For information, please visit the official websites from the government of Canada
Please note that organizers can provide a letter to support your visa application, but we cannot assist with the process in any way. Check visa requirements and wait times before making any travel plans.
If you require an invitation letter to support your visa application, please send an email to Prof. Alexander Penin (penin@ualberta.ca, with copy to llwi@ualberta.ca) including your address, your home institution, your position there, and the title of your talk.
If you are traveling from abroad, the easiest way to get to the Chateau Lake Louise is to fly to the Calgary International Airport (YYC), and then take a shuttle to the venue. YYC is one of Western Canada's main airports with regular daily flights to some European cities as well as most major North American destinations.
Lake Louise is approximately 2-3 hours drive from the airport. Two companies operate a shuttle bus service from the airport to the Chateau Lake Louise.
Brewster Express - 4 departures each day
Mountain Park Transportation - 3 departures each day
When booking please check that the bus will go to Chateau Lake Louise and not just Lake Louise village. The Chateau is a 10-15 minute drive uphill from the village. Most bus operators do go to the Chateau but it never hurts to confirm this.
Please look at the shuttle schedule before booking your flights, and budget for possible delays due to weather. For late arrivals and morning departures you might want to consider adding an extra night in Calgary. Alternatively, you might have to book a cab to get to/from the airport.
The airport is served by all major car rental companies. However, please note that the parking rates for guests registered as LLWI participants is $30 per day (self-parking).
Lake Louise is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Calgary. Winter driving conditions from Calgary to Lake Louise are generally very good unless it is actually snowing at the time. Tire chains are not required.
If you are driving along the Trans-Canada Highway from British Columbia, you should be aware that there are at least two mountain passes (Rogers Pass and the Kicking Horse Pass) that may be closed in bad weather.
Lake Louise is located inside the Banff National Park. Visitors are required to buy a pass to enter and use the parks. This is not included with your stay at the hotel nor in the shuttle fee. You can buy the pass online or upon arrival at the Calgary airport. In previous years we have gotten the question on the likelihood of someone checking that you have a pass. While I don't know the answer to that, I can say that the pass for the week is about $75 CAD, so probably not worth the risk.