Info on Glacier National Park & cross-border car rentals

[Dan Druff]

I spent a long time researching this but didn't get anything useful in either area.

So if the knowledgeable and experienced members of this forum could help, it would be much appreciated.

My two questions:

1) I want to visit Glacier National Park. I've never been there, and it's a pain in the ass to get there because it's so remote (though there is a LOL "international" airport nearby.) I have heard that most of the glaciers have melted, and therefore am wondering if it's worth visiting at this point. I have read reviews of the park saying it's beautiful anyway, and that the glaciers will be completely gone by 2030. Has anyone been there in recent years? (I would be going in the mid-summer, so the road through the park would fully be open.)

2) I want to drive to Canada with a rental car from the US, return it in Canada, and fly home. My dad did this recently between Seattle and Vancouver and paid very little (like $70 for a 1-day rental). I tried this between various points in the US and Calgary, and every rental company either refused to do it or charged some outrageous surcharge like $900-$1100 on top of the rental itself. No way I'm paying money like this just for a car rental. Does anyone know what I can do here, or am I fucked?

Please no trolling in this thread. TY

[Baron Von Strucker]

if you are going to vancouver you might as well drive to whistler. one of the best drives in Canada maby second to the Jasper/Banf highway

i saw a sub along the highway here






road to Jasper. glacier action along the road here, also the highest point for public roads in canada more than three thousand meters


ps :yourfucked

you could have your car shipped to your starting point and shipped back home when you are done i have done this once about $300 from Edmonton to Vancouver normal 13 hr drive that i could have done with out. and save the KM. on the car

[Spdrwebb]

You could steal a car and just leave it up there. Then fly back!!!

[Dan Druff]

Not going anywhere near Vancouver.

Are those pictures from the Jasper/Bannf drive?

[Hockey Guy]

I assume you're talking about the park in BC between Revelstoke & Golden. I would never say taking in some beautiful mountain scenery is a waste of time just because the glaciers are receding. I don`t know how long you have but here`s a nice place to stay in the area: http://www.vagabondlodge.ca/about-us.html

If it`s glaciers you want to see take the Icefields Parkway between Banff & Jasper & you can take a tour & go right onto a glacier. Again, beautiful scenery no matter where you drive. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit14.aspx

If you make it up to Jasper I`d visit Mount Edith Cavell if it`s open again. It closed last year after a big chunk of Angel Glacier fell into the lake causing a tidal wave & wiped out all the trails, toilets & shit. http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/icefall-c...-park-1.910754
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jas...t/visit13.aspx If it`s still not open there are lots of things to do in the Jasper area.

Another great place to visit if you have the time & maybe do a loop is Mount Robson Provincial Park. It`s in BC west of Jasper & is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. Nice visitor center & some nice hiking trails with great scenery. I`d recommend the Kinney Lake trail that takes you to the base of the mountain at Kinney Lake. Nice easy hike(2-3 hrs roundtrip & fairly flat) & the scenery is well worth it. Take a picnic lunch. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...bson/berg.html I stayed in this B&B & my room window curains opened to frame Mount Robson. Just beautiful: http://www.bbcanada.com/7991.html

Another thing to see here is overlander falls & rearguard falls. Rearguard falls is the last set of falls the salmon can navigate on the Fraser river & if you`re there at the right time(late july or august) you can see a show of salmon trying to jump up the falls. Something most people don`t think of & it`s pretty cool to see especially for kids or big kids like me. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...pgs/rearguard/ Overlander falls is as far as the salmon can spawn since they can`t navigate these falls. It`s about 8-10 km upstream from rearguard.

Why wouldn't you just fly into & out of Calgary & rent a car from there? Other than this, I can't really help with the rental car except to say I think you`re fucked returning to a different country unless you can somehow find a one way rental.

[gut]

Are you trying to spend time in Canada on purpose? I'd say just fly to Portland or Seattle (or Boise) round trip for the dates, and rent a car there and go.

