 Poster: A snowHead
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Dear All
Three of us are going to Banff in a few weeks (for 7 nights) and we are considering hiring a car. I have been to Banff before and used the reliable bus service to Sunshine Village and Lake Louise. We are also going on a package (with Crystal) so will get airport transfers etc but there are a few reasons I am thinking of hiring which are:
1. We can go to and from the resorts as and when we like i.e. early morning and avoid queuing when lifts close in the afternoon.
2. We intend on going to Kicking Horse (i believe 2 hours from Banff) for a couple of the 7 days so thought it would be good to drive.
3. Our flight is not til 11.30 pm on the last day so we thought we could get an extra days ski on the last day and not be restricted by when the airport transfer bus leaves for the airport.
However, I noticed there is a bus to Kicking Horse from Banff which is CAD$85pp including day pass (normally CAD$60). I have also heard that the parking at Sunshine and Kicking Horse can be a bit of a hassle.
Does anyone have any views on what to do? Does anyone know if it is hard to drive in this area or indeed if the drive to KH is difficult/treacherous?
Many thanks
Tweed
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I suspect that you know the answer already, since you haven't noted any disadvantage to car hire. I can think only of are cost and greenness.
I've driven from Banff to Golden near to Kicking Horse; it's along Highway 1, no problem at all. The road up to KH used to be roughish, I believe, but is probably better now. I've driven on logging roads in the area and they're fine (at least, the ones I used were). You can hire an SUV (with 4wd) if you're worried.
We always hired a car in Banff as we didn't want to rely on the (good) bus service and to avoid the dreaded TO transfer. Parking at Sunshine was never a problem, although at the very busiest times (Easter weekend for us) we sometimes had to park some way from the lift, especially if we weren't there until 9.30 -10.00 ish. There's a drop off/pick up, so only one person (guess who) has to walk from and to the car, and if you're really lazy, there's a tractor & trailer which will give you a lift. Most of the time, we could park within 100 yards max of the lifts, usually closer. No idea about KH parking. A car enables you to visit other places not served by the buses.
You will probably find that hiring a car gives you some sort of rebate on the TO transfer, if you hire it through them. With a late flight, a car may well enable you to ski for an extra day compared to using the TO transfer, which may well go in the morning for people with earlier flights.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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We have just returned from Banff, there were 5 of us travelling and it was a DIY job, we hired a car for a week, had booked an SUV, ended up with a big ford pickup truck, plenty of room in the back for ski's and boots, in total it was about £65 per person hiring the car, that included all hire car costs including paying for an extra driver, fuel, this was about £20 more per person than we would have paid for airport transfers by bus. only additional cost was the National Park pass which was about £65 (see this if you need one http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=867850#867850 )
If there's only 3 of you I would not bother with an SUV, it's not needed to get around and this will keep the costs down, all the car's have winter tyres, and we did not see anyone get into difficulties even when it was snowing on the main highway, never saw a car with snow chains, there were always plenty of standard car's at the ski slope car parks.
As you stared above there are a number of benefits of the car - get up and leave for the slopes when you want, have a pint in the bar afterwards (except the driver  ) and then leave when you want, No stress No queuing for the bus, No waiting around because you have missed it. Fuel is cheap - about half the cost of the UK, we had to pay for a full tank of fuel through holiday auto's and then topped up with another £20 half way through the week, we did not travel up to Kicking Horse, bud skied 3 days at Lake Louise, 2 at Sunshine and 1 and Norquay.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Kicking Horse pass down to Golden is not a pleasant drive on a snowy day - not dualled, roadworks |(may be finished) & lots of big trucks.
But then if its a powder day you'll be driving to the nearest place probably to get in line for first lift won't you 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom. You are right in that I would like to have the freedom of hiring a car but my hesitation is that we are going over the Easter weekend. I think that it is a national holiday in Canada on the Friday and the Monday either side so there will be a lot of people driving up to the resorts. Has anyone been during this time? Are the buses equally as busy? I am wondering in this circumstance whether it may be better to get the bus rather then having to fight for parking with the rest of Canada who all try to get there early to get a good parking space...
Any thoughts?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tweed88, I've been in Banff for Easter weekend several times. It's busier than when it's not Easter weekend, as you'd expect, but not horribly so. Road travel is still fine, but you might want to get to Sunshine early if you're fussed about parking near the gondola. Probably not the best time to go to KH since you have a choice, although I imagine that KH has fewer Easter local visitors than Banff, as it's furhter from Calgary (although Canadians seem to think nothing of driving 10 hours each way for a weekend's skiing).
