Family trip questions to Banff

[talkamotta]

I was lucky to get 4 units at Banff Gate Mountain Resort in the end of July Ive been to this resort and I know its rustic but its a beautiful area. Im taking my whole family for a vacation and this was the only place all summer long that I could get 4 units at the same place and time. Im from the US so I have the exchange rate is in my favor.
I have to buy 3 NP passes. Do they go from the time I rent them to the same time next year or do they run Jan to Jan. Should I buy them at the Parks Svc before entering Kootenay NP and will I get the exchange rate if I pay with my credit card. I have a card with no foreign transaction fees.
Car Rental. Some members are flying in to Calgary. They need to rent a car. Is there a good site for cheaper rentals. Thanks any other information will be helpful. Its been a while since I have been in this area, we are so excited. Im not sure what things have changed.

 

[bizaro86]

The park passes will be good for a year from when you buy them. If you're going at a busy time, I would buy the passes in advance. You can buy them online with free shipping, and then you can bypass the line entering the park. Those driving from Calgary will appreciate that as of they come on a weekend there will be a line, but if you have the pass just go through the far right lane and go straight through.

I live in Calgary so don't rent cars here. I would consider a stop at the Calgary Zoo, a family of Pandas is arriving this May, including two little ones.

If you have other questions feel free to ask.

 

[talkamotta]

Thanks. Thats how I thought the passes worked, we might be going to Niagra Falls Canada side and the east coast of Canada, so I could use it then too. I love Canada. We might spend one day in Calgary but most of our time will be spent in the parks. On the way up we will go from Utah to Montana, staying in Missoula for the night and hit Costco. Then we will go west and go through Kootenay and Yoho on our way to our resort. My husband did that one year and my kids havent seen that area. Then we all will meet at the resort. We will of course go to Lake Louise Moraine Lake, etc and maybe up to the Ice Fields. I love to drive in that area but we have 6 children under the age of 10 so they will get tired of driving. Where would you suggest we could go that are closer to Canmore. I would like to break up long drive days with shorter ones. On the way back home, we are on our own. Some will do combat driving back home but we are planning on going down to Waterton, Glacier, Over the Sun Road, etc and stay some place overnight. No combat driving for us anymore.

 

[bizaro86]

I love Waterton, definitely worth a stop on the way home.

One interesting place with some good hikes/walks for small kids is Kananaskis Country, which would be a much shorter drive from Canmore. We take our little ones to Troll Falls every year, it's a short walk through the woods with a small waterfall at the end, about 1 hour or so. There are some nice views from the Kananaskis lodge as well.

 

[Mosescan]

I love Waterton, definitely worth a stop on the way home.

One interesting place with some good hikes/walks for small kids is Kananaskis Country, which would be a much shorter drive from Canmore. We take our little ones to Troll Falls every year, it's a short walk through the woods with a small waterfall at the end, about 1 hour or so. There are some nice views from the Kananaskis lodge as well.

Do you climb? Lots of great rock climbing in the area. There are companies that will take you or the kids out for a day to teach you.
The minnewanka loop opposite Banff is a great short drive for seeing animals. Some great small lakes back there for a canoe trip or some fishing. You need a special license to fish in the park.
There are also some mountain lakes you can hike into from Canmore to fish.
You can mountain bike at the Canmore Olympic ski center.
Don’t forget the ice cream shop in downtown Banff and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate shop!

 

[Crafty71]

Even if the kids are young, if they are energetic, the hike up to the top of Tunnel Mountain is nice. Not a hard hike, trail is in good condition, it takes 45-60 minutes to get to the top and the view of Banff is pretty amazing...you can hike from Banff (longer) or there is a small parking area off Tunnel Mountain Drive (as opposed to Tunnel Mountain Road).

Cheers!

 

[DaveNV]

I'm sure you've already thought about it, but I wanted to say it anyway: Make sure everybody has a current passport. It would be bad to plan this and have one/some family member(s) not be able to join you.

Dave

 

[talkamotta]

Even if the kids are young, if they are energetic, the hike up to the top of Tunnel Mountain is nice. Not a hard hike, trail is in good condition, it takes 45-60 minutes to get to the top and the view of Banff is pretty amazing...you can hike from Banff (longer) or there is a small parking area off Tunnel Mountain Drive (as opposed to Tunnel Mountain Road).

Cheers!

Thank you thats about the right length.

 

[talkamotta]

I'm sure you've already thought about it, but I wanted to say it anyway: Make sure everybody has a current passport. It would be bad to plan this and have one/some family member(s) not be able to join you.

Dave

Everyone over the age of 16 has a passport. The youngest ones dont need it if they are driving over the boarder. However, if they fly they would need it. That doesnt make much sense but its the rules.

 

[Tacoma]

Suggestions for shorter drives/hikes

Johnson Canyon 2 waterfalls not a long hike Between Banff and Lake Louise
Lake Louise 1/2 hour past Banff not to be missed
Moraine Lake is not far from Lake Louise very nice
Drive up the road (10 minutes) behind Canmore towards Nordic center great views of Canmore
Canmore also has a small lake Quarry Lake lots of locals swimming
Grassi Lakes hike also near canmore Nordic center is a short hike
Lake Minnewanka often has animal sightings also has a boat tour or walking trails
Norquay Road by Banff has awesome views of Banff
road between Banff Rocky Mountain Resort and Banff townsite has hoodoos with short walks available
Delta Hotel in Kananaskis has a great viewpoint walk literally 5 minutes from hotel
Downtown Canmore has flat walks by the river you can do a short circle tour over a rail bridge

If you want restaurant suggestions ask.

