Whistler V Banff

Whistler: Big Mountains and a Lively Ski Village

Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia is a fantastic choice if you want an easy-to-navigate ski holiday with enormous terrain and plenty happening off the slopes.

Whistler and Blackcomb mountains are connected by the famous PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, giving you a huge amount of terrain to explore.

One of Whistler's biggest advantages is convenience. Stay in Whistler Village or nearby and you can walk to lifts, restaurants, shops and après-ski without needing a car.

Whistler could suit you if you want:

• A huge variety of ski terrain

• Ski-in/ski-out or convenient village accommodation

• A lively après-ski atmosphere

• Plenty of restaurants and shopping

• A resort that works well for families and mixed-ability groups

• Easy access from Vancouver

• Everything conveniently located in one destination

Banff: Spectacular Scenery and Three Ski Areas

Banff offers a very different Canadian ski experience.

Rather than staying at the base of one enormous ski resort, you stay in the beautiful mountain town of Banff and have access to three ski areas: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise Ski Resort and Mt Norquay.

I've skied this area myself, and one of the things that makes Banff special is the incredible Rocky Mountain scenery. Even getting to the ski areas is part of the experience.

Banff town itself has plenty of restaurants, bars and shops, so there's still lots happening once you've finished skiing for the day.

Banff could suit you if you want:

• Three different ski areas to experience

• Spectacular Canadian Rockies scenery

• A genuine mountain-town atmosphere

• Plenty of variety during a longer ski holiday

• Great skiing for different ability levels

• Restaurants, bars and shopping away from the ski slopes

• The option to combine Banff with Lake Louise and other Canadian destinations

Whistler vs Banff at a Glance

For convenience: WhistlerStay in the village and the lifts, restaurants and shops are right there.

For spectacular scenery: BanffThe Canadian Rockies are hard to beat.

For one enormous interconnected ski area: WhistlerWhistler Blackcomb gives you a huge amount of terrain from one resort.

For variety between ski areas: BanffYou can ski Sunshine, Lake Louise and Mt Norquay during the same holiday.

For après-ski: BothWhistler has a lively purpose-built ski village, while Banff offers the atmosphere of a real mountain town.

For families: BothThe better choice depends on your children's ages, skiing ability, accommodation preferences and how you like to holiday.

For first-time visitors to Canada: Both are excellentThis is where I’d look at what you want from the whole holiday, rather than choosing purely on ski statistics.

Getting There from Australia

For Whistler, Australian travellers generally fly into Vancouver and then travel by road to Whistler.

For Banff, the usual gateway is Calgary, followed by a road transfer into the Canadian Rockies.

Depending on your itinerary, we can also look at combining your ski holiday with time elsewhere in Canada.

So, Which Would I Choose?

This is the question everyone wants answered!

If you love the idea of a large ski resort where you can stay close to the lifts and have everything within easy reach, I'd lean towards Whistler.

If you're dreaming about dramatic Rocky Mountain scenery, a traditional mountain town and skiing several different resorts, I'd lean towards Banff.

But there isn't one answer that suits everybody.

Your skiing ability, who you're travelling with, accommodation preferences, budget, travel dates and what you enjoy away from the slopes can all change my recommendation.

And sometimes the answer is very simple...

Do both.

Planning Your Canadian Ski Holiday

At Let’s Travel Jindabyne, I specialise in personalised ski holidays and have first-hand experience skiing in both Whistler and the Banff region.

I can help you compare the resorts and put together your complete Canadian ski holiday, including flights, accommodation, lift passes, transfers and travel insurance.

If you're trying to decide between Whistler and Banff, get in touch with me and we'll work out which one is right for you.

Cathy Burns Let’s Travel Jindabyne