywhere.

604flames · 12-22-2006, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrambler

Lol, save maybe $4 flying into Abbotsford and then have over 75kms to get to GM Place. Great idea

My bad, thought it might be cheaper but yeah Port Mann blows.

peter12 · 12-22-2006, 09:31 PM

For accomodation a good idea for at least vancouver and calgary are the hostel international hostels. both within easy walking distance of pacific coliseum and the dome. about 27 US a night. Check out hihostels.ca for better idea. also the calgary one usually sells tickets at cheap rates. Come to think of it a friend of mine just was in vancouver to see the flames play, the tickets which he bought at the hostel, were cheaper as well.

chockfullofgoodness · 12-22-2006, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cSpooge

Yes but Air Canada has dreadful service and seems to always be late.

Air Canada does, indeed, suck. Also keep in mind that driving might be more trouble than it's worth. The roads could be for crap. It is December, after all. Either way, I hope you and your mates have a great trip!

Scrambler · 12-22-2006, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 604flames

My bad, thought it might be cheaper but yeah Port Mann blows.

Just pokin a little fun at you, fellow Lower Mainlander! A fun, alternate way to get from Abbotsford to Vancouver (or White Rock), is to take 0 Ave along the US border.

RougeUnderoos · 12-22-2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluesFan67

Exactly. Would we be able to hit Vancouver without completely inconviencing ourselves? We would be driving don't forget.

Depends what your definition of "inconvenience" is . If you want to drive from Calgary to Vancouver to Edmonton you are looking at at least 24 hours of driving. March isn't exactly springtime around here either so there might be snow in them thar hills. You might compare it to driving from St.Louis to Denver and then to Indianapolis.

A junior hockey game in a small town (Red Deer, for example) is a pretty cool thing for a hockey fan.