Canada - where is snowiest?

[Bunny Girl]

I would really love to go to Canada one time but the flight is just too long and i have a bit of a phobia when it comes to flying but if i overcome that fear where abouts in Canada too?

What is everyones suggestions ?

Hi, if you can overcome your fear of flying, then you can't beat Canada at Christmas. Guaranteed snow, and picture postcard pretty too, espcially in the Rockies. Christmas is not the cheapest time to go, but so worth it. Calgary - where you would fly in for Banff or Lake Louise where I would suggest - is 8.5 hours away; just a dinner and a movie away really!

[West is Best]

Hi, if you can overcome your fear of flying, then you can't beat Canada at Christmas. Guaranteed snow, and picture postcard pretty too, espcially in the Rockies. Christmas is not the cheapest time to go, but so worth it. Calgary - where you would fly in for Banff or Lake Louise where I would suggest - is 8.5 hours away; just a dinner and a movie away really!

I adore Canada, but just a few words from my own experience. Don't stay in Banff - no guarantee of snow lying in the town at all (plus nowhere near as nice as Saas Fee or Zermatt). A lot of Canadian ski resorts lack a little of the picture postcard charm in the villages themselves - you need to get onto the slopes to experience that. Lake Louise slopes are gorgeous, the village is nothing (well bucket loads of snow). Sunshine Village has stunning mountains, but again no charm as such - well it isn't really a village at all just a ski centre. Whistler is low and you're quite likely to get rain in the village. Banff is not the prettiest place on earth either - a large town with loads of party goers. Btw - Calgary is an awful place: large sprawling surbuban mass devoid of charm: about 50 miles from the Rockies and often bone dry with a scorched brown look to it, and often no lying snow. Avoid like the plague.

If you are absolutely loaded you could stay at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise which must rank as one of the prettiest locations for a hotel in the world - right on the lake itself (about 5kms from Lake Louise village). It is absolutely stunning - possibly the most beautiful place on earth for me, but you're likely frankly to get a load of nobs staying in the hotel. (Celebs and loads-of-money types.) A very very nice hotel in Lake Louise itself is the Post Hotel. That is cute.

Don't get me wrong: for me Canada is my favourite ski destination in the world. The Rocky mountains are incredible, so I'm not totally disagreeing with Bunny Girl at all. But for your criteria at Christmas I'd say you probably won't get the sort of village snow charm you might be after. The other thing is the one I mentioned for Norway: if you go too far north in the Rockies you will get long long dark nights at that time of year.

One other picture postcard place I've never been is Kitzbuhl. Pricey though.

By the way, I do agree with Bunny Girl about the flights to Canada. Because of the Great Circle route you can be in Calgary in 8 hrs.

Edited September 10, 2007 by West is Best

[West is Best]

By the way, I hope I haven't given the impression of being -ve about Canada. It's our favourite place on earth, and the first place we want to take Little WIB in a few years time is the Post Hotel at Lake Louise. It's just about filling your criteria ...! In Switzerland I'd go for Saas Fee, Zermatt or Murren.

[snow_mad_09]

Has anybody been to montreal? if so how was it? as im thinking of this destination for my crimbo hols and the swiss ski resort sounds really nice and it seems worth a try.I'll probaly end up booking up for this place but Canada sounds awesome and it sounds worth 8 hours of hyper fenterlititing on a plane

[Bunny Girl]

Has anybody been to montreal? if so how was it? as im thinking of this destination for my crimbo hols and the swiss ski resort sounds really nice and it seems worth a try.I'll probaly end up booking up for this place but Canada sounds awesome and it sounds worth 8 hours of hyper fenterlititing on a plane

I've been to Montreal and it is lovely, and is a shorter flight too, only 6-7 hours. But if you don't want to go all the way to the Rockies, but want to go somewhere in Quebec, Quebec City is even lovelier than Montreal, and has many more opportunities close by to do things like snow-tubing, dog sledding, snowmobiling etc. Don't know if you want to go skiing - if you do then the Rockies are definitely your best bet, but if you want the shorter flight, Tremblant resort is just 1.5 hours north of Montreal by road. But Quebec City ticks all the boxes and would be your closest bet - and there is also downhill skiing on the doorstop too. Not the Alps or the Rockies, but a couple of good hills. http://www.quebecregion.com/e/ - Quebec City Tourism's websiteDon't know if you want to go skiing - if you do then the Rockies are definitely your best bet, but if you want the shorter flight, Tremblant resort is just 1.5 hours north of Montreal by road. But Quebec City ticks all the boxes and would be your closest bet - and there is also downhill skiing on the doorstop too. Not the Alps or the Rockies, but a couple of good hills. http://www.quebecregion.com/e/ - Quebec City Tourism's website

Hope that helps - I do work for a tour operator selling holidays to Canada, which is how I've been lucky enough to go several times!

[West is Best]

Has anybody been to montreal? if so how was it? as im thinking of this destination for my crimbo hols and the swiss ski resort sounds really nice and it seems worth a try.I'll probaly end up booking up for this place but Canada sounds awesome and it sounds worth 8 hours of hyper fenterlititing on a plane

Not been, but as you doubtless know Montreal is in the east (south-western Quebec) which has a larger industrial area. Not sure what their snow situation is like though it's pretty cold in winter. Flying time is less than 8 hrs because it is so much nearer - it's only 400 miles north of New York: 6 hours from Manchester I believe.

