Maria_H

My trip to the Rockies is fast approaching and I'm wonering just how much spending money we're going to need.

We're staying in Canmore, Lake Louise, Japer, Icefields Parkway, and Banff. We like casual, mid price, dining, rather than formal or expensive restaurants. Has anyone any suggestions on good places to try and rough prices to expect for, say, breakfast, starters and main evening meals, a beer or a bottle of wine?

Also, what are the current prices for fuel and national park fees?

I assume credit cards are readily accepted anywhere?

Thanks in advance, Maria.

BAK

Credit cards -- Visa and Mastercard should be no problem. American Express is probably fine in most places, too.

I've seen Americans with Discover cards having problems, but I don't know if Discover still exists.

Lots of inexpensive restaurants in Canmore; far fewer in Lake Louise, and quite a range in Banff.

And think about picnics -- you can get all you need in grocery stores these days if you don't want to be too fancy, and sit outside in the beauty of the Rockies and eat at bargain prices.

BAK

pollyvw

Hear! Hear! A cheer for the cooler! We usually travel with one when we are doing driving 'great outdoors' vacations. They give you the flexibility to pull over whenever you encounter a view that cannot be rushed and at least have a snack at will. We have picnic-ed (how do you spell that word? under giant redwoods, beside waterfalls and amongst Seguara cactus. We have checked the cooler as luggage on planes (loaded with picnic blanket and implements). On occasion, we have instead bought an inexpensive one upon arrival. Don't call me cheap; call me adventurous!

laurafromtexas

My family went to Alberta in August and we were also on a budget. In Banff, we enjoyed Bruno's Cafe & Grill and Coyotes Grill, eating at the latter for lunch because it gets pretty pricy in the evening. In Lake Louise, Laggans Mountain Cafe in the little strip center has good sandwiches, etc. You can eat inside, right outside on benches, or pack a picnic. In Jasper, Jasper Pizza Place has good pizza and beer and Bear Paw's Bakery is yummy for breakfast.

Judy_in_Calgary

At a casual but nice restaurant like Melissa's in Banff townsite, you could expect to pay between CAD 25 and CAD 35 per person for dinner, including a modest wine. At Melissa's the price of a main course includes bread rolls and a salad, so perhaps you would not feel the need for a separate starter.

Laura's idea of eating at a favourite restaurant at lunchtime instead of in the evening is an excellent one.

You would be able to get breakfast for CAD 10 or less per person. You should be able to find lunch for between CAD 5 and CAD 15 per person, depending on whether you just want a cold sandwich or a hot meal.

When I filled up my car at our local Petro-Canada gas station the other day, it cost CAD 0.88 per litre for the lowest grade of gas (87 octane). Gas stations in the mountains tend to be more expensive than those in Calgary. Also, even within the mountains, remote gas stations are considerably more expensive than those in the towns. For example, the gas station at Saskatchewan Crossing, which is on the Icefields Parkway, is considerably more expensive than the ones in Banff and Jasper townsites. So it's better to fill up in town before you embark on a substantial drive.

The national park entry fee is CAD 14 per day for a group of between two and seven people. An annual pass for a group costs CAD 89. So, if you're going to spend 7 or more days in national parks, it's worth buy the annual pass.

Whether you buy a day pass or an annual pass, the same pass is valid in all 27 of Canada's national parks. Therefore, you do not need to buy another pass when you cross from Banff National Park into Kootenay, Yoho or Jasper National Park.

Another thing to be aware of is what counts as a day for the purposes of the national park pass. A one-day pass is valid from the time of purchase until 4 pm on the following day.

Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. However, my Australian friend was shocked at how few establishments accepted American Express when she visited here five years ago. She had planned to travel with her American Express card only. On the spur of the moment, just as she was about to walk out her door to catch her plane, she decided to put her MasterCard into her wallet, just in case. She was ever so glad that she did bring her MasterCard. Once she was here, she realised life would have been less convenient if she hadn't had her MC.

I agree with what the other posters have said about picnics. Not only are they cheaper than restaurant meals, but they also enable you to take advantage of scenic spots where you can pull over and eat. We picnic in the mountains a lot, and that's one of the reasons that I'm less knowledgeable about mountain restaurants than many other posters are.

However, if I recall correctly from some of the other Fodor's forums, you're from the UK. Therefore I don't imagine it would be convenient for you to bring a cooler with a hard shell on the plane. Overseas friends of ours have successfully brought collapsible coolers in their suitcases. If you have one of those, that would be something to consider. Alternatively, you could buy an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler when you get here and leave it behind in your last hotel room. Hopefully the cleaning staff will find a suitable home for it. (I guess hotel staff in resort towns never have to buy coolers for themselves.)

Most hotels and motels in Canada have free ice dispensing machines, and you can place some ice in a plastic bag inside the cooler to keep your food fresh.

When we travel we find that it's difficult to consume enough fruit if we eat in restaurants all the time. That's another reason that we like to have a cooler with us.

If you do want to have a couple of picnics while you're here, remember to bring a corkscrew to open that bottle of wine!

laurafromtexas

Here's more info on some of the places I recommended: Bruno's has pizza, vegetarian dishes, burgers, and locally-brewed beer. Lunch $6-9 CAD, Dinner $9-12 CAD. Daily 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. in summer, 304 Caribou Street, Banff. Coyote Grill has creative southwestern, sandwiches, pizzas, and pastas. Meals range $10-$25 US. Open 7:30 to 11 p.m. daily, 206 Caribou Street, Banff. Laggan's Mountain Bakery & Deli has fresh pastries, salads, soups, sandwiches, and specialty coffees and is located in Samson Mall (more like a strip mall) in the small village of Lake Louise. Open daily from 6 a.m. to ?, takes only cash or traveler checks. Prices less than $10. Jasper Pizza Place, 402 Connought Drive, open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Prices $7-$13, takes MC and Visa. Bear Paw Bakery, 4 Cedar Ave. in Jasper. Serves breakfast, sandwiches $4.25), meat pies, and quiche, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy!

Judy_in_Calgary

>>>Samson Mall (more like a strip mall)<<<

Maria, I too have used the term "strip mall" in posts, but it has just occurred to me that the term may not be used in the UK. I don't know whether it is or not. Anyway, if the expression is unfamiliar to British people, I wonder what you think it is. A shopping mall in which people strip or something?

Anyway, in North America we usually use the term "shopping mall" to described a collection of shops and pedestrian walkways that are all enclosed under one roof.

Here in Calgary the term "strip mall" is more or less synonymous with "shopping plaza." It means an open square with parking in the middle of it and a row of shops on one side of the parking lot or rows of shops on several sides of the parking lot. The stores in a strip mall or shopping plaza generally have their own, individual entrances that open out onto the parking lot.

In the spirit of, "Everything you wanted to know about North America but were afraid to ask."

Molly2

Another thumbs-up for picnics - can't beat the ambience of picnicing in the Rockies!

The Lake Louise Alpine Hostel has a very reasonable and very good restaurant that is open to the public.

My husband and I loved the waffles {piled with fresh fruit and whipped cream and a drizzle of honey} at a breakfast place in downtown Jasper - now what was it called? Mountain-something, perhaps?

Maria_H

Thank you all, looks like we can afford to eat, at least Petrol (gas) is less than half what we pay in the UK!

Another question - are debit cards (Maestro) widely accepted? What is our best bet for changing currency - credit/debit cards at an ATM or travellere's cheques?

Thanks again, Maria