Your Booking Pack
Starting in Banff
The Coyote Trip is the all-encompassing, flexible trip for adventurers seeking to discover the real Canada, showing you the very best parts – including cultural, historical and adrenaline-inducing attractions, jaw dropping scenery, and mind-blowing nightlife! Over the next few weeks, it is our goal to show you a side of Canada that you’ll remember for the rest of your lives.
Joining your tour in Banff?
Meeting Point:
Meet in the lobby of the HI Banff Alpine Centre at 8pm on Day 1 of your trip for a pre-departure meeting. Here, you will meet your Adventure Leader and the rest of your group, where you’ll find out what your trip has in store! If you are going to be late to the pre-departure briefing, please inform us of this ahead of time by emailing our Ops team on trips@thecoyotetrip.com.
Your hostel’s address:
HI Banff Alpine Centre
801 Hidden Ridge Way
Banff, AB, Canada
T1L 1B3
Phone Number: +1 403 762 4122 / +1 866 762 4122
If you have booked a room upgrade, you will still be staying at the HI Banff Alpine Centre.
How to get to your hostel:
The closest airport to Banf is Calgary International Airport (YYC), approximately 150km and 1.5 hours away. We recommend booking an airport transfer service with us that will pick you up from Calgary Airport and drop you off directly at the hostel in Banff. If you would like to book an airport transfer then please email info@thecoyotetrip.com.
Insurance
Don’t forget your insurance! It’s compulsory to have travel insurance on our trip.
Please bring details of your travel insurance along with you to the pre-departure briefing. In the event of an accident, we may need to contact your insurance company on your behalf, so we will need the insurance company’s name and phone number as well as your policy number.
Please make sure your insurance offers ‘Bad Weather or Natural Disaster Coverage’.
Please fill out our online emergency contact and insurance form: https://www.wjx.cn/vj/hBmmJzh.aspx
Don’t forget your passport!
Have you sent us your passport details?
The Coyote Trip needs your passport copy to book accommodation and transport tickets in advance of your trip.
Please ensure that your passport is valid for six months of onward travel with a spare page for every country you plan on visiting (all those stamps). If you need a new passport, make sure you send us your new passport details as soon as possible or you may experience some difficulties whilst on tour.
Do I need a visa?
A number of countries are visa-exempt, and travellers from these regions only need to apply for an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) before travelling to Canada. You can find out whether your country is eligible here. If your country is not on the list of eTA exemptions, you will need to apply for a visa for travel into Canada. You can find the full list of countries which require a visa here.
You can find out what your individual requirements are on the Canadian Government website here.
Keep in Touch!
We want to hear all about your amazing travels across Canada.
Whether you’re on the tour or reliving your amazing experiences, be sure to use the hashtag #thecoyotetrip to join in with our amazing community of fellow Coyotes.
In addition, if you tag our profile in your photo with the handle @thecoyotetrip, we might just feature it! We love to see all the fun you get up to on your adventures.
Lastly: if you don’t want to have your photos appear on our social platforms, please do email us to let us know.
Meeting Your Fellow Coyotes
Part of the joy of group travel is making new friends – and we want to help make that as easy as possible. For every trip, we create a WhatsApp group in advance, where you can meet and chat to your fellow Coyotes. By the time you touch down in Canada, you’ll be firm friends!
Our Ultimate Packing Checklist
On all of our trips, you will be required to carry your own bags – so pack light! Canada has tonnes of markets and shops in case you forget something, and you can always borrow from others in your group – after all, that’s what friends are for! In terms of luggage: a suitcase is OK, but a backpack/hold-all is much, much more convenient.
- Passport (with a copy of the photo page)
- Details of your insurance policy
- Student card (if you have one)
- Photocopies of all of the above – just in case!
- Your credit/debit card (be careful of high fees when withdrawing cash or using your card overseas. In addition, make sure your bank knows you will be travelling, so they don’t block your card!)
- Currency (Canadian Dollars)
- Flip-flops
- Sensible walking shoes. These don’t need to be specifically hiking boots, unless you plan on completing more challenging trails by yourself. However, if you’re travelling when the weather might be wetter or colder, you may want to consider them.
- T-shirts
- A hat, for the sun and the rain! You may also want to bring a beanie, as it can get colder in the higher altitudes – even in the summer. (For the same reason, you may also want to bring gloves.)
- Shorts/skirts
- A couple of jumpers – you might need layers!
- Swimming costume
- Lightweight waterproof
- Towel
- Washbag
- Sunscreen and aftersun
- Camera and charger – Canada is a photographer’s dream!
- A big bag and a small rucksack. We sometimes get separated from our big bags, so you’ll need to keep your valuables with you in a small bag.
