Ski Season is Almost Here

It’s an exciting time for skiing in Jasper. In less than 2 weeks the local ski resort, Marmot Basin, is planning to open for the 2009/10 ski season. The tentative opening day is November 11th, and the start of the season will be more eventful than usual thanks to the brand new high speed quad chairlift.
The Canadian Rockies Express will be the longest high speed detachable quad in the Alberta Rockies and will transport skiers and riders from the base of the mountain to the area at top of the Paradise Chair in less than 8 minutes.
The slopes and lifts at Marmot basin were already uncrowded, and the addition of the new lift will mean even more time spent skiing and snowboarding than before.
According to their snow report, on October 29th there’s already 32cm of snow at mid mountain and 50cm in the upper mountain.
Excellent!

Jasper Ski Holidays from the UK

There’s no doubt that Jasper is a superb destination for a ski holiday and UK skiers have been travelling here for many years, attracted by the uncrowded slopes, the excellent Canadian Rockies snow conditions, and the warm hospitality found throughout the area. Most ski holidays to Canada from the UK are organized by the many UK tour operators, who sell packages to all the major Canadian ski resorts, including Jasper.
While the package holiday certainly seems to be the easiest option, is it the most cost effective? To find the answer we compared the cost of some packages offered by UK tour operators with the cost of organizing an equivalent trip independently.
We based our research on an 11 day holiday for 2 people departing on March 13th 2010, flying between London and Calgary. We also looked at 3 different price points – a charter flight combined with a mid range hotel, a scheduled flight combined with a luxury hotel, and a charter flight combined with a luxury hotel.
Here is what we found:

Charter Flight & Mid Range Hotel

The best direct deal on a charter we could find was with Canadian Affair, where a Monarch flight from London Gatwick was available for £403.20 per person.
For accommodation we chose the Astoria Hotel, and were quoted a total of $1520.70 CAD for the 11 night stay.
Using today’s tourist exchange rate of £1.00 = $1.71 CAD, the total price for this combination booked independently was £1695.70 for 2 people, not including airport transfers.
Inghams are now the only major UK ski tour operator using charter flights into Calgary. Their holiday included a Monarch charter flight from London Gatwick, an 11 night stay at the Astoria Hotel, and airport transfers between Calgary and Jasper for a total of £1325.00 for 2 people, a saving of £370.70 compared to the independent trip.
We also did the same comparison but including 10 day lift passes.
The Astoria Hotel was able to package together the 11 night stay with 2 x 10 day passes for a total of $1864.48 CAD, making the total price of the direct deal £1896.74 for 2 people.
The Inghams price including 2 x 10 day lift passes was £1915.00 for 2 people, which is £18.26 more expensive than the direct deal.
A third option we looked at was a package provided by a tour operator based in the Canadian Rockies. Ski Holidays Canada quoted an 11 night stay at the Whistler’s Inn including 2 x 10 day ski passes and a free ski shuttle (valued at $14 per person per day) for $1699. Adding the Monarch flights for £403pp brings the cost of this package to a competitive £1799.56 for 2 people. Airport transfers are not included in this package, however car hire can be organized through the same company, costing $423 (£247.37) for 11 days full size car with unlimited mileage.

Scheduled Flight & Luxury Hotel

The best direct deal we found for a scheduled flight was with British Airways, which came in at £592.90 per person return from London Heathrow.
For an 11 night stay at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, we were quoted a total of $2732.22 CAD. The total for this combination of flights and accommodation is £2783.59 for 2 people, not including airport transfers.
With the tour operator Crystal Ski we found the same holiday including airport transfers between Calgary and Jasper for £2229.68 for 2 people, a saving of £553.91 compared to the independent option.
Including passes, it just so happens that the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is offering 2 x free 10 day passes with an 11 night stay, as part of their remarkable Ski for Free Package, so the total independent holiday cost remains at £2783.59.
Crystal are selling 10 day passes on their website for £231 pp, bringing the total cost of the Crystal holiday to £2661.68, which is still cheaper than the direct deal by £121.91.

Charter Flight & Luxury Hotel

Combining the Monarch flights with the direct deal at the Jasper Park Lodge above including ski passes, gives us a total of £2404.19 for 2 people for an independent package, not including airport transfers.
Inghams price for the same package, but including airport transfers, was £2636 for 2 people.
Ski Holidays Canada were able to offer the same package including flights, accommodation at the Jasper Park Lodge and 10 day ski passes for £2384.36 for 2 people. Adding the optional extra car hire for £247.37 brings this total to £2631.37, beating the Inghams package price.

