Category Archives: information

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Rocky Mountaineer Vacations 2013

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Rocky Mountaineer 2013 packages are now available to book with Rocky Mountain Holidays.

For 2013, there are less vacation package options due to the fact that a lot of packages can easily be customised making some of the current 2012 packages redundant.

The new Rocky Mountaineer Coastal Passage Route – 2013:

Rocky Mountaineer Coastal Passage Route - 2013

The most exciting addition is the new Coastal Passage Route from Seattle which connects to Vancouver then onto Banff or Jasper in the Canadian Rockies. There is currently only one departure date set in August 2013 which means that this debut route will likely book up quite early.

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Another addition for 2013 is the option to board and disembark the Rocky Mountaineer train in Lake Louise (as well as Banff as before) in Banff National Park. This provides us with more customisation options based on guest preferences.  The station is located just southwest of the Lake Louise Village, and less than 5 km northeast of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The address is: 200 Sentinel Road Lake Louise, Alberta T0L 1E0. View Map

Motorcoach transfers will be available to and from the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and are included on all packages except 2 day rail-only. For guests departing from Lake Louise, please note that all check-ins will be at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and NOT on the station platform or at the station itself.

Rocky Mountaineer SilverLeaf Service - 2013

After the successful introduction of the onboard SilverLeaf service in 2012, the Rocky Mountaineer will also be offering this service on the Vancouver to Jasper two (2) day “Journey through the Clouds” route. SilverLeaf service will not be available onboard the Rocky Mountaineer route between Whistler and Jasper in 2013 and could potentially be introduced in 2014.

Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Deluxe Service - 2013

For the most luxurious accommodation option, this has been rebranded as “GoldLeaf Deluxe Service”. This allows us to book more than just Fairmont properties, such as the Four Seasons brand in this deluxe accommodation category, without conflicting with the Fairmont branding.

Cruise terminal transfers will be included with all Rocky Mountaineer rail and cruise packages in 2013.

Other than on packages connecting to Coastal Passage route, Holland America’s Oosterdam cruise from Seattle up to Alaska has been removed in 2013.

The Rocky Mountaineer city stops will not be available in 2013.

Rocky Mountain Holidays now have all of the 2013 Canada rail vacation packages for download along with early-bird pricing and promotions.

Thanks for reading and don’t hesitate to message us direct with any questions you may have. For reservations, we recommend you book direct with Rocky Mountain Holidays, an A+ rated business with the Better Business Bureau (their highest rating) and licensed with Consumer Protection BC for financial protection.

Safe travels 🙂

 

 

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Travel Disruption Advisory – June 07 2012

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A mudslide 60km west of Golden, British Columbia in Glacier National Park has caused a full closure of of the TransCanada Highway #1 in both directions between Revelstoke and Golden. Road crews are currently working to clean the highway and confirm it is safe for travel.

Additionally, heavy rains have resulted in weakened rail tracks resulting in the cancellation of Rocky Mountaineer rail service between Banff and Kamloops and have been replaced by coach transfers. Meals are being provided by a lunch stop at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and at several rest stops along the route to Kamloops or Banff. Coaches are arriving in Kamloops and Banff at approximately the same time as the scheduled train service normally does. Rocky Mountaineer will advise us when they expect the rail service will resume after inspection of the tracks.

*** UPDATE – 13:55 Pacific Standard Time ***

The tracks between Banff and Kamloops that had been blocked due to heavy rains in the area have now been cleared and Rocky Mountaineer’s full rail service has been restored in both directions.

TransCanada Highway #1 has also been cleared of debris and has been reopened for travel in both directions between Revelstoke and Golden, British Columbia.

The footage below of the Bow Falls in Banff was taken yesterday (June 06 2012)

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Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Deals – April / May 2012

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The award winning Rocky Mountaineer train tour across the Canadian Rockies is on most of your bucket lists. If you are flexible on dates and are able to travel later this month or in May 2012, you must check out the following exclusive GoldLeaf offers on select dates from Rocky Mountain Holidays. The savings are significant.

Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Deal

For your convenience, I have posted the eligible dates below. These offers are strictly capacity controlled and so will not be around for long.

Eastbound Departures (3 night packages)

  • Vancouver to Banff: May 21, 28
  • Vancouver to Banff/Calgary: May 3
  • Vancouver to Jasper: May 7, 10, 14, 17, 28

Westbound Departures (3 night packages)

  • Banff to Vancouver: Apr 25; May 2, 8, 22
  • Calgary/Banff to Vancouver: May 12, 19
  • Jasper to Vancouver: Apr 25; May 2, 5, 26

For more information call freephone North America on 1-888-PH-ROCKY (74-76259) and press option 1. Outside of North America you can call freephone from the U.K. on 0800-567-7542 or long distance from all other countries +1 403-609-0286 and press option 1.

Alternatively, click on this link: http://rockymountainholidays.com/rocky-mountaineer-deals.html

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Rocky Mountaineer Train Discounts and Deals 2012

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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:
Rocky Mountaineer Stay and Play Promotion with Rocky Mountain Holidays
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.