FAQ’s
DO I NEED TO BRING POWER ADAPTORS?
Yes – these are available to buy in airports or various stores before you arrive, or you can buy them very easily online. Canada uses Type A and B power adaptors as standard.
DO I NEED TO BRING A SLEEPING BAG OR IS LINEN PROVIDED IN THE HOSTELS?
All bedding is provided by the hostels, and in many locations, you are not allowed to use your own sleeping bag due to the possibility of bringing in bed bugs.
WHO LOOKS AFTER OUR BAGS WHEN WE ARE ON TRANSPORT AND/OR DAY EXCURSIONS?
Your bags will be stored in your room at the hostel, in the hostel luggage storage area or, on travel days, in the transport ‘checked luggage’ area. We recommend bringing your own lock as many hostels have lockers to secure your bags and valuables.
CAN I BRING LOADS OF STUFF?
We strongly recommend packing very light for The Coyote Trip, as you’ll be moving around a lot while touring. The cities all have places you can wash your clothes and you can easily pick up supplies if you need them.
WILL MY PHONE WORK?
Yes! You may well have free calls and data, but this depends on your mobile provider and plan. If not, many phone networks allow you to purchase an upgrade for travelling, or you can just use Wi-Fi in the hostels.
Top Tips from The Coyote Trip
Try saying that tongue twister really fast.
On the weather:
- Expect to encounter all kinds of weather on your trip, from hot, sunny days to near freezing temperatures and snow in some higher altitude locations, even during the summer. Pack layers. Welcome to Canada!
Travelling sustainably:
- Packing as light as possible keeps your carbon footprint low. We recommend 10-15kg, especially as you are expected to carry your own luggage.
- Use local laundry services to reduce the amount of clothes you need to carry. All hostels have laundry facilities that are available for guest use, and there are local ‘laundromats’ in most communities we visit.
- Pack a reusable water bottle and coffee/tea travel mug. This reduces your need for single use plastics and disposable paper cups on tour. You can drink tap water everywhere in Canada, except where specifically indicated otherwise – for example, in some remote areas.
Staying connected:
- Your Adventure Leader will invite you to a WhatsApp group chat to keep in touch with you and the rest of your group.
- Maps.me: This is a great app to stop yourself from getting lost! You can download it to your phone for free. We recommend downloading many maps for the different cities and towns you will visit in Canada before your trip and using these maps later when you don’t have Wi-Fi.
- Bring electronic products at your own risk. Some customers choose to travel with smartphones, tablets and laptops, but although theft is rare on The Coyote Trip there is petty crime in some areas we visit.
- Download the Uber app to book and pay for taxis online. Note that it’s not available in all locations in Canada, but your Adventure Leader will recommend other similar apps for specific locations.
Food & Drink:
- There will be lots of great nights out on The Coyote Trip, but please remember to always drink within your limits. Never journey home by yourself at night, and never leave another person in the group alone. Always follow the legal drinking age limit, which is 19 in the province of British Columbia and 18 in Alberta.
- The food in Canada is really varied, as it’s home to a huge diversity of cultures from around the world. Your Adventure Leader will also recommend some uniquely Canadian specialities!
- Always be sure to inform your Adventure Leader if you have any allergies, so that they can help you pick safely.
- HappyCow: If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this app will provide you with great local recommendations.
Pack respect for others:
- You may meet many people from lots of different backgrounds and cultures on this trip. You may have different opinions or ways of doing things. Treat everyone how you wish to be treated and remember to work together as a group.
- Always try to arrive a couple of minutes early to check outs or departure times. Being late may mean missing transport connections, and you don’t want to delay the whole group.
Navigating a new culture:
- Be respectful of local culture and avoid talking politics with strangers, as this can be a divisive issue with polarised opinions on both sides.
Tipping policy:
- Tipping in bars and restaurants is certainly expected and not tipping when you eat will be seen as rude. 15%-20% for food and a dollar a drink is a decent rule of thumb but feel free to be more generous if you receive very good service!
- Tipping in Canada is common-place, so please feel free to tip your guides if you feel that their service was good. You are not obligated to do so, but if you would like to then go ahead!
In case of Emergencies
No matter where you are or what you do, safety always comes first. We conduct our own health and safety checks but sometimes things happen that our out of our control.
Emergency services numbers are listed below:
Canada: 911
To contact our staff:
Email: trips@thecoyotetrip.com
Emergency number: +1 202 771 2944
Contact Us
Any questions or feedback? Contact our London Team: info@thecoyotetrip.com
(Please note that this email is only monitored in working hours, from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 17:30 UK time)
To read our full terms & conditions, click here.