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Preamble:
-I live and work just outside of London (UK).
-I'm a huge, huge, huge Pearl Jam fan.
-Pearl Jam decide to tour Canada in September
-Life's been pretty harsh recently and I feel I need to get away for a while
Thus:
On a "fuck it, life's too short" whim, I just bought tickets to see 7 Pearl Jam gigs across Canada starting from Toronto and ending in Vancouver, lasting just over two weeks.
The tour schedule is as follows:
Toronto, ON
Mon, Sep 12
Hamilton, ON
Thu, Sep 15
Winnipeg, MB
Sat, Sep 17
Saskatoon, SK
Mon, Sep 19
Calgary, AB
Wed, Sep 21
Edmonton, AB
Fri, Sep 23
Vancouver, BC
Sun, Sep 25
I hope to fly in to Montreal for Friday 9th (i always wanted to go there) and fly back to the UK from Vancouver on the Monday 26th after.
So now I find myself excited and anxious- Canada is indeed huge and 2 weeks is in a lot of ways quite short. I'm looking forward to planning the odyssey in the coming months but I'd absolutely appreciate any help I can get on this quixotic project.
ANY advice at all on where to go, what to see, what's actually possible etc would be great, especially involving how much the rail/bus/coaches would be from one city to another!
Thanks in advance!
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Hmmm, there's no spectacular events happening in calgary, nor is the city very exciting. But if its available to you, take a day off and travel to the mountains beside calgary. They're definitely something you shouldn't be missing. Having been to the swiss/japanese alps, they are significantly different enough that its worth going.
Not to mention the hot springs we have at banff and some of the hiking trails in the surrounding area. You may need to look into car pooling or checking if theres a shuttle that takes you to banff or something. Perhaps maybe a tour group.
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Ah shux, I'm leaving Canada in August, otherwise it'd be totally awesome for a brief meet up or something.
What are you interested in? Culture (lol...) stuff, museums, food, tourist traps, etc etc?
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Here's your itinerary in terms of travel alone:+ Show Spoiler +Fly to Pearson Airport (Mississauga) and stay in Toronto or Mississauga. Use GO Transit and the TCC system to get around for those 4 days between your hotel, the city, the concerts, and Hamilton for the second show. You may want to stay in Hamilton for that concert.
Fly from Pearson Airport to Winnipeg. You can bus it if you want to be cheap, but it will take you 24+ hours to get there depending on your route. The faster and more exciting route is also through the United States. A plane ticket is much more worth it.
Winnipeg to Saskatoon is another 10+ hours by road. More on a bus. You'll probably want to fly that too.
Saskatoon to Calgary is another 10+ hours by road. Enjoy that bus ride.
Calgary to Edmonton is easily doable by bus. That's probably the easiest leg of the trip.
The final leg to Vancouver would be interesting by bus because you'll be going through the Rockies. It's still 15 hours though so consider flying it.
A great idea would be to do a lot of this by train, since it's faster and allows you to do some sightseeing. Check out some Via Rail packages and see what they offer.
I hope you like sightseeing for one day per city because that's about all you're going to get with all that travel time. If you fly you might buy yourself a lot more time though.
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^I second VIA Rail, I've never taken it, but I heard a lot of good things about it.
Unfortunately, taking the train is not cheap in Canada, probably on par with flying, but it's a good experience.
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Ah Cambium, shame!
Well im just ecstatic to be able to runaway from my daily life for 2 weeks, and see my favourite band every other day.
When I travel I have a great enough time just walking and listening to music and writing in my journal, grabbing a coffee or a pint and having a smoke by a landmark etc.. Just doing usual stuff in a new environment.
Does my itinerary look feasible to you? Is it a little overambitious to be going from a city to another in the space of 2 days given what you guys know about travelling far across the country?
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Wow 2 weeks for 7 of those cities? You're not really going to have time to see anything. Toronto to Hamilton is only about 1.5 hours in bad traffic, but you'll probably need to go back up to Toronto to get from there to Winnipeg (by plane), and then another busride to Saskatoon, and another to Calgary. Even Calgary to Edmonton will take several hours and going from Edmonton to Vancouver might take 13 hours by bus. Sorry bud but this sounds insane.
