Moving From Calgary to Vancouver?

Here's where our truck has actually been. On April 21, 2026, it was on the Trans-Canada near Rogers Pass. Two days later, at 10 a.m. on April 23, our photos put us inside a storage warehouse in Delta, between stacks of numbered wooden vaults. We were back in that same Delta warehouse on June 5, 2026.

Go back a little further and there's more. A home in Langdale on the Sunshine Coast in April 2024, which is the photo at the top of this page. Gibsons in June 2025. And the truck parked in Hope at 8 p.m. on September 4, 2025.

Our take after those trips is that the drive is the predictable part. The time goes at the two ends. On the coast that means ferries, a tunnel, big bridges, condo move-in rules and street parking. A good Vancouver quote is built around your two addresses, not the kilometres between them.

The Drive From Calgary to the Coast

It's about 975 kilometres on the Trans-Canada and at least 11 and a half hours of driving. The truck heads west through Banff and Yoho and tops out at Kicking Horse Pass, the highest point on the whole Trans-Canada at 1,643 metres. Then it's Golden, Rogers Pass and Revelstoke, and on west toward Kamloops.

From Kamloops, Highway 5, the Coquihalla, runs south through Merritt to Hope. Kamloops to Merritt is 87 kilometres and Merritt to Hope is 110. The Coquihalla Summit sits at 1,244 metres, and snow there can fall faster than 10 centimetres an hour. Heading down toward Hope there's the Zopkios brake check, an 8% grade on Snow Shed Hill and runaway lanes on the steep descent.

No tolls, either. The Coquihalla dropped its tolls in 2008, and the Port Mann Bridge dropped its tolls in 2017.

Hope Is Where the Freeway Starts

Hope is the hinge of this route. The Coquihalla comes down from the north, Highway 3 heads east, and Highway 1 becomes a freeway running west down the Fraser Valley. Our truck was parked in Hope on the evening of September 4, 2025, the day after a job in Langford on Vancouver Island.

From Hope it's about 50 kilometres to Chilliwack and about 65 kilometres to the first Abbotsford exit. The bridge over the Fraser at Port Mann is roughly 113 kilometres from Hope.

The Lower Mainland, City by City

A move to "Vancouver" often means somewhere else in the Lower Mainland. Here's how the main cities line up along Highway 1, east to west, with Richmond and Delta to the south.

Abbotsford. Highway 1 runs through Abbotsford as a freeway, with exits from Whatcom Road to Mount Lehman Road. Sumas Way, which is Highway 11, has its own exit between them.

Langley. The Langley exits run from 264 Street to 192 Street. East of Langley it's two lanes each way. From 216 Street west to Grandview Highway it widens to three and four lanes each way.

Surrey. Northern Surrey has exits from 176 Street, which is Highway 15, to 152 Street. Then the Port Mann Bridge carries Highway 1 over the Fraser River from Surrey into Coquitlam.

Burnaby. The freeway crosses Burnaby from Lougheed Highway to Grandview Highway and meets the Vancouver line at Boundary Road.

Richmond and Delta. Highway 99 links Delta to Richmond through the George Massey Tunnel, which opened in 1959. The Alex Fraser Bridge, finished in 1986, ties Delta to Richmond and New Westminster on Highway 91. Delta is three separate communities, North Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen, with 108,455 people in 2021, and Tsawwassen holds the big ferry terminal to the Island.

To be straight with you, our Lower Mainland photos are from Delta. We don't have a Surrey, Abbotsford, Richmond or Burnaby job on file to show you, so we won't make one up. The quote works the same way for all of them. Two addresses, the access at each, and your dates.

The Sunshine Coast Is a Ferry Move

No road connects the Sunshine Coast to the rest of the mainland. From the Vancouver side, a moving truck goes over on the BC Ferries run from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, which takes about 40 minutes. From Langdale, Highway 101 runs up the coast as far as Lund. Gibsons and Sechelt are two of the main communities.

We've worked in Langdale and in Gibsons, so this isn't new to us. Our advice is simple. On a Sunshine Coast move, the sailing sets the day. Miss it and the truck waits at Horseshoe Bay, because there's no way to make up time on the water.

Winter Tires, Clocks and Taxes

From October 1 to April 30, BC wants winter tires or chains on the mountain highways, including the Coquihalla and Highway 1 through Rogers Pass. Many parts of the Lower Mainland don't require winter tires at all, so your own car may be fine at the coast and not legal in the passes.

BC stopped changing its clocks in March 2026 and stays on Pacific time. Vancouver is one hour behind Calgary all year. And BC charges 7% PST on top of the 5% GST. Alberta charges no PST.

Vancouver Moving Services We Offer

Why Calgary Families Call Us for the Coast

45+ Years of Owner Experience

Dave, the owner, has more than 45 years in the moving business. The company has run out of south Calgary since February 2014.

BBB A+, Bonded and Insured

We're accredited with the BBB at an A+ rating, and every move is bonded and insured. Ask about extra coverage for art, antiques or anything else that's hard to replace.

We Go Past the End of the Freeway

Our photos from this run reach Delta, Hope, Langdale and Gibsons. Island moves get their own pages, starting with Calgary to Victoria. For the whole list, see our long-distance moving routes from Calgary.

How a Calgary to Vancouver Move Is Priced

We bill by the hour, and we quote the whole job before anything is loaded. The size of your load, the distance, your dates and the access at both ends set the price. A ferry, an elevator booking or a long carry from the street all add time, so we ask about them up front.

You'll see the estimated hours and the total before you book. Coming the other way someday? Our Vancouver to Calgary movers page covers that trip.

9 Calgary to Vancouver Moving Tips Worth Knowing

1. Book the ferry first on a Sunshine Coast move. Horseshoe Bay to Langdale is the ferry run from the Vancouver side. Pick your sailing, then build moving day around it.
2. Ask your condo for its move-in rules. Get the elevator booking and the allowed hours in writing as soon as your date is set.
3. Watch the Coquihalla forecast. Snow on the summit can fall faster than 10 cm an hour. If a storm is coming, a day's delay beats a closed highway.
4. Check DriveBC before the truck leaves. Rogers Pass avalanche control and Coquihalla storms both close roads. DriveBC shows planned and unplanned closures.
5. Your car needs winter tires for the passes. From October 1 to April 30, the mountain highways need proper winter tires even if the coast doesn't.
6. Reset your clocks once. Vancouver is one hour behind Calgary, and BC doesn't change clocks anymore.
7. Expect PST on new furniture. BC adds 7% PST. Alberta has none, so buy big items before you go if it makes sense.
8. Leave your Calgary carts. Calgary's blue, green and black carts belong to the City and stay with the house.
9. Line up storage before you need it. If the Lower Mainland closing is late, storage keeps the truck from waiting at your door.

Frequently Asked Questions