Transportation Tips

Getting to Banff From Calgary Airport

The main way to get to Banff and the rest of the Rockies is to fly into Calgary. It is much closer to the Rockies than Vancouver. We highly recommend renting a car in this area. However, if you do not have a care there is also a great shuttle service form Calgary airport you can use that is very reasonably priced at $45 CAD per person.

If you do end up renting a car I would recommend picking up and dropping off at the Calgary airport YYC. I always compare both Booking.com car rates as well as Expedia’s rates to make sure I am getting the best deal. If you elect to bus and change your mind there are also rentals available in Banff itself. Any time of year except for summer, I would highly recommend paying that little bit extra and getting a car with All Wheel Drive or 4×4. This is particularly important if you plan on driving the Icefields parkway towards Jasper. We saw several accidents when we visited. Stay safe and drive according to the conditions!

Banff Without a Car

Banff is absolutely fine to visit without a car it just requires a bit of planning. You can use the Roam bus system to get around. The Roam service can take you to to all attractions within the Town of Banff, as well as all major attractions in the Park such as: Town of Canmore, Banff Gondola and Upper Hot Springs, Bow Falls and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Lake Minnewanka, Cave & Basin National Historic Site, Lake Louise and even Johnston Canyon.

Banff Tours

If you are not driving and would rather not brave the busses and the weather there are some fabulous tours in the area that will take care of everything for you.

This Banff full day tour picks you up takes you to Johnston Canyon and all the pretty lakes including Lake Louise and Minnewanka. This could be a great way to see a ton if you have limited time. I will link some of the notable tours.