Imagine what you think it will be like and multiply by ten. The Rockies are awesome. Banff is a great place to stay. We stayed at Fox suites on the Avenue. Free transit bus to town - five minutes. Eat at Nourish or the Elk and Oarsman.
Do not expect speed at Nourish but the vegetarian food is nothing short of amazing. Fruit shepherds pie, you must eat it to believe it.

Trips: Drive highway 1A to Lake Louise for bears and wild elk and stunning scenery. Walk up to Lake Agnes and go to the tea shop. Visit Morraine Lake.
Walk up to Stewart canyon at Lake Miniwanka - it is amazing.
Do the Banff gondola, The Whyte museum and visit Bow falls. What a great place to stay.

www.banfflakelouise.com/
Fox Hotel and Suites:
461 Banff Avenue, Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta T1L 1H8
+1 403 760 8500
Google map: bit.ly/q4nF87

Nourish:
nourishbistro.com/
215 Banff Avenue
+1403 760 3933
Google map: bit.ly/oE8YQL

Elk and Oarsman:
www.elkandoarsman.com/
119 Banff Avenue AB T1L 1B6
+1403 762 4616
Google map: bit.ly/qKmbHq

The Whyte Museum:
www.whyte.org/
111 Bear St, Banff, AB, T1L 1A3
+1 403 762 2291
Google map: bit.ly/rpZW0q

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Lake Louise is stunningly beautiful, if only you can ignore the enormous and ugly Fairmont Chateau hotel and its $65m refurbishment, the car lot the size of several hypermarkets and the crowds. If you walk for an hour or two up one of the well-laid trails you might get some tranquility.

But my tip, if you're still reading, is to stay on Highway 1, just a few more miles over the Great Divide, and visit Yoho Park across the provincial border. If you can get on the parks bus (book in advance) up to Lake O'Hara, or walk the car-free 11km trail in, you will have delightful lakes and mountains to share with a handful of campers and the lucky few at the lodge built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in Swiss chalet style.

There are miles of beautiful trails and more challenging alpine routes, glaciers and waterfalls, and the odd bear. Bliss! And if you've time to spare, Emerald Lake is great too.

Highway 1 from Banff heading west to Lake Louise, good tourist office for advice on everything. But right next door is Yoho and its well worth the few miles extra

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It's so beautiful, very peaceful even though there are a lot of people there! Take plenty as film you'll take lots of pictures.

www.banfflakelouise.com;
www.discoverlakelouise.com;
www.skilouise.com

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I would bet the farm that more postcards have been sold with pictures of Lake Louise than any other destination in Canada. A stunning hotel overlooking the perfect lake.

Rent a canoe or go for a long walk along the path around the lake. Braver souls can hike to the Tea House for a cuppa in nature's proudest surroundings.

And hour and a half from Banff by car. The railroad chugs past if you choose the rail solution between Calgary and Vancouver.

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