Travel Document Requirements –
If you are a U.S. citizen traveling internationally, you will need a passport valid for six months beyond the completion of your Tauck journey for entry into Canada. Click here for more information on the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Patrol website.
On day 2, the tour crosses the U.S. border into the state of Montana; on day 4, the tour crosses back across the border into Canada. On both days, you will pass briefly through a customs checkpoint.
If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not require a visa for the short duration of this tour. Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation. If you are a frequent traveler to Canada from the U.S., you may benefit from the NEXUS program which is a joint initiative between the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency and the Canada Border Services Agency that allows pre-screened and approved travelers faster processing at designated highway lanes in high-volume border crossing locations, at a NEXUS kiosk at several airports, and at certain marine reporting locations in the Great Lakes and Seattle regions. For further information, you may log on to the Nexus Internet site by clicking here.
Prior to your journey, and to facilitate the two border crossings included in your itinerary, we are required to provide the U.S. and Canadian governments with passport information for all Tauck guests crossing the U.S./Canada border. Therefore, your passport information must be provided to our office no less than 60 days before your departure date.
If you are a citizen of another country traveling internationally, you must check with the consulates or embassies of the United States and Canada to determine the entry and exit requirements. Multiple entry visas may be required, as we enter the U.S. on Day 2 for a two-night stay and return to Canada on Day 4.
Anyone with a criminal record (including some misdemeanors such as Driving While Impaired (DWI) charges) may be excluded or removed from Canada, and should contact a Canadian embassy or consulate well in advance of any planned travel to ensure proper travel documentation.
We strongly recommend that your passport be valid for six months beyond the completion of your tour. In addition, we recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, the date of expiration and your citizenship. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.
Travel with Children -
Age Recommendations ― Children 5 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, we have a minimum recommended age for each journey to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.
Babysitting ― Our journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. If you require babysitting services, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer on-site babysitting services; however, babysitting services may not be available at all of our hotels. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.
Safety and Welfare Responsibility ― We welcome the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with us, you release Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.
Special Travel Documentation for Children
Authorization for Travel
If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a notarized note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.
If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (parent deceased, sole custody, etc.), other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, or a death certificate, will be useful.
Many other countries also share this concern for children who travel without both parents. To ensure smooth travel, we require you to comply with the travel regulations of each country visited. This information may be obtained from a country’s consulate or embassy.
Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment
In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents (including other pertinent documents as cited above) authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.
Children who are U.S. citizens must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond the completion of the journey.
We are not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by the improper documentation of any guest, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.
Air Conditioning – The Fairmont Palliser and the motor coaches are air-conditioned for your comfort. The Fairmont Banff Springs has an air-cooling system, which is less robust than an air-conditioning system. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, the Many Glacier Hotel and the Lake McDonald Lodge do not provide air-conditioning.
ATM and Credit Cards – We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing on this tour to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be "suspicious" charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen.
Clothing and Packing – Your journey is designed with leisure in mind. Dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. Generally, during the day, casual, comfortable, cotton clothing is recommended. Cool weather at higher elevations or at night will require warmer, layered clothing. For the welcome and farewell receptions, casual resort wear is appropriate; formal wear is never required.
You will find a hair dryer located in your hotel guest room, except at Many Glacier Lodge and Lake McDonald Lodge. Irons and ironing boards are available upon request. Valet laundry and dry cleaning services are also available for a fee at all the hotels on this itinerary, except for Many Glacier Lodge and Lake McDonald Lodge.
We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor’s prescription (or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you), a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.
Following is a list of recommended items to pack for your trip to the Canadian Rockies:
- Casual daytime wear – shorts, slacks, long and short-sleeved shirts
- An optional jacket for men
- Casually elegant evening wear for ladies
- Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
- Swimwear
- Gym wear
- A light sweater or jacket for higher elevations or a breezy night
- Binoculars
- Insect repellent
- Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and/or plenty of film
- Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
- Hiking boots if you want to hike some of the trails
- Battery-operated travel alarm clock
- Rain poncho and collapsible umbrella
- Zipper-lock bags
- Daypack for camera equipment
- Sundries and toiletries that may be difficult to find en route
- Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling
Elevation – The maximum land elevation on this tour is approximately 7,200 feet (2,195 meters) on the Athabasca Glacier. The maximum overnight elevation is 5,680 feet (1,731 meters) at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Health – To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces. Some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot. The amount of walking you do, however, is at your discretion.
This tour is moderately active and, among many other activities, includes two thirty-minute boat rides and a moderate hike up a gradual incline on the morning of day 3, followed that afternoon by a 3 hour narrated ride in restored 1930s vintage touring buses, and, on day 7, a smooth ride in the Ice Explorer SnoCoach on the Athabasca Glacier and an opportunity to walk on the glacier itself. Other optional physical activities such as golf, biking and mountaineering are available for anyone who wishes and, of course, is able to partake in such sports.
In keeping with the era in which the lodges were built, there are no elevators at the 5-story Many Glacier Lodge, the 3-story Lake McDonald Lodge, or The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge cabins.
Regarding Wheelchairs
If you require a wheelchair while traveling, you must meet the specifications of each of the tour’s suppliers, including the motor coach and SnoCoach. You may bring a collapsible, lightweight wheelchair on tour that weighs less than 100 lbs (45.4 kg), but you must be able to maneuver on and off the coach with limited assistance. We strongly recommend that if you require a wheelchair for travel or have moderate to severe difficulty walking that you bring a companion to assist you. Before you book this tour, you will need to provide us with the exact specifications of the wheelchair, including: size, model, and all components that accompany it to determine its motor coach storage capabilities.
Regarding Oxygen
If you require portable oxygen while traveling, you will be responsible for any maintenance and operation that the tank requires while on tour, and for locating health facilities on the tour route that can perform tank maintenance. If you choose to bring a tank on tour, you will need to provide us the exact specifications of the tank, including size, model, and all components that accompany it prior to booking the tour to determine motor coach storage capabilities. You may inquire about having them filled at a hospital in Banff or Jasper (there is no hospital in Lake Louise), but tank maintenance facilities are limited in the Canadian Rockies.
Seaton General Hospital: Box 310, 518 Robson Street, Jasper, Alberta T0E 1E0.
Phone: (780) 852-3344. Fax: (780) 852-3413
Banff Mineral Springs Hospital: 305 Lynx Street, Banff, Alberta, Canada TIL1H7.
Phone: (403) 760-7214
We regret that we cannot provide you with individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs. If you need such assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion who will help you.
Smoking is not permitted on the motor coaches. Local legislation in Canada varies greatly with respect to smoking; Jasper currently bans smoking in all public places and there is a province-wide ban on smoking in public places in British Columbia.
If you have a medical condition which might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify Tauck as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.
Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.
If you are a resident of the U.S. traveling internationally, no vaccinations are currently required for travel to Canada. For complete vaccination and inoculation information, contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The CDC operates a 24-hour information number at 800-232-4636 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also log on on to the CDC website by clicking here.
If you are a resident of another country traveling internationally, please contact an embassy or consulate of Canada and the U.S. to determine what vaccinations may be required for you to visit.
Luggage Restrictions -
Checked Luggage – General
Space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.
Recently, airlines have adopted policies enforcing strict number, size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.
Many carriers require that checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, we cannot be held liable for the accuracy of the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current number, weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage number, weight and size may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers. You may wish to consult the website, luggagelimits.com, by clicking here.
We cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage number, weight and size policies.
Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home!
Carry-on Luggage - General
Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.
For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or on the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may be inaccessible during daytime travel.