Episode 9: Do You Need a Car in Banff?

Everyone says you need a rental car to visit Banff, but is that really true?  In this post, I’ll walk you through when you do need a car, when you absolutely don’t, and what to consider before deciding if you should rent a car for your trip to Banff.

The Myth That You Must Have a Car in Banff

I’d definitely say that’s one myth of visiting Banff, that you MUST have a car.

If you’ve ever asked this question in a Facebook group, you probably got flooded with answers saying: ‘Yes, you absolutely need a car.’

And I get it…Banff is a huge national park and it feels like you’d miss out if you weren’t driving. But I don’t totally agree.

You absolutely can visit Banff without a car, and in some cases, it’s actually easier than having one. Parking can be a nightmare at some places, Moraine Lake doesn’t allow personal vehicles anymore, and during peak season, using public transit or booking a shuttle is often the better experience.

That said, there are definitely situations where having a car makes sense.

Where You Stay Affects if You Need a Car in Banff

The town of Banff is the hub of both public transit and tours. If you’re staying in Banff, especially near downtown, you can totally get by without a car. You can walk to shops, restaurants, and even several trailheads. Roam Transit has stops right in town and tour companies will often collect you from your hotel.

But if you’re staying in Canmore, which is 20 minutes away, then it becomes a little more difficult. While some tours will still pick up in Canmore (including some great shuttles to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake), you’ll be dealing a lot more with transfers to use the other public transit routes. Each time you want to catch a bus from Banff, you’ll need to take the bus from Canmore first.  And other areas like Harvie Heights and Deadman’s Flats aren’t even serviced by Roam Transit bus.

This is still entirely doable. Canmore is beautiful and a great base. You can still walk to restaurants, shops and a ton of trails in Canmore. However, you’ll just need to pay more attention to the schedules and prepare extra time for transfers each time you want to head into the national park.

How to Get Around Banff Without a Car

So how do you get around Banff without a car? This is where Roam Transit comes in. Roam is our public bus system here in the Bow Valley that operates in the town of Banff and Canmore plus between Banff and Lake Louise and between Canmore and Banff. It’s fantastic. It’s clean, reliable, affordable, and it goes to most of the places travellers want to see.

Here are a few routes people use all the time:

• Route 1 – Banff Gondola and Hot Springs
• Route 2 – Connects Tunnel Mountain to downtown and Banff Springs Hotel
• Route 6 – Lake Minnewanka
• Route 9 – Johnston Canyon
  • Which you can also get to by cycling the Bow Valley parking if you are visiting in May/June or September
• Route 8X – Lake Louise Village and Lake Louise Lakeshore
• Route 4 – Cave and Basin
• Route 3 – Connects Banff and Canmore
  • Which you can also get to by cycling the Legacy Trail
• Route 12 – in Canmore to Grassi Lakes, Quarry Lake and Canmore Nordic Centre
• Route 5C & 5T – in Canmore to get around town.

Local tip: If you get a decide to use Roam route 8 to visit Lake Louise, get a reservable Super Pass, as it will include the Parks Canada Lake Connector Shuttle from Lake Louise to Moraine Lake. So you can do both lakes in one day without a rental car. Just know that 2026 reservations for Roam Route 8X open on April 23rd for June travel, May 25th for July Travel, June 22nd for August travel and July 27th for September and October.

Also, it’s important to know that Roam Route 8X is the only reservable route. None of the other Roam routes can be reserved and are all on a first come first serve basis.

Banff Without a Car in All Seasons

The other really important consideration on getting around without a car is that Roam Transit runs on seasonal schedules.

In the summer and fall, you’ve got frequent service and full coverage to places like Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, and Lake Minnewanka.

But in winter and early spring, some routes don’t run at all (like Route 4, 6 and 12) or only on weekends (like Route 9 to Johnston Canyon). They also run on a winter schedule meaning less frequently. So if you’re visiting in March or early April, you need to double-check schedules before committing to a car-free plan.

That said, ski season is also possible to travel car-free. Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Mt Norquay all run ski shuttles from town. So if you’re planning to ski every day, you don’t need a car.

Can You Hike in Banff Without a Car?

What about hiking? Banff and area is known for incredible hiking – surely this becomes an issue if you don’t have a car?

A couple of years ago I started writing a blog post about hikes you could do without a car. When I started, I expected to come with a dozen or so. I think my end tally was closer to 35 so Yes! You have a ton of options for car-free hiking around Banff National Park.

Right from town of Banff you can do:

• Tunnel Mountain
• Sundance Canyon
• Surprise Corner to the Hoodoos
• And even Sulphur Mountain if you decide to hike instead of taking the gondola.

And with Roam Transit or a shuttle, you can reach:

• Johnston Canyon
• Lake Louise Lakeshore (which opens that entire area of hikes) and same with Moraine Lake.
• The Lake Minnewanka area also has some great hiking trails!

Here are all the Banff hikes you can do without a car. And with the addition of Roam Route 12 in Canmore, you can even do the beautiful Grassi Lakes hike without a car!

What You’ll Miss Without a Car in Banff

There are downsides to not having a car:

• You’ll miss scenic drives like the Bow Valley Parkway or Icefields Parkway
• You’ll also miss places like Yoho National Park which includes Emerald Lake and Takkakaw Falls
• You can’t explore Kananaskis, which is a separate provincial park. There’s just no easy access to Kananaskis without a car.
• Other downsides:
  • You’re tied to bus schedules and you lose some flexibility
  • Wildlife sightings are harder
  • With bus schedules catching a sunrise or sunset is harder
• And if it rains, you’re kind of stuck as there’s no easy way to escape to the car.

So how can you see Yoho National Park or the Icefields Parkway without a car? The easiest way is to join a tour.

These points are worth considering or if flexibility is really important to you.

A Car-Free Banff Itinerary

I know that was a lot of information on getting around without a car. I hope that I’ve shown you that it is possible. Last year I did a custom itinerary for a group that was camping at Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court in Banff. They didn’t want to move their RVs so I was able to create an entire itinerary with very minimal movement of their RVs. We were able to fit in some of the harder reach places on the days they were moving campgrounds.

Final Tips on Visiting Banff Without a Car

• Think about where you are staying if you want to go car-free
• Always check Roam Transit schedules before you finalize anything, especially depending on the time of year you are visiting
• Don’t feel like you have to rent a car “just in case”, rather decide based on your plans
• Consider booking one guided tour if there’s a specific remote area you really want to see. You’ll get the added benefit of not having to drive.
• This isn’t just a consideration on cost. I know plenty of people who don’t drive or just don’t want to drive.

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