Stay in Canmore or Banff?? … a totally biased opinion
We own a rental condo in Canmore and therefore we suggest you stay in Canmore vs Banff… but, there are legitimate reasons. Canmore is a beautiful mountain town just outside the gates of Banff National Park. It has many restaurants, grocery stores and shops. There are also some worthy trails right in the town.

There are several trails that start just 5 minutes from our condo and are a nice way to spend an afternoon. Many are not very difficult but the view is breath-taking!

I do suggest you visit the town of Banff but it’s unlikely that you would spend your entire vacation just in the town limits. The Canadian Rocky Mountains have so much more than just Banff to offer including the Kananaskis area, Columbia Ice Fields, Jasper, Lake Moraine, Lake Peyto, Lake Louise and many, many, more. It’s likely that you are going to be driving around during your vacation as the area is vast – there is a highway that runs right through the area and it is well kept.
So why not stay in Canmore where the condos are newer and offer more updated amenities for your money?