Banff in last 2 weeks of November | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Banff in last 2 weeks of November

Sam L

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
The hostel is good if you can get a reservation. I would definitely start now. When we stayed there, we shared a 6-bed room with four people we didn't know. We grabbed the loft, which was the only semi-private part of the room. I believe they do have some smaller rooms, but they get snapped up. It is in the village, so it's a short drive or long hike to the actual lake. There are only a few places to stay in Lake Louise (trivago lists 7, but two of them are more than 10 km down the highway) very much unlike Banff.

Just booked. Thanks for your help. It's a good price and I'm happy with the location even though it's a bit of a hike to the lake itself it should be fine. I'm going to have 2 full days there. I'm probably going to be just spending time on the lake.

Any suggestions in Banff?
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
Just booked. Thanks for your help. It's a good price and I'm happy with the location even though it's a bit of a hike to the lake itself it should be fine. I'm going to have 2 full days there. I'm probably going to be just spending time on the lake.

Any suggestions in Banff?

No accommodation suggestions. A lot of things in Banff are along a 3 or 4 block strip of Banff Avenue. There's a Sri Lankan fast-food place in the food court in the Cascade Mall that we really like, if it's still there. McDonalds (other end and side of Banff Ave) is always popular for its free wi-fi. And I would also recommend the Whyte museum. It's Bear Street, which runs parallel to Banff Ave, one block from it. The museum is across from Nestor's market and the parkade.

The hike up Tunnel Mountain is really good, but I don't know if it's do-able in the winter. It may be, as you can do it right from downtown or from the Banff Center or a parking lot near the Banff Center.

There's a park info place on Banff Ave (where else) where you can ask about what's open and current conditions. There's also a visitor/info center in Lake Louise village.
 

Sam L

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
No accommodation suggestions. A lot of things in Banff are along a 3 or 4 block strip of Banff Avenue. There's a Sri Lankan fast-food place in the food court in the Cascade Mall that we really like, if it's still there. McDonalds (other end and side of Banff Ave) is always popular for its free wi-fi. And I would also recommend the Whyte museum. It's Bear Street, which runs parallel to Banff Ave, one block from it. The museum is across from Nestor's market and the parkade.

The hike up Tunnel Mountain is really good, but I don't know if it's do-able in the winter. It may be, as you can do it right from downtown or from the Banff Center or a parking lot near the Banff Center.

There's a park info place on Banff Ave (where else) where you can ask about what's open and current conditions. There's also a visitor/info center in Lake Louise village.

I ended up booking at Blue Mountain lodge which looks great.

I have 2 full days in Banff. I can do Whyte museum. I want to do the wolf sanctuary. Hike up tunnel mountain - is that part of Banff Gondola?

Lake Louise is pretty much skating. I wish I could do other lakes but I just won't have time.
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
I ended up booking at Blue Mountain lodge which looks great.

I have 2 full days in Banff. I can do Whyte museum. I want to do the wolf sanctuary. Hike up tunnel mountain - is that part of Banff Gondola?

Lake Louise is pretty much skating. I wish I could do other lakes but I just won't have time.

The gondola is on Sulphur Mountain; Tunnel Mountain is smaller and closer to town. The gondola is good, as is the hot springs/pool that is at the other end of the gondola base parking lot.

I hadn't heard of the wolf sanctuary, perhaps because it's closer to Calgary than to Banff, and partly because it's fairly new.
 

Sam L

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Banff Lake Louise Ice Skating

Hi, I don't know if anyone remembers but I had a thread about going on holidays to Banff in the last year, I can't find that thread anymore and initially I was asking for suggestions on what time to go and my initial plan was to go in November. Guess what, they had a flash freeze a few days ago and this is what I could've had: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczjKDPRU5U

Amazing! I ended booking for February. At least I'll be guaranteed 100% I can skate but I won't have ice that looks like that. If only I stuck with my gut instinct from before but I wouldn't have been able to do these dates anyway due to current commitments at home.
 

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
I have brought the post out of the archives for you and merged here. Posts that are not active after 90 days get archived :)
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
Amazing is definitely the right word.

When they showed the shots with only 3 people on the ice, I thought "I've never seen Lake Louise with so few people around". In the summer, often both parking lots are full or near-full. You'll see how big they are, when you go in ... February.

