Canadian Rockies Blog

Rocky Mountain Holidays™ have just announced their latest deal offerings on Rocky Mountaineer Train® packages; applicable on select 3 night packages on select travel dates in April 2012 and May 2012. These savings amount to almost  the equivalent of 20% and are subject to availability. These are exclusive Rocky Mountaineer deals.

In addition to these deals, which were just announced a few hours ago, they will also continue to offer the Rocky Mountaineer ® Stay and Play promotion through March and April 2012 which includes a FREE night in Vancouver as well as a FREE dinner in the Canadian Rockies or a Vancouver sightseeing tour. I have also listed more information below:

2012 Deals on 6+ night 2012 packages*
Book any qualifying six (6) or more night 2012 Rocky Mountaineer holiday through us and receive a FREE additional night in Vancouver, a FREE Vancouver sightseeing tour OR a dinner in the Canadian Rockies at your Banff, Jasper or Lake Louise hotel.

2012 Deal – FREE night in Vancouver*
Book any six (6) or more night 2012 Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf, SilverLeaf or RedLeaf package and receive a FREE additional night in Vancouver. Must be taken at the start or end of the package. Accommodation matches the accommodation grade of the package.

2012 Deal – FREE dinner or sightseeing tour* 
Book any six (6) or more night 2012 Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf, SilverLeaf or RedLeaf package and receive a FREE dinner in the Canadian Rockies at your Banff, Jasper or Lake Louise hotel OR a Vancouver sightseeing city tour. Guests travelling in GoldLeaf service will have additional tour options. The dinner or sightseeing tour must be taken at the start, the end or during your package.

FREE Rail and Cruise Fuel Surcharge Protection*
This early-bird promotion offers peace of mind. Your holiday price will not increase after you book even if oil prices do. Any rail and cruise surcharges imposed between now and packages booked up to October 2013 will be absorbed by us.

FREE Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary Hotel Transfer*
Get off to the right start when you arrive at Calgary Airport YYC. You will be met by a representative and transported to your Calgary hotel.

* Visit Rocky Mountain Holidays for details of these offers.

Tags: alaska cruise, april 2012, exclusive, may 2012, promotion, savings, stay and play
Posted in 2012, alberta, April, banff, banff national park, british columbia, brochure downloads, Canada, canadian rockies, deal, discount, discount code, discounted-package, download-brochure, early-bird-discount, early-booking, free, free-vancouver-tour, holiday, holiday-package, holidays, information, jasper, jasper national park, last minute, links, luxury, may, notification, official, package, packages, prices, promotion, rates, reference, resource, rocky-mountain-holidays, rocky-mountaineer, rocky-mountaineer-holiday, Sale, seattle, special, spring, summer, summer vacations, summer-holiday, tips, tourism, tours, train, travel, update, vacation, vancouver, western-canada | No Comments »

I can’t tell you how many calls and emails we have received over the past few weeks from return and new guests regarding the Kicking Horse Powder Express. There seems to be a lot of confusion over what the Kicking Horse Powder Express is this season. Where has it gone? What has replaced it? How much does it cost? We have already spent a lot of time answering these questions and to make it easier and to save us some time answering individual calls and emails regarding this topic, here are some questions and answers below.

All of our guests seem disappointed and frustrated about these changes. Feel free to comment on this post as we would like to hear your thoughts.

Okay, let’s start with the questions and answers below:

1) Is the Kicking Horse Powder Express operating this season?

The Kicking Horse Powder Express with the dedicated return transportation and lift pass included at a rate of about $100 including all tax is no more.

2) Is there a replacement to this service?

Yes. There is a scheduled service which is about $100 plus tax return for just the transportation and in addition to this, you must purchase the lift pass. There is no discount on the lift pass – you must pay full price making this ski-away day quite pricey compared to the old service.

3) How is this service different?

This service is not a dedicated Powder Express ski shuttle as in previous seasons. It is a scheduled service connecting Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Golden and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. The advantage of the scheduled service means that minimum numbers are not required.

The return time of 3:30pm means that you do not get to enjoy a full ski day on the mountain but you do have the convenience of catching a one way shuttle for a reasonable price.

4) What is the schedule for this new service?

This is the new schedule correct as of today:

FROM CANMORE / BANFF / LAKE LOUISE / GOLDEN TO  KICKING HORSE

Depart Canmore 5:30
Arrive in Banff 6:00

Depart Banff 6:15
Arrive in Lake Louise 7:15

Depart Lake Louise 7:30
Arrive Golden (Prestige Inn) 8:50

Depart Golden 9:00
Arrive Kicking Horse (Glacier Mountain Lodge) 9:30

FROM KICKING HORSE TO GOLDEN TO LAKE LOUISE / BANFF / CANMORE

Depart Kicking Horse (Glacier Mountain Lodge) 15:30
Arrive Golden (Prestige Inn) 16:10

Depart Golden 16:10
Arrive Lake Luoise 17:40

Depart Lake Louise 18:00
Arrive Banff 19:15

Depart Banff 19:45
Arrive Canmore 20:00

5) When does the above new service operate?