[Hockey Guy]

Not going anywhere near Vancouver.

Are those pictures from the Jasper/Bannf drive?

That third picture is on the Icefield`s Parkway between Banff & Jasper. The others are going to Whistler, North of Vancouver.

[gut]

I assume you're talking about the park in BC between Revelstoke & Golden. I would never say taking in some beautiful mountain scenery is a waste of time just because the glaciers are receding. I don`t know how long you have but here`s a nice place to stay in the area: http://www.vagabondlodge.ca/about-us.html

If it`s glaciers you want to see take the Icefields Parkway between Banff & Jasper & you can take a tour & go right onto a glacier. Again, beautiful scenery no matter where you drive. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit14.aspx

If you make it up to Jasper I`d visit Mount Edith Cavell if it`s open again. It closed last year after a big chunk of Angel Glacier fell into the lake causing a tidal wave & wiped out all the trails, toilets & shit. http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/icefall-c...-park-1.910754
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jas...t/visit13.aspx If it`s still not open there are lots of things to do in the Jasper area.

Another great place to visit if you have the time & maybe do a loop is Mount Robson Provincial Park. It`s in BC west of Jasper & is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. Nice visitor center & some nice hiking trails with great scenery. I`d recommend the Kinney Lake trail that takes you to the base of the mountain at Kinney Lake. Nice easy hike(2-3 hrs roundtrip & fairly flat) & the scenery is well worth it. Take a picnic lunch. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...bson/berg.html I stayed in this B&B & my room window curains opened to frame Mount Robson. Just beautiful: http://www.bbcanada.com/7991.html

Another thing to see here is overlander falls & rearguard falls. Rearguard falls is the last set of falls the salmon can navigate on the Fraser river & if you`re there at the right time(late july or august) you can see a show of salmon trying to jump up the falls. Something most people don`t think of & it`s pretty cool to see especially for kids or big kids like me. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...pgs/rearguard/ Overlander falls is as far as the salmon can spawn since they can`t navigate these falls. It`s about 8-10 km upstream from rearguard.

Why wouldn't you just fly into & out of Calgary & rent a car from there? Other than this, I can't really help with the rental car except to say I think you`re fucked returning to a different country unless you can somehow find a one way rental.

Now I'm confused. I am assuming he is talking about Montana.

[gut]

Are you trying to spend time in Canada on purpose? I'd say just fly to Portland or Seattle (or Boise) round trip for the dates, and rent a car there and go.

Without trying to sound like a homer, but if you flew into Portland you could then drive the Columbia River Gorge drive east until you hit montana/idaho. Awesome drive.

[Hockey Guy]

Now I'm confused. I am assuming he is talking about Montana.

I assumed he was talking about the one in Canada since he wanted to drop the car off in Calgary.

[gut]

Now I'm confused. I am assuming he is talking about Montana.

I assumed he was talking about the one in Canada since he wanted to drop the car off in Calgary.

Yeah but he typed out "Glacier National Park", which is Montana. This is all confusing. Someone's been drinking too many Pepsi's in the AM before posting....

[Hockey Guy]

I assumed he was talking about the one in Canada since he wanted to drop the car off in Calgary.

Yeah but he typed out "Glacier National Park", which is Montana. This is all confusing. Someone's been drinking too many Pepsi's in the AM before posting....

There is a Glacier National Park in central B.C. Canada as well. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/glacier/index.aspx

Sorry for adding to the confusion.

Re-reading his OP I think you`re correct. He is most likely talking about Montana. Disregard my post.

[neveragain39]

This scenario looks a lot like some shady drug deal to me.

If you run bad and get stopped and searched at the border in a rental car, you just deny all knowledge that your trunk is packed full of coke and weed.

Well-played druff.

[gut]

Yeah but he typed out "Glacier National Park", which is Montana. This is all confusing. Someone's been drinking too many Pepsi's in the AM before posting....

There is a Glacier National Park in central B.C. Canada as well. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/glacier/index.aspx

Sorry for adding to the confusion.

