I am comtemplating a trip to the Banff/ Lake Louise ski areas. I would love to hear about people’s experiences. But, I am not so much looking for skiing stories, as much as wondering about the atmosphere of Banff, where the best places to stay (on a moderate budget–nothing exorbitant but we don’t need to camp out) how do you get around town, are there fun bars/restaurants, etc. Most recently, I’ve been to Mont Tremblant (PQ) & the Lake Tahoe area. The skiing is good in Tahoe but having to drive everywhere is a bummer.
Sorry – that was a typo!
I will speak in generalities as it has been a few years since I’ve been in Banff and I don’t know the names of any of the places to stay.
The town of Banff is very commercial, lots of high priced ski equipment stores and restaurants. There are quite a few hotels too, some I think were okay in price. Even though it is commercial, it is still fairly pretty, there are neat hot springs and such to go to. If I recall, it’ll take you about an hour to drive to Sunshine and a couple to get to Lake Louise. Or, you could rent something on either hill, on a moderate budget you may be able to afford a closet.
As far as skiing quality goes, Sunshine is more of an intermediate hill with a few challenging runs. Lake Louise is for more advanced skiiers, and I recall it seemed to have problems often getting enough snow, but if it has enough, it is world class. Both are quite picturesque.
I will add that the town of Banff isn’t very big due to size regulations since it’s located in a national park. You could probably walk across it in half an hour. They probably have a bus service to both hills from the hotels so you wouldn’t have to drive. Take a tour of the Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise hotels while you’re there to see how the other half lives. You’re sure to have lots of fun.
If you are looking for a place less developed, you could try Jasper which is lovely.
I fixed the thread title.
Now I’m going to move the thread to IMHO, where I think it will get a better response.
I live a hop skip and a jump from Banff and Jasper. Actually, it’s about five hours to get to either from here.
If you are going to be travelling all this way and have the time I would try and visit both areas, Jasper is about a five hour drive (north) from Banff on the Icefields parkway. The landscape is breathtaking.
Banff is a wonderful town but due to it’s popularity you should expect it to be really busy and fairly pricey. There is a plethora of dining and dancing venues that should appeal to anyone’s taste. Lake Louise is simply breathtaking in it’s beauty. Many people I know will get accomodations outside of Banff and stay in Canmore which is cheaper and still a short drive away from the skiing.
In my opinion Jasper is superior if you are looking for some mind blowing skiing. It gets way more snow due to it’s more northern locale. It is a little more laid back than Banff and in my experience it has been more affordable. Most of the people I know go to Jasper to ski and to Banff for the partying.
Banff is expensive (as already mentioned) but when I was there a few years ago I stayed at the newly renovated hostel. It was very reasonable and as hostels go very well maintained. It a bit of a distance from town but there is a shuttle. I don’t ski and I always have fun at banff, it has a very good night life. Jasper is much quieter but as said before cheaper, less populated and apparently better skiing.
I don’t know about the skiing in Banff (or anywhere else… I don’t ski at all) but I like Banff lots just for a visit. As said before it is expensive (but then its a tourist trap… aren’t they always expensive?) I haven’t been to Jasper in… oh gotta be 5 years or so but I was in Banff in April last year. Yes it is fairly small… walking it might be a little longer then 30 minutes but not much. I walk everytime I go there… I always go to the candy shops grins the fudge is excellent. The scenery is gorgeous (but that can be said about most mountainous places) and I always love walking in the park at the head of main street. They also have horse drawn carriages for I think 7 dollars per person per ride (they take you all around the town).
Maybe I should bug my Dad to take us camping Jasper again later this year when its not snowy out… actually I don’t think I’ve been to the Jasper townsite much at all… maybe once or twice… mainly we go camping and to the hot springs when we used to go. We liked to hike down to the old ones so Dad and the Grandparents could reminisce about how they used to camp where the new hotsprings are and go to where the ruins are now. Then we’d usually hike up to the natural hotspring out cropping and maybe a bit father just enjoying the scenery.
15 years ago, my wife and I took our honeymoon in Banff in late September. That time of year is between the summer vacation season and the winter skiing season. We concentrated on hiking, which was simply spectacular. I especially liked the hike up to Sentinel Pass, although I was annoyed by a group of Europeans talking very loudly as they walked along, seemingly bored. Places like that are a shrine, not a social event. Anyway, hiking above the treeline and into the snow was neat.
The elk are in rut that year, make these incredible noise, and have this disturbing tendency to run down the middle of the Icefields Parkway at dusk. I almost rear-ended one (its rear end was higher than my head in the car). We travelled as far north as Athabasca Falls, which at time is a mere trickle.
It’s a spectacularly lovely place any time of year.
Oh my, yes. I once tried to drive a U-Haul through Banff on a long weekend, and nearly had a fit trying to maneuver around all the RV’s. I don’t know where you’re travelling from, but you might want to consider flying to Calgary and taking a bus into town if you can manage it.
Beautiful town, though.
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The drive between Banff and Jasper is the most spectacular in North America.
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Jasper is more pristine, the surrounding area more primeval, than Banff. It’s also less ‘touristy’ (slightly) than Banff. Actually, in both cases, the towns are secondary. It’s their environs that count.
I go to Banff several times a year! I love it there. The prices are rather steep, and depensing on what time of year you go, the hotel/motel prices are unbeliveable. You can go to http://www.discoverbanff.com and find all kinds of info. If you have transportation, try getting a place in Canmore, a 20 min drive to Banff… WAY cheaper. The Banff Hostel has been renovated and is about $22.00 per night per person. But IMO the Lake Louise Hostel is the nicest… but you need a vehicle if you decide to stay there.
The Sundance Mall has the best fudge factory in town!! You can watch from outside as they make thier fudge and other delectable goodies 
DON’T eat at Earl’s… they rob you blind for ordinary food. Go to BTFSPLK’S (I forget exactly how they spell it, but it has characters from the Blondie cartoon) the food is pretty good and reasonable in price.
The Rose & Crown is a great place to go for drinks in the evening. However, if you kind of follow the crowds you are bound to end up somewhere fun
If you like quaint little book stores, be sure to visit the one that is close to the CIBC bank nearest the bridge you cross to get to the Banff Springs Hotel.
If you want to hike a bit… cross that bridge and go right… there is a hiking trail up there.
Have fun