Christmas in Vancouver / BC
Replies: 22 - Last Post: Oct 30, 2012 4:44 PM Last Post By: abenteuerlich
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My boyfriend and I have just started to plan a 3 month trip starting in Vancouver travelling down the west coast of America. We'll be arriving in Vancouver on 18th Dec and wondered where we should spend Christmas and new year. I love the idea of Whistler but know it can be expensive. Does anyone know of a particularly special / beautiful place around the Banff area (I realise its huge!) that won't cost a fortune and is open on Christmas Day?
Thanks!
Thanks!
1
Will you be skiing? All hills to my knowledge are open xmas day...not sure what you mean by open?The question is vague....Revy, Fernie, and the Okanagan region hills will be less busy, but still...will be busy. Banff will be almost as busy and expensive as Whistler....so more criteria will help pointing you in the right general direction.
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accommodation at the ski hills can be pretty expensive because it is the highest of the high season. If skiing isn't your thing, remember it is low-season for most other attractions and you could find a pretty classy place to stay at a bargain. The ski hill is a good place to party at for New Year's though!I've been to Jasper in January and it was beautiful, and I would think around Banff would be the same. If you're looking to stay a little closer to Vancouver, Harrison Hot Springs comes to mind. It's on the shore of beautiful Harrison Lake.
3
Last Christmas I stayed at the Chateau Lake Louise. What an experience. Not cheap but its one of those once in a lifetime things. - https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=chateau+lake+louise+christmas&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1241&bih=640&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=OYBzUMq9BYaeiAKaj4HYDw4
If you're travelling down "the west coast of America", be aware that neither Banff or Jasper is anywhere near the coast ... they are about 800 km inland. Christmas/New Years is high season for skiing; the resorts are hopping and with the towns full of holidayers, almost everything is open, although a few things are on limited hours on Christmas Day itself.5
Thanks all for the suggestions. We are skiers but it seems a shame to blow a lot of budget on an expensive activity that we do every year. This is suppose to be a once in a lifetime trip. I'll check out Harrison lake and lake Louise looks amazing. I've found a place in maple bay on Vancouver island, just trying to decide if it will be reasonably lively over Christmas. We want to be somewhere with a good atmosphere and not totally deserted. England is totally deserted over Christmas!Is 3 days enough on Vancouver island?
6
You wouldn't save any money by heading all the way to Banff, and the lines at ski hills are retarded between Christmas & New Years. Only at the hills in the interior that are more than 3-4 hours away from Vancouver & Calgary are the crowds bearable (and the snow is usually better too).Vancouver itself would be a good place to be over the holidays. Vancouver Island will be relatively quiet, but not totally dead - 3 days is a decent length of time (could head to Tofino).
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If you are going to Vancouver Island, then you should really spend time in Tofino or Ucluelet; they're among the most beautiful places in the world (IMHO)...though do expect non-stop rain. Maple Bay is cute and quaint; not much there. I imagine it will be dead, holidays or not. You might find nearby Saltspring Island more lively. The east coast of Vancouver Island is a little dryer than the west coast but isn't situated in a temperate rain forest as the west coast is.FWIW, nearly everywhere in BC is beautiful so it's quite hard to make a recommendation. I spent one NYE at a fishing lodge in the 100 Mile House area; it was wonderful. However, if you are wanting somewhere lively, then look to ski towns like Whistler, Fernie, Revelstoke, Golden or bigger places like Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna. Good luck!
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There's some seriously skewed advice here.For instance Whistler & Fernie should never be used in the same sentence except as complete opposites one is a grossly overpriced international resort the other a country village.
Xmas is a non-event in Vancouver-last year I counted exactly four (4) stores with Xmas decorations on 4th Ave in Kitsilano.
Maple Bay is a rural community of maybe a couple hundred souls living by the water unless you know someone you'll be completely on your own there is exactly SFA to do there but drink and occasionally go boating-and you won't have a boat.Harrison is at least as bad with no boating in winter.
"You might find nearby Saltspring Island more lively."
Pigs might fly too-they might
You'll have to make your mind up if you want a city experience-such as it is-or a predominantly rural outdoor setting in some place like Red Mountain, Big White or Mount Washington on Vancouver Island.
10
Maple Bay is where my B-I-L lived for years, it is quaint and cute but very quiet, I don't think in all the times I visited there, that I ever saw "lively" and I doubt anything will be happening (or even open) there at Christmas. I second Tofino/Uculet for the Island but would search online to see if there is anything at all going on there as well over Christmas.Fernie would be a good place to ski for not nearly as much money as Banff. Kimberley has a good ski hill as well and is a German themed village with a lot of stuff going on in the town. You could check that out online as well, both Kimberley and Fernie are closer to the Alberta/Montana, especially Fernie. Neither is "close" the the coast.
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"Fernie would be a good place to ski for not nearly as much money as Banff."Huh? Fernie is just as expensive, if not more expensive than Banff. I say that having been regularly working and staying in that area for the past 2 years. Gas alone is regularly 10 cents more per liter there, sales taxes are double, there's less competition amongst hotels, lift tickets cost the same/more, etc. It's a great town, but it's expensive.
Kimberley is cheaper, but much more of a family-based destination (especially at Christmas). Not the best place for a couple looking for a lively Christmas & NYE.
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Yeah...I concur with tch7...I persoanlly hate Kimberley. Fernie is not the most inviting town...they love their local status lol. Revelstoke, Apex are a few I always enjoy14
Fernie and Whistler are the only two resorts I know about in BC that don't do the reciprocal 25% off discount for pass-holders at other mountains. They go together in that sentence!
