Canmore in 24 hours by bus
Canmore is Banff's more cosmopolitan and more functional brother. It is closer to Calgary than Banff and has larger places to shop for food and more affordable lodging. As well, you do not need a park pass to enter.
To visit this town on your own, it is best to take a car. For small groups of people, the Greyhound bus is very practical but will involve walking. Greyhound offers very reasonable bus tickets and have several buses to and from Canmore every day. The downside is that they do not have an indoor bus station so waiting for a bus in winter can be an extraordinarily cold procedure. Bring warm clothes!
Post arrival, pre-outing snack should include a trip to Rocky Mountain Bagel Co.. They have great bagels and cream cheese. If you are traveling in a group, it would definitely be worth getting 1/2 dozen bagels and a flavoured cream cheese for nice, yet affordable, trail snacking later!
A winter trip to Canmore should include a trip to the Nordic Centre which has miles of groomed cross country ski trails and a massive day lodge open to visitors. Getting to the lodge can be a bit tricky on foot. It is a very long walk (40 min) from the bus stop and town centre so it is probably best to order a taxi which should cost about 10 dollars each way. If your group is driving, it is a breeze. The well signed route and big entrance make the Nordic Centre easy to find on a hectic day. At the lodge there is a ski shop that rents skis and offers lessons. Once you rent skis, you need to purchase a trail pass from the park office in the lodge. There are lockers and plenty of spots to sit. The ski lodge closes early evening. Be warned that if your are doing some night skiing, which is incredibly beautiful, you will need to take all your goods with you! The ski shop however is open reasonably late but check the hours. The views of the mountains during winter from the Nordic Centre are stunning.
Dinner options are very flexible in Canmore. If you are a budget traveler, there is a large Save-on-Foods about 12 minutes' walk from the Greyhound bus stop. They have a Tim Hortons inside with lots of tables to sit and eat. If you prefer to have a sit down meal, I would highly recommend the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.. It has phenomenal pizza cooked in a large wood fired oven at the back of the restaurant. Matthew Hagel says its the best pizza he has ever tasted and he knows pizza! The oven warms you up after a long day.
After grabbing food, you can warm up by sitting in the hot tub at the recreation centre at Elevation Place. This is a shiny new facility with a library, climbing wall, Canmore Art Guild Gallery, and tables. For swimming only, it is $8 for an adult. Your group can gather and rally and just relax before the trip home or before heading to bed.
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https://greyhound.ca/default.aspx
http://www.albertaparks.ca/canmore-nordic-centre.aspx
http://www.albertaparks.ca/media/125446/canmore-nordic-centre-pp-pass-rates.pdf
http://www.thebagel.ca/menu.php
http://elevationplace.ca/our-facility/