 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Just wondering if anyone can give us any information on Banff! 8 of us are planning on going, and need to keep costs down! We were thinking of a chalet in April - but we also need to know about flights/websites etc and how to get the best deals!
Thanks in advance
Ainsley
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ainsley80,
Welcome to Snowheads. Skiing is split between Sunshine (Closest to Banff), Lake Louise (45 mins) and Norquay.
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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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Ainsley80, I'm not sure you can get a chalet in Banff, happily someone can prove me wrong but I'm convinced you cannot. Run a search, I've answered a whole load of questions on Banff with similar questions to yours-you'll get some useful information.
Banff is a good town if you do it well, stay close to the centre (Banff International, Mt Royal, Banff Park Lodge).
Eat well (Saltik, Coyotes, Sushi at the Springs)
Ski lots (Try and get a trip in to Kicking Horse)
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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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Ainsley80, welcome to Snowheads. Im going myself in January and found this website great for info on where to eat, stay and what to do http://www.taximike.com/
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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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Would you say go through a tour operator or seperate flight/hotel? Some of the group are concerned with the price compared to the French resorts - would you consider Banff to be expensive say for eating etc when compared to say Meribel? My concern is snow conditions so late in the season - hence my reasons for Banff; I understand snow conditions are still very good in April when compared to The Alps. Also some of the group are beginners - I was concened of taking them to Val or Meribel 1st time around!
Thanks for the replies so far btw.
Ainsley
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There are chalets in Banff, but they are few and far between. My experience (over 8 trips to Banff/Lake Louise) is exactly that of cathy. My family love Banff (the town and the skiing); the only downside (for us) was the hideously expensive lift pass (as elsewhere in N.America), but at least you don't have to queue to use them.
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I agree with cathy above /\.
Normally DIY is the cheapest way to get to North America, but you can ALWAYS find cheap deals to Banff with a TO.
Arv's surgestion to eat at Saltlik is also spot on; their steaks (and tequila  ) are fantastic. I also recommend Tony Roma's (inside the Mount Royal hotel), Wild Bill's, and the burger at the St.James's Gate pub.
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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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On the whole booking with a tour operator is altogether a better deal, despite what the exceptions may be, especially in the current financial climate...............
As regards a budget trip to Banff, outside Whistler it's probably the most expensive Canadian resort, once you get there. There are a lot of other places that offer just as good terrain, without all the bus trips and the cost.
Alcohol is on average around 40% more than Jasper (two seasons ago).
As the Canadians say, Banff stands for................Banff, Ain't Nothin' For Free......................
John.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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But you can still pick up a highball for a buck fifty. Banff is pretty damn cheap compared to home.
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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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Last year, apparently, you could get a buffet canadian breakfast for $6 at the YMCA. Didnt try it ourselves but others had no complaints 
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Ainsley80, I forgot to suggest that car hire is a good idea, and may be available at little or no extra cost depending on the TO, if you're using one. The free bus to the hill is fine as buses go, but a car is better, especially if you're planning to visit LL, Kicking Horse or anywhere else (and it avoids the TO transfer).
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You know it makes sense.
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| richmond wrote: |
| Ainsley80, I forgot to suggest that car hire is a good idea, and may be available at little or no extra cost depending on the TO, if you're using one. The free bus to the hill is fine as buses go, but a car is better, especially if you're planning to visit LL, Kicking Horse or anywhere else (and it avoids the TO transfer). |
The Tour Op car hire can work out expensive by the time you have taken into account all the add ons  The Tour Op transfer isnt too bad ( dependant on who it is I suppose ) a car can be hired and picked up in Banff - very easy - cheaply if booked on line. We did last year paying around £460 for two weeks for a 4x4 Making it very flexible once you are there. Kicking Horse is well worth a visit IMHO and easy to get to.
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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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Yes, I was forgetting about the add ons; for some reason my Amex insurance includes N.American car hire so I never take anything more than the what's thrown in with basic rental deal, which makes it cheap or even free.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Depending on when you are going, you may find a tour op is not possible as they tend to wind up their ops in early April to many places. The resorts will still be open etc, but you may have issues getting there.
A lot of the ops used Zoom who have just gone bust as the air carrier and I am not sure what they are doing to replace them. There is a charter (Monarch??) but otherwise it is I think BA or Air Canada if you want to fly direct. Round about the Easter weekend (10-13 April) I doubt that they will be cheap.
I am a confirmed DIY traveller to the US and Canada but we went to Banff last Easter and I went via a tour op as they were cheaper than any price I could do on a DIY basis and it saved some hassle to get them to do the leg work.
We did the tour op transfer and it wasnt bad........but then the transfer bus was waiting for our flight having collected some folks off an earlier flight, so they may have been ticked off waiting for us.
My knowledge of Banff is pretty limited as regards places to stay but I dont recall anywhere where 8 can stay under one roof (which is presumably what you want to split the cost). This place has larger accomodations
http://www.rockymountainresort.com/accommodations.htm#
but be aware it is out of town and you would not walk from here in the evening (unless you are a lot of very enthusiastic walkers in sub zero temps...maybe not in April !). I think that they might run a shuttle bus or maybe the town bus goes there along Banff Avenue. Most Banff accomodation is hotels.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ainsley80, welcome to Snowheads!
Check out my recent trip report on Banff.
Hope there's some useful info for you there!
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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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Just want to say thank you for all your help - the info everyone has provided so far has been a great help!
