tristan2

hello everyone,planning a trip with husband and 2yr old and 4 yr old to area of vernon and kelowna,any advice on where to stay would be appreciated.Does anyone think an r.v is a better way of getting around and getting to know the areas,trying to see as much as possible in 2 weeks,and does anybody know a good area to start with and best time of year,any advice much appreciated,thanks

chrisbryson

Hi tristan,

try www.accessokanagan.com - it is a good, friendly site that offers lots of information on the area by people that have moved there

Danny B

The driving time between Kelowna & Vernon is only about 1hr 15 mins so you will have LOADS of time to check both places out in 2 weeks. I would suggest a self catering Motel, that way you can cook your own food and save some money on eating out for 2 weeks.

Be warned, the difference in housing prices between Vernon & Kelowna is quite significant.

chriskatie

We spent two weeks in Kelowna last summer and had an amazing time. We stayed at the Sweet Life resort and thought it was great - http://www.sweetlife.com/ It had a couple of nice, if small, pools, a fabulous restaurant and a great location for exploring. We stayed in a super self-catering apartment but there were also RV plots. It is just outside Kelowna (Vernon-side) so took about 15 mins to get to Kelowna and about 45 mins to Vernon. We preferred Kelowna but others may disagree. The drive between the two towns was lovely - some gorgeous lakes and countryside. Personally, I would rather drive a car up some of those mountains, tho', rather than an RV...
Hope that's of some use.

tristan2

hi chriskatie -thanks for the info-looks fantastic- did you book this resort from England and flights,car hire etc,or did you do separately.For my husband and i plus 4 and 2 yr old can't seem to get ( flights only )for all 4 of us for under £2000 ! Just wondering if its best to have a package holiday if it would work out more reasonable. Really can't wait to see the area as never been to that part of Canada before

chrisbryson

Have you tried flights via Canadian affair? We have always managed to get reasonable flight prices through them.....

chriskatie

We actually used timeshare points for the accommodation. Our flights were about £2000 for 4 in August - booked through Canadian Affair. Flew into Vancouver and then got a connecting flight out to Kelowna. Just did it all on-line, including car hire. We drove back from Kelowna to Vancouver - a long way but a great way to see lots of BC. We then booked into a hotel in Vancouver for a few days and did lots of sight seeing there, too. Fantastic city to visit. We had loads of great days out at Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Peachland, Osyoos and we even stepped into the US of A for a couple of hours. Lots of happy memories!

JonboyE

A long way? Pah, it's only four hours. When you get a Canadian perspective its just down the road.

jancal

The whole Okanagan area is fabulous and has great weather in the summer - hot but not humid. It is a very kid-friendly place as that's where lots of canadians go for their holidays. Canadians do not tend to go abroad in the summer - no need to - they have trips to sunnier climes for the winter. So you could find it very busy and I hope the new bridge is built by then across the Okanagan Lake. That will make a huge difference in getting around.

You will have a great time in that area.

chrisbryson

The new bridge opened last Sunday (ahead of schedule!) and was opened by the Premier + entourage. 10,000 people walked over it on Sunday. Two lanes running out of town at the moment and old bridge in until Friday and then new bridge in and out!

Rich_007

I find it the gap is closing very quickly (has been over the past 3 years) and there's not really much in it now, apart from more higher end properties in Kelowna than Vernon, which seems to skew people's perception of the prices in each town. Kelowna has a little bit more of an economy to support the hideous overpriced McMansions such as Kettle (Creepy) Valley.

As Danny says, stay in a motel or B+B, and use a car to explore the valley.

#1 tip - although you are visiting the Okanagan, avoid the temptation to play holidaymaker, and spend time exploring all the nooks and crannies of the area. If you can, hook up with a realtor (one referred to you by others) in each town to show you around. Contact them in advance and have some email/phone chit chat beforehand. Seeing what you get for your money is important, and be sure not to tramp around just the new developments. If you're looking at things career/work wise, try to make a few appointments to get a feel for what people are looking for here.

Hope this helps. Just a couple of cents thrown into the pot.

R.

Danny B

There is a really good time lapse website of the day by day construction of the bridge here http://bctrans.oxblue.com/1/

kevinm

Hi, I would rather drive a car around than a RV.
I drove from Vancouver - Calgary in just over 2 weeks stopping at Whistler, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Nelson, Radium Hotsprings, Lake Louise, Jasper, Icefields Parkway, Banff and then Calgary. Ok the most I stayed in 1 place was 2 nights but I loved Kelowna and wish id stayed there longer. I quite like the looks of Coldstream between Vernon and Kelowna. I cant really suggest anyway to stay in Kelowna as we just stayed at the Sandman for ease and price. It was OK as its in Kelowna and has a inside pool.
Have a good time, im jealous

tristan2

thanks everyone - whats wrong with kettle valley??? - i am making notes of any dodgy areas,know any more??

mjwalker007

Dont listen to that grumpy old bugger ! Kettle Valley is lovely ! If you know rich007, he really doesnt like it because thats where alot of the Brits have bought ! and he doesnt like the ''white picket fence'' feel of it !! If you've ever been to Florida, it reminds me of a place called Celebration !!!!

Its got really nice houses (gardens a little small though) a great park for the Kids (really is good) and in general is a nice area ! Prices though reflect this and can be a little bit higher than some areas ...............Bloody Brits , eh Rich ........pushing up the Prices !!!

As Rich said, travel around a bit, but definately have a look at Kettle Valley, Its in the Upper Mission Area.