Resort information for Banff

Banff is a big summer resort that happens to have some nearby ski areas – it offers the perfect combination of superb snow and majestic scenery, together with low prices for meals and other on-the-spot expenses. Unless you stay mid-mountain at Sunshine Village, getting to the slopes means a drive or a bus-ride.

The Sunshine Village slopes are set on the Continental Divide, and as a result get a lot of snow. Most of the slopes above the village are above the tree line – in bad weather you’re better off at Lake Louise. The main slopes of Sunshine Village are not visible form the base station, but there is lots of variety up the mountain. The resort claims ‘100 per cent natural snow’ and ‘three times the snow’, a neat reversal of the usual snowmaking hype. In a poor snow season, some black runs can remain rocky, but the blues are usually fine. Half the visitors to Banff come for the day from cities such as Calgary – so the slopes are fairly quiet during the week. But Sunshine can get busy at weekends and public holidays, when we’re told the trick is to arrive at the gondola by 9am.

The mountain restaurants are quite good. The resort boasts over 100 restaurants, from McDonald’s to fine dining in the Banff Springs hotel. The après-ski livens up later on, but tea time is limited because the town is a drive from the slopes. Banff still consists basically of a long main street, lined with clothing and souvenir shops (aimed mainly at summer visitors) and a few ski shops.