Banff
Banff Canada is in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and attracts millions of visitors each year. Banff National Park has more tourism during summer which is difficult for us snow lovers to understand!
Ski BanffDuring winter the tourists flock to Banff to ski or snowboard at the “Banff Big Three”, which are
Norquay,
Sunshine Village and the
Lake Louise ski resort.You can ride the three resorts on an interchangeable lift ticket. If you don’t have a car, all the resorts are accessible via shuttle buses from various Banff hotels.
Where is Banff?The town of Banff is 90
minutes west of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) and under 2 hours from
Calgary International Airport. The town is a charming small mountain
community. It’s incredibly picturesque with the backdrop of the
beautiful snow-capped mountains, and in amongst nature, there’s the
potential to see wildlife wandering right down the street.
Banff Hotels and AccommodationThere are lots of
Banff hotels and other
Banff accommodation, but if you like ski-in ski-out accommodation and the convenience of staying on-mountain, then your options will be very limited, almost absent. Sunshine Inn is the only on-mountain hotel. In Banff there are a selection of hotels, B&Bs, hostels and the Banff Springs Hotel which is more like a castle. There are also other options including campgrounds in surrounding areas, and the town of Canmore.
Banff Accommodation Listings
Banff ShoppingBanff shopping is fantastic. The main streets are filled with shops and arcades – a shopaholic haven. Some of the shops are ridiculously expensive but these are mixed in with good value souvenir and snow equipment shops. Surprisingly the best bargains we found were at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel where they had an amazing sale on – perhaps we were just really lucky?
Dining, Nightlife and ActivitiesThere are lots of
Banff restaurants as well as great après and a vibrant nightlife with plenty of bars. Other than skiing or snowboarding, there are lots of
Banff activities for tourists. As one example, a visit to the Banff Upper Hot Springs is a must to soak the weary muscles.