Banff & the Rockies

Currency

Cards work everywhere and there is little reason to carry cash. Sales tax is added at the till rather than shown on the price, and tipping at 15-20% is expected in restaurants.

ATMs & cards

Big-bank machines (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO) in Banff and Canmore are fine. The private machines in convenience stores and bars charge several dollars.

Canada is close to cashless. Note that sales tax is added at the till rather than shown on the price.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Wildlife and weather, not crime. This is grizzly and black bear country: carry spray on trails, know how to use it, make noise, and never get between a bear and its cubs. Elk are more dangerous than people expect, especially in autumn rut and spring calving. Mountain weather turns fast and snow is possible in any month.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

Excellent, and expensive for visitors — there is no reciprocal arrangement with most countries, and an emergency admission runs to thousands of dollars. Travel insurance with a high medical limit is essential. In the Rockies, mountain rescue is coordinated by Parks Canada and is not billed, but the helicopter and hospital that follow are.

Wildlife and weather rather than illness. Carry bear spray on trails and know how to use it. Hypothermia is possible in any month at altitude, and snow closes passes well outside winter.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Banff eats like a resort town and is priced like one. Canmore, 20 minutes away, is noticeably better value and where people who live here actually eat.

Getting around

• Rental car — the flexible option, but parking at Lake Louise and Moraine is now genuinely impossible in season
• Parks Canada shuttle — the only realistic way to Moraine Lake, which is closed to private vehicles, and it books out weeks ahead
• Roam transit — local buses between Banff, Canmore and the lakes, cheap and frequent
• Banff Airporter — direct coach from Calgary airport, ~2h
• Airport: Calgary (YYC), 1.5h east

Must-see

Things to do

• Take the shuttle to Moraine Lake at sunrise, booked well in advance
• Drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper
• Hike the Plain of Six Glaciers from Lake Louise
• Walk Johnston Canyon to the upper falls
• Soak in the Banff hot springs after a long day

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Canadian English

• A one-dollar coinA loonieLOO-nee
• A two-dollar coinA toonieTOO-nee
• A knitted winter hatA toquetook
• The last item takenThe last one, sorry
• A rural cottageA cabin, or a chalet in the Rockies
• Right? / Agreed?Eh?ay
• Bear sprayBear spray — carry it, actually
• Washroom, not toiletWhere’s the washroom?

The language is English; the vocabulary occasionally is not.

Religion

Christian majority, and secular

Christian by heritage with a fast-growing share reporting no religion. Indigenous spiritual traditions are recognised, and their sites carry protocols worth respecting.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Queue properly, hold doors, and apologise reflexively — it really is the norm
• Tip 15-20% in restaurants and for taxis; staff wages assume it
• Carry bear spray on Rockies trails and know how to use it
• Take note of which province you are in — rules on alcohol, cannabis and driving differ

Don't

• Do not assume Canada is a variant of the United States; it lands badly
• Do not approach or feed wildlife, and never get between a bear and its cubs
• Do not underestimate distances — the Rockies are far bigger than the map suggests
• Do not litter or leave food out at a campsite; it is both a fine and a genuine danger