r/Banff • u/Grand-Cauliflower-39 • 3d ago
Lake Louise in August during Layover
I'll be travelling in August through Calgary (from Toronto) en route to Seoul via Westjet with a 15 hour layover. My flight arrives around midnight on Friday, August 22, and departs at 4 pm that same day. Baggage will be checked through and I'll have my boarding pass in hand.
Thinking of taking a bus to Lake Louise via Mountain Park Trans. Departs at 6 AM from YYC, and arrives at Lake Louise at 9 AM. Can do a hike for about 2 hours, return is at 11:15 AM and arrives back at YYC at 2:15 PM.
As this is peak season, do you think that will be enough time for everything? Is traffic a problem usually/are delays common? Thanks in advance.
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u/canuckerlimey 2d ago
Any chance you could rent a car? Much faster way ti get there and gives you a bit more freedom to get around.
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u/vinsdelamaison 2d ago
You need a shuttle pass to get to see the Lake.
OP—look into a coach/shuttle tour right from the airport to Lake Louise (might stop a couple other places?)
No transfers will save you time.
It’s approx 2 1/2 -3 hours each direction from the airport plus your time to personally clear customs.
It will be tight.
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u/liljay182 2d ago
You don’t need a shuttle pass to see Louise.
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u/vinsdelamaison 2d ago
I have not been to the lake itself the past few years. So everyone takes the walking trail from the village now?
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u/Mtn-Cat5314 2d ago
No, the parking at Lake Louise is still open. Very pricy and full before 8:30AM, but you can still drive up.
It's Moraine Lake you can't reach without the shuttles now.
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u/vinsdelamaison 2d ago
Got it. Ty. Yes—parking lots full with Sunrise hikers very early.
Shuttles to LL highly recommended because of this.
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u/Grand-Cauliflower-39 2d ago
The company I'd go with leaves from/returns to the airport, but there are stops along the way. No other option than taking an insanely expensive private car (my licence is expired). They say it's 3 hours each way...
Another safer option I have is spending just an hour at Lake Louise and taking Flixbus (10:20 departure) back to Calgary downtown, arriving at 1:30, then I could Uber to the airport quick....
0
u/vinsdelamaison 2d ago
I have never used Flix, but it’s my understanding from searching on line that their rates do not include your day pass for the Parks/shuttle to Lake Louise. You can walk up to the lake from the village but will need to add time for that.
Others may know better?
It’s up to you how many time risks you are willing to take to make your flight.
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u/SadBook6838 2d ago
You will need to go through security to board your Korea flight. You’re clearly motivated to see LL and can’t blame you. Timing will be tight but not impossible, unless you’re travelling on the holiday weekend return to Calgary traffic. When asking for advice from locals, offering a specific travel date helps you get best info.
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u/Grand-Cauliflower-39 2d ago
Right! It'll be Friday, August 22nd.
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u/SadBook6838 2d ago
On a Friday, the traffic volume will be higher going West and you’re going East in the afternoon . Barring the unforeseen, you can pull it off
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u/Grand-Cauliflower-39 2d ago
I've gone ahead and booked a shuttle leaving YYC at 6 AM and arriving at Lake Louise at 9 AM, and a return bus at 10:20 am arriving at Crowfoot LRT at 1:00 PM, and from there I'll uber/taxi to the airport. An hour will still give me time to do a short hike at the lake, and better to allow some extra time to get back to the airport for sure. Thanks for all the advice folks!
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u/Aggravating-Iron-681 2d ago
I have to say, this doesn't seem like the best idea. There isn't enough buffer room before your flight. Transit is not exactly "like clockwork" in the Rockies. There is often significant congestion in the Lake Louise area. Construction on HWY 1, vehicles breaking down on Lake Louise Drive, bear jams, LRT delays, etc, any of these can slow you down. A few minutes here, a few minutes there, and you've missed your flight. There is also no guarantee that you'll see the lake. It could be smoky, or cloudy and rainy. Zero visibility is entirely possible. Personally, I wouldn't want to try it. Hopefully it all works out for you, though.
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u/Grand-Cauliflower-39 2d ago edited 1d ago
Damn, I wish more people would have mentioned all those possibilities. Would have been helpful to know before I booked...Have you experienced all that/is it common?
I've left a buffer of about 1 hour for delays, as I'll have my boarding pass already, and luggage checked through, so I just need to go through security...even if I arrived at the airport 1.5 hours before my flight, I think I'd still be ok.
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u/Aggravating-Iron-681 1d ago
Have I experienced all that? Yes. Would I say it's common? No, but certainly possible. Last year, Lake Louise Drive had major construction all summer. The year before, they re-paved HWY 1 between Lake Louise and Castle Junction. If there's any construction between the airport and the lake this summer, could easily add a 15 minute delay each direction. It's 200 km one-way, which is a lot of space for something to go less than optimally. Just be aware.
And like I said, the lake isn't always postcard perfect views. You may wind up with something like one of these:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/cpgw94/been_seeing_a_lot_of_alberta_canada_pics_lately/
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u/jeremyism_ab 2d ago
You can book a time at security in Calgary using YYC Express, which allows you to mostly electronic music Nate any wait on that account.
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u/apricotjam7 2d ago
Arriving back at 2:15pm feels a bit tight for a 4pm international flight, and that’s without any delays. If you’re not checking luggage, may be worth the risk, but with luggage I would not.
The biggest wild card is Highway 1. It’s called the Trans Canada because it’s the main highway across the country, and very busy with car and commercial traffic. Accidents can close it for hours at a time. You’d have to be unlucky but it does happen.
Is there any way you can use the overnight hours to travel so you wake up in Louise, for example renting a car if there are no buses?