Daily: December 20th, 2011 through March 31st, 2012.

6) Are there other ski-away options out of Banff?

Yes, the Panorama ski bus is operating again this season with a minimum of 4 required to guarantee a departure. We are finding most guests are booking this ski-away day instead this season to experience another ski resort in the Canadian Rockies at a fraction of the cost.

7) Will the original Kicking Horse Powder Express be offered for the 2012-2013 season?

We have no idea but hope so! If it does, we will be sure to get the word out!

 How do I book this new service?

Contact Ski Holidays Canada.

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Happy Holidays to you all and thanks for reading. We hope that we have answered your questions okay? Remember to visit www.SkiHolidaysCanada.co.uk for ski package deals and specials.

Looking forward to your comments!

Posted in 2011, 2012, advice, airport-transfer, alberta, availability, available, banff, banff national park, british columbia, bus, Canada, canadian rockies, canmore, change, christmas in the rockies, comments, fate, holiday, holiday-package, holidays, information, itinerary, kicking horse, kicking horse mountain resort, kicking_horse, lake louise, lift pass, links, may, new year, north america, notification, open, panorama, panorama-mountain-village, powder, powder express, preparation, prices, rates, reference, resorts of the canadian rockies, resource, reviews, round-trip, schedule, shuttle, ski, ski holidays, ski holidays canada, ski resort, ski shuttle, ski-holiday, snow, snow-coach, spring, things-to-do, tickets, tips, tourism, travel, update, vacation, winter, YYC | 1 Comment »

With more and more bear sightings coming in, it’s hard to think about skiing and snowboarding….but you must!!! 2011 has so far been a record breaking year for snowfall and with the lower temperatures, the powder conditions are that of mid-winter.  Environment Canada predicted a later spring which has so far proven to be true.

Where to head? Sunshine Village in Banff National Park is still rocking with incredible snow conditions and no crowds. Even Easter was quiet this year due to it being a little later in the year than usual. Sunshine Village will wrap things up for the season on May 23 2011 with the 83rd annual Slush Cup. There is lots more going on including the Sunshine Village 3rd annual Bikinis for Breast Cancer fundraiser.

The video footage below was taken in March and April this year in Sunshine Village’s backcountry. These skiers are experienced expert locals and have all the right backcountry gear so please do not imitate!

Enjoy these excellent extended ski conditions and be sure to look out for bears, wolves, deer, elk and big horn sheep (to name a few) on the spring ski bus to Sunshine Village from Banff!

Thanks for reading and feel free to share your spring skiing and boarding experiences with everyone below!

Tags: Bikinis for Breast Cancer
Posted in 2011, advice, alberta, animal, April, awake, backcountry, banff, banff national park, bear, black bear, bus, Canada, canadian rockies, conditions, elk, extreme snowfall, gizzly-bear, goat's eye, grizzly_bear, heavy snowfall, information, moose, north america, open, resource, ski, ski banff, ski lifts, ski resort, ski shuttle, ski sunshine village, snow, snowboard, snowfall, spring, spring skiing, things-to-do, tips, top ski getaway, tourism, update, video, western-canada, whats-open, wildlife, winter | No Comments »

What a great start we have had to 2011 with about a metre of snow received by the ski resorts across Western Canada over the past week! Now that we are into 2011, the busy summer season does not seem so far away. With the early-bird deals starting to “fizzle” out or become less attractive for the summer, especially with the Rocky Mountaineer train packages, now is a good time to get a good deal on a 2011 spring, summer or autumn/fall package. Rocky Mountain Holidays have brochure downloads in PDF (Portable Document Format) and as always, we have provided the links below for easy reference. These packages can be easily customised based on your preferences (as long as the changes fit in with the rail or cruise schedule). Be sure to take advantage of specials such as free nights and activities in Vancouver – value added rather than discounts are the way to go.

Self-drive holidays are becoming increasingly popular in the Canadian Rockies as it gives you the independence but you also have full support when you are out here and the peace of mind that you won’t struggle to find accommodation during the peak season months in the Canadian Rockies. When booking a self-drive package, check to see if you have Loss Damage Waiver insurance coverage with your credit card provider as this can save you about $30 per day. Also, check out what the one way drop-off fees are from Vancouver to Calgary for example. When you book independently they can be as much as several hundred dollars whereas through a tour operator, typically the rates are about $75-$100.

Other things to look out for if you are shopping around are hidden fees such as “credit card surcharges”. This is a common technique used by some companies to squeeze some extra cash out of you after you have already agreed to the booking. It is also good to ask the straight question – “what extra costs will I have to pay in additional to the package price?”. Any good tour operator will be able to list these for you immediately so you know where you stand with the total of your holiday cost.