The best time would be to see Toronto's downtown before the Hamilton concert. A good 2 days to wander around Queen St, see Chinatown in Spadina and Dundas, go to the CN Tower, maybe go to the Royal Ontario Museum.
[Edit]
I see some people advising train; honestly VIA rail sucks big time. I've taken it a lot and it's rarely faster than a car (at least in Ontario), and pretty sparse departure times (compared to Greyhound bus) and is pretty frigging expensive. I've had several occasions where my train was late, I missed a connecting train, and they cabbed me to my destination, arriving 3 - 4 hours late.
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TheGiz:
Thanks for the advice. I'm going to avoid flying, it would be my last resort. I've done some research on the VIA and its package deals and it seems the logical/fruitful option.
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On May 28 2011 05:08 FireBlast! wrote:
Ah Cambium, shame!
Well im just ecstatic to be able to runaway from my daily life for 2 weeks, and see my favourite band every other day.
When I travel I have a great enough time just walking and listening to music and writing in my journal, grabbing a coffee or a pint and having a smoke by a landmark etc.. Just doing usual stuff in a new environment.
Does my itinerary look feasible to you? Is it a little overambitious to be going from a city to another in the space of 2 days given what you guys know about travelling far across the country?
If you plan on flying, it's definitely feasible, and you'll even have some time to explore the cities.
If you take the train, you should still be okay; the plus side is that you'll get to see some really cool Canadian scenery (or so I was told, never done it myself).
I would not take the bus, buses are no fun 
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On May 28 2011 05:09 JodoYodo wrote:
Wow 2 weeks for 7 of those cities? You're not really going to have time to see anything. Toronto to Hamilton is only about 1.5 hours in bad traffic, but you'll probably need to go back up to Toronto to get from there to Winnipeg (by plane), and then another busride to Saskatoon, and another to Calgary. Even Calgary to Edmonton will take several hours and going from Edmonton to Vancouver might take 13 hours by bus. Sorry bud but this sounds insane.
The best time would be to see Toronto's downtown before the Hamilton concert. A good 2 days to wander around Queen St, see Chinatown in Spadina and Dundas, go to the CN Tower, maybe go to the Royal Ontario Museum.
[Edit]
I see some people advising train; honestly VIA rail sucks big time. I've taken it a lot and it's rarely faster than a car (at least in Ontario), and pretty sparse departure times (compared to Greyhound bus) and is pretty frigging expensive. I've had several occasions where my train was late, I missed a connecting train, and they cabbed me to my destination, arriving 3 - 4 hours late.
Interesting, I heard it's really nice in the prairies.
Anyway, Canadian trains are not the same as European (and Japanese) trains... haha.
Edit:
Definitely go see CN tower. Yorkville is one of the nicer areas in Toronto (Yonge and Bloor), you can walk around and get a feel of the city.
Chinatown is dirty and reeks of rotten seafood, like all Chinatowns in the world. Koreatown is at Christie station if you are interested.
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Yeah bus or train rides will take crazy amounts of time.
There isn't much going on in Saskatoon other than the concert while you are here. I would definitely be up for going out for food/drinks while you are here!
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So from what I can gather I will really have to fly to Winnipeg after the hamilton gig, (the distance looks vast enough even on google maps) and the rest i'll have to individually consider the pros and cons of the city and the bus/train times. Thanks.
Crais: Come closer to the time I'll most likely be following up on you with that idea 
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Hey man. How long are you in vancouver for? I'll gladly show you around for a day or two for some of the sights/nightlife.
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Cambium:
Well thankfully I hope to get into Montreal for the friday before the weekend which gives me 5 nights to spread out between Montreal and Toronto, which will give me time to relax before the intense travelling starts from one gig to another. I might PM you in due course regarding what there is to do in Toronto
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Canada9720 Posts
the VIA rail is insanely expensive, time-consuming, and when crossing the prairies, reportedly near-fatal at times due to boredom. that said, friends of mine who survived it said that passing from alberta to bc offered some very spectacular views.
especially since you've only got 2 weeks, you might be better off with flights between calgary and vancouver. unless you really want to spend 5 days in a train
have fun man! would love to meet up with you, but alas, i'm on the extreme opposite end of the county that you're considering visiting
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On May 28 2011 05:31 FireBlast! wrote:Cambium: Well thankfully I hope to get into Montreal for the friday before the weekend which gives me 5 nights to spread out between Montreal and Toronto, which will give me time to relax before the intense travelling starts from one gig to another. I might PM you in due course regarding what there is to do in Toronto
sure thing, I'll do my best
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Heya from Winnipeg.
