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Banff Ski bus pickup to be centralized

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
crosbie, like you suggested, it doesn't make sense when you don't know where you'll be skiing the next day.

I have lost count of the days where I've left my bag on top of a locker at Lake Louise or by the fireplace in Sunshine or Norquay.
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I see Canadian Affair have been quick to change their website

"There isn't ski in-ski out access from the village but there are dedicated ski shuttle buses from the town centre that take you directly to each individual ski resort. If travelling with family or friends swap the coach transfer for a car and enjoy the flexibility of driving to and from each resort at the time you want. Not only will you save money but you can enjoy sightseeing and more of the visitor attractions when you have your own car."

I am pi$$ed to put it politely, having to walk to/from the bus stop means having to hire a locker. I'm guessing if you are not on the first bus of the day then there will be no lockers going spare...

Banff has become less appealing for us, kind of "death by a thousand pin pricks"- first the Glasgow/Calgary flights were dropped, the lift passes rocketed in price (okay exchange rate had something to do with this) and now this. I'm wondering if this gives us grounds to cancel the holiday we have booked as our package included flights, transfers, accommodation and lift passes which included hotel pickup....
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As the latest report in the Banff Crag and Canyon suggests that there is no further movement on the bus cancellation scenario, I duly contacted my tour operator and have cancelled my 2 week trip in March and have obtained a full refund of my deposit.

Much as we love Banff, we would not consider going based on the new bus arrangements.

We are now off to the Dolomites at the end of January and very excited about trying a new area.
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Bones wrote:

Not really as the hotels do not rely on the winter trade - they are one of the few resorts that make a hell of a lot more in the summer months rather than the winter. This is why they arent prepared to foot the bill any more for the buses.

The bus service did work great I believe, but when we were there we picked up a 4X4 in Banff. Made life so much easier and as we planned to visit further a field anyway, neccessary.

As for the park permit, we bought one from a fellow snowHead half price, and then sold it on again in the same season Madeye-Smiley BUt the local TO staff will be able to get you one at a reasonable rate - they offered us one, and offered to buy ours when we left Toofy Grin


When I was there a couple of years ago I was told that it was difficult to get the drivers to work the winter season because they made so much in tips during the summer, never saw anyone getting a tip while I was there, no wonder the driver looked so miserable overseeing the bundling of skis and snowboards into the luggage compartment!

Our nice lady rep from Thomson/Crystal got me a 10 day pass for free when I told her I was hiring a 4X4 for a few days from Banff. I think if you're staying inside the National Park, which Banff is, your tour op has made a contribution for you, thing is the way it's policed is by stopping/checking vehicles, so if you've not got a car it's unlikely you'll be checked.
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paul.kin wrote:
Much as we love Banff, we would not consider going based on the new bus arrangements.


Have had similar conversations with other people, including dedicated Banffers who've been 5+ years running - won't go back to Banff till the bus situation is sorted out. True though that the towns busiest period is during the summer season rather than the winter.
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Very disappointing to see that this has not been resolved. I'm not off to Banff in 2011, but it has previously been a favourite - 4 holidays in the last 7 years. I guess there are options such as stay at the Mount Royal (which is nice and central) although their prices might get a bump from higher demand due to the situation.

Will see how things go in the future, but it's looking less likely that I will go back unless the more flexible bus service returns.

Boooo Crying or Very sad
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I wonder how this will pan out? TOs get hit this year by a few cancellations and have their margin squeezed. Hotels don't actually notice much of a difference so not prepared to put their hands in their pockets. Traffic and accidents on the parkway increased by those families forced into taking hire cars plus resort car parking compromised?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I have only ever stayed in the middle of Banff close to the pick up point. It is often cold to be walking any distance. Banff Springs is a fair walk out of town too.

Additional cost of car hire could make Banff unattractive.

I have walked around Salt Lake City in ski boots and got on buses and the TRAX. It is not that big a deal.
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Resort parking is already compromised. If you don't get to sunshine early on a weekend you end up parking down the road anyway and taking a sunshine shuttle...
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We've got tri-area passes booked but not yet paid for, considering cancelling them and getting a LL card and hiring a car instead, does anyone know if you get charged for parking up at Sunshine or LL?
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saskew, No charge as yet at either.
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Bones wrote:
saskew, No charge as yet at either.


Although valet parking is available at both, and does cost.
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It'd be interesting to get a local perspective on this from some of our Banff resident posters if they're out there...

saskew, where are you booked in to stay?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Richard_Sideways wrote:
It'd be interesting to get a local perspective on this from some of our Banff resident posters if they're out there...

saskew, where are you booked in to stay?