Here are the holiday brochures for 2011 – available for download through RockyMountainHolidays.com.

• Rocky Mountaineer Train Holidays 2011
• Alberta Holidays (5 pages) 2011
• British Columbia Holidays (3 pages) 2011
• Coach Holidays in Canada (4 pages) 2011
• Train Holidays in Canada (7 pages) 2011
• Holidays in Eastern Canada (3 pages) 2011
• Holidays in Canada (23 pages) 2011

Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2011.

Posted in 2011, accommodation, advice, alberta, august, autumn, banff, banff national park, blackcomb, british columbia, brochure downloads, calgary, Canada, canadian rockies, canmore, coach holidays, deal, discount, discounted-package, download-brochure, early-bird-discount, early-booking, eastern canada, fairmont-package, fall, Fernie, free-vancouver-tour, heavy snowfall, holiday, holiday-package, holidays, hotel, information, itinerary, jasper, July, kicking horse, kicking_horse, kimberley, lake louise, links, may, new year, north america, october, package, packages, panorama, powder, preparation, prices, rail, rates, reference, resorts of the canadian rockies, resource, rocky-mountain, rocky-mountain-holidays, rocky-mountaineer, rocky-mountaineer-holiday, round-trip, Sale, self-drive, snow, snowfall, special, spring, storm, summer, summer vacations, summer-holiday, things-to-do, things-to-remember, tips, tourism, tours, train, travel, update, vacation, vancouver, vancouver-whistler-train, victoria, western-canada, whistler, whistler blackcomb, whistler-mountaineer | No Comments »

Posted in 2010, accommodation, advice, alberta, banff, banff national park, calgary, Canada, canadian rockies, holiday, holiday-package, holidays, hotel, information, jasper, lake louise, package, packages, preparation, rail, resource, rocky-mountain-holidays, rocky-mountaineer, rocky-mountaineer-holiday, schedule, self-drive, summer, summer vacations, summer-2010, summer-holiday, things-to-do, tips, tourism, tours, train, travel, vacation, vancouver, vancouver-whistler-train, victoria, western-canada, whistler | No Comments »

With the introduction of the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in British Columbia, Rocky Mountaineer Holiday packages will increase by up to 7%.

For those of you who are planning to book your holiday in Canada, or are about to book your holiday, be sure to read the following as you could save up to 7%. If you book and pay in full by the end of this month (April 2010), then you will only have to pay the standard Federal goods and services tax (GST) of 5%.

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IMPORTANT ADVISORY – CHANGE IN CANADIAN SALES TAXES

The Province of British Columbia, Canada, has tabled legislation to introduce a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on goods and services, effective July 1, 2010. This tax will merge federal (GST) and provincial taxes (PST) into one single amount, the HST and will, unfortunately, increase the cost of your Rocky Mountaineer® Holiday by up to 7%.

The HST applies to all Rocky Mountaineer bookings with travel dates beginning in Canada after July 1, 2010.

Below summarises three options for consideration in the implementation of HST:

1. Bookings received prior to May 1, 2010 with a payment due date by April 30, 2010

Transitional rules allow bookings made prior to May 1, 2010 to be taxed under the old GST rules if the payment is due and paid for by April 30, 2010.

2. Bookings made after April 30th, for travel before July 1, 2010

Transitional rules allow bookings made prior as of May 1, 2010, for travel before July 1, 2010 to be taxed under the old GST rules.

3. Tax rate increases for bookings made after April 30th, for travel after July 1, 2010

The changes required to comply with the new HST will result in tax increases to an effective rate of 8% – 11% for Rocky Mountaineer bookings. Please note the following exceptions: Whistler Sea to Sky bookings all have a 12% tax rate, bookings with a cruise or VIA Rail component will have a tax rate determined by the originating province of the trip.

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Please visit RockyMountainHolidays.com for more Rocky Mountaineer Tax Information.

Posted in 2010, accommodation, adjustment, advice, April, Canada, canadian rockies, change, early-bird-discount, early-booking, holiday, holiday-package, holidays, hotel, information, package, packages, prevention, rocky-mountain, rocky-mountain-holidays, rocky-mountaineer, rocky-mountaineer-holiday, sea to sky, summer-2010, tips, train, update, vacation, vancouver, vancouver-whistler-train, victoria, warning, western-canada, whistler, whistler-mountaineer | No Comments »

Things to remember for a Rocky Mountain Summer Holiday in Canada:

1) Passport: If you are travelling from outside of Canada, even from the U.S., you now require a passport to enter Canada. You don’t need to pre-arrange your visitor visa from some countries. For more information on which countries require you to have a visa, visit Canada Immigration and Citizenship

2) Airport hand luggage: Make sure you don’t pack any sharp objects in your hand luggage if you are travelling to Canada by air. Most airport websites have information on what you should pack. London Heathrow Airport Security Information provides useful details.

