Hello, <BR> <BR>I am thinking of having my honeymoon in Banff Park, and will fly from LAX to Calgary, I was wondering the availability and cost of transfers from Calgary to the park and what is recommended, rental car, bus, etc., also do some of the nicer hotels, chateau lake louise, etc. have shuttles from the calgary airport, <BR> <BR>thank you

It has been a long time since I have visited Banff but there are a good number of excellent travel tips on this site regarding that area. Calgary airport is nothing like LAX. Very small in comparison and has the normal number of car rental agencies. I would budget for a car rental and then you have the flexibility of being able to visit all of the wonderful sites around Banff and Jasper and also, perhaps Drumheller. There are so many beautiful places, without a vehicle you may miss some. You could visit www.discoveralberta.com for more information about the area and for places to stay. Also again, do a search on this site for recommendations about places to stay that are within your budget. Remember that July is Calgary Stampede time and a lot of places are already booked. It certainly depends on what time of year you are travelling, what the costs and the availability of accommodations are. Good luck and have a wonderful honeymoon!

You will need a car; or you will be stuck otherwise. Public transportation is not a solution out there, in my opinion. <BR>I cannot help you with hotels. I stay in places that you would not want for a honeymoon, probably. <BR> <BR> <BR>

thanks for the advice, i will be going in september 2002, so i have a long time to reserve, and i don't think september will be as busy, <BR> <BR>however, will there be enough snow in sept. to require 4 wheel drive or snow chains?

Probably in September there will be no snow but you never know. Roads are well maintained here and you will not need chains, I am sure. Many people in Alberta have 4 wheel drives but I wouldn't worry about that until I got here. I only throw mine into 4 wheel drive 2 or 3 times a year and then usually only in January when we get the most snow and cold weather. September can still be quite lovely with the fall colors and "Indian" summer.

Renting a car from the Calgary Airport is definitely your best bet. <BR> <BR>I don't know when you will be going, but if in the Summer, good luck with finding a hotel room if you have no reservation at this point. Chateau Lake Louise is the best and busiest hotel in Canada in the Summer! If you can have one there, you will pay through the nose, but if you can afford it, you won't reget it. Other alternative to the Chateau is the Bufalo Mountain Lodge in Banff (nice log buildings), the Rimrock Hotel, or the Baker Creek Chalets in Lake Louise. There are so many, but the trick will be to find a room..you may not have your pick! <BR> <BR>The Jasper Park Lodge (Fairmont Hotels) is superb if you intend to stay somewhere in Jasper. The drive from Banff to Jasper is the most spectacular. <BR> <BR>This area is my favourite in the country. I've been there many times and I never get tired of seeing it. Good Luck and congratulations! <BR>

The Post Hotel in Lake Louise would be my ideal honeymoon hotel and if I could do it over again that is where I would go. It's a small hotel with a great restaurant and superb service. We had one of the cabins by the river and it was wonderful - it had a fireplace and was very cozy. Also had a TV and VCR and a large selection of movies that you can borrow from the front desk if you want to cuddle up in the evenings in front of the fire. We were so glad we stayed there rather than the Chateau Lake Louise - too many people and tour buses running in and out of there constantly. I didn't see the rooms at the Chateau but other posters on this forum have said they are quite small and ordinary. And I think the Post may be cheaper than the Chateau.

A car and the Post Hotel would be my choice.

Firstly, congratulations on your upcoming trip and honeymoon. And just to let you know, this site is wonderful and full of resource. I am planning to fly to Calgary &amp; rent a car for this 1st ever Canadian Rockies trip.<BR><BR>I have made reservations to stay at the Post Hotel this September - not having been to the area - my only comment is the deals are certainly better for you to book later in September (check their site: www.posthotel.com for rates) - comparing the rates for both the Chateaux and Moraine Lake Lodge, the Post has them beat.<BR><BR>

Rent a car to go from Calgary to Banff. It is only a 75 mile drive and once in Banff you will want to drive to some of the most gorgeous scenery you have ever see. Lake Louise is overrated. We enjoyed Lake Morine and Emerald Lake even more. Also, we thought the Banff Springs Lodge in Banff was nicer than the Chateau Lake Louise.