We're staying at the Hidden Ridge Resort this time, a change from the last 3 years in the Caribou which we loved. The rooms were being re-furbed when we were there this year and they looked very smart, but we've decided to go self catering to cut down on cost a little as we're staying longer.

We've a couple of ex-pat friends living there who said it hasn't gone down too well over there, a lot of locals realise that it will negatively affect particularly the british market.
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Bones wrote:
saskew, No charge as yet at either.


Thanks for the info, looking at car rental as a viable alternative at the moment.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We changed our booking - we were supposed to be at the Caribou, but we've now moved to Brewsters, just opposite the Mount Royal. I think once people are at the actual pick up points, it will be more efficient, but unless you're staying within a walk of these 3 places, it's going to be total ball ache.
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Thing I can't understand is why a pick up all along Banff Avenue adds so much in cost. Yes there's additional waiting time at stops but buses fill up pretty quickly so they don't stop everywhere then the next one starts at the first unserved stop. I've no idea how a central location would work but can imagine the potential for chaos as hotel shuttles and taxis drop guests, the town bus drops off and there's a large number of outbound coaches to fill.

The sort of issue a chamber of commerce should be stepping up to resolve.
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Yellow Pyranha wrote:
Bones wrote:
saskew, No charge as yet at either.


Although valet parking is available at both, and does cost.


Yes at about $27 a go IIRC from the sign at the top of the steps??!
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Unless you have small children I honestly don't know why you would valet park for either. Get there early and you will almost be at the front anyway. Don't underestimate the unpleasantness of trying to get on ski boots at -20C at the back of a car though..keep them as warm as possible on the drive.
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Interestingly the Banff Crag and Canyon is reporting that talks are continuing on the Ski Bus situation

http://www.banffcragandcanyon.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2848470

Also today's Daily Telegraph is promoting Banff as "the perfect break"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/canada/banff/8139319/Skiing-in-Banff-Canada-the-perfect-break.html
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I tried to cancel our Banff '11 holiday, however our tour operator, Canadian Affair, are not playing ball. We gave a rather hefty deposit which they are advising we would loose if we choose to cancel. My take is that we booked the holiday prior to the news on the bus centralization, therefore as I see it, the tour operator cannot honour the original contract which included lift passes with hotel pickup (not centralised) and described the ski bus stop as being outside the hotel which clearly now it is not.
I see that some people have successfully cancelled, I am hoping they may be able to offer me a little insight into their argument to cancel.

Thanks in advance for the help.
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AC505. I haven't cancelled my trip yet as it appears talks are ongoing about hotel pick ups. I emailed Ingams to ask if I could change it my destination and was told to "contact Admin" and that there would be a charge. I think that this may be the best option if last minute talks break down.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Instead of cancelling, why not see if the tour operator will provide (or, at least, contribute towards) a hire car for the trip. We went to Banff 3 years running and the only reason we are not going this year is financial - I agree that centralised pickup looks like a recipe for chaos but a cheap hire car might sort out the problem.

If you don't all want to go back at the same time, then, as long as a driver is in the first group off the hill, they could arrange to pick up bus passengers in town.
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I think it will be sorted out because the Banff Hotels would lose loads of British customers if it happened!

Yellow Pyranha, I, like you, am not going to Banff this year due to finances. It cost me, on my own, £650 for 10 days 4 years go, it would cost me near double that now. Shocked
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Quote:

I think it will be sorted out because the Banff Hotels would lose loads of British customers if it happened!

RichardB, As mentioned before, I dont think they really care, since winter is their slack time. As its the Hotels that arent upping their contribution to the buses IIRC they dont think the buses are improtant.
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Back from a weekend in Banff. Sat night we went our for a meal with some friends. He works for Travel Alberta and used to work for Banff Tourism.