I think are party will now be a party of 5 (just in case that makes any difference to future posts!) Anyone stayed at the fox hotel - I notice they offer a room for 5, the fifth is in the living room on a sofa bed, but we're old friends and he won't mind showering outside or in the sink.....just kidding, he doesn't shower!
Thanks again
Ainsley
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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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We stayed in the Fox when we went in March earlier this year.
It is less than 2 years old (I think) so is still in good nick and not "tired". It is on Banff Avenue next door to (I think) the Banff Caribou (owned by the same people and they own a lot of the other hotels in Banff....you can find out more at http://www.bestofbanff.com/)
The room we had was a one bedroom suite with a big double bedroom and a sofabed in the lounge.......... me on the bed, my 20 year old son on the sofabed. Two big TVs. The only drawback was that there was 1 bathroom and that was ensuite to the bedroom with no direct access from the living area so access was via the bedroom....not an issue during the day but not that great during the night if my son wanted to go.
The ski bus stops next door at the Caribou and it is one of the early stops so getting on and getting a seat was not any issue. You are also one of the early stops for the return journey as well.
It was maybe 10 to 15 mins for us to walk into downtown Banff, not a problem for us but it wasnt that cold when we were there...in fact we had great sunny weather and temps just below freezing.
There is a good hot tub area which you can check out via the website. There are coin op washer/dryers for guest use.
Ski lockers are available in the basement garage, they dont want skis/boards in the rooms.
Let me know if you want more info and I will try to help
There is a bar and a restaurant in the hotel, staffed mainly by Aussies/Kiwis in my experience. Very friendly service. The restaurant is part of a chain called Chilis. We only ate there in the evening on the night we arrived when a pint of lager and a burger/fries went down marvellously well after a transatlantic flight and the tour op transfer. Otherwise we walked into Banff. We got vouchers for breakfast in the hotel which was fine but it was a cold buffet.... croissants, cereal, toast, fruit, tea coffee etc but no eggs/bacon or the like. That suited us fine but might not suit others.
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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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malcolm1, It was a new hotel for the 07/08 season. It is close to the Caribou.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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anyone know of any cheap flights to either calgary or vancouver from man?
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Ainsley80, Zoom, oh, sh*t.
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I can 2nd Malcolm1's recommendation about the Fox Hotel. Stayed there Jan08 for 9 nights. The hotel and service was faultless - already booked to go back this year. The bus stop looked quite busy for the 8.30m bus to Sunshine, but I think you are near the beginning of the route so I'm sure you will always get on.
We booked through http://skircr.com/vacations/early_incentives.asp and got a pretty good deal. Air Canada is also running cheap seats at the moment.
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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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| cathy wrote: |
| turning round and seeing two elk right there behind us! Didn't half give us a shock |
Imagine how the elk felt.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I thought it might have replaced the Cedar Court which is right next door to the Caribou, but it still seems to be there.
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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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Ainsley80, we were in Banff in April this year. Brilliant. You will have a blast.
The snow was fine when we were there... in fact it was brilliant. It wasn't the best of years snowfall wise for them, but they had more than enough. It dumped while we were there. If it dumps, get up to Goats eye. It tended to be a lot quieter than up at the village part of the mountain. We did 6 or 7 runs on Goatseye one day (the day it dumped) and only saw about another 5 folk out on that hill. At the top of the gondola, there were hundreds. Plenty of room for everyone though.
The skiing at Sunshine is very good, but we preferred Lake Louise. It felt bigger and once you get over into the back bowls, a hell of a lot more remote. The views up there are amazing as well. I don't know what level you all ski at, but don't worry about going over into the back bowls with an intermediate skier. There's a blue run (no. 132) that is pretty straightforward which means a mixed group can head over the back easy. The more proficient skiers can ski the double blacks and the not so advanced skiers can meet them at the bottom of each run.
If you like skiing trees, head up to the larch area and get lost in there. It's good fun and there's normally an easier way down that the way you're going... if that makes sense.
One thing i'd say about both areas though, is to enjoy them at their best, get up early and get the first bus. It's more than worth it.
Don't worry about cost of food/drinks etc when you're there. They're cheaper than they are here in the UK, even in the Fairmont Banff Springs. Make sure and go to a proper steak house while you're there as well.
People say they can't be bothered with the bus trip each morning, but i thouhgt they were fine. Gives you a chance to see a wee bit more of the countryside as well, especially when you head up to Lake Louise. If you get a bus up to there from Banff, make sure you sit on the right hand side of the bus on the way up to catch views of some spectacular mountains.
There's an Irish bar called St James Gate that we spent a fair bit of time in. Good service and good pub grub.
Make sure and try and get up to see Lake Louise (ie. the actual lake), it's stunning. There's a wee cafe into the left from the main entrance to Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. You get good sandwiches, snacks, Hot chocolate, coffee etc in there and it's the cheapest place to get food at the hotel, but it's still only about the price of a meal deal from boots!
Just to wet your appetite, here's a link to some of my pics from our trip.
clicky here for pics
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shoogly, Very nice I likie! Some great skiing on your part also love the photo with you in b&W and the rest in colour. Doing a bit of a trip around BC and Alberta this year will defo have to stop by Banff and visit again 
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You know it makes sense.
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most of the great skiing in the pics is my mate who went with me. The one with colour on B&W is of Pat, a mountain host we met at Lake Louise. The piste below her is the mens world cup run. Spot anyone else on it? nope... it was like that most of our time there. nice and quiet and room to really bomb down the slopes. Yeeeeeehhhaaaaaaaaahhhhh.... in an american styleee.
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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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FAQ
which used to be a great place to get breakfast if you were staying at that end of Banff Ave.