Escape From Charlotte In Search of Snow: Banff, Alberta

MILES FROM CHARLOTTE: 2,034

TRAVEL TIME: 2-hour, 10-minute flight to Chicago, 3-hour 50-minute flight to Calgary, plus a 90-minute drive to Banff

It’s mid-April, and a light afternoon snow falls on Banff Avenue. My family is mesmerized. We left Charlotte dressed in T-shirts, and now we’re bundled up in parkas with a rental car full of skis, boots, poles, helmets, and goggles. We stop for a hot chocolate where at least three locals apologize for the lack of snow, as if they’ve somehow fumbled their hosting duties this year. Maybe our standards are low, but those snow-capped mountains in the distance look pretty magical to us.

The ski season here lasts from early November to late May. It’s not the easiest destination to reach from North Carolina, but unlike Colorado or Utah, you’re practically guaranteed to have snow, even early or late in the season. The exchange rate works in your favor, too. That $8 Canadian beer is actually $6, and that $60 Roots hoodie is closer to $45 in U.S. dollars. Lift tickets and ski school are still steep, but let’s be honest: Skiing will always be bougie, and if you want some really diverse terrain and picturesque views, the Canadian Rockies are where you want to be.

We drive to the outskirts of town and pull up to our hotel, which looks like a scene out of Beauty and the Beast. The lobby has soaring ceilings, sweeping staircases, and medieval-inspired light fixtures. A receptionist directs us to our room and tells us not to worry if we get lost; most first-time guests do. 

The Fairmont Banff Springs overlooks a river valley in the shadow of Mount Rundle. Courtesy photo

STAY

Fairmont Banff Springs, also known as Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies,” has hosted guests since 1888. It has 11 on-site bars and restaurants, a 40,000-square-foot spa, and private fire pits for roasting marshmallows. Head to the aquatic center after a day of skiing and sip a cocktail while you unwind in the hot tub or relax in the outdoor heated pool and take in the mountain views. The hotel also has a Kids @ The Castle program with activities like paint nights, scavenger hunts, and wildlife walks. Its sister property, Fairmont Château Lake Louise, opened in 1911 on the eastern shore and is just 10 minutes from Lake Louise Ski Resort. It remained open this year through an extensive renovation, which is expected to be complete in early 2025. If a castle or château isn’t in the budget, check out nearby Rimrock Resort, a 5-minute drive from downtown Banff, or Stoneridge Mountain Resort, which puts you about 20 miles southeast of Banff National Park.

EAT

The brunch buffet in The Vermillion Room is essential when you stay at Fairmont Banff Springs. The space looks like a French brasserie and has a staggering spread of Eggs Benedict, pancakes, bacon, charcuterie, frittatas, and more sugary pastries than Christmas morning.

The Vermillion Room at Fairmont Banff Springs serves a Sunday brunch buffet.

End your day at Rundle Bar and sip a Beavertail Raspberry Ale by the fireplace or watch a mixologist craft your martini with their signature Rundle Bar Gin. If you venture off-site, head to Magpie & Stump for no-frills tacos, enchiladas, and margaritas, or book a table at Una Pizza (they fill up fast on weekends, so make a reservation) and enjoy pizza, pasta, and wine. If you can’t leave Canada without trying their signature dish, visit Banff Poutine and feast on heaps of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. After dinner, stop by BeaverTails in downtown Banff, where they sling piping-hot slabs of fried dough topped with peanut butter, cookie crumbles, marshmallows, and pretty much any other sweet treat you can imagine.

Ski vacation planners like SkiBig3 can arrange packages that include access to Sunshine Village, one of Banff’s three major ski resorts, which claims it has “Canada’s Best Snow.” Courtesy, Banff Lake Louise

PLAY

First things first. Make sure those skis and snowboards are ready to shred. Get fitted the night before at SkiBig3, and they’ll deliver your gear to your Banff hotel. Next, decide where you want to ski. Lake Louise is the largest of Banff’s three major ski resorts and arguably the most scenic. If you stay at the Fairmont, it’s about a 40-minute drive each way but well worth it. They’ve also got an on-site day-care center for little snow bunnies and on-mountain eateries for après-ski. Sunshine Village is a 20-minute drive from Banff and claims the area’s best powder. Mount Norquay is about 10 minutes from downtown and offers the only night skiing in Banff. When you’re ready to soothe your tired muscles, soak in the hot, mineral-rich water at Banff Upper Hot Springs. For some retail therapy, check out the shops and galleries on Banff Avenue, and don’t forget to take a photo in front of Banff’s eponymous sign along Mt. Norquay Road to post to Instagram.