Hi there! I have been debating back and forth over my next ski trip. I am a total beginner (only been once) and my husband is beginner/intermediate. Well, we sort of thought we settled on Breckenridge, CO, but then we saw pictures of Banff Springs, Canada and where blown away.

This scottish castle in Canada looks simply drop dead gorgeous.

http://www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/Photos/

I wondered what your thoughts were? Is Banff Springs Canada really that beautiful?

I have stayed in it it truly IS that beautiful.

The Bow River is a beautiful green very unsusual.

If budget permits Banff is the pick of the litter.

Whistler better for skiing but will not matter for beginners.

www.gobreck.com is a cute small town right off the superslab

from Denver good ski nearby easier to get to cheaper

Have stayed in several cute little BBs there nice for price.

But if money is no object Banff for me and nearby

Chateau Lake Louise both truly awesome...

Happy Deciding!

www.otel.com has Rimrock Resort in Banff

nice cheaper than Fairmont if you need reduced

lodging costs in Banff... also good personal experience there.

We skiied in Banff/Lake Louise one winter with skiiers of varying abilities. The nice thing is that you have 3 ski areas---Lake Louise with the beautiful mountain views, drop dead gorgeous ski runs for even intermediate skiiers and then you have Sunshine that is a huge bowl and easy to ski with wide runs. Norquay has mostly expert runs and I have not skiied there.

I enjoyed staying in Banff in the winter. The town is not as crowded in the winter. The Banff Springs is an amazing hotel but does have many different configurations for their rooms. Some can be very small--I wouldn't book the absolute cheapest room and would call the hotel and ask for some advice on choosing your room. No matter what room you stay in though, the public rooms are really beautiful--it is a castle-- and it is nice to soak in the hot springs pool after skiing. We didn't stay there but did get a pass to use the pool and have dinner there one night. We were with the Goodyear Ski Club and got a fabulous package for skiing the area.

Banff/Lake Louise is beautiful in the winter. I have only been there once in the winter but returned 3 different times in the summer/fall to ski. We fell in love with the area on our ski trip and it has become a favorite place to visit. Too bad it is really far from Ohio. I prefer to ski there in March though. Lots of sun and no really cold temps.

Banff: Never skied there but beautiful, touristy and colder with less daylight than Colorado.
Colorado: Breckenridge is in Summit County together with Copper Mtn., Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin so lots of alternatives within 30 minutes. Also lots of beginner/intermediate terrain. Summit County is less than two hours from Denver International Airport and would give you easy access to Winter Park/Mary Jane, and Vail. Steamboat has great skiing, is less crowded and would be less then two hours from Summit County.
Vibes: Vail-touristy but great Mtn. Summit-less touristy, crowded on weekends. Steamboat-great powder, uncrowded, least touristy. Winter Park-crowded on weekends, hardly any town.
If you really want a super town where you don't need a car, great skiing at four different areas, and high class amenities go to Aspen.

Sunshine Village has fantastic instruction for all levels of skier ability. The Banff Springs Hotel in Banff is truly magical. There is so much to do in the area in any season - please come here - you will love it