Not MM-related: Banff?

dragonstarjk · July 2015

So H and I are pretty sure that for our vacation next year, we are going to skip baseball and go to Glacier NP and Banff NP. We have always wanted to visit Glacier and we keep putting it off to take other trips. It's also a bucket list item for me to visit Banff and to stay at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. This won't be happening until next summer so we have a long time to plan.

Anybody have any tips for visiting Banff? I've never traveled out of the country, but I figure Canada is kind of a no-brainer. I am going to renew our passports. I know we don't have to have them if we have our birth certificates, but we will need them for other trips in the future anyways. We are going to try to keep it super cheap, camping most of the time, so that we can splurge on staying at the Fairmont. That place is ridiculously expensive!

I've read that if we are going to Banff, we might as well visit Jasper NP as well. I know nothing about that--does anybody know if it's worth the few hour's extra drive to visit Jasper?

I saw that the Fairmont has a credit card, where if you spend $3000 in the first 3 months you can earn 2 free night certficates. I need to read all of the fine print but I am pretty sure this is what we are going to try to do. I am really comfortable working cards for points and rewards so I'm not worried about that aspect, I just need to make sure we can really use the certificates for what we want.

So--any advice or tips for visiting Glacier NP, Banff NP, Jasper NP, and/or the area in general? We will be taking our dogs with us.

hoffse · July 2015

I don't have any advice, but it sounds like a fabulous trip! H and I have never been to Canada - we are saving it and the national parks for when we have kids and don't want to do the long-haul flight thing for awhile.

Banff and GNP are both on my list as well. I don't know about Jasper, but I googled pics and it looks beautiful.

I have looked into the Fairmont card. It's on my list for either Lake Louise, Quebec City, or Maui - whichever one we go to first. I have stayed at the Fairmont in New Orleans a couple times and loved it. It's a very high-end chain.

Just give yourselves plenty of lead time for the passports and CC rewards, and it should be great.

short+sassy · July 2015

I've been there! Though it was many, many years ago. I was a kid at the time, but still remember being stunned by how beautiful Lake Louise was with the mountains in the distance. I also remember the Fairmont Chateau. We didn't stay there, but walked through it to get to the lake. It was so grand!

I've always wanted to go back...now that I'm an adult and could somewhat afford to go and stay there, lol. But I haven't taken that leap yet either.

Unfortunately, it was a long time ago and I don't remember too much more about the trip.

Frugalmama2009 · July 2015

Hi! I am a lurker who finally signed up for an account. I live an hour away from Banff, and it is beautiful! Only advice I have is to do the tea house hike at lake Louise. Beautiful hike in the mountains to a cute tea House! Also, Canmore is a small town outside Banff where a lot of locals live. So restaurants and boutiques are a bit less expensive. Our favourite restaurant is The Grizzly House in Banff, great fondue and very romantic!

dragonstarjk · July 2015

Everything you suggested sounds right up our alley! We especially love good food

WinstonsGirl · July 2015

Banff is much more touristy than Jasper, which is much more of a smaller town feel. It's a few hours between the towns, but the Parkway is beautiful. In the middle of the drive is the Columbia Icefield, a large glacier which does tours. The 2 towns are quite different though.

Depending on time of year you're going, ski hills are open about Nov to May in both parks. Banff has the gondola ride up by the Banff Hot Springs. There are also lots of hikes in both parks. In Banff, you'll find more chain restaurants, well known shops whereas Jasper is much more independent restaurants, cafes, pubs and little shops. I find you see more wildlife inside Jasper versus inside Banff, though you'll see animals in both parks.

Jasper now also has the new Skywalk. I haven't been yet, but you do need to take a tour to see it. It is not accessible by private vehicle, so if you do decide to do that, factor in that cost. Maligne Lake has some beautiful hikes, Pyramid Lake is also beautiful. You can also check out the Jasper Park Lodge, another Fairmont hotel. The Fairmont in Banff is the Banff Springs Hotel. Spend a day in Lake Louise, which it sounds like you're planning to do. In both towns, you can do white water rafting, rock climbing, scuba diving, hiking, camping. I'd look into Trip Advisor for specifics on suggestions if you do decide to do tours through a company.

As for entry, with animals, you need to prove they've had their rabies shots in the last 3 years and you do need a passport or Nexus card (unless you're going with an Enhanced DL). We don't have those in Alberta, so I'm not sure on entry requirements with them.

I'd also suggest booking sooner rather than later if you can. With our plummeting dollar, you'll get great value. If thing rebound before next year, it'll affect your budget.

KAdams767 · July 2015

I know you said you are going to get it, but just in case you somehow change your mind, please keep in mind that yes, you need either a passport or enhanced driver's license, which I assume you don't have since you said you have never been out of the country, to drive over the border into Canada. If you are flying, you need a passport. Birth certificates are OK for children only, and only for crossing by land or sea, not flying. Canada may let you drive in with a birth certificate only, but you will have trouble getting back into the US without a passport or other acceptable documentation.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/74/noIntercept/1/session/L3RpbWUvMTM4OTgxMTU5MC9zaWQvdV94eW9zS2w=

dragonstarjk · July 2015

Thank you so much for the replies; I definitely didn't think of having to have proof of rabies shots so that is good to know. Also, I was planning to get our passports but this definitely confirms that I need to get on those!

Jasper definitely sounds worthwhile and more our style, I will make sure to include it in our itinerary. Great tip about the value of the dollar right now! This has definitely helped me start to solidify a plan in my head.

Not MM-related: Banff?

Re: Not MM-related: Banff?

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