*** ScoobyNet hits the slopes!! ***
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: same time, different place
Swiss village is a hotel at the very end of Banff Ave. I doubt you'll want to walk into Banff from there, especially during the second week when you will all be shattered (14 days, flippy neck, I'm dead after 6). There is a ski bus stop right outside, get on the correct bus to take you to whichever of the 3 main resorts you are going to - Adam the nearest lift is 4 miles away, I doubt you'll walk 
. The ski bus is not a crappy old bus, but a modern coach type thing, very comfy, very easy to sleep in after a hard day on the slopes! They come every 15/30 mins (I forget, but they are accurately timetabled) in the morning, and leave at official times in the afternoon from the resort, though whenever one is full it leaves and another comes to take its place. The bus is free for those with a tri-area pass, and I strongly advise this over a single area, the price difference is negligible.
Passes are sold with X days' use within Y days' period, for instance (in your case) 10 days' use within 14 days. As soon as it is scanned at the first lift in the morning, that's another day gone. It allows you flexibility of rest days, shopping in Banff or Calgary, dog-sledding etc, a great system. I'm pretty sure you can get them extended so you can buy, say, 10 days to start and add on a couple more at the end if you are still feeling frisky.
Last year's official price for 10 days of tri-area skiing (so including the bus) was 244GBP for an adult. I have NO idea what kind of discounts the tour op will give you.
Both Sunshine and Louise have ski storage, ISTR free for rentals and about two bucks a night for your own stuff, if you don't want to load it in and out of the coach each time.
Err... think that's all for the mo...
BJH
. The ski bus is not a crappy old bus, but a modern coach type thing, very comfy, very easy to sleep in after a hard day on the slopes! They come every 15/30 mins (I forget, but they are accurately timetabled) in the morning, and leave at official times in the afternoon from the resort, though whenever one is full it leaves and another comes to take its place. The bus is free for those with a tri-area pass, and I strongly advise this over a single area, the price difference is negligible.Passes are sold with X days' use within Y days' period, for instance (in your case) 10 days' use within 14 days. As soon as it is scanned at the first lift in the morning, that's another day gone. It allows you flexibility of rest days, shopping in Banff or Calgary, dog-sledding etc, a great system. I'm pretty sure you can get them extended so you can buy, say, 10 days to start and add on a couple more at the end if you are still feeling frisky.
Last year's official price for 10 days of tri-area skiing (so including the bus) was 244GBP for an adult. I have NO idea what kind of discounts the tour op will give you.
Both Sunshine and Louise have ski storage, ISTR free for rentals and about two bucks a night for your own stuff, if you don't want to load it in and out of the coach each time.
Err... think that's all for the mo...
BJH
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
From: same time, different place
http://www.innsofbanff.com/ and click on Swiss Village (doesn't show much) but you can also use all the facilities at Inns of Banff, which is excellent - pool, hot tub, sauna etc.
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Joined: Aug 1999
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excellent info brendan, but have to say I am not too happy about this bus lark.
I like to go where I am rigth next to the slopes, ie fall out of bed and onto a lift!
will have to think quickly on this one.
I have done worse I must admit!
I like to go where I am rigth next to the slopes, ie fall out of bed and onto a lift!
will have to think quickly on this one.
I have done worse I must admit!
Scooby Regular
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
From: same time, different place
Adam, I don't know if you've skiied North America. If not, try it, it's awesome, I certainly will not be going back to Europe again. I can only repeat that I found the bus - ****, it's not a bus, it's a coach - system clean, comfy, well organised, etc. Nothing like the rattly old heaps used at Tignes in 1994 when I went. If you have been before... I can't say more than the above to convince you. If you're insistent on falling out of bed onto snow, I think the only place you can do that in the tri-area is Sunshine Lodge, but your problem there is that it will be pretty dull once the lift shuts - it's in the middle of the ski hill with no vehicular access, access is via a gondola which will also shut.
For those of you going self-catering, as I mentioned before there is a reasonable- (12-checkout?) sized Safeways in Banff town centre, so you don't have to pack 5 kilos of pasta in your luggage.
BJH
For those of you going self-catering, as I mentioned before there is a reasonable- (12-checkout?) sized Safeways in Banff town centre, so you don't have to pack 5 kilos of pasta in your luggage.
BJH
Scooby Regular
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,314
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From: same time, different place
Highly, highly unlikely 
. I'm going to have a 3-week belated honeymoon in Thailand ending probably Jan 6-ish, so then trying to explain to work how I will be going off for another 2 weeks to Canada could be tricky. As I also mentioned, I have a son (just turned 14) who will be at school at the time, and leaving my wife to take care of him, while I go off to the place she adores, will not be worth the divorce suit. We still don't know what to do with him while we go on honeymoon (he sure as hell ain't coming with us!)
Miracles may yet happen, but I'm not going to hold my breath. We might scrounge some skiing if he goes on the school ski trip, but that will be half term, the week after you lot get back.
Good luck with your exams.
I'll be silent from 3pm today for three weeks - back to the UK where Dad has no internet!
. I'm going to have a 3-week belated honeymoon in Thailand ending probably Jan 6-ish, so then trying to explain to work how I will be going off for another 2 weeks to Canada could be tricky. As I also mentioned, I have a son (just turned 14) who will be at school at the time, and leaving my wife to take care of him, while I go off to the place she adores, will not be worth the divorce suit. We still don't know what to do with him while we go on honeymoon (he sure as hell ain't coming with us!)Miracles may yet happen, but I'm not going to hold my breath. We might scrounge some skiing if he goes on the school ski trip, but that will be half term, the week after you lot get back.
Good luck with your exams.
I'll be silent from 3pm today for three weeks - back to the UK where Dad has no internet!
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Joined: Dec 1999
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>> certainly will not be going back to Europe again
Excellent all the more snow for me
I've skied NA and Europe, both have there + and -
+ for NA is sometimes drier snow, in some years more snow, less queues
+ for Europe - much bigger vertical, superb off-piste with a good guide, less cold
cheers,
Greg
Excellent all the more snow for me
I've skied NA and Europe, both have there + and -
+ for NA is sometimes drier snow, in some years more snow, less queues
+ for Europe - much bigger vertical, superb off-piste with a good guide, less cold
cheers,
Greg
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Joined: Jun 2002
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was even thinking of doing my own trip I have found places in Whistler & Banff for around £600-£700 for 7 nights staying in a condo, but with a big group could get a bit cheaper & would hire a whole chalet I guess. Lift pass looks like £160 ish.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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tell me about it TK. ive asked Stealth to get his *** in gear now. emailed POC and got nothing. cheeky sod! am too feeling very unloved
edited cause i cant spell...DOH!
[Edited by sexy wrx69 - 8/28/2002 1:45:26 PM]
edited cause i cant spell...DOH!
[Edited by sexy wrx69 - 8/28/2002 1:45:26 PM]