Conclusion

In most cases the ski holidays booked through the UK tour operators are cheaper than trying to book the same holiday independently, over 20% cheaper in some instances. That price difference is reduced when you include lift passes, thanks to the competitive ski packages offered locally by Jasper hotels. It’s important to note that the independently booked holidays do not include airport transfers between Calgary and Jasper, and due to the limited scheduled shuttle service in the winter, most independent travellers would be forced to either rent a car, or pay the considerable cost for a private transfer. Alternatively you could find a hotel in Calgary for the night and then take the scheduled shuttle the following day.
Taking the price differences and the airport transfers into consideration, it seems that the most convenient and most economical way to come to Jasper on a ski holiday from the UK is to book a package holiday. However for the more independent traveller, using a locally based tour operator can help keep the cost down while also providing a more tailor made Jasper ski holiday.

*The information contained in this article was correct at the time of writing, but can change at any time. To confirm current prices and packages, please contact the respective tour operators, hotels, and airlines directly.
While we have made every effort to display accurate information, we cannot be held responsible for any discrepancies which may occur.

Jasper Park Lodge at Christmas

There is no doubt that the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is a magical place to be during the Christmas and New Year holidays, in no small part due to the wonderful events taking place at the hotel throughout the holiday period. The staff at JasperHotels.com have had a good look at the Festival of Christmas brochure put together by the Jasper Park Lodge, and we’d like to share of our favorite activities from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day.

Christmas Eve, December 24

To jump into the Christmas spirit straight after breakfast, we like the idea of Santa’s Stocking Workshop from 9.30-11am, which we are sure will be a hit with the kids. The Wagon Ride sounds like fun and is running at various times throughout the day, and needs to be booked ahead of time. We’d probably take the 2pm slot, so that we’re back in time for Skating with the Elves which runs from 3-5pm, on Lake Mildred. The Manager’s Yuletide Reception sounds festive and takes place from 4.30-6pm, leaving time for dinner before joining in with Caroling by the Fire from 8.30-9.30pm.

Christmas Day, December 25

After spending a relaxing Christmas morning opening gifts, we thought Christmas Cookie Baking would be a fun activity from 3-4.30pm, and Family Games Night from 5-9pm would be a chance for the kids to interact and swap stories about their favorite Christmas gifts, while the adults take a deserved break. Once again Caroling by the Fire from 7-8pm promises to be a festive round-off to a fun-filled Christmas Day.

Boxing Day, December 26

As soon as we saw Chocolate Tasting on the schedule, we started to lick our lips and we’re sure that will be a popular activity from 4-5pm. If you haven’t taken a Wagon Ride yet, then Boxing Day evening is as good a time as any, at either 7pm or 8pm. Who can say no to a sing-song? We certainly can’t which is why we like the idea of Family Karaoke from 8-11pm.

In addition to our picks above, there are many other special events taking place at the Jasper Park Lodge throughout the holiday period. For full details, visit the Jasper Park Lodge website and download the Festival of Christmas brochure.
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is also offering a 3 night Festival Of Christmas Package which includes accommodation, many of the holiday activities, plus a christmas tree and decorations in your room! To find out more, click here.

To make reservations for Christmas events and dining, please call the Jasper Park Lodge directly at 780 852 6052.

New Year in Jasper

New Year’s Eve is a fantastic celebration in all parts of the world, but there is something about being surrounded by snow in the majestic Canadian Rockies that make New Year in Jasper difficult to beat.
If you are planning to visit Jasper for New Years, you will probably want to find a special place to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Depending on where you will be staying some hotels in Jasper offer special New Year packages which include accommodation, and a New Year dinner and party, while others have multiple celebrations to choose from, which can be booked in addition to your room.
As well as the hotel celebrations, many Jasper restaurants will have a special New Year menu on offer, and for a lively New Year party the Atha-B nightclub is bound to be rocking until the early hours.
New Year’s Day may be a day of recovery for many, but for those with some energy in reserve, skiing at Marmot Basin would be a great option, or to continue the indulgence, New Year’s Day brunch at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge would be the perfect way to carry on the party.

Jasper at Christmas

Jasper is a wonderful place to spend the Christmas holidays. The warm hospitality of the town combined with the snow covered mountain peaks, and abundance of winter activities make Jasper Alberta the ideal destination for a Christmas vacation.
The more active visitors will enjoy activities such as skiing & snowboarding or dog sledding, while a more relaxing time can be had on a horse drawn sleigh ride.
Of course, a large part of the Christmas celebration is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself, when most families will want to enjoy a fabulous Christmas dinner in one of Jasper’s hotels or restaurants.
Whatever your plans are, there is no doubt that Christmas in Jasper will be a memorable one for the whole family.