He says this has been talked about for years (in fact decades) and it is now a mexican standoff. The cost of the buses (around 2.5million CAD$ per year )has always been borne entirely by the ski areas and they feel hotels and other businesses should chip in . The hotels it will now stop at have all chipped in some cash and he says several others are now in talks over it. Some hotels are shuttling to the main bus stops. It is likely some cost sharing will evolve but may take some time and the ski areas are paying hard ball. I told him Brits were cancelling; he knew. I told him very few people pay full lift ticket price and maybe those that do deserve to be cut some slack; he agreed. He says its quite a complex problem; the canadians and US visitors all hire a car (in their culture) and its pretty much only the Brits that don't as they expect transit to slopes. UK is the only country from which there are charter ski flights to Calgary; he says they started this weekend and the bus will be on trial for these first few weeks; they have apparently promised it will be quicker. He agrees in a national park that some form of public transit to slopes should exist and we shouldn't encourage everyone to drive; but the natonal park can't subsidise private businesses (the ski hills and hotels). Clearly a difficult situation and one that will prbably work itself out; but not necessarily that quickly.
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gryphea. I've been in touch with the Banff Lodging Comapany as we're booked into the Caribou. As you say, it seems that the Lake Louise bus has started to pick up at some hotels. These must be the ones that are "chipping in". I asked if the hotels were running shuttles to the pick up points but was told I could get the Town Bus or a cab!

From memory, the Town Bus only carries about 30 people and runs every 30-40 minute. Not sure how much a cab would cost but I'm not willing to use either option.

I've also seen a letter in the Banff Crag & Canyon from a Banff local saying that he saw a group of skiers walking down the road pushing their gear in a supermarket trolley and how embarassing it was for him as a Banff resident.

Hopefully sense will prevail and an agreement between the hotels and the ski hills put in place.
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The bus pickup made it bearable for me last year, although i wasn't particularly happy with the daily transfers to Sunshine and lake Louise. Although the sking was ok it wasn't up to the standard pf european resorts, admittingly it didn't snow while we were there which would have made it better, and it was too long a trip to kicking horse to want to do that more than once a week. Glad i've done Banff, but I won't be going back, and the bus thing would make me discourage others if they asked.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Sad

I have no expectations in terms of what the service was like before but I am beginning to worry about this.

Lugging my skis and boots half a mile to a bus stop in really cold weather to wait around for a bus does not appeal to me in the slightest.

And I can't afford to hire a car now either. Bad time.
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BOD wrote:

Although the sking was ok it wasn't up to the standard pf european resorts



In what way?
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 Poster: A snowHead
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vicky24 Imagine what it would be like at the end of the day when you're knackered! One reason we booked the Caribou Lodge was that the ski bus picked up and dropped off there. The Keg bar in the hotel is really good for a early drink too.
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Interesting reading your post gryphea, thought there would be more too it than the bus company acting out.

The other group other than the brits who regularly use the ski bus in my experience were the Japanese visitors who DO spend alot there in winter... perhaps it'll take a season to snap the hotels out of their complacency and realise that the bus service does add value to their business...
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scotia wrote:
BOD wrote:

Although the sking was ok it wasn't up to the standard pf european resorts



In what way?


Lacking mile after mile of boring commuter cattracks? Though the run round to frontside at LL and the home run at Sunshine could qualify.
I think the best place I've ever skied based on average quantity and quality of snow (plus minigolf terrain) is Mt Baker however it would be rate crap by most European standards.
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Richard_Sideways,

Agree. Think this will resolve itself, but don't know the timescale...........
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v1cky24 wrote:
Sad

I have no expectations in terms of what the service was like before but I am beginning to worry about this.

Lugging my skis and boots half a mile to a bus stop in really cold weather to wait around for a bus does not appeal to me in the slightest.

And I can't afford to hire a car now either. Bad time.


See how you get on when you arrive, if you're struggling then consider hiring a locker on the hill - we did for the first time last time and wondered why on earth we hadn't before! Only downside is you have to plan in advance to go to Sunshine so you can bring your gear back the night before.
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saskew, This is a good idea - cheers!

We will definitely be at Lake Louise for the first 3 days because we have ski school so I am going to leave everything there for then at least.
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v1cky24 wrote:
saskew, This is a good idea - cheers!

We will definitely be at Lake Louise for the first 3 days because we have ski school so I am going to leave everything there for then at least.


Good way to start there, the ski school are excellent. When do you go?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
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v1cky24, I second saskew on Lake Louise's ski scool, the first tracks private lesson I had on my first day last January was top class and great value at $99 for 2 hours.

Forget the bus problems for now and look forward to a great time! snowHead
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v1cky24 wrote:
saskew, This is a good idea - cheers!

We will definitely be at Lake Louise for the first 3 days because we have ski school so I am going to leave everything there for then at least.


Actually, I think you can't leave your stuff overnight in the lockers at LL - I'm sure the signs say they are emptied nightly. Not sure there's an easy solution.
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saskew, I'm going mid jan, can't wait. This is a long awaited trip! 13 months without skiing is a long time snowHead
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