Not too much to do in here in September - the festivals are over at this time, and school begins around the time Pearl Jam shows up.
PM me at that time though, there should be some parties around if you willing to go.
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On May 28 2011 05:20 Crais wrote:
Yeah bus or train rides will take crazy amounts of time.
There isn't much going on in Saskatoon other than the concert while you are here. I would definitely be up for going out for food/drinks while you are here!
I would second this offer in Saskatoon(Mini TL meetup?), not too many TLer's out here and it is not everyday you get to meet a fellow TLer from abroad.
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Some beautiful ideas of meeting up! I'll be sure to keep note of all the content in this thread maybe there'll be a few hours for a cool meetup, destro, kralic, cryogenic
CTStalker: a shame man, theres always next time.
Man, I know planning this trip will be intense and stressful but im so glad i got the tickets- i feel so alive already, the possibilities.. the world is so big regardless of how our daily lives try to hide it.
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Valhalla18444 Posts
fireblast, for real, take a flight from hamilton to winnipeg. and from winnipeg to saskatoon, and from saskatoon to calgary.
everything else you should do by road if you're into scenery, but driving through saskatchewan and manitoba sucks =[
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Calgary25977 Posts
Looks like you'll have a free day in Calgary on Thursday, September 22? I can set up here a meeting here if you want.
There isn't too much amazing to do here in a day. The upside of Calgary is the mountains, but you'll experience that on the drive from Edmonton to Vancouver. Calgary is famous for beef so I'd recommend going to a get a steak or tenderloin somewhere. That being said, there are some good Indian, Korean, Chinese, Greek spots I can recommend for dinner. The Calgary tower isn't that great but the restaurant is pretty great, although expensive. Calgary bars are typically pretty lowkey and fun - you can tour 17th avenue and go in wherever looks good. You can try Road House, Vinyl or HiFi if you want a club. The casinos are downtown and pretty low key but fun. There's a decent gokart track that's accessible by public transport. All the museums and art galleries are pretty bad here so I wouldn't recommend that unless they're showing an exhibit that interests you.
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Calgary25977 Posts
Via sucks big time. I would talk to a car rental place about 2-week packages with unlimited kms. Lie and say it's for business and they will give you a discout. If they ask what company it's for, lie and pick a big one (Shell, GM, etc).
If you're a baller I would fly, but that's going to literally cost thousands of dollars.
Toronto -> Calgary costed me about $500 IN GAS, just so you're aware of what you're getting into. Going by bus is going to add DAYS to your trip. Going by train is going to add WEEKS.
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^.^ Don't underestimate how big a country canada is. You should really update us on the method of transportation from city to city because driving or bussing may take longer than expected especially if you're unfamiliar with the routes! For a quick look at train planning try here: http://www.viarail.ca/en/trains. The coverage doesn't look great unfortunately so you'll have to consider multiple methods of transportation.
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On May 28 2011 04:42 FireBlast! wrote:
Hamilton, ON
Thu, Sep 15
Saskatoon, SK
Mon, Sep 19
Wow, you must really be a big fan. 
Are you staying any significant length of time in Van? I know there are tons of TLers here if you have a day or two, although we are notoriously bad at hosting any sort of get-together.
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On May 28 2011 07:59 Kyuukyuu wrote:Show nested quote +On May 28 2011 04:42 FireBlast! wrote:
Hamilton, ON
Thu, Sep 15
Saskatoon, SK
Mon, Sep 19
Wow, you must really be a big fan. Are you staying any significant length of time in Van? I know there are tons of TLers here if you have a day or two, although we are notoriously bad at hosting any sort of get-together.
