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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

Calgary - **Downtown - 220 4 Ave SE**

**** Banff - 100 Gopher St (Brewster Transportation Centre)

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. There are two:

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? Banff Airport Shuttle and Sun Dog Tours offer charter bus services for larger groups.

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 airport (YYC) 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). This route avoids the traffic of downtown Calgary.

Depart from downtown via Bow Trail westbound. Turn right at Sarcee Trail. 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. Purchase Parks Canada pass at the park gate if needed (right on the highway). Take Exit 69 (Banff Avenue) and continue into downtown Banff. Parking can be a challenge and usually fills up by 10 a.m. 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: Fast & convenient but traffic in Banff and parking can become a pain.

Option 1: VIA (Amtrak) Maple Leaf Train

Travel time: 2 hours

Departing daily at 8:20 in the morning**** from Toronto Union Station and heading directly to Niagara Falls Station arriving at 10:20 this VIA Rail route 97 utilises Amtrak Amfleet equipment (Amtrak crews take over at the border). Just so you are not confused when boarding.

Returning from Niagara Falls at 17:45 and arriving into Toronto Union at 19:43.

Fun fact: This is the only Corridor route with a cafe car.

Fares: Starting at $29.38 (book at least a week in advance to save).

Pros: Fastest train service, cafe car, business class

Cons: Only operates once per day, returning train often prone to delays at border

The gist: Via Rail’s Maple Service service is a good option if you are looking for a comfortable day trip to the Falls and back.

Option 2A: GO Transit Lakeshore West Line Train

Travel time: ~2.5 hours

Departing three times daily from Toronto Union Station to Niagara Falls Station GO Transit regional rail service makes frequent stops for commuters on route.

Departing Toronto Union:

Weekdays at 9:10, 17:21, 22:07

Weekends at 9:05, 13:05, 17:07 (Sun), 18:23 (Sat)

Departing Niagara Falls:

Weekdays at 6:37, 13:06, 20:50

Weekends at 12:04, 16:02, 20:17 (Sat), 21:17 (Sun)

Fares: Purchase at GO Transit starting at $21.15 CDN ($18.09 with Presto Card)

Take advantage of the weekend pass offered by Niagara Parks to ride GO Transit and WEGO (Niagara Falls’ tourist bus service connecting the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake) starting at $20.00 CDN.

Pros: Direct train service, affordable

Cons: Runs only three (3) times a day, evening returns depart too early, multiple stops on route

The gist: Departing three times daily the GO Train is a direct and affordable budget option but be careful of departure times.

Option 2B: GO Transit Lakeshore West Train / Route 12 Bus

Travel time: ~2.5 hours

If the train departure times above don’t exactly line up for you, GO Transit offers a bus stop-gap supplementing the Lakeshore West train to Niagara Falls. Departing roughly every 30 minutes from Burlington Station to Niagara Falls Bus Terminal (right across the street from the train station). Route 12 fulfils this gap in train service. It’s important to note that Route 12 is divided into local & express services:

12: local service stopping at colleges and park & rides

12B: express bus service between Burlington and Niagara Falls Stations

Fares: Same are Option 2A above

Pros: Good supplementing service if train departures don’t work out

Cons: Bus can be crowded; frequent stops

The gist: A good supplement to the train if return timings don’t work out. The 21:26 or 22:22 bus departure on the express 12B route is especially handy if you plan a long day at the Falls.

Option 3: Intercity Bus

Travel time: ~1.5-2 hours

Intercity carriers like Megabus, Greyhound USA, Flixbus, Trailways all offer frequent, direct, daily service from Toronto Union Station Bus Terminal to Niagara Falls Bus Terminal.

Fares: Starting at $15.00 CDN

Pros: budget friendly, frequent multiple daily service options

Cons: buses can be crowded, frequent stops

The gist: A great budget friendly option but be wary of price fluctuations and uncomfortable seats.

Option 4: Drive

Tags: Fastest

Travel time: ~1.5-2 hours

Depart Toronto by taking the Gardiner Expressway westbound (turns into Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW)) toward Hamilton Niagara. Take Exit 30A (Highway 420). Drive on Highway 420 and bear right as the highway turns into Falls Ave. Drive along the Niagara Parkway for exceptionally scenic views of the falls

Pros: Fastest, Most direct,

Cons: Gardiner Expressway and the QEW can be very confused during weekends/summer of peak season. Parking by Niagara Falls can be a challenge and prepare to pay.

The gist: Fast and convenient but traffic in Toronto and pay parking by the falls can become frustrating.

Welcome to Abbotsford and the Lower Mainland. In this list we’ll show you all the ways to get from YXX to downtown Vancouver.

Given the distance from Abbotsford International Airport to downtown Vancouver, there is no direct transportation option.

Cheapest: Taxi / BC Transit Route 66 Bus / SkyTrain

Unfortunately, there is no public transit bus serving Abbotsford Airport. There is Central Fraser Valley Transit route 21 Fraser Highway but this only services the aerospace campus not the terminal itself, and even then only at peak times; so not useful to passengers. Take a taxi from YXX terminal to Highstreet Mall (1 hour walk or 8 minute tax ride) and board BC Transit route 66 Fraser Valley Express. Disembark at Lougheed Town Centre Station and board the SkyTrain’s Expo or Millennium Line and continue to downtown Vancouver.

Fare for the bus is $2.25. Fare for the SkyTrain is $4.85. Total travel time is at least 2 hours.

Most Semi-Private: Shuttles

Several companies operate pre-arranged shuttles from YXX to downtown Vancouver. Some are rescheduled while some are on demand.

Valley Airporter Shuttle

Abbotsford Airport Shuttle by ACE Charters operates a scheduled shuttle bus from YXX to King George Station (serving the SkyTrain). Fares start at $17.25.

Ebus operates a scheduled shuttle bus from YXX to Vancouver Pacific Central Station (intermodal hub with train and bus connections). Fares start at $46.82.

Most Private: Taxi / Ride Share

Undoubtedly, the most expensive option from our list but the most private. In addition to taxis, Uber offers private rideshare services from the airport. Travel time is approximately 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. Expect to pay about $150-200 for a ride.

Note: Prices are accurate as of June 2025.