3) Sunscreen: You will be at higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains which means you will be closer to the sun and it’s harmful rays. Lake Louise is at 1,536 m (5,039 feet); it is the highest permanent settlement in Canada (Banff is the highest town) so make sure you slip, slop, slap! (Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat!). Areas like the tops of your ears and the underside of you chin and nose if you plan to go onto Athabasca glacier as the sun’s rays are reflected off the ice.

4) Moisturiser: The air in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is very dry and you will notice this straight away. Avoid dry ski irritations by using moisturiser in the mornings and evenings. There is now a range of moisturisers such as product lines just for men. Don’t pack these in your carry on luggage as they may be taken of you (see point 2)

5) Clothing: Make sure you bring out a good breathable waterproof just in case. Alberta is the sunniest province in Canada, but west coast locations such as Vancouver are much wetter.
Bring out a breathable fleece too – we have been known to have sleet and snow in the mountains in August. This is rare but does happen. Mountain weather can change suddenly so be prepared. The weather is cooler on the mountain tops.

Swim gear is recommended too as some hotels have pools and there are hot springs to soak in!

6) Water: A light weight water bottle is a must as you need to get in the habit of continually sipping from a water bottle. The higher altitude means you will become dehydrated sooner and if you don’t drink plenty of water, you may find you develop signs of dehydration such as a head ache.

Avoid excessive alcohol and products with caffeine in them as these can cause a ‘diuretic’ (water loss) effect speeding up dehydration. Bringing out a bottle and refilling it each time is a much more friendly to the environment than purchasing plactic bottles as these inevitable end up in landfills. You can drink the tap water here and most water sources come from glaciers so it tastes great too.

7) Footwear: If you intend to hike, make sure you have some sturdy waterproof boots as the trails can be very rocky. If you don’t intend to hike, there are plenty of walking trails which don’t require boots and suitable footwear such as trainers would suffice. High heels are only suitable in the cities so leave those at home!

Backpack: Bring out a backpack with a breathable mesh as it is more comfortable in warmer temperatures when hiking.

9) Knowledge: One of the main attractions in the Canadian Rockies is the wildlife. As the name indicates, these animals are “wild” so give them plenty of room. An animal as small as an innocent ground squirrel can give you a nasty bite. In the National and Provincial parks there are large fines if you feed the wildlife as you can do the animal more harm than good.

Know what to do if you have a bear encounter and be prepared for a much rarer cougar (or mountain lion) encounter. These can happen quite close to most Rocky Mountain townsites. Visit the Parks Canada guide to safety and conservation and contact the local information office before you head out into the local area or back country for bear sightings. If there is a bear in an area, avoid that area.

During the summer months in the Canadian Rockies, the bears love to feast on the buffalo berry bush. The berries are bright red (but can also be bright orange). Know what these plants look like and if you are in an area with a lot of these bushes, make plenty of noise or turn around and leave the area altogether.

10) Preparation: Be prepared for everything. Health care is expensive here if you don’t have travel insurance with medical coverage. If you injury yourself in the back country, you may need to helicopter to fly out so insurance a must.

11) Camera: Have plenty of memory if you bring out your digital camera and remember your charger!

12) Phone: If you are bringing your mobile phone from outside of Canada, be sure to contact your telecommunications provider and ask to have the “international roaming” function turned on. Check the rates before your leave as using your phone in Canada can be costly.

13) Travel adapter: If you intend to bring out any electronic equipment remember to bring out a travel adapter. Purchase this in your country of origin as buying one in Canada may be hard to find to fit your plug.

14) Credit card: Credit cards are accepted everywhere and usually there are no minimums. Make sure you contact your credit card provider before you leave so they don’t treat Canadian transactions as suspicious and block your card.

Remember your pin to your credit card so you can withdrawl money although you will be charged for a cash advance by your credit card provider and for a foreign withdrawl. Ask your bank if you can use your card to withdrawl money overseas – this is usually the most economical way to pull out Canadian funds. Travellers cheques are not so common here – cash is king!

15) Itinerary: If you have had your holiday put together by a Rocky Mountain tour operator, keep your itinerary in your carry-on luggage and keep the company’s toll-free or freephone number in your wallet in case you need to call. This also provides peace of mind and support if you need it.

Hopefully these steps should help you plan your Rocky Mountain Summer Holiday.

Safe travels!

Posted in advice, holiday, mountain, packing, preparation, rocky-mountain, summer-holiday, things-to-remember, tips | 1 Comment »

Please leave any comments you have about your experiences in Canada including any tips you might have!

Posted in Canada, comments, tips | No Comments »