Sorry we steered you wrong, but you do have to go with the averages.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
On a parallel topic, what do you world travelers do for travel medical insurance? As a US citizen, my insurance is worthless in Mexico, Canada, Japan, Belize, etc.
Even if you have good travel medical insurance, you still pay up front with hopefully a high limit credit card...
Any recommendations on insurance carriers for trips?
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
On a parallel topic, what do you world travelers do for travel medical insurance? As a US citizen, my insurance is worthless in Mexico, Canada, Japan, Belize, etc.
Even if you have good travel medical insurance, you still pay up front with hopefully a high limit credit card...
Any recommendations on insurance carriers for trips?

This is a very hot topic among Canadians, most of whom are TERRIFIED at the idea of needing medical care while visiting the US. We have a whole "travel medical insurance" industry that is devoted to selling and administering travel insurance, which is good for emergencies only. These companies have 1-800 number that work worldwide, and they work with the out-of-country medical providers (and pay them directly, for the most part). Their primary goal is to get patients stabilized and transported back to their home province, so they can wash their hands of them and quit paying for their care. In extreme cases, they will even send a medical professional back with the patient or charter a medical transport plane.

There are three primary ways of getting out-of-province (or out-of-country) emergency medical coverage. The best is if it is provided by an employer or former employer (for retirees). Another way of obtaining it is through a "premium" credit card. The last way is to buy it directly, either by the year or by the trip.

The problem with the buy-direct is that in many cases, the insurance company refuses to pay because of undisclosed "pre-existing conditions" (even if the conditions are unrelated to the medical emergency) or because you didn't buy the insurance before you left your home province (there was a recent BC story about that) or any other danged reason they can think up. Also, the premiums increase exponentially with the age of the insured and are even higher if you have any pre-existing conditions that you want covered (or even don't want covered, but they exist).

The problem with the credit card insurance can be that it only covers very short trips, or doesn't cover you at all if you are "too old" (like over 65). But at least they don't ask questions about your medical history or change the rules in the middle of the game. It's pretty easy to determine in advance if you will be covered.

Insurance through your employer or former employer is definitely the best, though often you have to pay for it, whether you want it/use it or not.

I think basically as a US resident (it's residence rather than citizenship that determines this) you have to buy your insurance in the US, though you will be using it in other places. A good place to start would be to determine if you have any emergency medical coverage through your existing insurance. In Canada you can buy travel insurance through BCAA, through travel agents, and through the banks and credit card companies. If you buy through some of these, they are not actually providing the insurance, but are selling you a policy with a company that is in the travel insurance business. But they have some stake in making sure you are not totally at the mercy of the insurance company, since their reputation can be hurt if you bought the insurance through them.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
This is a very hot topic among Canadians, most of whom are TERRIFIED at the idea of needing medical care while visiting the US. We have a whole "travel medical insurance" industry that is devoted to selling and administering travel insurance, which is good for emergencies only. These companies have 1-800 number that work worldwide, and they work with the out-of-country medical providers (and pay them directly, for the most part). Their primary goal is to get patients stabilized and transported back to their home province, so they can wash their hands of them and quit paying for their care. In extreme cases, they will even send a medical professional back with the patient or charter a medical transport plane.

There are three primary ways of getting out-of-province (or out-of-country) emergency medical coverage. The best is if it is provided by an employer or former employer (for retirees). Another way of obtaining it is through a "premium" credit card. The last way is to buy it directly, either by the year or by the trip.

The problem with the buy-direct is that in many cases, the insurance company refuses to pay because of undisclosed "pre-existing conditions" (even if the conditions are unrelated to the medical emergency) or because you didn't buy the insurance before you left your home province (there was a recent BC story about that) or any other danged reason they can think up. Also, the premiums increase exponentially with the age of the insured and are even higher if you have any pre-existing conditions that you want covered (or even don't want covered, but they exist).

The problem with the credit card insurance can be that it only covers very short trips, or doesn't cover you at all if you are "too old" (like over 65). But at least they don't ask questions about your medical history or change the rules in the middle of the game. It's pretty easy to determine in advance if you will be covered.

Insurance through your employer or former employer is definitely the best, though often you have to pay for it, whether you want it/use it or not.

