Reply To: helpful tips about coming to fernie

[seasonsgreetings]

I find it a bit odd that you would want to move to a place you have never visited, but most people do love it here so good luck! The earlier you come the better, summer is amazing here, try and come in late June/early July for a great summer experience, plenty of jobs at that time of year and you’ll find accommodation easily then. If you are staying permanently you’ll get a better deal if you go for year-round accommodation.
Fall is beautiful and there’s been tons of wildlife around this year. There’s plenty of accommodation in September, but you’ll be competing against a lot of people who are “prospecting” so you’ll find it harder to bargain. A lot of folk who are planning to come for the winter start their email campaigns then, so it’s just a bit tougher to get noticed, just ask around with people who are already here, don’t commit to anything until you have compared it to other places and don’t feel like you have to take something because it’s all you can find – there’s always other stuff out there. People in Fernie are pretty relaxed about advertising, a lot of stuff is word of mouth so you need to be prepared to put in the legwork and make some friends.
I’ve never done the drive across country, but definately post on all the Fernie sites and http://www.fernierideboard.com if you are driving across as there’s always people looking to get over here and you’ll save yourself a ton if you’ve got someone sharing gas money. That said, as a single person you DO NOT need a car in Fernie. I’ve lived here 6 years and only owned a car for 6 months of that time, I sold it because I found I didn’t need it. Everything is within walking or riding distance and there’s a shuttle bus or easy hitching to the hill in winter. Help us save our beautiful valley and leave your car in the polluted East. On the other hand, if you can’t live without KFC, Winners, and strip bars then you’ll need a car to get you out of town once a month – although even Cranbrook and Cowtown are do-able by bus or ride-share.