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What’s happened to the Kicking Horse Powder Express?

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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.

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!

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Rocky Mountaineer Train Packages 2012

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Rocky Mountain Holidays now have all 2012 Rocky Mountaineer packages available for download. We are glad to see they have kept most of the packages the same with some of the popular packages having additional cruise ship departures added. One new route we are excited about is the “Coastal Passage” route which connects Seattle and Vancouver with the Rocky Mountaineer Train. The Whistler Mountaineer will no longer have dome service available for 2012. The dome trains used on the Vancouver to Whistler route will now be used for the new SilverLeaf service in 2012 which was introduced this year. For your convenience, we have provided links to all of the packages below. Alternatively, you can visit Rocky Mountain Holidays direct for their Rocky Mountaineer package download page.

2012 Rocky Mountaineer Circle Packages Start End Duration
Classic Rail Circle Vancouver Vancouver 8 nights
Classic Rail Circle with Pre Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 14 nights
Classic Rail Circle with Post Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 14 nights
Classic Rail Circle with Post Cruise Vancouver Seattle 16 nights
Canadian Rockies Getaway Vancouver Vancouver 8 nights
Canadian Rockies Getaway with Pre Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 17 nights
Canadian Rockies Getaway with Post Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 16 nights
Canadian Rockies Getaway with Pre Cruise Seattle Vancouver 16 nights
Canadian Rockies Circle Vancouver Vancouver 9 nights
Canadian Rockies Circle with Pre Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 17 nights
Canadian Rockies Circle with Post Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 16 nights
Canadian Rockies Circle with Post Cruise Vancouver Seattle 17 nights
Grand Rail Circle Vancouver Vancouver 11 nights
Grand Rail Circle with Post Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 16 nights
Golden Circle via Whistler Vancouver Vancouver 10 nights
Golden Circle via Whistler with Pre Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 17 nights
Sea to Summit Glacier Circle with Post Cruise Vancouver Vancouver 18 nights


2012 Rocky Mountaineer One-Way Packages Start End Duration
Classic First Passage to the West Vancouver Banff 3 nights
Classic First Passage to the West Banff Vancouver 3 nights
Classic First Passage to West with Pre Cruise Vancouver Banff 11 nights
Classic First Passage to West with Post Cruise Banff Vancouver 11 nights
Classic First Passage to the West Vancouver Calgary 3 nights
Classic First Passage to the West Calgary Vancouver 3 nights
Classic Journey through the Clouds Vancouver Jasper 3 nights
Classic Journey through the Clouds Jasper Vancouver 3 nights
Classic Journey with Pre Cruise Vancouver Jasper 12 nights
Classic Journey with Post Cruise Jasper Vancouver 10 nights
Classic Journey with Pre Cruise Seattle Jasper 11 nights
Classic Journey with Post Cruise Jasper Seattle 11 nights
Canadian Rockies Excursion (Eastbound) Vancouver Calgary 4 nights
Canadian Rockies Excursion (Westbound) Calgary Vancouver 4 nights
Canadian Rockies Excursion with Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 12 nights
Canadian Rockies Excursion with Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 12 nights
Canadian Rockies and Whistler (Eastbound) Vancouver Jasper 4 nights
Canadian Rockies and Whistler (Westbound) Jasper Vancouver 4 nights
Canadian Rockies and Whistler, Pre Cruise Vancouver Jasper 11 nights
Canadian Rockies and Whistler, Post Cruise Jasper Vancouver 11 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights – 5 nights Vancouver Calgary 5 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights – 5 nights Calgary Vancouver 5 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights – 6 nights Vancouver Calgary 6 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights – 6 nights Calgary Vancouver 6 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights with Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 13 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights with Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 13 nights
Canadian Rockies Adventures (Eastbound) Vancouver Calgary 7 nights
Canadian Rockies Adventures (Westbound) Calgary Vancouver 7 nights
Canadian Rockies Adventures, Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 15 nights
Canadian Rockies Adventures, Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 15 nights
Western Explorer (Eastbound) Vancouver Calgary 7 nights
Western Explorer (Westbound) Calgary Vancouver 7 nights
Western Explorer with Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 16 nights
Western Explorer with Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 14 nights
Western Explorer with Pre Cruise Seattle Calgary 15 nights
Western Explorer with Post Cruise Calgary Seattle 15 nights
Northern Explorer (Eastbound) Vancouver Calgary 8 nights
Northern Explorer (Westbound) Calgary Vancouver 8 nights
Northern Explorer with Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 15 nights
Northern Explorer with Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 15 nights
Canadian Rockies at Leisure (Eastbound) Vancouver Calgary 9 nights
Canadian Rockies at Leisure (Westbound) Calgary Vancouver 9 nights
Canadian Rockies at Leisure, Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 18 nights
Canadian Rockies at Leisure, Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 16 nights
Canadian Rockies at Leisure, Pre Cruise Seattle Calgary 17 nights
Canadian Rockies at Leisure, Post Cruise Calgary Seattle 17 nights
Northern Rockies at Leisure (Eastbound) Vancouver Calgary 10 nights
Northern Rockies at Leisure (Westbound) Calgary Vancouver 10 nights
Northern Rockies at Leisure, Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 17 nights
Northern Rockies at Leisure, Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 17 nights


