VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
Banff and Jasper by RV: the Canadian Rockies road trip from Calgary
Rent an RV in Calgary for Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper: the Icefields Parkway, Parks Canada campgrounds, prices in Canadian dollars and booking windows.
The Icefields Parkway — 232 km between Lake Louise and Jasper — is regularly ranked among the most beautiful drives on Earth. And it is made for an RV: glaciers, turquoise lakes, moose by the roadside and forest campgrounds. The natural starting point is Calgary, 128 km from Banff on the Trans-Canada Highway.
The classic 7-10 day itinerary
- Days 1-3 — Banff: mountain town, Lake Minnewanka, hot springs; Tunnel Mountain and Two Jack campgrounds.
- Days 4-5 — Lake Louise and Moraine Lake: Moraine Lake is now shuttle-only — park at the campground and book the Parks Canada shuttle.
- Days 6-8 — Icefields Parkway: Peyto Lake, Athabasca Glacier, Sunwapta Falls; drive slowly, wildlife crosses constantly.
- Days 9-10 — Jasper: Maligne Lake, Whistlers Campground (781 sites, Parks Canada’s largest).
Prices and bookings: plan ahead
Expect CAD 130-220/day for a campervan and CAD 180-320/day for a family motorhome in summer, plus park entry (around ten dollars per adult per day, or the Discovery annual pass, which pays for itself quickly). Parks Canada campgrounds open reservations in January and the best sites for July-August sell out within days: book the vehicle and the campgrounds together, the winter before. The realistic season is June to September; outside it, many campgrounds and services close.
One-way to Vancouver
The great Canadian classic: pick up in Calgary and drop off in Vancouver (or the reverse), chaining the Rockies with the Okanagan Valley. Rental firms charge a CAD 300-500 one-way fee, usually offset by the savings on a return flight and two days of driving.
Finding the right vehicle
Van-Comparator compares Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers; Outdoorsy and Cruise America, both strong in Canada, are on the way. Check the included mileage (the Calgary-Jasper round trip alone exceeds 800 km) and read our deposit and insurance guide before you sign.