Ultimate BC: Arrival & Departure Information

Arrival and Departure Airport

You should fly into and out of Calgary International Airport (YYC). Please see the schedule page for the exact pickup times for your particular trip.

Pickup & Drop-off Information

We offer an airport pickup and dropoff service to Calgary airport. Cost is $80 Cdn for both pickup and dropoff (i.e. $40 each way). This can be added to your trip when you make your booking. Because many of our clients make their own way to Fernie for the start of the trip, it would be unfair to include the price of the airport pickup and dropoff into the price of the trip (essentially charging them for a service they're not using).

On the last day of the trip, we ride until about 2:00 pm, then drive to Calgary, stopping first at our partner hotel (Sandman Airport Inn Calgary - with free airport shuttle) to drop off those staying until the next day or longer. We then head to the airport to drop off those people who are flying out that night. n.b. if you are planning on flying home on the last night of the trip, we recommend you not book anything departing before 7:00 pm, to take into account any unexpected delays.

Early Arrival/Late Departure
If you want to extend your trip by arriving early or staying on after your trip, there are a few things you should know:

1. We can arrange special pickups if you are arriving before the scheduled pickup date, however the price for a private shuttle is expensive ($400 CAN). An alternative is taking the Greyhound bus to Fernie from Calgary. There are 2 buses/day: departing 6:30 am, arriving 12:05 pm
   departing 10:10 pm, arriving 3:05 am If you are taking the bus, please let us know and we'll arrange to have a taxi meet you at the bus depot for the five-minute drive to our lodge.
2. You can book accommodation at the Sandman Airport Inn in Calgary for the last night of the trip when you make your trip booking, by adding it to your shopping cart as a trip extra. Price is $70 per person, based on shared accommodation.
3. You can also book extra nights at our lodge in Fernie, depending on availablity. Price is $45/person/night.
4. If you want information on places to visit and things to see in British Columbia or the Banff area after/before your trip, please contact our office.

Flights

We do not book flights for our clients. Please contact your local travel agent for information on booking flights for this trip.

For clients coming from the UK: we have a deal with Zoom Airlines: all of our clients get 10% off for Zoom flights coming from London or Paris to calgary. Please contact our office for details on how to redeem this discount.

Travelling with your bike

If you've never traveled with your bike, don't worry - it's much easier than you think! If you don't have a case for your bike, then you can pick up a cardboard travel box for your bike at your local store. Some stores will also pack your bike up for you for a fee.

Alternately, you can courier your bike to our partner store in Fernie. For $40 they will take delivery of your bike and assemble it. We will then pick up your bike and have it waiting for you at our lodge.

Travel Requirements

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory for all our tours. Please do not attend any of our tours without purchasing appropriate insurance coverage. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation protection so that you will be covered in the event that you are unable to attend our tour (due to injury, illness or other unforeseen circumstances) or in the unlikely event that our tour must be cancelled.

Insurance can be purchased online at www.adventureinsurance.ca

Passports & Visas

All travelers require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa.

Health and Safety

Emergency Contact

If you need to contact us in an emergency, you can reach us during office hours at the following numbers:

Dialing within North America: 1 (888) 423-7849
Dialing outside of North America: +1 (647) 999-7955
If you feel that you need to contact us outside of office hours, our BC operations manager Eddy Plant can be contacted at +1.250.423.1302

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Health Requirements

Vaccinations are not required for Canada, and Canada has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Should you experience illness or injury while in Canada, rest assured that you will receive the best care possible.

Fitness Requirements

You should have a reasonable level of fitness and be able to bike for up to five hours a day in order to fully enjoy the spectacular scenery and riding on this trip. There will also be plenty of time for relaxation at our lodges or exploring the local shopping at a leisurely pace.

Safety & Security

To maximize your safety during our tours you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals.

Spending Money

Meals

On this trip, all breakfasts and lunches are included in the trip price. Dinners can be taken in local restaurants or you can use the kitchens at our lodges (from past experience, most groups decide together whether they will eat out or stay in on a particular night). You should budget $10 per meal prepared in-kitchen, or $15-$20 per dinner in local restaurants (depending on the quality of restaurants you choose).

Other expenses

Aside from meals, there are no required additional expenses for this trip, but you might like to take spending money for such things as souvenir shopping, nightlife and Internet cafes.

Tipping

Gratuities of 10-20% are common in Canada. We encourage you to tip your guides if you feel you have received excellent service and have had an enjoyable trip. A typical gratuity is $20-$100 per guide.

Useful Links

For additional information about traveling in British Columbia, visit:
Tourism BC website
Canadian Tourism Commission website

Currency exchange:
The Canadian currency is the Canadian dollar (CAN). For the latest currency exchange information use the Yahoo! Currency Exchange Calculator

Our Guarantee

We're so sure you'll have an amazing time on this trip that we're offering a money-back satisfaction guarantee. View more information about our guarantee.