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Thanks Richmond. What exactly to people mean by arriving early at Lake Louise or Sunshine? 15-30 minutes before lifts open or we talking more like an hour?
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Tweed88, I'm thinking in terms of being there when or soon after the lifts open for the most convenient parking at Sunshine. The new (not so new now) gondola has reduced queuing to get up to the ski base enormously, and unless visitor numbers have increased enormously in the last 4 years, there shouldn't be a major parking prob.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just back from Banff. Last Saturday, the weekend crowds at Sunshine meant late-arriving cars were parked for about a mile or two back down the access road as the car parks filled up. Gondola opens at 8:30, chairs in village at 9:00, at around this time you should be able to park in the lot next to the gondola. I noticed quite a few people turn up just before 12 for the cheaper pm lift ticket. If there's a queue at the gondola, use the singles line, you'll get on much quicker.
You know how efficient, regular and easy the bus service is. As long as you memorise the timetable, this is probably the best way of accessing the skiing from the hotels along Banff Ave, so I would question the need for a car if you are just using it for accessing ski areas.
We pre-booked a car to pick up in Banff for 4 days of an 11 night holiday, we used it to access snowshoeing on Bow & Emerald Lakes, skating on Lake Louise, ice-walking in Johnston Canyon, driving the Icefield Parkway as far as Peyto Lake viewpoint, we also drove to Kicking Horse no trouble, the pass is well used by trucks, so would take a heavy snowfall to close it. Took the shuttle bus to Panorama (C$89 inc day ticket) though, certainly more relaxing and probably cheaper that way. But then there's nothing like driving a huge gas-guzzling V8 4WD through this spectacular landscape, if you've never done it before.
We asked nicely and the Thomson rep provided us with a free week's National Park pass too, which I don't think they would if you took a car from Calgary.
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luigi, how was the snow shoeing?
Surely you don't need a park pass if you hire a car in Banff, do you?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi richmond, snowshoeing out into the middle of a huge frozen lake surrounded with soaring peaks was a surreal and humbling experience, there was no-one else around too, which felt weird. It's also one sure way of making fresh tracks 7 days after the last snowfall.
As to the Parks pass, anyone stopping (i.e. not driving straight through on the Transcanadian) in a National Park (including Banff townsite? and the ski areas) needs one. The way it's policed is checking parked cars and roadblocks. One day, I saw a roadblock on the Lake Louise access road where Park Rangers were pulling cars and making checks. It doesn't matter where the car comes from. My rental didn't come with one, I think they are supposed to be for the occupants of the car, not the car itself. That's why I was quite glad when our helpful rep said she could provide one for free even though we pre-booked the car through Holiday Autos.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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We snowshoed briefly on a lake near Jasper, very enjoyable, I'd have liked to have done more. The view from the middleof a lake in those parts is indeed impressive.
I assumed that rental cars in the park came with them or didn't need passes. Some chums of ours hired a car in Banff and I have no recollection of them buying a pass (the guy would still be moaning about it of he'd had to, and it was probably 8 years ago), but I'm probably wrong.
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richmond, I suppose your mate was lucky and never got caught.
The roadside check I saw was on a Sunday, probably aimed at weekenders/daytrippers from Calgary. If there's no fine, I suppose it's worth taking a chance.
I reckon they're probably more likely to be out in force in the summer at the trailhead parking areas, the weather's less brass monkeys and there are more punters to catch.
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You know it makes sense.
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Tweed88, it took us 1hr40 to Kicking Horse from Banff, parking wasn't a problem mid-week, we were in lot no.2 right next to the piste. Nice area, some very testing runs in the bowls and ridges at the top, some queues at the gondola but moved quite quickly so didn't wait more than a few mins.
It was 2 hrs (beautiful empty drive thru Kootenay NP) in the shuttle minibus to Panorama, more variety of easier runs and less crowded on a Sunday than KH was midweek.
Both were emptier than Lake Louise and particularly Sunshine. Sunshine on a busy day was way better than French School hols or any busy european resort, just to put it in perspective.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| luigi wrote: |
richmond, I suppose your mate was lucky and never got caught.
The roadside check I saw was on a Sunday, probably aimed at weekenders/daytrippers from Calgary. If there's no fine, I suppose it's worth taking a chance.
I reckon they're probably more likely to be out in force in the summer at the trailhead parking areas, the weather's less brass monkeys and there are more punters to catch. |
Possibly, but I think he'd have bought a card if he needed one. I probably just didn't know he had, although as I indicated above, he's not a man to part with money without making a song and dance about it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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FAQ
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