There are some big ski centres in the east like Tremblant, but I've never been (bunny girl - snap!)

Edited September 10, 2007 by West is Best

[WhiteFox]

Not been, but as you doubtless know Montreal is in the east (south-western Quebec) which has a larger industrial area. Not sure what their snow situation is like though it's pretty cold in winter. Flying time is less than 8 hrs because it is so much nearer - it's only 400 miles north of New York: 6 hours from Manchester I believe.

There are some big ski centres in the east like Tremblant, but I've never been (bunny girl - snap!)

Quebec City should be pretty good for snow by Christmas; it's far enough north. Having said that, I don't think they had any last year but that was an exceptional blow-torch of a December across the whole North East of North America.

I like Canada so much that I'm seriously considering looking into emigrating. Currently in Victoria, BC once again, but still haven't managed to catch up with Roger...

[Coopsy]

I would have to agree with here in the Rockies, but be warned if you are expecting snow at your hotel in say Canmore or Banff, then you are 50/50 for a white christmas. Lake Lousie however will definately have snow. A little tip if you want a detached log cabin in the rockies over christmas at just 100 pounds a day (not per person but for the whole cabin)...try here http://www.stormmountainlodge.com/ I stayed here last year just before christmas and it was amazing

EDIT: Just noticed the comments about calgary....having lived here for 2 years it may appear on first sight that Calgary is sprawling and ugly with little to do. Yes it is sprawling, with only a small area downtown reserved for the high rises, which in my opinion is a good thing but the city has an amazing array of activites from the arts to the first class wining and dining, to the zoo's and nature trails , the river's, fishing, the trams, the shopping. It has a huge variance in culture from food to housing. Definately try to get a day in there at least if anyone wants to go, but you gotta know where to go, just like any other city really

[Paul]

I just booked my boarding holiday in Canada this winter

http://www.skifernie.com/

[M'Lady]

Swine.

Nova Scotia's nice.

[Paul]

Not been there, only ever done the rockies and to be honest you can't go far wrong with anywhere in that area.

[WhiteFox]

Not been there, only ever done the rockies and to be honest you can't go far wrong with anywhere in that area.

It's a beautiful part of the world. I flew back from Vancouver to New York yesterday and the first 90 minutes or so takes you over the Rockies. There was a low cloud blanket through which you could see the mountains. Very picturesque...

[Paul]

That must have been a very nice flight, what's vancouver like? Have been considering visiting whistler at some point which is close by I believe.

[Candice]

We're off to Canada in five weeks - going to Churchill in Manitoba - "the polar bear capital of the world". It's where the polar bears congregate waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze up so they can go off seal hunting. It's something I've always dreamt of doing and this year my dream is coming true. Bit of a trek to get there though as the only way in is by air. We fly from Heathrow to Toronto, stopover for 3 hours, then fly on to Winnipeg, stop over again overnight and then on to Manitoba in a twin prop jobbie. We should be able to get close up to the bears on the tundra buggy and hopefully see at least 30 - 40 bears a day. They even have a polar bear jail in Churchill for the "bad" bears. Gonna be very cold though - probably below freezing all day.

[Bunny Girl]

That must have been a very nice flight, what's vancouver like? Have been considering visiting whistler at some point which is close by I believe.

Vancouver is one of my favourite cities in the world, just gorgeous. I love all of Canada, but Vancouver with mountains and the pacific, is just perfect. Whistler is 90 minutes away and is a fabulous ski resort - not got the breathtaking beauty of the Rockies, but a great resort and with good weather (which they had in abundance last year and is forecast again for this winter) some of the best skiing in Canada.

You'll enjoy Fernie though - if you get chance, head over to the Birmingham ski show at the beginning of november - the fernie people will be attending and you can pick up some trail maps etc in advance. Enjoy!

And Candice - enjoy the polar bears - great trip! Yes it will be cold, and watch out for your batteries if you have a digital camera, they will need charging more often in the cold!

[M'Lady]

Not been there, only ever done the rockies and to be honest you can't go far wrong with anywhere in that area.

Nova Scotia is Canada's Ocean Playground. (Apparently.) We've only ever gone in the winter, when it's less of a playground and more of an ice rink and pretty much tourist free... which is nice!

We're off to Canada in five weeks - going to Churchill in Manitoba - "the polar bear capital of the world". It's where the polar bears congregate waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze up so they can go off seal hunting. It's something I've always dreamt of doing and this year my dream is coming true. Bit of a trek to get there though as the only way in is by air. We fly from Heathrow to Toronto, stopover for 3 hours, then fly on to Winnipeg, stop over again overnight and then on to Manitoba in a twin prop jobbie. We should be able to get close up to the bears on the tundra buggy and hopefully see at least 30 - 40 bears a day. They even have a polar bear jail in Churchill for the "bad" bears. Gonna be very cold though - probably below freezing all day.

I saw a programme about the Churchill bears the other week... it was fascinating.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

Take a snood!

[Candice]

I saw a programme about the Churchill bears the other week... it was fascinating.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

Take a snood!