Haha, I didn't know. How fitting that each of our countries would have a park named that, and obviously not too far from each other.

[Dan Druff]

Sorry for the confusion.

I am talking about Glacier National Park in northern Montana. I was going to drive to Calgary after that and fly back home. That's why I want to be able to return the car there without an obnoxious surcharge.

I will not be in British Columbia.

[gut]

Are you trying to spend time in Canada on purpose? I'd say just fly to Portland or Seattle (or Boise) round trip for the dates, and rent a car there and go.

[Dan Druff]

Are you trying to spend time in Canada on purpose? I'd say just fly to Portland or Seattle (or Boise) round trip for the dates, and rent a car there and go.

Portland, Seattle, and Boise are way out of the way for me, and I'll already be doing enough driving (with a 2-year-old) as it is.

While I appreciate people's attempts to suggest alternate itineraries, that's not possible for me. I was hoping for some specific information from people whom had either visited Montana's Glacier National Park recently, or had rented a car in the US and returned it in Canada.

[Baron Von Strucker]

Not going anywhere near Vancouver.

Are those pictures from the Jasper/Bannf drive?

only one at the bottom the others are vancuver whistler road.

this is jasper band. below i have done this trip and worth the drive if you are there and the weather is clear.

[nightmarefish]

I spent a long time researching this but didn't get anything useful in either area.

So if the knowledgeable and experienced members of this forum could help, it would be much appreciated.

My two questions:

1) I want to visit Glacier National Park. I've never been there, and it's a pain in the ass to get there because it's so remote (though there is a LOL "international" airport nearby.) I have heard that most of the glaciers have melted, and therefore am wondering if it's worth visiting at this point. I have read reviews of the park saying it's beautiful anyway, and that the glaciers will be completely gone by 2030. Has anyone been there in recent years? (I would be going in the mid-summer, so the road through the park would fully be open.)

2) I want to drive to Canada with a rental car from the US, return it in Canada, and fly home. My dad did this recently between Seattle and Vancouver and paid very little (like $70 for a 1-day rental). I tried this between various points in the US and Calgary, and every rental company either refused to do it or charged some outrageous surcharge like $900-$1100 on top of the rental itself. No way I'm paying money like this just for a car rental. Does anyone know what I can do here, or am I fucked?

Please no trolling in this thread. TY

Just fly into Kalispell, it's easily the best option.

I would also recommend looking into renting a cabin on Flathead lake for a day or two.

Also, there's a water slide park in Columbia Falls (which is pretty close), perfect for kids Benjamin's age.

[Dan Druff]

I spent a long time researching this but didn't get anything useful in either area.

So if the knowledgeable and experienced members of this forum could help, it would be much appreciated.

My two questions:

1) I want to visit Glacier National Park. I've never been there, and it's a pain in the ass to get there because it's so remote (though there is a LOL "international" airport nearby.) I have heard that most of the glaciers have melted, and therefore am wondering if it's worth visiting at this point. I have read reviews of the park saying it's beautiful anyway, and that the glaciers will be completely gone by 2030. Has anyone been there in recent years? (I would be going in the mid-summer, so the road through the park would fully be open.)

2) I want to drive to Canada with a rental car from the US, return it in Canada, and fly home. My dad did this recently between Seattle and Vancouver and paid very little (like $70 for a 1-day rental). I tried this between various points in the US and Calgary, and every rental company either refused to do it or charged some outrageous surcharge like $900-$1100 on top of the rental itself. No way I'm paying money like this just for a car rental. Does anyone know what I can do here, or am I fucked?

Please no trolling in this thread. TY

Just fly into Kalispell, it's easily the best option.

I would also recommend looking into renting a cabin on Flathead lake for a day or two.

Also, there's a water slide park in Columbia Falls (which is pretty close), perfect for kids Benjamin's age.

Going to fly into Kalispell like you suggested, and just not bother with Canada this trip. Will drive south from there.

TY