Joan

 

[nomadio]

This website is full of great ideas for those with kids coming to the Rockies:

http://www.rockiesfamilyadventures.com/2018/05/first-summits-for-families-in-canadian.html?m=1

The above link has some good hikes.

http://www.rockiesfamilyadventures.com/2018/04/locals-guide-to-exploring-best-of-banff.html?m=1

This one lists fun stuff in Banff and Jasper.

Take some time to explore the website. There are also articles on Canmore, Radium/Invermere, etc.


Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[barto]

Joan has some excellent suggestions.

Be aware that many others will be wanting to see the same places (esp. the first three) and that's a popular time of year, so be prepared for parking difficulties and lineups. If you can swing it, try for those top 3 places later in the day, like 4:00 or later. Lake Louise has become so crazy in the summers that they've had to offer shuttles up to the lake from the giant overflow parking lot a couple of miles/kms east of the Lake Louise exit from the big highway.

Might be nice to take the 'Parkway' (highway 1A) from just outside of Banff to Lake Louise, or at least halfway to Castle Mountain. A more leisurely drive at about 35 mph, single lane each way, but a better chance to see wildlife. We've brought food along and done a picnic along that way before. (special vote for the baguette sandwiches at Nestor's grocery store in downtown Banff)

I would also add Sulfur Mountain Gondola as a Banff option - the top area has been re-done, but the same great views from up there and a bit of a unique experience.

Mount Norquay now has a "via ferrata" experience in summers that could be worth exploring for the more adventurous.

Another up-vote for Kananaskis Country as a shorter drive with some spectacular scenery and hikes. And also for the area up above Canmore (Smith-Dorrien Road, Spray Lakes area) - it's mostly gravel roads, but generally much quieter and more rugged with some nice picnic spots and hikes. If you make it all the way through, it becomes paved again and hooks up with the Kananaskis highway (40). Boundary Ranch has trail rides on horseback. And we always stop at Kananaskis Village for a driving break, occasionally for a drink or bite to eat, but always do the tiny walk to amazing views of the valley and the golf course below (which might even re-open this year after the 2013 floods)! I think you can still rent bikes at the Village - quite a few biking trails around their area.

Canmore's river walks are very nice and easy to get to. For a (perhaps) different dining thing, try Gaucho's restaurant for a Brazilian MEAT-filled experience. To keep our costs down, we usually go there for lunch, but that's only available a couple of days a week. This is the type where there's a nice little buffet but the coolest part is how the servers walk around with skewers of different meats for you to try (or not). Really cool and very enjoyable (and filling). But not for the "faint of meat".

Nordic Center has hiking and biking trails...hmmm... lots to do for sure. Hope all this helps!

 

[barto]

Oh, and you might want to phone Banff Gate to see if they still lend out park passes for those wanting to do day trips... they used to some time ago when we were owners there. Perhaps you won't need to buy passes for all vehicles traveling there. If you do buy passes but don't need them all afterwards, send me a note.

Might even be worth checking with your local AAA office if you're a member. I discovered earlier today that the Alberta offices (AMA) offer a slight discount to buy through them ($120 CAD vs. $136.40), and you'll have them in advance so you can skip the sometimes-long lineups at the park gates.

 

[Tacoma]

Barto I don't know if you are aware but you can get 2 park passes for only about $20 more per year if you can prove you have 2 or more vehicles registered at the same address. We have been doing that for years so we don't accidently forget the pass. It is also handy when we stay at a timeshare but have 2 vehicles.

Joan

 

[AllanThompson]

I was lucky to get 4 units at Banff Gate Mountain Resort in the end of July Ive been to this resort and I know its rustic but its a beautiful area. Im taking my whole family for a vacation and this was the only place all summer long that I could get 4 units at the same place and time. Im from the US so I have the exchange rate is in my favor.
I have to buy 3 NP passes. Do they go from the time I rent them to the same time next year or do they run Jan to Jan. Should I buy them at the Parks Svc before entering Kootenay NP and will I get the exchange rate if I pay with my credit card. I have a card with no foreign transaction fees.
Car Rental. Some members are flying in to Calgary. They need to rent a car. Is there a good site for cheaper rentals. Thanks any other information will be helpful. Its been a while since I have been in this area, we are so excited. Im not sure what things have changed.

One detail on the passes. I am not sure about online but if you buy at the gate, they are good until the end of the month when you buy, a year later. So, for instance, if you bought on August 1, 2019, they would be good until the end of August 2020. If you do August vacations two years in a row, you actually get two months plus the time in between.

 

[AllanThompson]

I was lucky to get 4 units at Banff Gate Mountain Resort in the end of July Ive been to this resort and I know its rustic but its a beautiful area. Im taking my whole family for a vacation and this was the only place all summer long that I could get 4 units at the same place and time. Im from the US so I have the exchange rate is in my favor.
I have to buy 3 NP passes. Do they go from the time I rent them to the same time next year or do they run Jan to Jan. Should I buy them at the Parks Svc before entering Kootenay NP and will I get the exchange rate if I pay with my credit card. I have a card with no foreign transaction fees.
Car Rental. Some members are flying in to Calgary. They need to rent a car. Is there a good site for cheaper rentals. Thanks any other information will be helpful. Its been a while since I have been in this area, we are so excited. Im not sure what things have changed.

One of my favorite parts of my annual Banff holiday is the walk up Sulpher Mountain. I start in the afternoon and plan on dinner there. The view can't be compared! And, bonus. If you are there at 7 PM, free ride down! Check my facts, of course, but this has been the s case every year for many years. But they will not volunteer the information. You have to ask.

 

[John Cummings]

I'm sure you've already thought about it, but I wanted to say it anyway: Make sure everybody has a current passport. It would be bad to plan this and have one/some family member(s) not be able to join you.

Dave

Passport cards work fine as long as you are not flying. I have both the passport and card but usually only use my card as it is easier to carry.