Suggested Canada itinerary

I am planning a trip to Canada next September for my DH and I. Suggested length maximum 3 weeks and proposed flights to Toronto and spend three nights there and then go to Niagara falls and spend 2-3 nights there. Back to Toronto and fly to Calgary and spend 3-4 nights in Banff then catch Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver and spend a week there sightseeing before flying back to the UK. Preferred airline Air Canada and 4 star hotels. I have done a rough costing by booking ourselves online but am also considering using a Canada travel specialist agency and a local travel agency for the extra protection.

Any advice? We will not be renting a car so will use public transport for getting around. I found hotels in downtown Toronto and Vancouver and a central hotel in Niagara Falls and Banff.
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  • skid112
    skid112 Posts: 373
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    I have done this, two days on the Rocky Mountaineer.....unless you go premium and even then its debatable, its uncomfortable, the views are fabulous but the journey is slow and they feed you several times a day to keep you awake and interested. Personally I would choose another way
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  • cubegame
    cubegame Posts: 2,042
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    Don't spend 2 to 3 nights in Niagara Falls. It's a tacky tourist hell hole. There is probably enough to occupy yourself for a couple of days (if you take things slowly) but otherwise you'll be wasting time.

    Why won't you consider renting a car? You'll get so much more out of your holiday if you do. Public Transport is very poor outside cities.
  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 11,903
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    +1 for the Falls merit at most 3 hours.
    Treat yourself to a look at Calgary’s new library instead - cracking architecture & a real community hub - ask & you’ll get genuine local recommendations on where & what to eat!
    You need only visit one Tim Horton’s.
  • zagubov
    zagubov Posts: 17,873
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    There's loads more to see in Toronto than in Niagara so I'd adjust the times in favour of the former.
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  • Alan_Bowen
    Alan_Bowen Posts: 4,842
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    edited 25 October 2019 at 5:27PM
    Don't spend a night at Niagara Falls, it is one of the worst commercial nightmares I have ever visited. You can visit everything you want to see in a day, we took the train at 0830 from Toronto arriving a couple of hours later and returned around 1700. After the Maid of the Mist, queuing for an hour, lasts 10 minutes, and a walk around taking photographs, we were reduced to visiting a casino whilst waiting for the train back to Toronto.

    Toronto is certainly worth 3 nights, Vancouver even more but our favourites were Banff and Jasper where we stayed in a log cabin on the edge of town and saw Moose outside the door. You don't need transport in the big cities but a car would be really useful for crossing the Rockies, then you can stop whenever you want, take a trip across the Icefields Parkway.

    Be aware that the Rocky Mountaineer, great at publicity, requires you to check in both days around 7 am, the first meal is breakfast, not my idea of a holiday but each to their own. Do go across to Victoria on Vancouver Island, you can take a coach which goes across on the ferry with you, from Vancouver, a beautiful small city surrounded by water
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,244
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    Alan_Bowen wrote: »
    Be aware that the Rocky Mountaineer, great at publicity, requires you to check in both days around 7 am, the first meal is breakfast, not my idea of a holiday but each to their own. Do go across to Victoria on Vancouver Island, you can take a coach which goes across on the ferry with you, from vancouver, a beautiful small city surrounded by water


    A train ride through the Rocky Mountains is a delight, but I question whether a special tourist train is a good choice.

    I also recommend the ferry across to Victoria: the views from the ferry are outstandingly beautiful, while Victoria is very pleasant and a great place to eat salmon!
  • If you are dead against car hire then you would be better to look for an organised coach tour for Western Canada. At Niagra one day would be sufficient / say 2 nights hotel max.then fly to Vancouver.
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,366
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    I wonder what you will find to fill 3 or 4 days in Banff without a car. The area is all about 'the great outdoors' and you will be severely restricted without your own transport.
  • TheShape
    TheShape Posts: 1,777
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    I managed to spend 4 nights in Niagara after 4 nights in Toronto. I can't say that I felt the 4 nights in Niagara was excessive but we did just have a pretty chilled out time. We walked around the area a lot, crossed to the American side and spent a fair bit of time relaxing with the view of the falls. We stayed at the Marriot Fallsview. We were on (I think) the seventh floor and the view of the Falls was spectacular. Travel between Toronto was via Greyhound with a short taxi ride from/to the bus terminal to/from the hotel.
  • no.1swimmum
    no.1swimmum Posts: 1,508
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    We spent 2 nights at Niagra Falls and as we both have health issues and can't rush this was perfect for us, we also visited Niagra on the Lake, a lovely little town - we wished we had spent more time or even stayed here and visited Niagra Falls, we had a car but not in Toronto - the subway and tram system there is wonderful.
    Fibro-Warrior
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