Western Canada stopover recommendations (Feb 2026)

[Himeno]

I'm working on my next major holiday plans. Looking to have a stop for a few days in either Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg in early Feb before moving on to Ottawa (and then Europe).
I've only been to Vancouver and Toronto before. Any suggestions as to which option would be better at that time of year? (would be planning to connect into the above city from QF75)

 

[RooFlyer]

Out of those three, definitely Calgary. The only thing Edmonton has going for it is the Edmonton Mall which is or was the biggest mall in Canada.. Whooppee. Winnipeg is just a small provincial city with an over abundance of mosquitoes in summer.

Vancouver over Toronto. I lived in Toronto for a couple years but Vancouver still is much more interesting and tourist friendly. Just watch the weather if you’re flying in or out of Vancouver, as the lack of preparedness for major winter storms has always been a failing. But any city in Canada can have it Airport close by bad weather in winter. Don't schedule tight critical connections.

Lake Louise and Banff are nice places to go even if you’re not a skier. Just a couple of hours West out of Calgary on the TransCanada Highway. And once you go that way, you may as well go right across the Rockies through to Revelstoke.

if you are driving in British Columbia or Alberta, they both have good road conditions apps showing any delays, accidents etc.

If you decide on Calgary, I can go into more details of restaurants coffee shops things to do etc. I was in and out of there for about five years. Also Lake Louise and Banff.

 

[SuePa]

My vote is also for Calgary, for all the reasons RooFlyer stated above, although it won't be looking its best at that time of year.
Banff, Lake Louise and other small towns in the Rockies are easily accessible and the area is very scenic.

 

[kileskus]

YEG is a major hub for WestJet and Flair and if cost is a factor it would usually be cheaper to connect there from YVR to YOW. The city itself isn't much unless you want to watch the Oilers (especially if McDavid doesn't sign an extension) or visit northern Alberta and BC, which is worth a visit but not in Feb.

Don't go to Winterpeg.

 

[luxury-lizard]

Here's another idea - from Vancouver take a "tour" (i.e. fly in/out for a couple of days - best done as part of a package) to Whitehorse to see the northern lights (Aurora Borealis)..

 

[RooFlyer]

Or Churchill to see some bears ...Maybe.

 

[kileskus]

February wouldn't be a good time to see bears but would be good for Northern Lights hunting. But yes Churchill is probably the only reason for an international tourist to go to Winnipeg

 

[luxury-lizard]

Re my above post - I actually meant Yellowknife (not Churchhill) - easier to get to ex-YVR

 

[Himeno]

I've had Calgary recommended elsewhere as well. Looks like I lock that option in.

Has anyone taken the train (VIA Rail) for Ottawa-Toronto? Thinking it might be an option vs the flight.

 

[kileskus]

I have a couple of times, sometimes in lieu of a flight when it was cheaper to fly to YYZ/YTZ than to YOW directly. Did you have questions about it? It's scenic but not the most scenic and it's almost 5 hours so you lose the good part of a day. It's like any other VIA ride in the east.

 

[Disco]

I have a couple of times, sometimes in lieu of a flight when it was cheaper to fly to YYZ/YTZ than to YOW directly. Did you have questions about it? It's scenic but not the most scenic and it's almost 5 hours so you lose the good part of a day. It's like any other VIA ride in the east.

OT a little, apologies. Would you recommend VIA for e.g Vancouver through to Jasper or Prince Rupert through to the Rockies? And after the wildfires last year how long is it likely to take before recovery. Possibly this question needs to go on another thread, I am not sure where.

 

[kileskus]

OT a little, apologies. Would you recommend VIA for e.g Vancouver through to Jasper or Prince Rupert through to the Rockies? And after the wildfires last year how long is it likely to take before recovery. Possibly this question needs to go on another thread, I am not sure where.

I can't answer the wildfires question (if it's about the 2023 ones), I went as a teenager many years ago. I'd recommend it because it's affordable and easy and has amazing scenery. There are stops along the way to stretch your legs and explore some small towns. On the Jasper-Prince Rupert line there's an overnight stop. The Rocky Mountaineer which I haven't taken is like the cruise ship version, but it does go to Banff which VIA doesn't. If the other alternatives are self-driving or organised tour, those would be the best for actually doing things at the destinations you pass.

To get the views if you're pushed for time you can't go wrong with VIA. The seats aren't that uncomfortable (Prince Rupert-Jasper doesn't have sleeper class), crew is always friendly and socialising with other passengers is easy. But that goes for most of their routes anyway. The Rockies, Vancouver-Toronto, Winnipeg-Churchill, Montréal-Senneterre and Montréal-Halifax are all classic Canadian rail journeys of which I think anyone interested in Canada should do at least one at some point.

There's probably a western Canada destination guide here though and other people who have taken those routes more recently than I have.

 

[Disco]

I can't answer the wildfires question (if it's about the 2023 ones), I went as a teenager many years ago. I'd recommend it because it's affordable and easy and has amazing scenery. There are stops along the way to stretch your legs and explore some small towns. On the Jasper-Prince Rupert line there's an overnight stop. The Rocky Mountaineer which I haven't taken is like the cruise ship version, but it does go to Banff which VIA doesn't. If the other alternatives are self-driving or organised tour, those would be the best for actually doing things at the destinations you pass.

To get the views if you're pushed for time you can't go wrong with VIA. The seats aren't that uncomfortable (Prince Rupert-Jasper doesn't have sleeper class), crew is always friendly and socialising with other passengers is easy. But that goes for most of their routes anyway. The Rockies, Vancouver-Toronto, Winnipeg-Churchill, Montréal-Senneterre and Montréal-Halifax are all classic Canadian rail journeys of which I think anyone interested in Canada should do at least one at some point.

There's probably a western Canada destination guide here though and other people who have taken those routes more recently than I have.

Thank you, that's helpful. It's difficult sometimes to sort through all the blurb and work out what will work for us. I saw the Rocky mountaineer advertisements years ago but the touristy hype leaves us less than impressed. Can be difficult to avoid these days. Good to know VIA works well.