All the ways to get from Alberta’s largest city to the Rocky Mountains
- Travelling from one of Canada’s largest cities- Calgary to Canada’s second most visited tourist destination- Banff is no easy task. Not to mention the congested parking in the Town of Banff and the National Park makes travelling very stressful at minimum. Notably, this is especially during peak season.
- Note: There is no passenger train service from Calgary to and Banff. Although the Alberta government currently has plans.
Option 1: Intercity Bus
- Travel time: ~1.5-2 hours
- Intercity carriers like Flixbus, On-it, Rider Express all offer frequent, direct, daily service from Downtown Calgary to Banff. Unfortunately, Calgary does not have a central bus terminal. Board and depart the intercity buses from the following locations:
- Flixbus
- Calgary – Downtown – 11 Ave SE (between Centre St S & 1st St SE), in parking lot
- Banff, 135 Beaver St
- On–it
- Calgary – Downtown – 606 5 Ave SW
- Banff – Elk Street Transit Hub (corner of Elk Street & Banff Ave)
- Rider Express
- Banff – 100 Gopher St (Brewster Transportation Centre)
- Flixbus
- Fares: Starting at $19.00 CDN
- Pros: Budget friendly; frequent, multiple daily service options
- Cons: Less frequent
- The gist: A great budget friendly option but be wary of departure times.
Option 2: Shuttle Bus
- Travel time: ~1.5-2 hours
- For a more personalised bus service, consider shuttle bus operators. They are:
- Brewster Express offers custom pick up and drop off starting from Calgary International Airport (YYC), and several hotels within downtown Calgary. In Banff, Brewster stops at all hotels and the Brewster Transportation Centre.
- Banff Airporter offers direct service from YYC (no downtown Calgary option) and stops at all hotels and home addresses in Banff.
- Banff Explorer offers direct service from YYC (no downtown Calgary option) and stops at all hotels and home addresses in Banff.
- Fares: Starting at $80.00 CDN
- Pros: Door-to-door service, direct service, request specific stops like hotels
- Cons: More expensive than intercity bus
- The gist: A great, direct option but most expensive given the custom pick-up and drop-off options.
Option 3: Charter Bus
- Travel time: ~1.5-2 hours
- Travelling in a large group from Calgary to Banff? With this in mind, Banff Airport Shuttle and Sun Dog Tours offer charter bus services for larger groups. All in all, this a great option for groups with luggage.
- Fares: Starting at $350 for a group of four.
- Pros: Good for groups
- Cons: Very expensive
- The gist: Good for large groups who don’t want to rent a car.
Option 4: Drive
- Travel time: ~1.5-2 hours
- Depart from the YYC Airport by taking the Airport Trail and heading on Highway 2 (Deerfoot Trail). Shortly after, head west on Highway 201 (Stoney Trail). Continue on this ring road in a counter clockwise direction until the interchange with Highway 1 (Trans Canada Highway). As a result, this route avoids the traffic of downtown Calgary.
- Hence, depart from downtown via Bow Trail westbound. Followed by turning right at Sarcee Trail. Then, at the interchange, head westbound on Highway 1 (Trans Canada Highway).
- Continue on Highway 1 westbound driving through rolling plains and enjoy the dramatic change in scenery as the plains give way to the Rockies. Be sure to purchase Parks Canada pass at the park gate if needed (right on the highway). Then, take Exit 69 (Banff Avenue) and continue into downtown Banff. Keep in mind parking can be a challenge and usually fills up by 10 a.m. With this in mind, consider parking just outside of downtown by the train station or across the Bow River.
- Pros: Fastest, direct
- Cons: Traffic and parking in Banff can be very challenging especially at peak season.
- The gist: All in all, driving is fast & convenient but traffic in Banff and parking can become a pain.