Woah now don't be dissin Saskatoon!
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Hey guys, just about to turn to bed.
Thanks very much for putting some of these things into perspective. I'll be bumping this thread from time to time in build up to September. Punctuating the trip with TL-meet ups would make it even more special. A pint with you Chill somewhere in there would be an absolutely beautiful mindfuck
I'm going to plan it thoroughly and gather my resources, (micro/macro?)
For now I realise I might have to sacrifice the Edmonton gig to prolong my time in Calgary and Vancouver which would be definitely worthwhile. And a flight from Toronto/Hamilton to Winnipeg is a dead cert. The rest is to be filled in over the coming months.
Now im even more hellbent on making it one goddamn tiring (and expensive) but the most productive and magical fortnight ive ever had in existence thus far. Wish me luck.
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Yo, I'll happily show you around in Montreal! I'm not sure what will be going on then, but there always seems to be something going on in Montreal.
edit: also, if you need any advice on getting around in Montreal, using the Metro ect, don't hesitate to ask.
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If you're into nature/natural beauty, then budget a few days after the last concert to explore Vancouver Island.
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I second the driving option. It'll be an amazing experience, and it'll probably make a lot of things easier. The bus and rail aren't actually as good as you may think they are..... Trust me, you won't regret driving. Sure, it'll get boring in some stretches, but the scenery at others will more than make up for it. And it'll make it easier to take some little side-trips whenever the opportunities present themselves.
Also, if you talk to a big-name car rental company, they may not mind if you leave it on the other side of the country, so you won't have to drive it all the way back. It may cost more to leave it there, but I'm positive it'll come out cheaper than any other option. And you may end up finding that they need a car moved from one city to another along your route, which could actually help with bartering for a cheaper ride for part of the trip.
But bullshitting and saying you're part of a big-name company is probably the best way of doing it. I have a suggestion for it, but I don't want to give out the info here, so if you're interested, shoot me a PM.
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On May 28 2011 10:13 emperorchampion wrote:
Yo, I'll happily show you around in Montreal! I'm not sure what will be going on then, but there always seems to be something going on in Montreal.
edit: also, if you need any advice on getting around in Montreal, using the Metro ect, don't hesitate to ask.
Lol, just show him how to get to Boulevard Saint-Laurent and he'll figure the rest out for himself. :D
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On May 28 2011 10:34 Impervious wrote:Show nested quote +On May 28 2011 10:13 emperorchampion wrote:
Yo, I'll happily show you around in Montreal! I'm not sure what will be going on then, but there always seems to be something going on in Montreal.
edit: also, if you need any advice on getting around in Montreal, using the Metro ect, don't hesitate to ask. Lol, just show him how to get to Boulevard Saint-Laurent and he'll figure the rest out for himself. :D
Hahaha, I walk down St. Laurent everyday to work, and I swear that street is the epitome of Montreal. I mean, where else would there be a strip club beside a museum?
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You're gonna die if you don't have experience driving for a long time. It's not like Europe where you drive for 4 hours and can go through 3 different countries and there are a lot of nice things to see. It'll take you hours and hours to cross the provinces and you'll see a lot of wheat.
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On May 28 2011 06:47 FakeSteve[TPR] wrote:
fireblast, for real, take a flight from hamilton to winnipeg. and from winnipeg to saskatoon, and from saskatoon to calgary.
everything else you should do by road if you're into scenery, but driving through saskatchewan and manitoba sucks =[
Absolutely this. It's not worth driving from Ontario to Alberta if you only have two weeks. It's much smarter to fly for these shows.
I live in Winnipeg. Again, don't waste your time here because there are better things to see in Canada. Stay for the show and move on.
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Hey man, just wanted to throw in my 2 cents and tell you not to underestimate how fucking large Canada is and the distance between some of these cities (at least compared to the UK). You're looking at covering thousands of miles... Literally days and days and days of driving with only small towns and wilderness along the way. That being said, hope you have a great time and that you can make it all work out! Best of luck to you
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Snap! Maybe I'll see you at the Edmonton show ;-)
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Wow, I'm impressed that you're just going on a whim like that. Props
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EPT
