Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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smolo, can't help about Canada but in general Hotel = Bar = Possibility of meeting many people - - - but also of 'escaping' from some if necessary.
My impression from T.O. brochures is that hotel rooms in the States / Canada tend to be huge (often for 3/4 occupants - almost condominiums) and you might need to be careful about avoiding a single room supplement of humungeous proportions. With luck a snowHead will be able to point you at a suitable room in Banff if you go the hotel route. Have a good trip.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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My advice to everyone is stay 1 night in the Sunshine Inn, Sunnshine Village. 100% Natural Snow, 100% First Tracks guaranteed before the hoards from banff arrive. Total Isolation
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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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Smolo, I've only stayed in hotels when in Canada, but as there seems to be a lack of information about backpacker hostels, I can chip in with my experience of them in Australia. I spent several months in one when I first arrived in Sydney and in general found it to be an enjoyable experience. The people there were pretty much all on a similar wavelength and so you basically had an instant group of friends, which is good news in a far away place. I was in a shared room (4 people) and didn't suffer too much with being woken up throughout the night, although that could have been because I was the one doing the waking up!
On the downside however, I remember that we had a complete nutter move in, who after a couple of nights tried to grope one of the girls in the hostel . Well as you may imagine, this wasn't met with unanimous approval by the rest of the inmates and as I recall we quickly formed a posse and kicked said nutter out. I'd like to tell you it ended there, but unfortunately not. A couple of days later the lunatic broke into the hostel at night and attempted to burn it down!! Fortunately the smoke alarms prevent any death or injury and all ended well.
Don't know if that's the slightest bit of help, but whatever you decide - happy travels.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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yard sale junkie, Dont sell holidays for a living do you
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Nadenoodlee, No, smoke alarms
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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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smolo, I'd echo what yard sale junkie says. I've not done backpackers' in Canada, but have done them in NZ, Israel and Egypt, a bunkhouse in Breckenridge and several official and unofficial youth hostels (although not recently) and gites in Europe, spread over the last 25 years. It really depends what your mindset is. They're not luxury hotels so don't expect that, but if you don't mind roughing it a bit and living out of your backpack they're fine - and I much prefer the sociability of them to hotels for a solo holiday. Dorm sizes can be as small as 4, but I would say they're normally 6-10, and sometimes even up to 20. Everyone normally gets on great and you frequently end up hitting the town as a group unless you are a complete hermit. And after the first couple of nights you don't even notice the "arome de sock". Main things to be careful of are:
1) snorers - take comfortable earplugs (I used my walkman in-ear phones on my last hol and they were very effective);
2) your own snoring, if relevant - it's only polite to announce to the dorm acceptable remedial measures they may take if you do snore;
3) security - if you have anything valuable your insurance may well not cover it unless locked in a safe. Often the reception will have a safe for valuables, and always wear a money belt for important documents and....money. Having said all that, I've never had a problem, and have only once come across someone who had had their pack stolen - at Copenhagen railway station of all places.
4) Plastic bags - can be the bane of backpacker life if someone does arrive/leave late and has all their stuff in crinkly plastic bags inside their pack. You tend only to pack these bags in the middle of the night once because of all the derision you receive.
I would expect the only time you're likely to get a load of coming and going in the middle of the night is on a "transfer day", when some may have to leave v. early or arrive v.late. I guess Xmas Eve or New Year could be busy nights too - just make sure you're as drunk as everyone else.
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smolo, how about a bit of "pressure pulling" when you're over there? Hey presto, solved your company and accomodation problems in one fell swoop!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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smolo, I went to Banff on my own last year. Paid for lessons with Club ski which was excellent and well worth it skied with the friends of Banff and also with the skiclub of GB reps. The whole time I was there I never ate a meal alone or skied alone. In fact the night I went out to a bar on my own I was befriended by a couple of locals who ended up drinking with me all night and skiing the next day together. I had a fantastic time so much so Ive booked for 14 days this year instead of the 10 I had last year. The locals are really friendly you'll have a ball.
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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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I've stayed in hotels and motels in Banff and Canmore - Canadians are a fantastic bunch, friendly, mad for drinking beer until the small hours and very approachable. Love it over there. And some of the girls give you freebies of power bars from the company they work for - great!!!!
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