Canadian Rockies need reservations?
 

We are planning a road trip from California to visit the Canadian Rockies - Banff, Lake Louise, and up to Jasper in June this year. We usually do our road trips "off-season" and therefore don't make reservations ahead for places to stay. Will this be a problem in June for this area? Our schedule is very flexible since we're retired and can take as long as we want in any given place.
Thanks in advance for your replies.

You may want to consider making a reservation in Jasper. Accomodation is somwhat limited and you would hate to drive all that way only to discover there are no rooms available. Banff shluldn't be a problem.

Personally, I'd reserve for both areas. Banff is much busier than Jasper, I have found, although many are day trippers. Better safe than sorry!

I would say it depends when in June you'll be visiting the area and how fussy you are about accommodation.

If you travel in early June, and if you are not fussy, I believe you can wing it.

Although it's true that Banff is busy, Canmore and Banff townsite between them have a great deal of accommodation.

Even Jasper, if you include the B&B establishments and "home accommodators," has more accommodation than meets the eye.

If you are not rushed, and have time to travel the area at a relatively relaxed pace, you can also find accommodation in places that are a little distance from Jasper townsite, namely, Jasper East, Mount Robson and Valemount.

As you get closer to July, the more the number of visitors builds up, and the riskier it becomes to wing it.

By the last week of June, close to the July 1st long weekend, I would want to travel with reservations. I would not dream of visiting Banff and Jasper National Parks without reservations in July and August.

So, if you are the sort of travellers who like to find just the "right" place to stay, I think you should make reservations. Making reservations also pays off if you want to be sure of securing accommodation in Jasper townsite, which I regard as the more central and convenient base for sight seeing in Jasper National Park.

If you are willing to settle for places that are not fancy and if you are willing to stay between half an hour and an hour's drive from Jasper, if push comes to shove, then you can wing it, in my opinion.

If you arrive without a reservation, just go to the visitor information office that is on the main street of Banff or Jasper, and ask for advice.

Hope that helps.

Do you think it would be ok to wait until we're a few days away and then make them?

>>>>>>Do you think it would be ok to wait until we're a few days away and then make them?<<<<<<

No, not really. I think you have to choose one approach or the other approach.

The people who are fussy about where they stay make their reservations months in advance. Those highly prized accommodations may very well be booked up if you try them a month ahead, two weeks ahead, a week ahead, or a day ahead.

Once you're on the road, why take time away from your sight seeing to make reservations a week ahead? That will just detract from your ability to enjoy the present moment.

Either bite the bullet now and draw up a day-by-day itinerary, and make the reservations that go along with it, or have the guts to wing it.

Again I emphasize that that is my very personal opinion. I'm sure there are other opinions out there.

Hi TAW,

I'd have to agree with Judy having found ourselves in the unfortunate position of staying just outside Jasper at a less than desirable location a few years ago.

Don't wing it. At worst you can pay more for something 2* and hate every minute you have to spend there... at best, you can enjoy your vacation completely knowing you have everything looked after.

Jasper is one of my favourite places in the world and I will never again go without reservations as it did reduce my enjoyment of the spectacular location that summer.

OK, thanks...I guess I'll get started on an itinerary.

Don't forget - even if you make reservations and your schedule gets changed, you can usually cancel reservations 24 or 48 hours in advance. I would make reservations at where you want to stay and if your plans should change, you can always cancel (also, if your dates are only changing by a day or 2, the hotel is more likely to try to accomodate you than if you didn't have any reservations to start with).

>>>>>>Don't forget - even if you make reservations and your schedule gets changed, you can usually cancel reservations 24 or 48 hours in advance.<<<<<<

That is true in most places, but not in the Canadian Rockies. It is not uncommon for cancellation policies to be 7 days. For example, the ever popular Becker's Chalets in Jasper and Baker Creek Chalets at Lake Louise have 7 day cancellation policies. I have even seen a cancellation policy of up to 14 days somewhere in the Canadian Rockies. I cannot remember now which property it was.

Another stipulation that is not uncommon in Jasper is a minimum 2-night stay (often a minimum 3-night stay on holiday long weekends).

Why wing it if you know when you are going to be there? Beats hunting for a place when no vacancy conditions apply.

By late June, I would not wing it at Lake Louise, unless you don't mind staying at Chateau Lake Louise at $500 US or more per night. But even that place fills up.

Of course you could always drive back to Canmore and hope to find something.