Hi, I'm an Aussie moving to BC around xmas time. I land in Vancouver and then have to go to Prince George. Will I be able to drive there/can I get thru? I have to drive because I don't want my 2 young pups to freeze to death in the cargo hold of a plane. Being from OZ I don't know what to expect.
Thanks.
2007-07-26 04:08:05 · 4 answers · asked by Gday 2 in Travel ➔ Canada ➔ Other - Canada
I am from Prince George, and I drive to Vancouver and back all the time. Seldom is there a problem getting through. My advice is to have a vehicle with good tires, and make sure you leave Vancouver in the morning as you don't want to be driving through the canyon (if that is the route you are taking) at night.
2007-07-27 03:06:37 · answer #1 · answered by Webber 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The drive is no more than 9 hours under normal conditions. You could slow down and take 12 hours as you don't know the route and if it is winter conditions you aren't used to driving.
The weather is such a gamble, you don't know what you are going to get anymore. It could be wet and bare, cold (freezing) and dry, or a big snow storm. On average it would be wet and rainy around Vancouver that time of year, and will get colder with snow on the ground the further you go. December usually isn't the worst month for weather.
Hopefully you have a couple of days then to delay and hold off because of bad weather. The worst time to leave is when it first snows. But once it stops and the snowplows are out then things are fine. I personally find that the changes in weather between locations is hazardous. As in, if you leave Vancouver and it is rainy, but eventually as you travel inland it gets colder and turns to snow. You have to remember to change your driving habits too.
Oh, and be prepared for the shorter daylight hours. The roads are more likely to be icy first thing in the morning and after sunset.
2007-07-26 13:36:49 · answer #2 · answered by JuanB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Webber, make sure you have good snow tires & also don't drive too fast for the road conditions at the time.
I lived about 200 miles S. of Prince George for many years. The weather can change constantly.
That is quite a change in lifestyle - many of my friends would love to move to Australia, LOL. Have a great life in Prince, it has the most parks/green spaces of any city in Canada.
2007-07-28 00:19:43 · answer #3 · answered by packingal 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The weather changes considerably as you go from Vancouver to Prince George, but you can still get there safely around that time of year. If you're not used to driving in mountains it will be a challenge and you may have to put up with delays.
When travelling, I always check www.petscanstay.com and keep a list of the dog-friendly hotels on my route just in case we need to stay somewhere overnight.
One alternative to driving is to take the train (www.viarail.com). Dogs can travel in the baggage car and you can check on them frequently and take them out for breaks at station stops. Unfortunately, to get to Prince George, you'd first have to go to Jasper, then catch another train back to Prince George. You'd also have to verify with the railway that the dogs could go on the second leg of the trip because they only allow dogs on trips with baggage cars.
One disadvantage of train travel is that it takes three times as long as driving. The other disadvantage is that it's expensive.
I'll be doing the trip from Vancouver to Jasper (14 hours overnight) with my dog, but won't know how this works out until we go in September.
2007-07-27 02:35:44 · answer #4 · answered by Brenda D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