A Banff vacation is getting more expensive as the cost of everything rises

While hundreds of people line up to renew their passports so they can travel outside the country, it’s not much easier on your wallet to stay closer to home.

It’s relatively expensive for Albertans and other Canadians to travel anywhere for a vacation this spring and summer, and that’s especially true if you want to go to Banff for an overnight trip.

Banff is already a busy vacation spot and can be pricey at the best of times. When it comes to hotels, there are several fancy locations along the main drag, and the Fairmont requires you to splurge a pretty penny to stay there.

Booking a stay in Banff on any weekend in the summer will have you spending at least a few hundred dollars a night. And even before you get there, you’ll have to shell out for a park pass, which will run any couple or family $20 a day.

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This doesn’t include spending money on gas, the price of which continues to rise, or trying to find an increasingly rare and expensive rental car.

Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno says the town is still trying to attract more workers to local hotels, which is why availability might be low. However, DiManno notes, despite high costs, people are still flocking to the mountains.

“It’s exciting to see folks walking around and just enjoying being surrounded by mountains once again,” she said.

DiManno adds the town closes part of its main street to traffic.

“We also encourage folks, once they are here, to get our of their vehicle, because that’s the best way to explore Banff and Banff National Park,” she explained, adding it is easy to ditch your car once you arrive in the community.

Let us do the driving!

Explore Banff National Park car free this summer.

For more information on transit please visit: https://t.co/jLsgVRLOTS pic.twitter.com/nSSJQqavlb

— Banff National Park (@BanffNP) May 18, 2022

“Nature is all around us, and we have many paved trails around the river. We have hiking trails, we have access to the water on the river so you can paddle or kayak or canoe.”

If you want to avoid spending money on a hotel, a day trip could be an option for you, as Banff is a short drive away from Calgary.