NEW! 2012 Coastal Passage Tours Start End Duration
Canadian Rockies Highlights + Coastal Passage Seattle Calgary 7 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights + Coastal Passage Calgary Seattle 7 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights + Coastal Passage, Pre Cruise Seattle Calgary 12 nights
Canadian Rockies Highlights + Coastal Passage, Post Cruise Calgary Seattle 14 nights
Western Explorer + Coastal Passage Seattle Calgary 9 nights
Western Explorer + Coastal Passage Calgary Seattle 9 nights
Western Explorer + Coastal Passage, Pre Cruise Seattle Calgary 15 nights
Western Explorer + Coastal Passage, Post Cruise Calgary Seattle 15 nights
Classic Coastal Passage, Pre Cruise Seattle Jasper 11 nights
Classic Coastal Passage, Post Cruise Jasper Seattle 11 nights
Classic Coastal Passage, Pre Cruise Seattle Banff 10 nights
Classic Coastal Passage, Post Cruise Banff Seattle 12 nights


2012 Trans-Canada Packages Start End Duration
Trans-Canada Rail Adventure (Eastbound) Vancouver Toronto 11 nights
Trans-Canada Rail Adventure (Westbound) Toronto Vancouver 12 nights
Trans-Canada Rail Adventure with Pre Cruise Vancouver Toronto 19 nights
Trans-Canada Rail Adventure with Post Cruise Toronto Vancouver 20 nights
Coast to Coast by Rail (Eastbound) Vancouver Halifax 15 nights
Coast to Coast by Rail (Westbound) Halifax Vancouver 16 nights
Coast to Coast by Rail with Pre Cruise Vancouver Halifax 23 nights
Coast to Coast by Rail with Post Cruise Halifax Vancouver 24 nights


2012 Rail and Self-Drive Packages Start End Duration
Banff the Beautiful Rail and Drive Vancouver Calgary 5 nights
Banff the Beautiful Rail and Drive Calgary Vancouver 5 nights
Banff the Beautiful with Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 13 nights
Banff the Beautiful with Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 13 nights
First Passage to the West Discovery Vancouver Calgary 7 nights
First Passage to the West Discovery Calgary Vancouver 7 nights
First Passage to the West, Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 15 nights
First Passage to the West, Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 15 nights
Journey through the Clouds Discovery Vancouver Calgary 7 nights
Journey through the Clouds Discovery Calgary Vancouver 7 nights
Journey through the Clouds, Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 16 nights
Journey through the Clouds, Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 14 nights
Journey through the Clouds, Pre Cruise Seattle Calgary 15 nights
Journey through the Clouds, Post Cruise Calgary Seattle 15 nights
Rainforest to Gold Rush Discovery Drive Vancouver Calgary 8 nights
Rainforest to Gold Rush Discovery Drive Calgary Vancouver 8 nights
Rainforest to Gold Rush Drive, Pre Cruise Vancouver Calgary 15 nights
Rainforest to Gold Rush Drive, Post Cruise Calgary Vancouver 15 nights


2012 Rocky Mountaineer City Stop Add-Ons Start End Duration
Explore Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver 1 night
Explore Victoria from Vancouver – Pre-Tour Vancouver Vancouver 2 nights
Explore Victoria from Vancouver – Post-Tour Vancouver Vancouver 2 nights
Explore Whistler from Vancouver – Pre-Tour Vancouver Vancouver 2 nights
Explore Whistler from Vancouver – Post-Tour Vancouver Vancouver 2 nights
Explore Victoria and Seattle (Northbound) Seattle Vancouver 2 nights
Explore Victoria and Seattle (Southbound) Vancouver Seattle 2 nights
Whales and Bears of Tofino Vancouver Vancouver 3 nights

Source

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Incredible Spring Skiing in the Canadian Rockies

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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!

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Jasper National Park as a Dark Sky Preserve

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The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has officially designated Jasper National Park as a Dark Sky Preserve. At 11,228km2, Jasper is the largest Dark Sky Preserve in the world, and the only preserve in Canada with a town wholly within the preserve. Most of Jasper National Park has excellent dark skies; the southern part of the park boasts truly dark skies. This is one of the only areas in southwestern Canada with exceptional darkness, yet is accessible by year-round road and offers multiple accommodation facilities.

Read the article in Canadian Geographic describing the process to create the Preserve, and the article in the local Fitzhugh newspaper describing what it means for the park and the community.

Source: http://jasperdarksky.org

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New travel domains, Canada

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Below are a few new travel domains utilizing the new .co domain extension.

Rocky Mountain Holidays now has the following:

Ski Holidays Canada now has the following:

Thanks for reading and enjoy all this snow we have been receiving!

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2011 Summer Holiday Packages – Canada

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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.

Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2011.