Sunday, July 15, 2007

During our online chat (most Mondays at 2 p.m.), you ask and we answer your travel questions -- mostly. Here's one we couldn't answer last week.

I'm planning a ski trip to Canada and am torn between Whistler and Banff. Can you help?

Banff in Alberta comprises three ski areas (Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Ski Norquay), and you will have to venture into the nearby towns of Banff and Lake Louise for apres-ski entertainment. Sunshine Village's Sunshine Inn offers ski-in/ski-out lodging, but most likely you'll overnight in town and drive to the slopes. Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia is two mountains connected by a pedestrian village, so its diversions and amenities are never far from the slopes. If you are sensitive to cold, though, choose Whistler, whose proximity to the Pacific Ocean keeps the frigid temperatures in check. Info: Banff, 877-754-7080, http://www.skibig3.com; Whistler, 800-944-7853, http://www.whistler.com.