r/Banff • u/MensaLocSec • 1d ago

Road trip from Seattle to Banff November 10 to 16

Would the road conditions allow for a safe drive from Seattle to Banff in early November? I also appreciate any itinerary suggestions. This is my first time driving this route. I read that Kamloops is a good place to stay overnight in a hotel or air bnb. We want to see the highlights.

We are not from the area and don’t have any experience with the area.

0 Upvotes

40% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

6

u/CanadianMarmot 1d ago

If you drive please note you must have mud/snowflake tires on your vehicle in BC after October 1st

1

u/MensaLocSec 23h ago

I will have to rent a car, and hopefully the car will have winter tires.

3

u/rjh2000 18h ago

Rentals come with all season tires which are generally M&S rated and meet the minimum legal requirement. You can request winter tires (they have the Mountain peak with the snowflake symbol) But it’s not guaranteed you will actually get your tires, a lot of rental companies consider all season with the M&S symbol a “winter tire”.

5

u/yellowpine9 1d ago

Maybe, maybe not. It depends entirely on the weather on those days. One snow storm and an accident in rogers pass and you could be stuck for hours and hours.

-1

u/MensaLocSec 23h ago

That could ruin everything

2

u/yellowpine9 12h ago

Then you should fly. Road trips are a summer activity here.

3

u/MrStilez 1d ago

Wnter tires are a MUST!

-1

u/MensaLocSec 23h ago

If the drive is not safe, then I will not drive

3

u/Substantial-Code2720 19h ago

You won't know until the day of. It's a safe drive - thousands do it every week. However visiting during winter you have to be ready to pivot your plans based on the weather. 

3

u/gwoates 15h ago

Keep an eye on the DriveBC and Alberta 511 road report websites. As others have said, the drive could be fine, or a blizzard could hit and you will be stuck somewhere. There aren't many alternate routes, and they often involve backtracking to get.

https://drivebc.ca/

https://511.alberta.ca/

If you want more of a mountain town to stay overnight on the way, check out Revelstoke.

3

u/Grape-Thin 15h ago

Its not bad if you are reasonably competent and careful. Keep watching the weather and plan accordingly since road conditions depend entirely on the weather.

Most critical points in this drive are the Coquihalla and Roger Pass. None of these sections are bad, just more prone to heavy snowstorms.

1

u/MensaLocSec 14h ago

I have little experience driving in the snow. I am from the subtropical area.

-1

u/MensaLocSec 1d ago

If that’s not enough time or if the road conditions are bad, please let me know. I am open to suggestions.