I think basically as a US resident (it's residence rather than citizenship that determines this) you have to buy your insurance in the US, though you will be using it in other places. A good place to start would be to determine if you have any emergency medical coverage through your existing insurance. In Canada you can buy travel insurance through BCAA, through travel agents, and through the banks and credit card companies. If you buy through some of these, they are not actually providing the insurance, but are selling you a policy with a company that is in the travel insurance business. But they have some stake in making sure you are not totally at the mercy of the insurance company, since their reputation can be hurt if you bought the insurance through them.

Thanks for your input! I got on a website called "Cruise Critic" that has a whole forum about this with some links to reputable insurance exchanges and I will call them Monday. Reading the US embassy/Councilet warnings about medical systems in other countries has put the fear into me....what I have learned so far is...dont be like the US Couple who was held hostage in a Mexican hospital after having to leave their cruise ship for an emergency treatment.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...mexico-16k-hospital-bill-tyler-perry-n1090161
1. Have a credit card with a high limit.
2. Have trip medical insurance and life flight repatriation. The Mexicans wont accept the insurance but the insurance will pay after the fact. In Japan, they will accept iron clad proof that you will be able to pay so its still good to have . Quality care with English translaters in Japan will be hard to find and expensive but its there. Its always best to read what is on the particular embassy websites.
https://jp.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/doctors/

https://tripinsurancestore.com/
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
The AARP also has information on medical insurance. They recommend a minimum of $100,000 coverage. I would go higher, much higher (like $500,000). The $15,000 bill in the article you cited would probably have been $200,000 or more if it had been in a different country (like say, for a Canadian being treated in the US).

I don't know what they mean by "a high limit" on your credit card. If you really have to pay up front, in the worst case you'd need a limit of something like $200,000, and I would not feel comfortable walking around (let alone traveling) with a credit card with a $200,000 limit. What you need is an insurance policy from a company that is in the travel insurance business, that has a worldwide toll-free number, and that will arrange (as well as pay for!) for your care and return home.

You want something like the insurance company in this article:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-...nsurance-sandra-white-medical-bills-1.5292126
Unfortunately, in this case the insurance company refused to pay because they hadn't bought the insurance before the person left their province of residence.
 

Arriba627

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION šŸ”„
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 2, 2014
Country
United-States
I have used Travel Guard Travel Insurance and Allianz Travel Insurance. I can't remember all the ins and outs of the coverage. The only time I ever filed a claim was when I went out of the country and didn't receive my luggage until 6 days later.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
I have used Travel Guard Travel Insurance and Allianz Travel Insurance. I can't remember all the ins and outs of the coverage. The only time I ever filed a claim was when I went out of the country and didn't receive my luggage until 6 days later.

I am in like Flint. This is what I posted on CruiseCritic today.

"OK! I Called Steve up at tripinsurancestore.com . He is definately worth talking with first for any newbie. There are so many different situations we travelers are in that he can direct a person to exact plan they need for little cost.

In my case, I am sailing with Holland America Line (HAL) in January. Alone. I have HAL platinum trip insurance with $10,000 medical and repatriation. I am an active 70 year old with only minor pre-existing conditions. He is sending me via email a plan whose major benefits for me are $100,000 medical and life flight. $54. For a month. I think this is very fair and Steve says TravelSafe is a good company. I am awaiting his email with the particulars.

It is still important to have a high credit card limit as health care in many countries like Mexico and Japan, for non-residenants, is reguarded as a business, not a need. I am sure travel Guard is good also.
 

Sam L

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
I've returned from my trip. I skated on Lake Louise and Lake Minnewanka (real wild ice), it was amazing! The ice was bumpy but it was amazing to be out there. I could do jumps and spins and spirals and all my stuff on Lake Louise, not so much on Minnewanka which also had snowy patches. I also skated at the outdoor ice rink next to the Banff high school which was an experience in itself with all the hockey boys hitting their pucks close by, I had to jump over a puck once and I was the only figure skater there.

I absolutely LOVE Canada, can I move there? :laugh:
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
I've returned from my trip. I skated on Lake Louise and Lake Minnewanka (real wild ice), it was amazing! The ice was bumpy but it was amazing to be out there. I could do jumps and spins and spirals and all my stuff on Lake Louise, not so much on Minnewanka which also had snowy patches. I also skated at the outdoor ice rink next to the Banff high school which was an experience in itself with all the hockey boys hitting their pucks close by, I had to jump over a puck once and I was the only figure skater there.

I absolutely LOVE Canada, can I move there? :laugh:

We want a picture!
 
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