Mountains, Lakes, and Magic: Your Guide to Banff National Park - Part2
In last week's article, we discussed the places to see in Banff National Park and the surroundings. I will conclude this article by discussing some of the questions we had while planning the trip and the answers we found.
- Do you need a car in Banff national park or public transit is better?
- Do you need Canadian dollars for the vacation in Banff?
- What are the good hotels to stay in Banff?
- What is the secret behind the beautiful turquoise color of Banff lakes?
- Why do some mountain names start with "Mount" while others use "Mountain" at the end?
- What are good food options, especially for vegetarians?
Do you need a car in Banff national park or public transit is better?
The town of Banff is designed with public transit in mind. As a result, many hotels charge extra for parking, and parking at popular attractions can be limited. During peak season, finding a rental car can be difficult. Not having a car comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to the commute between Calgary and Banff.
Uber is available from Calgary to Banff, but it isn't available for the return trip. You will need to rely on services like Banff Airporter, Brewster Express, or take a taxi. We used public transit and found it convenient in most situations. However, having a car would have been helpful when traveling between Calgary and Banff and when visiting Moraine Lake from Banff.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both having a car and not having one. If your budget allows, I recommend renting a basic car for the Calgary to Banff commute and for the trip to Moraine Lake.
Do you need Canadian dollars for my vacation in Banff?
I highly recommend carrying some Canadian dollars. While most places accept credit cards, it's wise to be prepared for unexpected situations. During our trip, a major telecom provider, Rogers, experienced a multi-day outage. Card machines stopped working, and having Canadian dollars on hand saved the day.
What are the good hotels to stay in Banff?
We stayed in Banff park lodge and liked it. I would say, just go to google maps and zoom at Banff avenue and you have tons of hotels around Banff avenue. If you don't mind spending more on hotel, Banff Springs is one choice.
What is the secret behind the beautiful turquoise color of Banff lakes?
Most of these lakes are glacier fed lakes. The Fine rock dust, produced by massive glaciers rubbing against bedrock, stays suspended in the water. This rock flour reflects the light creating the turquoise colors.
Why do some mountain names start with "Mount" while others use "Mountain" at the end?
When the mountain is named after a person, the word "Mount/Mountain" comes as first word. For Example, Mount Victoria. If the mountain is named after a feature(how it looks like), then, the word "Mountain" comes as second word. For example, Cascade Mountain.
What are good food options, especially for vegetarians?
The Banff Avenue and the side streets connecting Banff Avenue like Caribou St and Wolf Street has tons of restaurants. The good thing is, all these restaurants have vegetarian options too. Few suggestions i have are below.
- Coyotes on Caribou St (206 Caribou St, Banff, AB T1L 1A6, Canada) - Especially for breakfast
- Saffron Indian Bistro(205 Wolf St, Banff, AB T1L 1C2, Canada)
- LUPO Italian Ristorante & Patio(208 Wolf St #201, Banff, AB T1L 1B3, Canada)
- Magpie & Stump Restaurant(203 Caribou St, Banff, AB T1L 1A8, Canada)
- Beavertails (120 Banff Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1E7, Canada) - For pastries
You also have the standard Starbucks, Domino's, McDonald's, Subway.. etc. in walk-able distance of Banff Avenue. We enjoyed the Southwest egg wrap at Starbucks, a menu item we don’t usually see in the United States.
That's a wrap this week. Happy traveling!
