Planning a surprise ski trip (Banff) for my husband, and looking at March 2003. I know this is spring break season, and I'd like to avoid that as much as possible. Would it be safer to travel in the very beginning of March, or at the very end? Any info you have would be appreciated. I could also (possibly) book this for the end of January.

Reading week for universities varies here in Alberta. At the U of L it is generally in March, but reading week is for the most part quieter here than spring break is in the states. You couldn't compare it to Florida for example. My youngest just graduated from university and my oldest is also a university grad. Both used reading week to prepare for the exams that they had to write shortly after reading week.

A lot of high schools have spring break now (I don't remember that when I went to high school!) - that seems to be anytime in March. It seems to depends on the school board.

I check the UofAlberta website and they have Reading week from Feb 17-21 2003.

Avoid mid-Feb to mid-March if you can. That covers University & Public/Private school "reading week" ( Ha!)/ Spring Break. Go @ end of Jan & avoid the whole scene...

I've found that most of the major universities are on break the one of the last two weeks of March. If you must go in March, you're much better off going as early as possible

I really can't say. The Universities in Montreal have spring break the last week of Feb. Some in Canada may have a break in March. However, you are going to Banff. I don't really think that it will be much more crowded than otherwise because the college scene usually heads down to Florida or somewhere warm.

UBC's &quot;reading break&quot; (ie: silly academic term for spring break, hoping the students will actually catch up on their reading/homework) is in mid-February. We get Feb 17th until Feb 21st off...<BR><BR>Each school of course, varies. I don't know if it really matters one way or another, because spring break varies across Canada depending on the school, and many people will be flying into Banff from all over for the good conditions anyway. <BR><BR>But as &quot;traveller&quot; said, you'll never get the same Florida spring break insanity in Canada, no matter where you go. Except, perhaps... Whistler on New Year's. Even then, it's not the same.